Help me find an integrated for my Sonus faber Toy Towers

[esteban]

I posted a similar thread in the Sonus faber sub-forum... but now the plot thickens and the options get more complicated... Wonder if you folks could help me.

I have a pair of Sonus Faber Toy Towers, which I purchased a few months ago and love. I am currently using a Marantz SR-5005 receiver to drive both the Sonus and the rest of my (more modest) 5.1 set-up, but I'm seriously considering adding an "audiophile-quality" 2 channel ONLY integrated amplifier with a "home-theater pass-through" input/option which would allow me to completely bypass the Marantz for serious 2 channel listening... which is, after all, what I end-up listening to the most.

This is what I am looking for:

- Integrated amp for around $3K.
- A home-theater "pass through" input or "amp in" option which would allow me to use the integrated amp as a power-amp only, in conjunction with my 5.1 receiver.
- At least 100 watts. 200 Watts would be ideal. Something with more than enough power to drive the Sonus with plenty of headroom and, at the same time, leave the door open for future speaker upgrades which might demand more power.
- XLR connectors a plus.
- Excellent build quality, reliability. I intend to keep the unit for years and years.
- Audiophile pedigree.
- Elegant and beautiful design.
- Regular dimensions. No behemoths would fit in my Bell'O rack.

My top candidate, so far, would be the Musical Fidelity M6i. Both Musical Fidelity and Sonus faber are well-known for their "sweet" and "mellow" sound. And fatigue-free listening is certainly a priority for me. I do not mind loosing a little bit of detail and "punch" as a compromise.

Digital source will hopefully be the Oppo 95 (once it becomes available), in order to take advantage of its terrific DAC. I only listen to CD's and SACD's, and this would be done via the Oppo's XLR connection.

The M6i has basically everything I am looking for at the moment, and the price is more than fair... but there are other options out there, including:

- Krell s300i (a little cheaper, more analytical, colder, brighter... with probably better punch and low-end, but less finesse..)

- A Prima Luna tube integrated. Apples to oranges, I know. Tubes. A LOT less power, but it could be my introduction to the tube world... Still a little hesitant on this one. I never owned a tube amp before and I am concerned about reliability, heat issues, the lack of power, etc...

- And what about the McIntosh MA6300? A little above my price range, I know... but I could maybe stretch a little bit... My concern is that this would be a "cheapo" Mc with the luxo price tag and none of the "magic". Reviews on this particular entry-level model are not the greatest... Also, it is a beast. Would not fit in my rack. Would have to place it on the floor.

Does NAD offer the "home-theater" pass through option? I am curious about their Master series...

Any other options you guys might think of that meet the criteria mentioned a few paragraphs above?

Any insights, ideas and comments would be truly appreciated.

I listen mostly to classical, soundtracks, a little bit of jazz and some rock/metal. My room is small to medium-sized and I sit 7 feet away from the speakers.

Thanks in advance!

[cmalak]

esteban...of your choices, I think the Musical Fidelity and Krell would be better fits. I am not familiar with the Toy Towers specifically, but if they have the slightly warmer SF signature, I would stay with MF and Krell to pare them up with. In terms of other suggestions, in your price range, you might want to look into a used Pathos Logos (which has tubes in the preamp stage but 100wpc SS output), a used Marantz PM-KI Pearl Limited Edition, or a Plimius 9200.

By the way, as it relates to the Oppo BDP-95, the USB connector there is for firmware upgrades and yes you can play music, watch pics/movies vis USB thumb drives. You cannot however use the USB as an input to a PC/music server/transport source to access the BDP-95's internal DAC. Just wanted to make sure you are aware of that. Good luck.

[BuffaloBill]

Originally Posted by esteban

- Excellent build quality, reliability. I intend to keep the unit for years and years.

Then you want the MA6600.

[esteban]

BuffaloBill, the MA6600 is WAY beyond my price range, as listed above. Twice as much, actually, since if I'm not mistaken it lists for $6K.

Cmalak, thank you very much for your comments and suggestions. I will look into the other options you mentioned. I love Pathos but I do not think there are any dealers in my area (South FL). I'll see if there are any on Audiogon. That would certainly be a beautiful-looking Italian combo... But does the Logos have the home-theater pass-through option?

(Thanks also for the info on the USB input on the Oppo. Yes, I was aware of that, but I plan to use the unit strictly for CD's, SACD's and movies.)

Keep the comments coming! I'm new to this stuff, and this purchase is important for me. It would be my first truly "audiophile" amp, and I'd like to make sure I am making the right decision. Thanks again!

[BuffaloBill]

You can buy practically new pre-owned MA6600 for +/- $3,600.

[bart]

the Accuphase E-250 is also quite near your price range and is a fantastic amp...

[esteban]

I just spoke to McIntosh and they explained that all their integrated amps do NOT have the pass-through option. They do have an "amp-in" input, but I would have to manually connect and disconnect cables every time I'd want to switch between 2-channels and surround. So, the McIntosh is a no-go...

Still researching other options. Thanks all for the feedback. Keep it coming!

[Doug Lax]

How about the Marantz reference? PM11S2 or PM15S2

[esteban]

Same problem, Douglax. All the Marantz reference units do not have the home-theater pass-through... It really looks like the options out there are not that many: Musical Fidelity, Prima Luna and Krell are the ones that consistently feature the home-theater input, but, this being my first "audiophile" amp, I am unsure as to which way to go...

I just realized that the Musical Fidelity M3i also has pretty much everything I need, and for half the price: $1500... The only problem is that it puts out 75 wpc, compared with the M6i at TWICE the price, which gives me a whopping 200 wpc and has a dual-mono configuration... Considering the fact that my speakers are 89db, 8 omhs, and my room is smallish... do you think the M3i would be the smarter option? I'm concerned at those power ratings. I do not enjoy "loud" music per se, but my Marantz receiver "supposedly" produces 95 wpc (when using two channels only) and to me it sounds a little lacking in the "punch" department. I routinely have to use the volume selector at around the 60 (out of 100) mark...

[Doug Lax]

I would go with the M6i