Best value in integrated amps at a moderate price?

First off, what is you budget?

My suggestion would be decided on the speakers first. This will dictate what you will need out of an integrated. If you buy a lower powered unit and then fall in love with some inefficent speakers, you will will have a bad combo.

Baroque_lover...the Blue Circle CS is a nice integrated amp, but I don't think I'd consider it to be a powerful amp. The Blue Circle NSCS, on the other hand, has a good amount of power and is IMHO a great value...

(disclaimer, I am a Blue Circle dealer)...

at a very powerful 18 watts, my Audio Note Soro SE is easily the best $1300 I ever spent and another excellent choice would be a Manley Stingray with 50 watts.

I would rather have the sound quality over power and do not think you will get both at a moderate price - whatever that means to you, to me it means about $2000 or less

If I were buying an integrated, I'd look at the Portal Panache and the Plinius line.

Rogue Cronus 55 Wpc $1795
Vandersteen 2Ce Signatures $1600

Accuracy, detail, imaging, extension.