The $3K-$7K Integrated Amplifier Showdown

There's a particular kind of madness that sets in when you start shopping for an integrated amplifier between three and seven thousand dollars. Below this range, compromises are obvious and expected - you're choosing which corner to cut. Above it, you're in statement territory where the law of diminishing returns applies but the equipment is unambiguously excellent. But here, in this messy middle, is where the real arguments happen.

I know because we've been reading them. Forum threads running forty pages deep about whether an amp sounds "clinical" or "honest." Review comments where someone insists another one made their wife cry during a Chet Baker record, immediately followed by another commenter calling it overpriced. The problem isn't a lack of information. It's that nobody has tried to synthesize it honestly.

That's what we did. We pulled together all information across fifteen integrated amplifiers that compete for your money in this bracket. Some of them technically sit above the range - the Luxman L-509Z at $12,495 and the Gryphon Diablo 120 at $9,500 are stretch picks, but they show up in every comparison discussion at this level because they're the amps people upgrade to when they outgrow the $5K tier. We kept them in because that's how real shopping works.

What follows isn't organized by score or ranking. It's organized by character - because at this price point, every amplifier on this list is competent. The question isn't which one is "best." It's which one sounds right with your speakers, in your room, playing the music you actually listen to.

The Field

At the top end, stretching or exceeding the stated range: the Luxman L-509Z ($12,495), Gryphon Diablo 120 ($9,500 with DAC), Naim Uniti Nova ($6,899), Parasound Halo Hint 6 ($6,950), and Ayre Acoustics EX-8 ($5,990 to $7,850 depending on configuration).

In the middle: Audio Hungary Qualiton A20i ($4,995), Luxman L-550AXII ($5,500), Cambridge Audio Edge A ($5,000), PrimaLuna EVO 400 ($5,500), and Anthem STR ($4,999).

And the contenders that represent the floor of the bracket: Hegel H390 ($6,000 but frequently discounted), Hegel H400 ($6,995), Rotel Diamond Series RA-6000 ($4,499), Simaudio Moon Neo 340i X ($4,600 base, $5,100 loaded), and Musical Fidelity M6si ($3,999).

Now. Let's talk about what actually happens when you turn these things on.

Luxman L-509Z

$12,495 | 120W into 8 ohms, 220W into 4 ohms | Class AB

Yes, it's nearly double the top of our stated price range. But excluding the L-509Z from a mid-premium amplifier guide would be like writing about watches in the $5,000 bracket and pretending the Rolex Submariner doesn't exist. It's the amp that everyone in this price tier eventually auditions, either to buy it or to convince themselves they don't need it.

Ken Micallef's review for Stereophile spent its first paragraphs recalling his experience with the predecessor, the L-509X, which he'd called one of the most intimate-sounding, texturally nuanced amplifiers he'd encountered. The Z, he found, went further. "Brilliant purity and fluid communication" - that was his assessment of the upper midrange through treble, and it's a description that shows up in different words across nearly every professional evaluation we found. What Hi-Fi? called the combination of features and sound quality exceptional, noting that the L-509Z proves a comprehensive feature list and great sound aren't mutually exclusive. AVForums went further, calling it "a masterpiece and a truly spectacular piece of audio equipment."

What makes the 509Z unusual is everything it includes. Built-in MM/MC phono stage - and a good one, quiet enough that Micallef was pulling out his best pressings to test it. Three-band tone controls that can be defeated. Two headphone outputs, including a 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced jack. Two speaker outputs with independent switching. The LECUA-EX volume attenuator - eighty-eight precision resistor steps that maintain tonal balance from whisper to full tilt, which is rarer than you'd think.

And the build. Sixty-four pounds of amplifier with curved PCB traces (no right angles in the signal path - Luxman claims this reduces inductance), peel-coat circuit boards that remove the lacquer layer to eliminate stray capacitance, and a 600VA transformer that the company describes with the kind of reverence usually reserved for religious artifacts. The Ear's reviewer noted it reminded him of a Yamaha S-A3000 he'd once owned, but better in every measurable respect.

The criticism? Price, mostly. The jump from $9,495 for the L-509X to $12,495 for the Z is steep - a thirty-two percent increase that reflects inflation, component cost increases, and Luxman's confidence that the market will bear it. Some reviewers noted that at this price, you're approaching separates territory. Steve Huff compared it directly against his Nagra pre/power combination retailing for $94,000 and found the Luxman competitive in build quality, which tells you something about the Japanese engineering but also about where this product sits in the market.

The sound character falls into a specific slot: transparent but not clinical, powerful but unhurried. It doesn't have the last word in midrange liquidity - that belongs to pure Class A designs. And 120 watts, while ample for most speakers, won't control genuinely difficult loads the way a 250W Hegel will. But for the listener who wants one amplifier, forever, that does everything well and most things beautifully, this is the benchmark that the rest of the list is measured against.

Works best with: Speakers of moderate to low sensitivity (87-92dB) where you want grip without aggression. Particularly strong with British monitors and Japanese speakers that reward a refined, slightly warm delivery.

Think twice if: Your speakers dip below 3 ohms regularly, you need dedicated streaming (there are no digital inputs), or you genuinely cannot justify the price over the H390/H400 sitting below.

Hegel H390 and H400

H390: $6,000 | H400: $6,995 | Both: 250W into 8 ohms | Class AB

I'm grouping these because you can't discuss one without the other, and because the question "should I buy the H390 or wait for the H400?" generates more forum traffic than almost any other amplifier comparison in this bracket.

Here's the short version: the H400 replaces the H390 with a new DAC (ESS ES9038Q2M replacing the AKM AK4493SEQ - partly because the 2020 AKM factory fire forced everyone to redesign), improved streaming (Roon Ready, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Apple AirPlay 2), a slightly refined chassis, and what Hegel describes as trickle-down improvements from the flagship H600. The amplification section - the part that actually makes the sound when you're using analog inputs - is essentially unchanged. Both deliver 250 watts per channel into 8 ohms with a damping factor north of 4,000.

That damping factor number needs context. It means these amplifiers have an almost vice-like grip on speaker drivers. If your speakers have a complex impedance curve with wild swings between 2 and 15 ohms across the frequency range - some modern designs do this intentionally - the Hegel barely notices. SoundStage's review confirmed this empirically, noting the H400 had "a tight grip on the speakers, with more punch and deep bass than expected."

The Hegel house sound is transparency. Not brightness, not analytical coldness - those are different things, and the distinction matters. What the H390 and H400 do is get out of the way. If the recording is warm, the playback is warm. If it's harsh, you'll hear that too. Hi-Fi News acknowledged this directly, noting the H400 delivers an improved soundstage, imaging, bass control, and midrange resolution over its predecessor. The Ear's reviewer found the treble response particularly impressive - "so clear, so well-defined and detailed and with a lovely airy quality."

The criticism that recurs across forums is that Hegel's neutrality can feel "dry" or "analytical" in systems that are already lean. Pair an H400 with an already-bright speaker in a reflective room and you might wish for a touch of Luxman's warmth. It's not a flaw in the amplifier. It's a system matching question. Several AVForums users noted that when combined with an external DAC like the Denafrips Terminator II, the H400's sonic character shifted enough to make the upgrade worthwhile primarily for the streaming features rather than the amplification.

Stereophile's reviewer noted that with Willie Nelson's Stardust, the H400 delivered a sound with "leather-and-bourbon quality" - not a phrase you'd use for a clinical amplifier. The truth is that the Hegel reputation for coldness comes from people who paired it with the wrong speakers or heard it in showrooms with analytical monitors. In a properly matched system, it sounds honest. And honest, at this level, is a compliment.

The $6,000-vs-$6,995 question has a practical answer: if you use the internal DAC and streaming, the H400 is worth the premium. If you're feeding it from an external DAC via analog inputs, the H390 (now available at significant discounts as dealers clear inventory) is the smarter buy. The H400 won an EISA Premium Streaming Amplifier award for 2024-2025, which suggests the professional community agrees on the streaming upgrade's significance.

Works best with: Speakers that are slightly warm or rich in character - the Hegel's transparency acts as a clean window, so speakers that bring their own flavor (Harbeth, Spendor, Sonus faber) sound particularly involving. Also exceptional with planar magnetics that need current and control.

Think twice if: You prefer tube-like warmth as a default character, your system already leans bright and you don't want to add room treatment, or you have no use for streaming (in which case, the H390 at a discount is the move).

Gryphon Diablo 120

$9,500 with DAC module | 120W into 8 ohms | Class AB, zero negative feedback

Gryphon Audio Designs doesn't make affordable equipment. The company doesn't try to. Founded in Denmark in 1985 by Flemming E. Rasmussen, a former hi-fi journalist who decided he could do better than the products he was reviewing, Gryphon has always occupied the space where engineering meets philosophy. The Diablo 120 is their entry-level integrated amplifier. Entry-level, at Gryphon, costs ninety-five hundred dollars.

What you get for that money is an amplifier designed entirely without global negative feedback - a deliberate engineering choice that trades measurable distortion numbers for harmonic richness and naturalness. Most solid-state amplifiers use negative feedback to reduce distortion to vanishingly low levels. The trade-off, Gryphon argues, is that feedback introduces its own artifacts - time-domain smearing, a subtle loss of dynamics, a flattening of the harmonic structure that makes instruments sound more like each other than they should. Whether you accept this philosophy depends partly on your ears and partly on your engineering beliefs, but the result in the Diablo 120 is distinctive.

The most consistent descriptor across reviews is "silent." Not quiet - silent. The noise floor is low enough that micro-details emerge from a background of nothing. Small venue cues, the breath of a vocalist before a phrase, the mechanical noise of piano hammers striking strings - these are the details that separate reproduced music from a facsimile of it, and the Diablo 120 retrieves them with particular clarity.

The other consistent theme is body. Where the Hegel presents music as clean and transparent, the Gryphon presents it as dense and physically present. Bass has weight and texture, not just extension. Midrange has what multiple reviewers describe as "solidity" - instruments occupy space in a way that suggests mass, not just position. The treble rolls off gently enough that you can listen for hours without fatigue, which is either a feature or a limitation depending on how much treble energy you want.

The downsides are real. At 120 watts, the Diablo 120 won't control speakers with sensitivity below about 86dB - and at this price, that rules out some popular options. It runs warm; plan for ventilation. And it lacks the streaming integration that makes the Hegel H400 a modern all-in-one solution. You'll need a separate streamer or DAC, though Gryphon offers a DAC module that handles PCM up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256.

At thirty-eight kilograms, it's also physically demanding. The milled aluminum chassis is machined from solid billets, and you feel every gram when positioning it.

Works best with: Efficient speakers (88dB and above) that benefit from body and harmonic richness. Particularly compelling with horn-loaded designs and high-sensitivity floorstanders where the 120 watts is more than sufficient. If your system sounds lean or bright, this amplifier will add meat to the bones without coloring the sound.

Think twice if: Your speakers need serious current delivery, you want an all-in-one streaming solution, or the price premium over the Hegel H400 ($2,500 more for half the power) makes you nervous about value for money.

Musical Fidelity M6si

$3,999 | 220W into 8 ohms | Class AB

If the Luxman L-509Z represents the ceiling of this comparison, the Musical Fidelity M6si represents something equally important: the value floor. At $3,999, it's the least expensive amplifier on this list. It also outputs 220 watts per channel into 8 ohms, which means it has more raw power than the Gryphon Diablo 120 at less than half the price, and nearly as much as the Hegel H400.

Musical Fidelity has been making amplifiers in Britain since 1982, and the M6si represents their midrange philosophy distilled to a formula: enough power to drive anything, enough features to avoid external boxes, and a sound that prioritizes engagement over analysis. The included feature set is comprehensive - MM/MC phono stage, balanced XLR input, USB DAC accepting up to 24-bit/96kHz, and enough line inputs to connect a full system without a switcher.

The sound character sits in what I'd call "enthusiastic neutral." It doesn't editorialize the way the Gryphon does, but neither does it strip music down to its bones the way the Hegel does. There's a slight warmth in the lower midrange that gives weight to vocals and acoustic instruments, and a dynamic presentation that makes rock and large-scale orchestral music genuinely exciting. High current delivery means it handles 4-ohm speakers without strain - including demanding designs like B&W's 800 series that make some amplifiers in this bracket sound breathless.

The criticisms are proportional to the price. The USB DAC is functional but limited to 24/96, which was fine in 2020 but feels behind in 2026 when most competitors handle 32/384. The build quality is solid - sixteen and a half kilograms of proper engineering - but it doesn't have the jewelry-case finish of the Luxman or the milled-aluminum gravitas of the Gryphon. Some reviewers noted a slight forwardness in the upper midrange that can tip into brightness with already-analytical speakers. And the phono stage, while included and functional, isn't going to compete with a dedicated $500 external unit.

But here's the thing about the M6si that tends to get lost in comparisons with more expensive equipment: it doesn't embarrass itself in any area. There's no frequency band where it falls apart, no speaker load that makes it sweat, no source component that reveals an obvious bottleneck. It is, in the plainest sense, a genuinely good amplifier that costs four thousand dollars. For someone building their first serious system, or someone who'd rather spend the difference on speakers or a turntable, that matters more than exotic volume attenuators and peel-coat circuit boards.

Works best with: Speakers in the 85-92dB sensitivity range that benefit from current and dynamic headroom. Particularly good with British floorstanders (Bowers & Wilkins, Monitor Audio, KEF) and any speaker with a demanding impedance curve.

Think twice if: You prioritize ultimate transparency and resolution (the Hegel is more revealing), you need cutting-edge digital connectivity (the DAC is showing its age), or you're sensitive to upper-midrange energy in your system.

Rotel Diamond Series RA-6000

$4,499 | 200W into 8 ohms, 350W into 4 ohms | Class AB

The Rotel RA-6000 is the amplifier that audiophile friends recommend to each other when one of them mentions they still listen to vinyl. That's not all it does - it has a full complement of digital inputs including Bluetooth, USB, and Ethernet - but the MM phono stage is uncommonly good for an integrated amplifier at this price, and Rotel's own heritage in analog playback shows in the voicing.

Two hundred watts into 8 ohms and three hundred fifty into 4 means this amplifier has serious current reserves. Those numbers put it in the same territory as the Hegel H390/H400, but with a different tonal balance. Where Hegel pursues transparency above all, Rotel aims for openness - a subtle distinction that matters in practice. The RA-6000 presents music in a spacious, uncluttered way that lets individual instruments breathe without pushing any of them forward. It's the difference between a spotlight and good stage lighting.

The damping factor of 600 is lower than the Hegel's 4,000+ but still more than sufficient for any commercial speaker. In practice, bass control is excellent - tight, well-defined, and extended without bloom. The midrange is where Rotel's character becomes most apparent: it has a directness that some reviewers describe as "uncolored" and others call "slightly lean." This is the same tonal balance that divides opinion on many British-designed amplifiers, and it's a matter of taste rather than quality.

Connectivity is genuinely impressive. Balanced XLR, four single-ended RCA line inputs, MM phono, coaxial and optical digital inputs, USB-B, Ethernet for streaming, and Bluetooth with aptX. If you have multiple sources - turntable, CD player, streamer, TV - the RA-6000 connects them all without a switcher.

The criticism centers on two areas. First, the treble can run slightly hot - not bright, exactly, but energetic in a way that demands careful speaker matching. With already-bright speakers in a reflective room, it can become fatiguing over long sessions. Second, the streaming features, while present, lag behind the Hegel in maturity and app quality. If streaming is your primary source, the Hegel H400 is the better-integrated solution despite costing more.

The aesthetics divide opinion. The Diamond Series design language is modern and angular, and the front panel layout draws reactions that range from "clean and purposeful" to "industrial." In a field where Luxman and Gryphon make their front panels into objects of beauty, the RA-6000 takes a more utilitarian approach.

Works best with: Speakers with a slightly warm or full tonal balance that counteracts the Rotel's natural openness. Excellent with turntable-based systems where the built-in phono stage adds real value. Great for multi-source setups with its extensive connectivity.

Think twice if: Your system already leans bright and you don't want to manage the treble through speaker selection, you prioritize streaming over all other sources (the Hegel does this better), or you want the last word in visual design.

Simaudio Moon Neo 340i X

$4,600 base / $5,100 fully loaded | 100W into 8 ohms, 200W into 4 ohms | Class AB

Canadian hi-fi has a character, and the Simaudio Moon Neo 340i X embodies it: measured, honest, and engineered with the kind of restraint that trusts the listener to notice what matters. This isn't an amplifier that announces itself. It plays music the way a good recording engineer mixes - everything present, nothing exaggerated, the balance exactly where it ought to be.

What makes the 340i X interesting is its modularity. The base unit at $4,600 is a pure integrated amplifier with analog inputs. Add the DAC module for about $600, the phono stage for $300, and balanced inputs for $250, and you're at $5,100 for a fully loaded machine. This approach lets you buy exactly what you need and skip what you don't - a philosophy that respects both your budget and your existing equipment.

The power rating is where the Moon diverges from its competition. At 100 watts into 8 ohms, it's the least powerful solid-state amplifier in the upper half of our list. But the specification is misleading. Simaudio rates at 12 amperes continuous and 22 amperes peak current delivery, which means this amplifier can handle speakers that dip low in impedance without compressing dynamics. It's the difference between horsepower and torque - the Moon may not have the Hegel's raw wattage, but it drives real-world speakers with an authority that suggests the number on the spec sheet isn't the whole story.

Several professional reviews converge on a word that matters: "realistic." The Moon doesn't add warmth, doesn't add sparkle, doesn't emphasize bass or sharpen transients. It sounds like equipment that takes the signal and amplifies it. That might sound boring in description. In practice, with a well-recorded acoustic album, it's anything but. There's a consistency to the presentation - from background listening levels to pushing the volume - that speaks to the engineering integrity of the LECUA-caliber volume control and the dual-mono circuit layout.

The criticism is predictable: 100 watts at $4,600 base (or $5,100 loaded) puts it in competition with amplifiers offering twice the power for similar money. If your speakers are below 87dB sensitivity or your room is large, you'll run out of headroom before the Hegel or Musical Fidelity would. And the visual design is, charitably, understated. Simaudio puts their budget into circuitry, not cosmetics.

Works best with: Moderately efficient speakers (87dB+) in small to medium rooms, listeners who prize tonal accuracy over everything else, and people who already own some source components and don't want to pay for duplicated features.

Think twice if: You have power-hungry speakers, your room is large, or the fully-loaded price of $5,100 makes the Hegel H390 (which includes streaming and DAC for $900 more) look like the smarter buy.

Cambridge Audio Edge A

$5,000 | 100W rated, 145W measured into 8 ohms, 200W into 4 ohms | Class AB

Cambridge Audio has been making affordable electronics in London since 1968. The Edge series represents their first serious attempt at the premium market, and the Edge A is their integrated amplifier entry. At $5,000, it sits in the middle of our range and competes directly with the Simaudio, Hegel, and the lower-end Luxman.

What distinguishes the Edge A is its spatial presentation. Multiple professional reviews single out its soundstaging as among the best in this tier - the ability to create a convincing three-dimensional image where instruments occupy distinct positions in width, depth, and height. If soundstage precision is what you value most in an amplifier, the Edge A deserves serious consideration.

There's also the matter of the measured versus rated power. Cambridge rates the Edge A at 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms. Independent measurements consistently show it delivering closer to 145 watts before clipping. That's a forty-five percent margin over specification, which is unusually conservative and means the amplifier has more dynamic headroom than the number suggests.

The physical design deserves mention. The volume knob has a weighted, damped feel that reviewers describe with unusual enthusiasm - "creamy" is the word that appears most often, which sounds absurd until you actually turn the thing. The chassis is clean, minimal, and substantial at twenty-four kilograms. It looks like what it costs.

The criticism centers on tonal balance. The Edge A leans slightly cool and lean compared to the Luxman or Musical Fidelity. Bass is tight and controlled - "clean, round, slightly dry" according to one assessment - but it lacks the physical weight that the Gryphon or even the Musical Fidelity deliver. If your speakers are already on the analytical side, the Edge A might not add the body you're looking for. And the connectivity, while adequate, lacks the streaming integration of the Hegel or the comprehensive analog options of the Rotel.

The internal DAC handles up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256 - a significant advantage over the Musical Fidelity's 24/96 limitation. If digital sources are your primary input, this matters.

Works best with: Speakers with a warm or full character where the Cambridge's precision and spatial abilities can shine without the leanness becoming a problem. Excellent with Sonus faber, Harbeth, or Tannoy speakers that bring their own midrange weight.

Think twice if: You prefer a warm, physically dense presentation, your speakers already lean bright or thin, or you need the last word in bass authority and slam.

Luxman L-550AXII

$5,500 | 20W into 8 ohms, 40W into 4 ohms | Pure Class A

This is where the conversation forks. Everything else on this list is Class AB or Class D - amplifiers that switch between their efficient modes depending on the signal demands. The Luxman L-550AXII is pure Class A. All the time. Every watt. And it tops out at twenty.

Twenty watts sounds absurd next to the Hegel's 250 or the Musical Fidelity's 220. But Class A watts and Class AB watts don't sound the same. Class A operation means the output transistors are always conducting, always biased to their optimal operating point, never crossing zero and introducing the crossover distortion that is the primary audible limitation of Class AB. The result, when everything works, is a midrange liquidity that makes solid-state amplifiers sound closer to tubes than anything else in the semiconductor world.

Luxman's implementation uses the same ODNF (Only Distortion Negative Feedback) circuit topology as the L-509Z, adapted for the lower-power Class A output stage, and the same LECUA1000 precision volume attenuator. The build quality is the same obsessive Japanese standard - twenty-four kilograms of amplifier with the same peel-coat PCBs and curved trace routing.

What you hear is texture. The word comes up in every review and every forum discussion about this amplifier. Vocals have a three-dimensional presence that makes the speaker disappear more completely than most of its Class AB competitors. String instruments have the slightly resinous quality of real gut and horsehair. Piano has both the hammer attack and the sustained resonance, without one overwriting the other. Several long-term owners on WBF forums describe the L-550AXII as an amplifier they can listen to for eight hours without fatigue - and that's not a trivial claim when you're talking about solid-state equipment.

The flip side is absolute: twenty watts will not drive speakers below about 90dB sensitivity to satisfying levels in a normal room. This rules out most modern floorstanders, nearly all planar magnetics, and many popular bookshelf speakers. You're buying into a specific system architecture - high-sensitivity speakers, relatively near-field listening, source components that are quiet enough to let the Class A magic through.

It also runs hot. Genuinely hot. Budget for ventilation and keep it away from other equipment.

Pass Labs makes a direct competitor, the INT-25, which some reviewers prefer for its slightly more tube-like, resolving character. That comparison alone could fill an article. If you're considering the L-550AXII, audition both.

Works best with: High-efficiency speakers: Klipsch Heritage series, Zu Audio, Omega, Devore Fidelity, vintage Tannoy dual-concentrics - any speaker above 90dB sensitivity that rewards delicacy over brute force. Outstanding for jazz, chamber music, vocal recordings, and late-night listening.

Think twice if: Your speakers are below 89dB sensitivity, you listen to music that demands bass authority and dynamic headroom (large-scale orchestral, electronic, metal), or you can't accommodate the heat output.

PrimaLuna EVO 400

$5,500 | Power varies by tube configuration | Class A (tube)

Tubes. There's no way to discuss this amplifier without addressing the elephant in the room - or rather, the warm, glowing row of glass bottles on top of it.

PrimaLuna is a Dutch company that manufactures in China - a combination that raised eyebrows when they launched but has since proven itself through two decades of reliable products and dealer support. The EVO 400 is their flagship integrated, and it represents the most accessible path to serious tube amplification at this price point.

The stock tube complement delivers somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 watts per channel in ultralinear mode, dropping to about 40 watts in triode mode. That's enough for most speakers above 87dB sensitivity, and the switch between modes gives you a genuine tonal choice - ultralinear for power and dynamic range, triode for midrange purity and holographic imaging. It's like having two amplifiers in one chassis, and the difference is not subtle.

What tubes do that solid-state doesn't - and this is the reason people put up with the heat, the maintenance, the weight, and the fragility - is harmonic texture. A tube amplifier driven within its comfort zone produces even-order harmonic distortion that the human ear perceives as richness and presence. It's the reason tube microphones are still used in professional recording studios. The EVO 400, in particular, earns consistent praise for what reviewers call a "holographic" midrange - vocals and acoustic instruments suspended in space with a three-dimensionality that solid-state amplifiers struggle to match regardless of price.

PrimaLuna's Adaptive AutoBias circuit simplifies ownership by automatically adjusting the bias voltage for each tube. You don't need a multimeter or a technician. When a tube ages or fails, the circuit adapts. You can also roll tubes - swap in different brands and types to change the amplifier's character. This is either a feature or a rabbit hole, depending on your temperament. Budget $300-$1,000 for tube upgrades if you're the experimenting type.

The honest criticism: bass control is looser than any solid-state amplifier on this list. Output transformers impose physical limitations on how tightly a tube amplifier can grip a woofer, and while the EVO 400 is better than most tube amps at its price, it's not going to match the Hegel's iron fist. Tubes also need eventual replacement - figure $400-$800 every three to five years depending on usage, which is a running cost that solid-state owners don't face. And the amplifier weighs thirty-one kilograms, mostly because of those output transformers.

Works best with: Speakers above 87dB sensitivity with a benign impedance curve. Exceptional for jazz, classical, vocal, acoustic, and anything where midrange texture and spatial imaging matter more than bass control and raw dynamics.

Think twice if: You listen primarily to electronic music, metal, or anything that demands tight, controlled bass. If you want a maintenance-free, set-it-and-forget-it experience. Or if the idea of replacing tubes every few years feels like a nuisance rather than a ritual.

Audio Hungary Qualiton A20i

$4,995 | 20W into 8 ohms (tube) | Class A (tube)

Here is the sleeper of this list. Audio Hungary is a small manufacturer operating out of Budapest, building tube amplifiers by hand in quantities that ensure most American and Western European audiophiles have never heard one. The Qualiton A20i is their integrated amplifier, and it costs five thousand dollars for twenty watts of pure tube power.

Those twenty watts from the Qualiton sound different from the twenty watts you get from the Luxman L-550AXII. Where the Luxman is refined and precise, the Qualiton is warm and organic in a way that recalls tube amplifiers from the golden era of hi-fi - the Marantz 8B, the Fisher 500-C, the Leak Stereo 20. This isn't a criticism. It's a design philosophy. Audio Hungary builds amplifiers that make music sound the way people who love music want music to sound.

Multiple reviews describe the A20i as competing with amplifiers at twice its price - a claim that's repeated often enough across independent sources to merit attention. The build quality is meticulous, with point-to-point wiring, quality transformers, and a chassis that feels like it was built by people who care about the thing they're building, not by people following a production manual.

The honest limitation is the same one facing the Luxman Class A and the PrimaLuna in triode mode: twenty watts restricts your speaker choices severely. But within that constraint, the A20i offers a listening experience that's emotionally engaging in a way that no solid-state amplifier at this price can quite match. There's a directness to the way it handles vocals and small-ensemble acoustic music that makes you forget about specifications and just listen.

The other limitation is availability. The dealer network in the US is thin, which makes auditioning difficult. And the number of published reviews is smaller than for Hegel or Luxman, which means less consensus data to draw on. What exists is uniformly positive, but the sample size is limited.

Works best with: High-efficiency speakers (90dB+), small to medium rooms, acoustic and vocal music, listeners who prioritize emotional engagement over analytical precision.

Think twice if: You need power, you want a wide dealer network with easy service, or your music diet demands the bass grip and dynamic range that only high-wattage solid-state can deliver.

Naim Audio Uniti Nova

$6,899 | 80W into 8 ohms | Class AB

Naim is the company that invented the concept of "PRaT" - pace, rhythm, and timing - as an audiophile evaluation criterion, and then built an entire product line around it. The Uniti Nova is their all-in-one streaming amplifier, and it approaches the idea of what an integrated amplifier should be from a fundamentally different angle than everything else on this list.

Where competitors add streaming as a feature, the Uniti Nova was designed as a streaming device that happens to include an amplifier. The difference shows. The streaming platform is mature, responsive, and connects to every service that matters - Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast, UPnP. The Naim app is one of the best in the business, a claim that anyone who has struggled with Hegel's early app versions will appreciate. There's also a built-in CD ripper, internet radio, and the ability to play from USB storage and network-attached drives.

The Naim house sound is distinctive and polarizing. It prioritizes rhythmic drive and momentum over absolute tonal purity. Music through the Uniti Nova has a forward, energetic quality that makes feet tap and heads nod. Guitars have bite. Drums have snap. Bass lines propel rather than simply accompany. Some people hear this as musical involvement at its best. Others find it fatiguing over extended sessions compared to the more relaxed presentation of the Luxman or Gryphon.

At 80 watts, the Uniti Nova is the least powerful solid-state amplifier on this list by a significant margin. This isn't as limiting as it sounds - Naim's watt-for-watt, their amplifiers tend to sound more dynamic than the specification suggests, partly because of the substantial power supply design. But it does mean speaker matching matters even more than usual. Pair the Nova with speakers above 87dB sensitivity and you'll wonder why anyone needs more power. Drop below 85dB and the limitations become apparent during dynamic peaks.

The Naim ecosystem factor is worth considering. If you already own Naim speakers (Focal is now part of the same group, and the synergy is intentional), the Uniti Nova integrates seamlessly. If you're buying into the ecosystem from scratch, the premium price includes the platform investment that pays dividends as Naim continues to update the firmware and streaming capabilities.

The honest criticism: $6,899 for 80 watts in a world where the Hegel H400 offers 250 watts with comparable streaming for $100 more is a tough sell on specifications alone. You're paying for the Naim sound, the Naim app, and the Naim ecosystem. If those things don't matter to you, the value proposition weakens.

Works best with: Efficient speakers (87dB+), streaming-first listeners, Naim/Focal ecosystem owners, and anyone who prioritizes rhythmic engagement and musical energy over analytical precision.

Think twice if: Your speakers need power, you prefer a relaxed, warm presentation, or the price-to-watts ratio gives you pause compared to the Hegel H400.

Parasound Halo Hint 6

$6,950 | 240W into 8 ohms | Class AB

The Parasound Halo Hint 6 is the amplifier designed by John Curl, and if that name doesn't mean anything to you, a brief detour is in order. Curl is one of the most respected amplifier designers in American audio history. His circuits have appeared in Mark Levinson, Vendetta Research, and Parasound products spanning four decades. When Parasound says the Hint 6 is designed by John Curl, they're not borrowing a name for marketing. He drew the circuits.

What that pedigree delivers is a particular kind of competence: 240 watts of clean, high-current power with vanishingly low distortion, designed to drive any speaker load without breaking a sweat. The Hint 6 includes a DSD-capable DAC, an MM/MC phono preamp, balanced and unbalanced inputs, and enough connectivity to serve as the hub of a complex system. It is, in the most literal sense, a one-box solution that does everything.

The sound is neutral in the classic American audiophile tradition - not warm like the Luxman, not transparent-first like the Hegel, not rhythmically forward like the Naim. It sits in the center, neither adding nor subtracting, letting the recording speak. This is either a virtue (if you want accuracy) or a limitation (if you want character), and the reviews split accordingly.

The criticism comes from two directions. At $6,950, the Hint 6 faces stiff competition from the Hegel H400 ($50 more with better streaming) and the Luxman L-509Z (significantly more money but in a different league of build quality and refinement). Some reviewers question whether the value proposition has kept pace with the market, particularly as competitors have upgraded their DAC and streaming platforms while the Hint 6's feature set has remained relatively static.

The aesthetics are industrial - a Parasound tradition that either reads as "honest engineering" or "needs a better industrial designer" depending on your taste. In a lineup that includes the Luxman's jewel-like finish and the Gryphon's sculptural aluminum, the Hint 6 looks like what it is: a serious tool for playing music, without pretension.

Works best with: Difficult speakers that need current and power, multi-source systems that benefit from the comprehensive connectivity, and listeners who want John Curl's circuit design at a fraction of what his reference-level work costs in Mark Levinson products.

Think twice if: Streaming integration matters to you (the Hegel is better here), you want visual elegance, or the $6,950 price point makes you compare it unfavorably to the more feature-rich H400.

Anthem STR

$4,999 | 200W into 8 ohms, 400W into 4 ohms | Class AB

The Anthem STR is the wild card in this comparison. It's the only amplifier on this list that includes room correction - Anthem's ARC Genesis system, which uses a calibration microphone and DSP processing to measure your room's acoustic problems and apply corrective equalization. This is either the most useful feature on this list or a dealbreaker, depending on your philosophy about signal processing in the audio chain.

For the DSP-skeptical: ARC Genesis is not the same as the processing in a home theater receiver. It's a carefully implemented system designed to correct room modes and frequency response anomalies without mangling phase or transient response. In a room with serious acoustic problems - and most living rooms have them - ARC can produce improvements that would otherwise require thousands of dollars in acoustic treatment.

The amplification side delivers 200 watts into 8 ohms and a genuinely useful 400 watts into 4 ohms, with a clean, neutral sound character that doesn't editorialize. Seven analog inputs, including balanced XLR and MM/MC phono, provide comprehensive connectivity. The built-in DAC handles up to 32-bit/384kHz. It is, like the Parasound, designed to be the center of a complete system.

The criticism: purists argue that any DSP in the signal path compromises the signal, regardless of how well it's implemented. The ARC system can be bypassed, but if you're not going to use it, you're paying for a feature that adds cost and complexity. The sound, with ARC defeated, is competent but not as refined as the Hegel or as musically engaging as the Luxman. Some reviewers describe it as "clinical" without the room correction doing its work - which might say more about their rooms than the amplifier, but the perception exists.

Anthem's parent company, Paradigm, makes speakers specifically designed to work with ARC. If you're in the Paradigm/Anthem ecosystem, the STR makes particular sense as a system solution.

Works best with: Rooms with acoustic challenges where treatment isn't practical, home theater crossover systems where the STR serves double duty, and listeners who appreciate measured accuracy and are comfortable with DSP.

Think twice if: Signal purity is your primary concern, you already have a well-treated room where ARC adds little value, or you're looking for the tonal character and musicality that the Luxman, Gryphon, or tube amplifiers deliver.

Ayre Acoustics EX-8

$5,990 base / up to $7,850 fully configured | 100W into 8 ohms | Class AB

Ayre Acoustics operates out of Boulder, Colorado, and shares something with Gryphon: a commitment to zero-feedback circuit design. The EX-8 is their modular integrated amplifier, available in configurations ranging from a basic amplifier at $5,990 to a fully loaded unit with streaming, DAC, and phono for $7,850.

The zero-feedback design philosophy produces a sound that's open, unforced, and spacious - characteristics that show up consistently across the limited number of professional reviews available. Ayre's implementation uses their Diamond output stage (a fully balanced, discrete circuit that operates without global negative feedback) to achieve low distortion through linearity rather than correction. The result, at its best, is an amplifier that sounds fast and transparent without the edge that some high-feedback designs introduce.

The modular approach mirrors the Simaudio philosophy - buy what you need, add later if desired. But the price escalation is steeper: the gap between base and full configuration is nearly $2,000, which puts the loaded EX-8 at the very top of our stated range and into competition with the Hegel H400 and Parasound Hint 6.

At 100 watts, the EX-8 shares the same power limitation as the Simaudio and Cambridge Audio entries. Speaker matching is critical. Ayre's engineering targets speakers that are reasonably efficient and present a stable impedance curve - think ProAc, Vandersteen, Joseph Audio - rather than the power-hungry, impedance-challenged designs that the Hegel or Musical Fidelity handle without thinking.

The dealer network is smaller than Hegel's or Luxman's, and the modular pricing means a direct comparison requires specifying exactly which configuration you're discussing. But within its comfort zone, the EX-8 offers a listening experience that's difficult to replicate with feedback-based designs at any price - a directness and spatial openness that makes other amplifiers sound slightly processed by comparison.

Works best with: Efficient speakers with stable impedance, balanced source components (the EX-8 is fully balanced internally), and listeners who value spatial openness and harmonic purity over raw power.

Think twice if: You need more than 100 watts, the fully-loaded price of $7,850 exceeds your budget, or you want the streaming maturity and all-in-one simplicity of the Hegel H400.

So Which One Should You Buy?

After spending weeks with the forum debates, and the occasionally unhinged user testimonials, I keep returning to the same conclusion: there is no single best amplifier in this bracket. There are best amplifiers for specific situations, and the gap between knowing the specifications and knowing which situation is yours is where most buying mistakes happen.

So rather than a ranked list - which would be dishonest in a field where speaker matching, room acoustics, and listening preferences matter more than any number I could assign - here's how the field sorts by what you actually need.

If You Want One Box That Does Everything

Hegel H400 ($6,995). It streams. It has a genuinely good DAC. It delivers 250 watts into any speaker load. The app works. Roon works. Tidal Connect works. It won an EISA award. It's not the most romantic or characterful amplifier on this list, but it's the one that requires the fewest compromises and the fewest external boxes. If you're building a modern system from scratch and you want to minimize complexity, this is where to start.

Runner-up: Naim Uniti Nova ($6,899) if you value the app experience and rhythmic musicality over raw power and neutral transparency.

If You Want the Best Sound Per Dollar

Musical Fidelity M6si ($3,999). Two hundred twenty watts. Phono stage. DAC. Balanced inputs. Under four thousand dollars. It doesn't have the Luxman's refinement or the Gryphon's harmonic density, but it plays music with genuine enthusiasm and drives speakers that would make the Naim or the Simaudio beg for mercy. If you're spending $4,000 on an amplifier and putting the savings toward better speakers, this is the rational choice.

Runner-up: Hegel H390 (at discount, often under $5,000) if you value transparency and can find dealer stock.

If You Want Midrange Magic

Luxman L-550AXII ($5,500) or PrimaLuna EVO 400 ($5,500) - and the choice between them comes down to a philosophical question. The Luxman gives you Class A purity with solid-state reliability. The PrimaLuna gives you tube texture with the added dimension of tube rolling. Both are twenty-watt propositions that demand high-sensitivity speakers. Both reward patient, near-field listening with small-ensemble recordings. Both will ruin you for lesser amplifiers.

If you want the no-maintenance path, pick the Luxman. If you're the type who enjoys the ritual of equipment - swapping tubes, experimenting, tweaking - pick the PrimaLuna.

Wildcard: Audio Hungary Qualiton A20i ($4,995) if you can find a dealer and you trust the overwhelmingly positive reviews from a smaller sample set.

If You Have Difficult Speakers

Hegel H400 (250W, damping factor >4,000) or Parasound Halo Hint 6 (240W, John Curl circuit design). Both deliver the current and control that demanding speakers need. The Hegel is the better all-around product in 2026 thanks to its streaming platform. The Parasound is the choice if you prioritize a comprehensive analog feature set and John Curl's circuit topology.

For even more difficult loads: the Rotel RA-6000 puts out 350 watts into 4 ohms, which is the most current on this list.

If Money Is No Object (Within This Bracket)

Luxman L-509Z ($12,495). It exceeds the stated price range. It doesn't have streaming. The power output is moderate at 120 watts. But it is the finest integrated amplifier at this level of the market by build quality, by refinement, and by the sheer completeness of what it does. It sounds like the last amplifier you'll ever need, and five years from now, it will still sound like the last amplifier you'll ever need. The reviews are unanimous. The measurements back them up. The sixty-four-pound chassis will outlast the building it sits in.

Stretch alternative: Gryphon Diablo 120 ($9,500) if you want the zero-feedback harmonic richness and the milled-aluminum industrial design, and your speakers are efficient enough to make 120 watts work.

If Your Room Is the Problem

Anthem STR ($4,999). No other amplifier on this list addresses room acoustics, and room acoustics are responsible for more sonic problems than amplifier choice in most homes. ARC Genesis won't replace a properly treated room, but it'll get you eighty percent of the way there without a single panel on the wall. If your listening space is a living room that doubles as everything else, the Anthem might improve your sound more than any of the pricier alternatives.