sweetest sounding ss integrated

Here are some other names that occur to me (without having had the chance to audition most of them).

ss:
Ayre
Creek
Lavardin
LFD
McIntosh
Plinius
Sim Audio

hybrid (tubed pre-amp stage):
Cayin
Pathos
Unison

Like I say, he's going for euphonic, with good imaging and soundstaging.

Thoughts? Recommendations? Particular models?

Not much to offer here, except to say that the Sim amps I have heard seemed far from euphoric to me.

I have not hear them all but these come to mind:

Sugden
Red Wine 30.2
Lavardin
maybe a used rowland..not sure on the price of these

I've had a few int's over the years & in fact just downsized from a BAT amp & Pass pre a month ago to a Blue Circle CS. By far the best & most musical int. I've owned. I recently listened to the new Cayin hybrid & auditioned the MF int. series last year. In a 2nd system yrs. ago I had a MF X-A1 and before that a Creek. All the above pieces were pretty good. The only int. I had I didn't like was a Plinius 8200. Just not a good fit.

I'd suggest a SET designed SS amp - like this Monarchy