What is your ideal integrated amplifier?

[NiagaraPete]

My ideal looks more like this.

SQ-N150 | VACUUM TUBE AMPLIFIERS | PRODUCTS | LUXMAN | Seeking higher sound quality

luxman.com

 

[NiagaraPete]

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.

Oh I do disagree. 5.1 ok for theatre but live band 2 2.1 is the only way.

 

[NiagaraPete]

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


I do like the MA252
JSmith

 

[watchnerd]

My ideal looks more like this.

SQ-N150 | VACUUM TUBE AMPLIFIERS | PRODUCTS | LUXMAN | Seeking higher sound quality

luxman.com

I've thought about buying one just to use as a headphone amp.

 

[KellenVancouver]

About a year ago Doodski submitted a post regarding the Jeff Rowland Design Group Continuum S2 integrated amplifier. Following his link my reaction was sort of like the first time I saw Halley Berry: Yowser! Alas, at $10-12 grand my ability to acquire one is about on par with the other...

 

[NiagaraPete]

I've thought about buying one just to use as a headphone amp.

Wow, it’s quite a bit of coin. It looks lovely and Lux is built so well.

 

[Galliardist]

I own the (guess it's massively overpriced) Marantz MA-10. It seems to be an amp that annoys everyone. It doesn't fit into any of the subjectivist "camps", or into the objectivist philosophy here. Hell, it sounds the same as my old Moon i-1 at "normal" and roughly level matched volume in my setup.

I'll stick with that then, once a contrarian...

 

[Robin L]

As of right now, my ideal is the Topping PA5---only I'd want one with a line-level sub out. That can't be too hard, though I don't know if Topping would do such a thing. Right now, they're mostly desktop headphone stuff, but if the Topping PA5 takes off, it could be a different story.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

My ideal integrated would include all the following:

(1) Dirac Live 3
(2) Parametric EQ in 4 Channels
(3) Electronic crossover for 4 channels
(4) At least 200 WPC @ 8 ohms with Ncore or Purifi Class D amplification
(5) Four channel DAC
(6) Analog, Spdif, USB, and HDMI inputs with HDMI video passthrough (Lyngdorf has this)
(7) A to D conversion
(8) Overall Sinad in excess of 108 db
(9) Analog out to sub amp and external amp for high pass output
(10) Roon Ready Streaming
(11) Both 5 way binding posts and Speakon outputs
(12) Software interface for crossover and dsp functions
(13) High quality measurement microphone for DSP measurements included in pkg

 

[watchnerd]

About a year ago Doodski submitted a post regarding the Jeff Rowland Design Group Continuum S2 integrated amplifier. Following his link my reaction was sort of like the first time I saw Halley Berry: Yowser! Alas, at $10-12 grand my ability to acquire one is about on par with the other...
View attachment 170746

How much extra does the optional phono stage cost?

EDIT:

Apparently the phono stage is a not-quite-crazy $600, not nearly as bad as I feared.

 

[watchnerd]

My ideal integrated would include all the following:

(1) Dirac Live 3
(2) Parametric EQ in 4 Channels
(3) Electronic crossover for 4 channels
(4) At least 200 WPC @ 8 ohms with Ncore or Purifi Class D amplification
(5) Four channel DAC
(6) Analog, Spdif, USB, and HDMI inputs with HDMI video passthrough (Lyngdorf has this)
(7) A to D conversion
(8) Overall Sinad in excess of 108 db
(9) Analog out to sub amp and external amp for high pass output
(10) Roon Ready Streaming
(11) Both 5 way binding posts and Speakon outputs
(12) Software interface for crossover and dsp functions
(13) High quality measurement microphone for DSP measurements included in pkg

4 channels?

 

[jhaider]

My ideal integrated would include all the following:

(1) Dirac Live 3
(2) Parametric EQ in 4 Channels
(3) Electronic crossover for 4 channels
(4) At least 200 WPC @ 8 ohms with Ncore or Purifi Class D amplification
(5) Four channel DAC
(6) Analog, Spdif, USB, and HDMI inputs with HDMI video passthrough (Lyngdorf has this)
(7) A to D conversion
(8) Overall Sinad in excess of 108 db
(9) Analog out to sub amp and external amp for high pass output
(10) Roon Ready Streaming
(11) Both 5 way binding posts and Speakon outputs
(12) Software interface for crossover and dsp functions
(13) High quality measurement microphone for DSP measurements included in pkg

Take your list, add Dirac Live Bass Control (or a similar room correction system with multisub calibration and integration), make it 2 powered channels with 4 balanced outputs, get rid of the pointless binding posts (make people use good connectors!), swap normal AirPlay2 for that weird Roon thing, and clarify the "software" interface for the crossover/PEQ is a web-based thing or a MacOS/iOS app based program, and let SINAD land where it does to make the rest of it work...oh, and make it as small as possible. That's pretty much my ideal too.

IMO, the little Lyngdorf one is the closest to my ideal right now.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

4 channels?

Two channels on the amp, the DAC should have four to feed two subwoofers plus the main speakers.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Take your list, add Dirac Live Bass Control (or a similar room correction system with multisub calibration and integration), make it 2 powered channels with 4 balanced outputs, get rid of the pointless binding posts (make people use good connectors!), swap normal AirPlay2 for that weird Roon thing, and clarify the "software" interface for the crossover/PEQ is a web-based thing or a MacOS/iOS app based program, and let SINAD land where it does to make the rest of it work...oh, and make it as small as possible. That's pretty much my ideal too.

IMO, the little Lyngdorf one is the closest to my ideal right now.

Don't think DLBM is offered for anything other than AV Receivers right now, otherwise, I'd be right with you on that.

 

[watchnerd]

Two channels on the amp, the DAC should have four to feed two subwoofers plus the main speakers.

Why not just use pre-outs to feed the subs?

That's how most integrated amps do it.

It's how I do it on mine.

 

[cinemakinoeye]

They are fast and open. They almost sound a bit like the best tube amplifiers.

Intriguing. Are you talking from the perspective of an owner or listener/observer?

 

[maverickronin]

Don't think DLBM is offered for anything other than AV Receivers right now, otherwise, I'd be right with you on that.

I thought we were fantasizing here?

Might as well ask for Unison...

 

[jhaider]

Don't think DLBM is offered for anything other than AV Receivers right now, otherwise, I'd be right with you on that.

I’m sure that is because of lack of vision on the part of stereo equipment project managers and not any technical limitation (stereo products can use the same DSP chips as AVR/P products) not unwillingness of Dirac to to license DLBC for a 2.x channel box. Problem is outside of multichannel it seems the market bifurcates into hidebound lo-fi and over-complicated computer-based. Hopefully that will change.

 

[Angsty]

My ideal integrated amplifier is ... separates .

However in practical terms I think I'd be happy for a long time with a McIntosh MAC7200, (so called "receiver" because it has Mac's tuner module).

I'd sell my stack of separates if a MAC7200 was coming my way!

 

[Angsty]

The McIntosh website also lists a MA7200 without tuner, although I've never seen it for sale.

It appears that the MA7200 is largely targeted to markets outside of the U.S. The units I've seen for sale online have all been non-domestic.