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Shopping for an integrated, advice s'il vous plait.

Some time ago I decided to upgrade my stereo and spent virtually my entire budget on speakers (no regrets), tacking on a Harman HK3490 as an afterthought. Well, it recently bit the dust for no apparent reason. It was only $260 and gave me 5 years of almost daily service, so I'm not too mad. Unfortunately there's nothing comparable on the market at that price, adjusted for inflation. The closest thing I could find was the Yamaha A-S801, but it appears to have the same build quality as my previous receiver. I'm not sure I'm comfortable spending close to $1k on something with disposable quality, so I've been assessing my options within my budget ($1500 max). Looking for an analog integrated with quality components and construction that will last me at least 10 years. So far I've narrowed my options down to:

Yamaha a-s1000 (new)
or
Vintage i.e. Yamaha ca-2010, Sansui au-717, Pioneer sa-9500 ii etc. 

My only problem with vintage is that it seems to take many months of waiting before a deal comes up on the model you want. I see a fully recapped and restored au-717 recently went on eBay for less than $700. Probably not gonna find a deal like that in the next year, if ever. 

TL;DR Would like thy esteemed opinions to vet my purchase of a Yamaha a-s1000. 


unknoahble
randy-11
1,913 posts
 
Creek Evolution 50A
seanheis1
359 posts
 
I would recommend a marantz integrated like this one. I would also advise against Class D options without hearing them first. They have a sound that is not for everybody. http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/marpm6005/marantz-pm6005-integrated-amplifier-w/d-...
sunnyjim
884 posts
 

Rogue  "Sphinx": hybrid integrated amp  Excellent phono stage and head phone amp  It is 100RMS

(I may be posting an ad for my Rogue Sphinx in a few week only because I am moving up to separates)   .       

helomech
766 posts
 
I have a Rogue Sphinx V2 paired with MA Silver 8s (rx6 lineage) and I'm very pleased with its performance. It's very detailed, dynamic and neutral. 

I used to have a Yamaha AS-500 paired with my MA speakers, it was able to drive them well with most music. The nice feature of the Yamaha amps is that you can use both sets of speaker posts to bi wire the speakers, even 4 ohm speakers! It made a noticeable difference compared to using single runs. Yamahas are very neutral and quiet.

The Rogue is highly rated in many publications and reviews. Though it's better than the Yamaha, I'd quantify it as only 10% better, despite a $1k price gap.
For me, the difference is justified, but it might not be for someone on a really tight budget.

IMO, the hill of diminishing returns becomes very steep beyond the $1200 range.
unknoahble OP
4 posts
 
@helomech
IMO, the hill of diminishing returns becomes very steep beyond the $1200 range.
I agree with you wholeheartedly on that point. My budget isn't tight per se, it's just that I know my speakers aren't going to resolve anything much beyond amps in the 1500 range. 

My hk3490 actually miraculously came back to life, after I paid $40 to have to assessed by a technician of course. It was going into protection mode and turning off every time I flipped the power switch. I confirmed it wasn't an outlet issue or short before taking it in, of course. No idea. Anyway, I'm not sure I trust it anymore so I'm still looking for a replacement, though not being under pressure to buy has given me time to step back and further assess my options.

I was looking at the a-s1000 simply because it seemed like the best bet for 'I need to order an integrated today,' but it's not necessarily an integrated I can see myself never wanting to upgrade from. That would be the a-s1100. I actually saw it on sale at Amazon for $2k when I first started shopping, but now it's back up to 2.5k, sigh. I've seen some a-s2100's go for roughly $1500 on eBay, so maybe if a deal like that comes up again I'd go for it. Now the waiting game begins. 

PS - I have nostalgia for the comforting, hypnotic glow of the vu meters on my grandfather's receiver in his den, where I spent many hours of my childhood. It was a Yamaha, which explains my proclivity. I was willing to go without vu meters if I had to, but now that I can be pickier I don't think I'd consider anything without them. I know this is a purely emotional decision, but that is part of the fun of the hobby for me.
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