Possibile new Integreated recomendation

the Concentra is nice but a little thick and lacking air the few times I heard it, YMMV though it holds its own against the competition I am sure

Plinius is a nice alternative choice

I'm getting hooked on the smoothness, speed, low noise floor, current delivery, transparency, and dynamics of a well-executed class D amp. At your price point, I'd sure give a listen to a PS Audio GCC-250. Originally $3500, they've evidently been discontinued and are now available right in your price range. Example here.

If there are no dealers in your area, you could mail order from a vendor with a generous trial period. All you're out is the return shipping if it's not your cup of tea.

The Musical Fidelities are pretty nice as well. The A5.5 lists at $3K, has 250wpc and even includes a MM phono stage.

Here's another approach: The Musical Fidelity Supercharger 550K monoblocks are down to $2500/pair (from $5K--e.g., Audio Advisor). They're 550 wpc. What if you put that with a nice low powered integrated or line stage. The 550Ks have a small footprint (about 8x8) and could sit fairly unubtrusively right next to your speakers, so they'd still have the effect of simplifying your wiring and rack space while still giving you a whopping amount of power.

I am surprised to see anyone mention the NAD Master Series M3, as it rarely gets mentioned. For a Class A rated product from Stereophile never to get mentioned much is amazing. Even if you believe the ratings are BS, it usually gets more talk then this M3. From the various forums I have read overall it is a really like Integrated. I wish I had a place to hear one. It seems to get more positive comments on other forums then here. Though they are getting pricey at 3 grand, since NAD is such a large volume big discounts off list are usually available, so maybe it is worth a look.

If your budget is like a lot of ours, you probably can't spend much beyond your stated $2500. I would stick with Plinius. If you keep on the look out, 9200's come up for sale fairly frequent and they are very good integrateds and in that price range. They also hold their value. Also as Wayne said, the NAD M3 is worth a listen and they go for good prices.

The McIntosh MA6500. Powerful, smooth, nuanced and dynamic. It was hands-down better than a Classe CA200 + Cary SLP98 in the system comprised of Revel F30 speakers and 1072 cdp....

Arthur