Integrated amp: Component weight

Hello @cundare2 !

You have some nice options and seem headed on the right track with Ayre, the older on newer Naim 200 series and Coda.  I have heard two others that I like.

The Audionet Watt weighs 55 pounds but is very very good.  It checks all the other requirements. I have heard this in my system and it takes a lot of money and weight to top it.  At their rating of 167w @ 8 ohms I would not worry about power.  GTT Audio often has a show demo of this model.

The other are the Soulnote A2 and A3.  the A3 is too heavy at 66 lb but super nice. I own the A2, and even rated at 100 watts it punches well above that.  My speakers are more efficient though.   But very sweet sounding SS integrateds.  I got my A2 barely used for 4k.  I see them very occasionally for 5k. 

Good Luck!  Fun!

@fastfreight Thanks for the suggestions.  But again, I'm looking for something lighter, 20-30 pounds would be ideal 15lbs even better.  Things are getting worse for my back and as of yesterday, I'm looking at major surgery, with uncertain results.  So the last thing I need to do is buy a 50-70-lb block of expensive metal.  There's no one here who could help me move the unit and a box that heavy would make my racking system unmanageable.  So the weight limitation, unfortunately, is not negotiable.

The most tempting exceptions are the 49lb Hegel H590 & H600, which are such a perfect fit that I WANT to make an exception.  But even in that case, I'm still sticking to my guns and trying as hard as I can to select something lighter, even if that means compromising on sound or functionality.  It's frustrating, but that's the hand I've been dealt.  I'm not gonna whine, I'm gonna just do the best with what I've got to work with.

Still working on this spreadsheet, but right now (I'm going in alphabetic order) Benchmark & Bryston separates look like contenders.  We'll see.

@cundare2 I totally get it!  I had my second back surgery 11 days ago.  My first back surgery 20 months ago.

Music Is my nervana and when I came home I was so glad to have it!  don't compromise too much on sound for the weight; you will regret it!  You 
CAN do amazing things with lighter separates;  the naim combo is an example, small monoblocks (Audionet Amps) and a light preamp.  Or just figure out how to get help.  In the end, you will (perhaps) be happier with amazing sound,  Not the Benchmarks...(my opinion).  My amps and preamp are so heavy that I will never even try to move them...maybe that is a smart way to go ha ha!

@fastfreight What is recovery from back surgery like? I’m wondering how long it will be until I can even traverse the stairs to my home theater.

How come you don’t like the Benchmarks? I’ve never heard them, but they seem to be pretty popular in this thread. I’m open to any first-hand comments about a candidate component’s performance in a particular system configuration.

Oh, and by "compromise," I’m thinking more like Bryston instead of Hegel, or a HiFi Rose streamer instead of an Aurender.  I have $6000 Harbeths, not Chronosonics, so my goal is that my amplification won't any longer be the weakest link.

Just curious, where did you see the EX8 is 300wpc? It’s rated at 100wpc into 8ohm and 175 (tested it clipped at 170) into 4 which suggests a fairly lightweight current delivery that would get shaky into lower ohm loads. Do your Harbeths have difficult load requirements? That could shape (narrow) your search significantly.