best integrated amp.

Your buying integrated and dropping 7k! Are you looking for Audiophile reference reproduction or simplicity! My own opinion, and opinions are like belly buttons, everyone has one, but integrated electronics was cost reduction oriented! Provide me more about you and for 7 grand I'll get u a preamp and amp that will blow the socks off anything integrated! Look at Jeff Roland intro amp matched to parasound preamp! Do able for 7k!!!!

@pennsy, I could not disagree more. Have you heard any of the incredible integrated amps out there today?
My VAC integrated amp lists for $14K, and I have replaced $30K separates with it and I have no regrets. I know that I would have to spend well north of $30K on separates to beat it.

There are other integrated amps out there that cost far more $$$ than mine, from the likes of D'Agostino, Vitus Audio, Audio Note (Japan), Devialet, darTZeel, and many more that will embarrass many separates out there.
My general rule of thumb is that you would have to spend at least twice the cost of the integrated amp on separates to beat it. Not to mention the money saved on power cords and cables.

Do yourself a favor, and go listen to a quality integrated amp someday. You just may decide that the simple life is a good life too. ;^)

I have a McIntosh 6700 powering Martin Logan Theos. I also own SMG Magnepans from about 30 years ago, which I still have.  I was powering them then with a 45 wpc Onkyo reciever, which I still have. They sounded great then and they sound great now powered by either of my amps, the 200 wpc Mac or the 45 wpc Onkyo. But they do sound better with more power. You need power to drive those maggies. 5k to 7k, I would go McIntosh. But I really love the mac amps. In speaking to Martin Logan, they ask me what I am powering the Theos with, when I tell them their response is, and I quote, "That's some of the best power on the face of the earth, 200 watts of McIntosh is better than 200 watts of anybody else."

I have a Plinius Hautonga that I am very pleased with

LSA Statement

The nicest integrated I've heard is a Jadis, but I don't know if it's a good match with the 1.7's. Give Brooks Berdan Ltd., long time Jadis dealer, a call for advice.