Integrated amp for B&W 805S under $1200?

"I mostly listen to classical music, and also some opera and jazz. So I want an amplifier that does justice to the grand symphony sound (think Mahler's Fifth or Tchaiokovsky's Sixth). Sounding musical is very important also: in particular, in violin and piano."

DITTO for me,

I am running a Rega Apollo with a Jungson JA-88D and could not be more pleased with the synergy of the two. Have put many monitors in front of me with this front end and can say this........the JA-88D has no problem driving and keeping anything in it's grips with a velvet touch. FWIW I've been around here and the "hi-end" block for quite some time. Recently I've been going minimalistic in my approach to listening and have had this combo for more than a year which is a good sign as it meets my standards for reproduction of PRAT, Non-fatiguing, good stage width & depth, balanced from octave to octave and the most enjoyable thing of late.....Soul.

I had a pair of B&W DM601 S3 on loan to me for 3 months and thoroughly enjoyed that setup enough to make them a "hit" on my list of next purchases. I don't have first hand experience with your speakers but think it would be the same.

That is why I will throw the Jungson JA-88D in the ring for a worthy contender, and the best part is the Price of a pre-owned unit........around $800 when they do show up on here........just make sure they are U.S. versions!

Good Luck in your journey.

Portal Panache - suggest checking with Joe at portal Audio to see if he has a loaner coming back in - great amp - (I am not affiliated other than as a satisfied customer)

>>With your stuff I think you should try a tube integrated. I like the Pathos a lot. Art Audio just came out with one too.<<

Well that's bad information as the Art Audio Lissa is a solid state (chip) amp, not tubed.

Pathos integrated tube amps range from $2700 to $10,000, which seems a little out of the $1200 limit.

You really need to check out this amp.

Myriad reviews here.

Thank you all for your feedback. Much appreciated! I thought I'd update you with what I'm going to try next. I found a Classe CAP 150 (sonically the same as a CAP 151) on here for sale, and it should be arriving tomorrow. I'll post my review once I've had time to listen to it and compare it to my YBA YA 201.

I'm hesitant to go to the separates world, so I decided to stick with integrated. I don't have room for separates in my small entertainment unit in my apartment. I'm also a bit hesitant about tubes or hybrids: I'd like to try them out in my system but I don't want to commit to buying one. It seems tubes lack the dynamics of SS and that's important to me in orchestral works.

In terms of my short list. A lot of people say Bryston and Krell are harsh so I'm staying away. The Naim Nait 5 is very highly recommended, and I may try a unit if I find one here that lasts for more than 5 minutes! But I wonder if it's enough to drive my 805S. I called Joe from Portal Panache, who was incredibly helpful and nice. There's a 12 week wait on the Panache! The Marantz PM15S1 is new and I'd feel more comfortable seeing more reviews online before buying it.

Thanks all!