Spend my $8,000 pt. 2

I remember your quandry, I'm in the same boat. I just recently heard the Chord 2600 -- a very sweet sounding integrated which has the most open sound for an integrated I have heard. Very tubelink for solid state with a big soundstage, lots of depth and very musical. Sorry to add one more amp to the mix, but if you can find one used, about 3k, you will have an amp that can last you years. It is 120 wpc into 8 and 170 wpc into 4 ohm load, very stable, no phono stage.

I heard the plinius hooked up to a pair of proc speakers, the chord as well. The chord made the plinius' soundstage sound compressed. The chord has such an extremely open presentation that it is never fatiguing. I am looking at buying an integrated and my search is over.

If you want to see a review, check out this link:

http://www.avguide.com/product/Receivers,_Tuners,_and_Integrated_Amps/Stereo_Receivers_Integrated_Amplifiers/Chord_USA_-_Bluebird_Music_Ltd./CPM_2600/3174.jsp?product=3174

It is from the Absolute Sound, from March/April

Good luck.

re: last post -- saw you are an art dealer, you will love the look of the Chord...

Catch Up: Greetings Mimberman-- FYI Modwright has a dealer in the New York area. But if you are still hunting, CJ has new amp coming out this fall called the Premier 150 CA. It is half the Premier 350 with switching and volume control from the Premier 18. So you have your first box --killer power amp with superb control functions. Now you can go after the phonostage.

Trust your head's still spinning from all the gear combos sent your way, plus your concern over tube reliability.

If you can "stand the truth" (not offered in an arrogant way)...my following comments are driven by:

1.Over 30 yrs of listening and usually loving (at least initially) two-channel REAL MUSIC LPs and CDs (not "audiophile" demo discs) through a succession of high-end systems.
2.Over 30 yrs of searching for a more pleasing, MUSICAL response from many systems as I spent years and much cash on The Latest & Greatest promoted by box pushers disguised as audio "salon" experts.
3.The realization that I needed to get past the eye candy and technobabble and truthfully ask myself:
"Does the music or the gear matter most to me? Do I really enjoy shopping for and then looking at my system, like women enjoy shopping for shoes, or do I want to spend my precious time enjoying a MUSICAL system and shop for new artists' discs instead?

As a result, I purchased and still enjoy MUSIC through two tube integrateds: Main system: VAC Avatar Super (the "Super" is an apt description) with VAC's step-up phono x'former for my low output MC cart. Second system: Audiomat Prelude Reference.

The Prelude came first, was in my main system with a very good ss phono stage and I thought I was through shopping. After hearing a friend's Avatar Super, reading the review, and talking with the helpful/honest/music-loving folks at VAC, a demo came home and is still in my main system.

The VAC is dead silent (even on phono with the gain way up and no LP playing). It lets the MUSIC through without added syrup, controlls both hard- and easy-to-drive speakers with authority and finess. It has Mac-like build quality and beauty throughout. It is conservatively designed and rated for thousands of hours of trouble free use. It takes 30 seconds to bias the four KT88s using the front panel pots and the lighted front panel mounted meter. After the first 50 hours, I now bias the tubes once every other month, when I remember to do so.

I've owned many separates and several integrateds and must say the current crop of better integrateds perform as well or better as higher level separates. The only down side is you get to dispense with the "snake oil" ICs between your pre and amp!

Have fun and good luck!