sweetest sounding ss integrated


Despite my efforts to talk him out of it, a friend of mine is downsizing and simplifying, getting out of tubed separates, and is looking for a ss, or possibly hybrid, integrated that leans towards the euphonic.

Price range: $1500 to $3500 new or used.

Other components: Cambridge 840C, B&W 703s.

Musical preferences: classical, particularly large scale.

Recommendations?
128x128twoleftears
I think there are a number of offerings from Musical Fidelity that would work really well with the B&W 703's. The A300 is one and I'd bet the 308 and A5 would be nice with them also
Here are some other names that occur to me (without having had the chance to audition most of them).

ss:
Ayre
Creek
Lavardin
LFD
McIntosh
Plinius
Sim Audio

hybrid (tubed pre-amp stage):
Cayin
Pathos
Unison

Like I say, he's going for euphonic, with good imaging and soundstaging.

Thoughts? Recommendations? Particular models?
Not much to offer here, except to say that the Sim amps I have heard seemed far from euphoric to me.