Respectable Integrateds

[AudioDoctor]

7 hours ago, MarkS said:

When I heard the Diablo it sounded good to me. 

 

I think Ralf was being sarcastic 

[Ralf11]

No, I was quoting GUTB's two points

[MetalNuts]

I am using Gryppon's Diablo 300.  It is the best Integrated I have.  I forgot about the specs and it has enough power to drive my Magico S1 MK2 and that is what I need.

 

Some may consider pre-amp and power amp superior than integrated but IMHO it all depends on the quality of the equipment itself and the matching between the pre and power.  General speaking, the price of pre + power is more than an integrated.

 

Since I believe in different cables will have an impact on the SQ, an integrated save me a lot on the extra power cable, interconnect, it is a plus to me.

 

However, I do not prefer to have the dacs, phono etc installed on an integrated, I prefer to have them external in their own individual chasis.

[AudioDoctor]

1 hour ago, Ralf11 said:

No, I was quoting GUTB's two points

 

My point exactly...

[Ralf11]

14 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

 

My point exactly...

 

Let's compromise on 'ironic' ...

[AmusedToD]

2 hours ago, MetalNuts said:

I am using Gryppon's Diablo 300.  It is the best Integrated I have.  I forgot about the specs and it has enough power to drive my Magico S1 MK2 and that is what I need.

 

Some may consider pre-amp and power amp superior than integrated but IMHO it all depends on the quality of the equipment itself and the matching between the pre and power.  General speaking, the price of pre + power is more than an integrated.

 

Since I believe in different cables will have an impact on the SQ, an integrated save me a lot on the extra power cable, interconnect, it is a plus to me.

 

However, I do not prefer to have the dacs, phono etc installed on an integrated, I prefer to have them external in their own individual chasis.

 

Which DAC are you using?

[MetalNuts]

26 minutes ago, AmusedToD said:

 

Which DAC are you using?

 

Esoteric N-05 in the meantime but will soon upgrade to N-01.

[AmusedToD]

24 minutes ago, MetalNuts said:

 

Esoteric N-05 in the meantime but will soon upgrade to N-01.

 

Cool. Which cables do you use? 

[MetalNuts]

4 hours ago, AmusedToD said:

 

Cool. Which cables do you use? 

 

Which cable you mean? I think you can check my profile, it is all in there.

[mordante]

I'm in doubt at the moment. Sometime in the (far) future I might want to upgrade my integrated amp (Symphonic Line La Musica). I'm contemplating a pre-power setup.

 

But I don't want to add more boxes to my set-up. My ideal would be a pre amp with a schiit mutibit dac and like a Auralic Aries steamer build in. With a outboard power supply. But I don't think something like that exists.

 

The other option would be a pre amp with a good phono amp. These do exist. But not sure how flexible these phono amps are. A pre amp like maybe the Octave HP 300SE. Then add a nice power Symphonic Line RG7 and I'm done.

Now only if I were a millionaire.

 

There are integrated amps like the Aavik U300 and Devialet. but I'm not a huge fan of either. Both are good gear but not my sound.

[Rexp]

It seems to me that amplifier technology is about to change, even doyens of pre amp techology, Conrad Johnson are releasing integrated amps with passive pre amp stages :http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/conrad-johnson-cav-45-integrated-amplifier/

 

[esldude]

On 1/3/2018 at 11:49 PM, Rexp said:

It seems to me that amplifier technology is about to change, even doyens of pre amp techology, Conrad Johnson are releasing integrated amps with passive pre amp stages :http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/conrad-johnson-cav-45-integrated-amplifier/

 

 

I owned a CJ PV5 preamp and MV50 power amp years back.  Both delightful pieces of gear.  I used the MV50 eventually with a home built passive preamp because it bested the PV5 as a preamp.  I kept the PV5 for the excellent phono stage it had however. Had it until I divested myself of LP gear altogether.  

 

The MV50 was replaced by a VTL 75/75 which spent several years playing my Quad ESL63 speakers.  

 

My already stated opinion on all this is keep it all digital as far as possible into the playback chain, and no reason integrateds need take a back seat to separates.  

 

 

 

 

[Rexp]

I've still got a PV6, do you ever wonder if your switch to digital amplification coincided with old age?

[GUTB]

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)?

[Shadders]

Hi,

It seems that the "respectable" integrateds cost a lot of money. There are many cheaper, options offering similar performance. It seems these are being ignored since they are not costly enough.

High end amplifiers use exactly the same components as higher volume units, it is just that they have different marketing, and a nicer looking case.

Regards,

Shadders.

[Ron Scubadiver]

Marantz, Yahama, NAD to name a few at the reasonable end of the price spectrum.  Peachtree Nova, Rouge Audio, Parasound.  I suppose there are all sorts of exotic brands with 12 dealers worldwide.

[trappy]

40 minutes ago, Shadders said:

Hi,

It seems that the "respectable" integrateds cost a lot of money. There are many cheaper, options offering similar performance. It seems these are being ignored since they are not costly enough.

High end amplifiers use exactly the same components as higher volume units, it is just that they have different marketing, and a nicer looking case.

Regards,

Shadders.

 

Job INT is 1699$ USD delivery and taxes included. Returnable with a small restocking fee.

[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?

 

Quote

[...] 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

[gmgraves]

5 hours 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)?

 

That question has been asked and answered several times on this and other forums lately; yet you continue to ask it? Of course, I suspect, from reading your posts that your definition of both "respectable" and "inexpensive" are different from the way most of the rest of us would define those words. 

But to run down the list somewhat, again, Accuphase makes several as does Luxman, So do Marantz and Yamaha. The former aren't cheap, but compared to similar products from Perla, Pass and especially Dan D'Agostino, they are reasonably inexpensive. Krell makes an excellent integrated, The Krell Vanguard at $4500. None of these are astronomically priced. I borrowed a Krell Vanguard for a time, and I can tell you that it is a superb-sounding amp (I just don't like push-button volume controls). I own a Krell KA-300i, which, although no longer in production,  likewise was considered one of the best amps of its day, and it was less than $3K. I'm not using the KA-300i, but keep it as a backup. Of course my enthusiasm for the $2500 Harman Kardon HK990 is boundless. As an integrated amp, it checks all the right boxes for versatility, usability, and, the all important, sound quality which is up there with the very best in amplifier performance. 

I don't expect you to agree as I sense that you have heard none of them and seem to judge everything on price alone. 

[AudioDoctor]

hello, PRIMA FUCKING LUNA!

[#Yoda#]

6 hours 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)?

 

Sorry Steve, this post disqualifies you as a serious reviewer who is able to look beyond his own small backyard. I'm not always concordant with the generalizing HiFi press and editor bashing in this forum, but the approach you show in this and other threads seems to be congruent with the ignorant behavior and ideas of your current government.

 

You only need to read some other posts in this thread to get some inspirations that there may be some decent high end manufacturers out there in the real world with solutions you've obviously not even heard about. Even outside of the United States there are people and well known manufacturers who are able to design HighEnd equipment and very well sounding integrated audio systems. Maybe you should read the non-MQA related equipment reviews in Stereophile or TAS occasionally ?.

[Miska]

52 minutes ago, gmgraves said:

Of course my enthusiasm for the $2500 Harman Kardon HK990 is boundless. As an integrated amp, it checks all the right boxes for versatility, usability, and, the all important, sound quality which is up there with the very best in amplifier performance.

 

I have the HK990 in the storage, used it for couple of years, but got bored on trying to fix it's wandering bias. Maybe I'll rebuild the bias circuitry some day. The digital section is not up to today's standards anymore. But as analog amplifier it is fine and I think it's power amp sections are from Mark Levinson (schematics drawing style is different for the power amp compared to rest of the stuff). And it's 20+ kg weight already tells it's own story.

 

[beerandmusic]

On 12/30/2017 at 1:26 PM, gmgraves said:

 

I've a friend with the Parasound Integrated. I haven't heard it yet, but he's crazy about it and I trust his ears. I replaced an Audio Research SP-11 pre-amp and a pair of VTL 140 mono-block power amps with a Harman Kardon HK990 a couple of years ago, and haven't looked back. The Harman Kardon is better in every way, especially in sound quality. I was really amazed at how much better my Martin-Logan Vistas sounded with the solid-state integrated than they had with the tubed gear. 

I see there are 2 different models of hk990 do you have a 1989 hk990 vxi or a more recent one?  an avr?

 

 

[asdf1000]

On 02/01/2018 at 1:13 PM, AudioDoctor said:

Peachtree Nova150/300

 

The 300 is the one.

 

I've owned a few Peachtree Nova's over the years. Great value for the money.

 

Don't make the mistake I initially made and discount a Class D amp until you hear one first!

 

I've always preferred their amp section more than their DAC section - so I've used a separate DAC and enjoyed the Peachtree for amplification duties only.

[beerandmusic]

On 1/1/2018 at 6:13 PM, AudioDoctor said:

Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP if all you want is pre/power in one chassis.  Absolutely stunning sound quality.

 

I also have a McIntosh MAC7200 Receiver, same as the MA7200 but with an FM module, and I love it.

 

If I were adding some to a list to check out I would add:

 

Peachtree Nova150/300

Balanced Audio Tech VK3000SE

Pass INT 60/120

McIntosh Integrateds

Rogue Audio has Tube and Hybrid integrated amps

Leben Hi Fi C300-XS

Luxman 550/590

 

On top of the things I already own.

 

None of these will get me on the Approved by GUTB Audiophile list though.

so which do you like better, the mac7200 or the Primaluna Dialogue Premium