Price: $12,950
Website: www.ayre.com
Uday said: If you buy one, I’m confident that it would be the last amp you bought for a very long while, if not the very last.
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The gist: Ayre squeezes even more performance from the integrated amplifier.
Price: $2495
Website: www.bluecircle.com
Colin said: Its utilitarian looks and Spartan feature set mean that the CSD won’t be the integrated amplifier for everyone. But where it matters -- the sound -- it’s impressive. Blue Circle Audio’s CSD is certainly worthy of your consideration.
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The gist: No bells and whistles, just solid sound.
Price: $1295
Website: www.clonesaudio.com
Hans said: I’m confident that it could serve as the highly competent anchor of any small hi-fi system. Color me impressed. I have little doubt that Clones Audio’s creations will find -- and deserve -- many friends.
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The gist: You may not recognize the name, but, for Hans, the sound of this little integrated was memorable.
Price: $699
Website: www.cocktailaudio.com
Vince said: As an all-in-one system for $699, the Cocktail Audio X12 is a great value. Not only does it rip CDs, it can store music, stream tunes from your network, and play radio stations from the Internet. It even has clock and alarm functions -- you can use it as a clock radio. All you need to do is provide speakers and cables, and you have a complete system.
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The gist: Best suited to small spaces and efficient speakers.
Price: $34,990 per pair
Website: www.devialet.com
Jeff said: The Devialet Expert 1000 Pro is what you buy if you want small, classy, and cool. It’s also what you buy if you want the highest quality of sound available today, at any size or price in any style of package.
Read the SoundStage! Ultra review.
The gist: They keep changing the game.
Price: €17,600
Website: www.gryphon-audio.dk
Hans said: The Diablo 300 is a mad, inimitable masterpiece.
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The gist: Super-manly integrated from a Danish giant.
Price: $5700
Website: www.hegel.com
Philip said: It’s packed with features, extremely well built, and has a nice, unassuming design. Most important, its superclean sound and transparency will appeal to those many music lovers who crave detail and resolution. If you’ve got the money, you can’t go wrong with the Hegel Music Systems H360.
Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.
The gist: Major update to Hegel’s outgoing H300.
Price: $5000
Website: www.je-audio.com
Vade said: The IS250, like the other JE Audio models we’ve auditioned, sounded really splendid. It would be a great addition to many systems.
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The gist: More integration than we’ve ever seen from JE Audio.
Price: $3500
Website: www.simaudio.com
Uday said: Is it an entry-level component? Maybe yes, maybe no -- it’s neither inexpensive nor crazy expensive. What’s more important is that, for many people, the Neo ACE could be an exit-level component.
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The gist: Add speakers and you have reasonably priced, all-in-one Simaudio performance.
Price: $349
Website: www.us.onkyo.com
Thom said: I believe the Onkyo A-9010 is a screaming bargain for anyone looking for a flexible, affordable, moderately powered integrated amplifier that will offer a lifetime’s worth of music enjoyment.
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The gist: Hard to believe this kind of sound quality costs under 400 bucks.
Price: $2495
Website: www.parasound.com
Hans said: There is no better DAC-integrated on the market for $2495 or less.
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The gist: Can’t-go-wrong component for a great minimalist stereo system.
Price: $8500
Website: www.taelektroakustik.de
Hans said: From top to bottom of the audioband, it is a complete integrated amplifier, whose sound quality is matched by its impressively solid aluminum build. For a reviewer prone to cast a skeptical eye on everything that comes through his listening room, I’m at a loss. This thing is faultless.
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The gist: Advanced German-made integrated amp could anchor your system.
Price: $3500
Website: www.wadia.com
Erich said: Overall, the a315 offers a smooth, refined sound with a bit of character; listeners considering buying one should definitely first try it with their own speakers and system.
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The gist: Stylish Hypex-based amp to go with your Wadia DAC.