my shortlist for integrated Harbethsuper hl5 plus xd - please advise

Line Magnetic 845 IA Premium

ok well thanks all

I'm going to heed some of this advice  and seek to get into the higher levels of integrated amps

i think i have this with my speakers, jl sub, and lumin streamer

as I'm in no rush, I'm going to remain with my modest front end and start a quest towards an  accuphase e480 and luxman 509x which I've lusted after and then try and compare against the AVM and go from there

"...or is it more than just specs to this?"

@audiocanada : Yes, I'm afraid that, in spite of what Mr. Alan Shaw is claiming, there's much than specs to this. You will not find two different amplifiers that sound identical, regardless of their specs. Just a very simple example (not that I could explain it!): sometimes adding weight on top of the amplifier (I've witnessed it with a Pass amplifier) or placing it on some isolation feet or a platform may change the sound, even changing the power cord will make a significant difference, yet you will not find anything about this in the specs. Also those specs will not tell you exactly (even if it might be technically possible) how will a certain amplifier drive a specific pair of speakers. Some educated guesses are possible, but up to a point; beyond that, advancing toward the Holy Grail of the audiophiles is a complicated trial and error procedure IME.

"there's much more than specs" I meant.

Another vote for the Parasound Hint, it had plenty of power and great sound with Maggie's 1.7. you get everything in one unit and could probably score a lightly used or demo unit. It means toward a tube sound without tubes.

Enjoy auditioning different units.