Respectable Integrateds

[accwai]

1 hour ago, GUTB said:

So in terms of respectable integrated units, there are some — the Gryphon Diablo and Esoteric F-series we know about. Probably Luxmans fall somewhere underneath these options. The direct-digital units like the NAD Masters and Lyndgorf are wildcards. Are there any inexpensive respectable integrateds? Does such a thing exist on the planet Earth (outside of Chinese clones)?

 

Just before I got into tubes exclusively, I was seriously considering Luxman 550AX and perhaps 590AX. What's the reason that these Luxman are beneath the Gryphon and Esoteric? Not gargantuan enough?

 

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[...] Are there any inexpensive respectable integrateds? Does such a thing exist on the planet Earth (outside of Chinese clones)?

 

 

Depends on what you're after I suppose. Leben CS-300XS was already mentioned earlier in this thread. It is highly respected within the musicality crowd. Going to its big brother CS-600 will double the output power and probably respect as well

 

As for inexpensive, it's all relative you know. Audio Note UK's Jinro is basically the same circuit as Ongaku but with AN level 3 components rather than Ongaku's level 5, and at around 1/4 the price. Audio Tekne's TFM-9412 is at the about same price bracket but supposedly made like the big Audio Teknes. If you want to be in that world, these are rather inexpensive ways to get in