(2018) Stereo Integrated Amplifiers and Receivers

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Parent Category: 2018 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2018) Stereo Integrated Amplifiers and Receivers

Price: AU$46,650

Website: www.absolare.com

Josh said: While it may be considered for some to be expensive, its performance capabilities in so many areas frankly exceed what could be achieved in preamplifier-amplifier separate combinations at far loftier price points, therefore making it an attractive proposition as a statement amplifier for those slightly short of space or for those demanding electronics capable of the very highest standards.

Read the SoundStage! Australia review.

The gist: Sound that is said to strike a near perfect balance between tube and solid state.

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Parent Category: 2018 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2018) Stereo Integrated Amplifiers and Receivers

• Reviewers Choice

Price: $4499

Website: www.anthemav.com

Roger said: I can’t overstate how impressed I was by the execution of its overall design. In my years as an audio reviewer, the STR Integrated is one of the most impressive examples of a fully fledged audio product I’ve come across.

Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.

The gist: Anthem Room Correction puts this powerful integrated over the top.

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Parent Category: 2018 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2018) Stereo Integrated Amplifiers and Receivers

• Reviewers Choice

Price: $1995

Website: www.cocktailaudio.com

Al said: Cocktail Audio’s Swiss-Army-knife approach to designing the X35 music system has resulted in a winning proposition for those looking to reduce their systems’ footprints without compromising their performance.

Read the SoundStage! Simplifi review.

The gist: A list of features a mile long.

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Parent Category: 2018 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2018) Stereo Integrated Amplifiers and Receivers

Price: $700

Website: www.control4.com

Al said: The Triad One is an affordable way to enter the world of Control4, a leading platform for home automation and A/V system control.

Read the SoundStage! Simplifi review.

The gist: Enter the world of the Smart-home hi-fi amplifier.

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Parent Category: 2018 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2018) Stereo Integrated Amplifiers and Receivers

• Reviewers Choice

Price: $15,450

Website: www.gryphon-audio.dk

Uday said: Ayre’s AX-5 Twenty has long been my favorite integrated amplifier. But unless there’s a plan to include an optional DAC module in the Ayre, I now have to recommend the Diablo 120. “Our higher goal is to bring to the listener a ‘You-Are-There’ sensation”? Mission accomplished, Gryphon.

Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.

The gist: The smallest beast from Denmark’s Gryphon.

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Parent Category: 2018 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2018) Stereo Integrated Amplifiers and Receivers

• Reviewers Choice

Price: $11,000

Website: www.hegel.com

Hans said: The H590 may be expensive for a Hegel, but in the rarefied atmosphere of reference-level integrated amplifier-DACs, it’s a bargain. I’ve never encountered another amplifier that blends power, grace, and honesty with such consummate ease.

Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.

The gist: Hegel’s current best integrated amp-DAC.

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Parent Category: 2018 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2018) Stereo Integrated Amplifiers and Receivers

Price: $2000

Website: www.hegel.com

Sathyan said: Including the SoundEngine technology of upmarket Hegel models, the H90 punches well above the level you might expect from a DAC-integrated at its price -- Hegel’s attention to dynamics, detail, and transparency shone through. The Hegel H90 is well worth hearing.

Read the SoundStage! Access review.

The gist: Solid way to spend two grand on your hi-fi.

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Parent Category: 2018 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide

Category: (2018) Stereo Integrated Amplifiers and Receivers

• Reviewers Choice

Price: $10,000

Website: www.mcintoshlabs.com

Jeff said: When the fit’n’finish that McIntosh has lavished on the MA9000 is factored in, the result is the most easily recommendable product I’ve reviewed in years -- a Reviewers’ Choice with a bullet, and an early leader in our 2018 race for Product of the Year.

Read the SoundStage! Ultra review.

The gist: Retro looks, super sound, and impressive functionality . . . and it has blue meters.