Integrateds: Sim I-7, BAT 300xSE, Pass

Thanks, John. My speakers are 86dbs, but flat 4 ohm impedance so i'm not sure the Vac Super will work for me. I have thought about that option however.

Good to hear your experience with the I-7 against the BAT. I fear the Sim will be too SS-ish for me without a bit of body, which is probably the thing my Dyns could use (and which i prefer)

Cheers,

KeithR

Outside the box, google PS Audio GCC 100, but get a 250

I've heard all three integrateds but not your speakers.

i-7 is very dynamic and resolving--a spritely sounding amp. Heard it with Totem Forests and it was punchy (as are the speakers) and very transparent. Not a warm sounding amp, necessarily, but still a nice sound.

BAT has a couple of configurations, and each sounds somewhat different; the 300xSE is the version I heard and it's very nice sounding. I don't like the BAT aesthetics, but it's nice being able to add a phono card to it (although I haven't heard the phono card). Ever so slightly warm sounding, but I like the lusher sound, and good in the bass, as BAT SS amps tend to be, IMO.

I have the PASS right now, which I'm evaluating in my system. It's not fully broken in, but my thoughts are: it's punchy and projects a nice soundstage. Very nice sounding highs, and a lovely mid/bass integration. Slightly forward sounding, but I like that. It's very well constructed, remote is particularly good, and has all the inputs one could nead EXCEPT no HT pass through. No phono option either.

You really need to hear the amps in your system to know which one will go best. If you like the BAT then I would go with that. For myself, my list would go: Pass, Bat, Sim