What is your ideal integrated amplifier?

[curiouspeter]

I have a Teac AX-505 and it is quite close to being ideal:

• Small (11.4" × 3.2" × 10.4")
• Efficient / Cool-running (Class D, Hypex Ncore)
• Balanced (XLR inputs)
• Good-looking (those VU meters!)
• Powerful enough for my living room (70W/ch, 8 ohm)
• Does not break the bank (under $1000)

It would be nice if there were a phono stage but my turntable has one built-in and I am not that serious about vinyl.

I am quite surprised there are not more amps like this (other than its little brother, the AX-501). Most integrated amps on the market are unnecessarily big in size:

• Too much empty space inside the enclosure (I am not impressed by size, I would rather have more heft)
• Too many analog inputs (other than 1 XLR for the DAC, 1 phono, 1 aux, what else could I possibly need?)
• Useless digital inputs to crappy DAC (I can bring my own DAC)
• Two sets of speaker outputs (seriously, on an integrated amp?)
• Useless equalizer features (it is better done by Roon or miniDSP)

Also, how hard is it to throw in some VU meters? People who care to buy amps are at least somewhat nostalgic. Otherwise, some Sonos speakers will do.

(I guess DACs can have a nice hi-res IPS display with software VU meters but somehow this is not common as well.)

 

[watchnerd]

Oh I misunderstood this thread.

It’s you telling us your ideal...

Okay.

Sure, small with VUs is cute.

My feature list is different and I like more power.

 

[curiouspeter]

Oh I misunderstood this thread.

It’s you telling us your ideal...

Okay.

Sure, small with VUs is cute.

My feature list is different and I like more power.

I definitely want to hear from others, just starting from myself...

The power debate will never end. But I am using no more than a couple of watts most of the time anyway.

 

[Hrodulf]

Here's mine -

Doesn't get much more integrated than that.

 

[Phorize]

I definitely want to hear from others, just starting from myself...

The power debate will never end. But I am using no more than a couple of watts most of the time anyway.

There’s no debate about power; the more power the better

My ideal IA transparent, powerful, energy efficient, small, balanced inputs, remote controlled, dsp, built in dac and streaming software (based open standards soc so I can leverage other software if needed, SOTA phono stage implemented in dsp, obviously sota dac but modular so can be upgraded without chucking out the whole thing. Built like a Swiss watch-not a surface mount in sight. Basically it’s a nad m33 done super well by accuphase.

 

[Milioli]

There’s no debate about power; the more power the better

My ideal IA transparent, powerful, energy efficient, small, balanced inputs, remote controlled, dsp, built in dac and streaming software (based open standards soc so I can leverage other software if needed, SOTA phono stage implemented in dsp, obviously sota dac but modular so can be upgraded without chucking out the whole thing. Built like a Swiss watch-not a surface mount in sight. Basically it’s a nad m33 done super well by accuphase.

I would just add Upgradeable (streammer and dac) and Maintenance Free

And power in Amps in like power in Cars: you may think you don't use it because you never go close to the maximum speed (or volume on the amp), but you already use it for acceleration/overtaking (thats the transients and dinamics of the amp). The car Torque vs Slew Rate may be better, but not so fun!

 

[curiouspeter]

I would just add Upgradeable (streammer and dac) and Maintenance Free

And power in Amps in like power in Cars: you may think you don't use it because you never go close to the maximum speed (or volume on the amp), but you already use it for acceleration/overtaking (thats the transients and dinamics of the amp). The car Torque vs Slew Rate may be better, but not so fun!

Or they can make monoblocks smaller. There should be more streaming DACs. But I guess becoming Roon Ready is a huge hassle. For now, I'm happy with a Pi.

 

[Alexanderc]

NAD m33 but $1500 cheaper and more reliable (lots of issues reported recently).

 

[Steve Dallas]

If I could have exactly what I want, it would be the features of this sexy beast with balanced inputs, a SOTA DAC implementation, and Hypex or Purifi amplification:

 

[JSmith]

Also, how hard is it to throw in some VU meters? People who care to buy amps are at least somewhat nostalgic.

Agree 100%, love VU meters, although some say it's another kink in the clean signal path.

Would love one of these, but just insanely priced;

JSmith

 

[BillG]

Something like this:

https://nadelectronics.com/product/c-338-classic-digital-dac-amplifier/

Yahama's WXA-50 is close to my ideal as well, but it doesn't have Chromecast built-in - they offer their own streaming solution, MusicCast, instead, but I've never had a chance to audition it.

Even the Klipsch PowerGate, which I currently own, will do, but its DAC is subpar - I've bypassed it with an Apple USB-C to 3.5mm dongle and Chromecast Audio, though.

 

[mhardy6647]

I've had this rascal since 1978 -- it's not in regular use any more but I still like it just fine.
It would be nice if it had pre out/main in jacks, but otherwise a fine low/mid powered integrated amplifier.

P1020541 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

 

[Chrispy]

How on earth can a compromised design like an integrated amplifier be ideal? ))

 

[Milioli]

Or they can make monoblocks smaller. There should be more streaming DACs. But I guess becoming Roon Ready is a huge hassle. For now, I'm happy with a Pi.

Sorry @couriouspeter, could be just my engineer's mind, but when I see "ideal" I actually read "utopic, flawless" and maybe even impossible to achieve. I was not thinking about real life, where we need to compromise some of the parameters to improve others. It is a good exercise at least for marketing analyses and future plans!

 

[Milioli]

How on earth can a compromised design like an integrated amplifier be ideal?

Somebody else tought the same at the same time...

 

[Chrispy]

We used to laugh back in my "separates" days at the integrated amplifier merely being a receiver without a tuner!

 

[curiouspeter]

How on earth can a compromised design like an integrated amplifier be ideal? ))

Ideal for small spaces. If we were to get separates we would have to get a new media console. That thing was bought when we thought a soundbar was sufficient. Also, we cannot get any cabinet wider than 50 inches in that space.

The technology cycle of a power amp and that of a pre-amp should be quite similar. Mating them together should not be too much of a compromise. It will just be a stereo power amp with source selection, some resistor ladder, and hopefully some VU meters anyway. I will not want a DAC in the integrated amp. It will be crappy. I know it.

That said, those Hypex Ncore monoblocks are cute.

 

[curiouspeter]

Agree 100%, love VU meters, although some say it's another kink in the clean signal path.

Would love one of these, but just insanely priced;

View attachment 113464



JSmith

I suppose some software VU meters on the DAC or the streamer will solve the signal path problem.

I wonder what Amir thinks about McIntosh in general.

 

[Chrispy]

Ideal for small spaces. If we were to get separates we would have to get a new media console. That thing was bought when we thought a soundbar was sufficient. Also, we cannot get any cabinet wider than 50 inches in that space.

The technology cycle of a power amp and that of a pre-amp should be quite similar. Mating them together should not be too much of a compromise. It will just be a stereo power amp with source selection, some resistor ladder, and hopefully some VU meters anyway. I will not want a DAC in the integrated amp. It will be crappy. I know it.

That said, those Hypex Ncore monoblocks are cute.

LOL just needling the subject as it can be done in so many different ways. Like the meters are needed....

 

[abdo123]

My ideal integrated amplifier is an AVR receiver that is transparent for 90 dB or so.

TV + streaming might have been optional before but not anymore.

Stereo honestly is really overrated as well, and 5.1 is a way more effective experience for those who don’t live in an underground bunker.