Best Integrated Amp $1-2k range

Audio Refinement Complete sounded MUCH better to me than ACURUS, NAD, CREEK, and much more neutral than VAC Avatar (what a joke!). Simply the best integrated under $2k IMHO. DO NOT ASSUME THESE ALL SOUND THE SAME! All you need is an excellent, resolving speaker to differentiate them. The Complete is clearly the smoothest, with great pace and resolution. It's a little laid back, and a tiny bit soft on top, but can be had for $900 with remote discounted! Try one.

Subaru!...how much "MORE" is Audio Refinement...neutral than the AVATAR? And, you are able to tell us that? Right? You are full of $^(&! You never listen Avatar, otherwise you would never made such a statement. Also, Linn Majik beats any Int. amp in the 2k range HANDS DOWN!

I own the A3 MF integrated and feel it is the integrated equivalent of McCormack .

Eldragon...cut the flaming, huh? Compared to Audio Refinement Complete and ACURUS integrateds, which measured within 0.5dB of each other 20-20k, 1/3 octave sweeps, the AVATAR: flat to 100Hz, then dipped to -2.5dB at 250Hz, rising through unity at 1k, to +3dB peak at 4.5 k, then nothching down -10dB (!!) at 11k, then climbing back to +3dB at 20kHz! Can you guess what that sounded like?? These measurements were performed following sessions with several experienced listeners. We all noticed a leaned-out lower mid, lots of tube low-treble hardness, and a completely sucked out high treble with no "air", and decided to measure the freq resp to verify what we heard...and this was with an efficient, 5.7-9.5ohm benign speaker load, not some wildly reactive electrostatic. VAC admitted that El84 tubes color FR more than their other pricier designs' tube complements, but this result was ridiculous! So get your facts straight before you flame folks, pal: some tube amps can offer wildly colored tonal balances, and thus can hardly be considered neutral. The Audio Refinement has a surprisingly smooth, neutral balance that I found much more relaxed and musical than ACURUS, NAD, CREEK, and ROTEL, and should complement the thread-head's NEAR metal driver 50's quite well. And for UNDER a $G! You may prefer the Linn (probably that's why you bought it, eh?), and with your speakers/room/taste maybe it's a good match, but what we're tryin' to do here is help this guy out, right? So please lighten up, and enjoy the music!

I'd have to go in the lines of YBA, Plinius, Electrocompaniet. Although they are over $2K new, but can be have for less in bought used !