All the features of the Krell and similar bass control. Build quality on par with the Krell, Bryston, Meridian, and don't even think about the Acurus dia 150Plenty of power unless your driving the Theils in a VERY large room
If your looking for a good integrated amplifier you must audition this one

Holographic tube sound, detail without sounding analytical, bass authority

It sounds recessed, sorta like a dark tone, probably just the cheap tubes I am using.

Wow. That's about all I can say after listening to this integrated for the past 3 days. Yes only 3 days and a review. Perhpaps it was the disappointing sound of the Caspian that makes this unit sound so good to my ears. I replaced the stock Sovtek 6922's with JJ/Tesla 6922 tubes when I got the unit, didn't even listen to the russian tubes. The first thing I noticed was the body that the music suddenly had to it. I never had this type of effect with my Yamaha RX-V795A or the Caspian Integrated. I can actually listen to the music with my eyes open and see the images. It's like having people here playing for me. It is wonderful to say the least. Very engaging sound. I have it paired with a Rotel RCD-975 CDP and NHT 2.5i speakers. My interconnects are homemade cat5 speaker cable bi-wired to the 2.5i's and homemade silver interconnects between the CDP and Amp. The sound is very detailed compaired to the Caspian and it is NEVER fatiguing. This was a huge problem for me with other amps, this is the first that I have come across that didn't hurt my ears at moderate volumes. It does have it's weak points right now I must admit, as the sound is somewhat recessed, it sounds too midrangy. I am hoping this is an attribute to the tubes that I am using right now. It has plenty of power to drive the 2.5i's which are believe are rated at 4 ohms 87db which is quite low. The Caspian could not handle this load and I clipped it a few times and what i felt was incredibly low volumes compared to what I was used to with the Paradigm Monitor 7's I had previously. The low end is very nice but just oh so slightly rolled off at the extreme end below 40hz. The high end could be more extended and sweeter but I am satisfied as is, I can live with this. If anyone can give me any advice or feedback on replacing the tubes to some good NOS please let me know. I also have yet to try connecting the pre-out to the ssp-in with good interconnects as I dont have an extra pair to use, and if anyone has experience with that shoot me an email as well. All told I think I got a great deal for this amp @ $695 shipped plus another $30 for the JJ/Tesla tubes for a total of $725. Not bad eh ? I haven't heard anything that sounds better than this yet, but I am still in the lower range of audio equipment and am very young at 20yrs. old. Give me time and I will be a snide, cynical old audiophile(to you old folks reading this, yes you =Þ). If you can find one of these I don't see how you can go wrong if the price is under $850 IMO. This is my first time using any tubed gear...so far I am liking the experience.

Similar Products Used:

Roksan Caspian Integrated

My last integrated was the Plinius when I sold my entire 2 ch system due to personal reasons. After a year or so I began assembling once again my 2 ch system but this time on a limited budget. After researching the net and auditioning many integrated in $8000

Similar Products Used:

Plinius 8150

Build Quality, You Get A Dose of Refinement & Excitement All in One Package

Unit is LARGE

Bought this unit used, but as close to new as one could get ! It was "brand new second-hand" in every sense of that phrase. I sent the unit to Sonic Frontiers for a Tune-Up. I replaced the Sovek Russian tubes with some Siemens ECC88-6DJ8, NOS. This recommendation was given to me in order to tame the Mids & Highs. Heres the scoop: Ive let this baby run for 20 hrs and every time I find myself in an awesome "trance". I also have made quite a few runs to the local music store. As one previous reviewer expressed, " Acoustic Alchemy, David Koz " He has the right IDEA ! Thanks
Sytem:
Anthem Intergrated 2 (silver)
Cambridge Audio D500 (silver)
Boston Acoustics VR M60's (cherry) Sooo glad I kept !
Bettercable.com Premium Interconnects
AudioQuest Type 4 speaker cable

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Adcom 545 II , Rotel RT945AX , but totally a different Sport

Value and sound for money spent,
Solid true bass, warm and nuetral highs
Overall build quality

Volume Pot a little touchy, No balanced XLR input/output

As my INT2 burns in, I am constantly aware of the layering affect that this unit has on the music flowing through it, and am becoming increasingly absorbed with my newest version of "Sonic Bliss". My listening trend has been moving towards modern Jazz recordings (Acoustic Alchemy, Dave Koz, Neil Schonn) and Vocal/Folk recordings (Freddy Jones Band, The Story, JT). Of all the music I've listened to since my Anthem Pair (INT2 and CD1), I would say the biggest improvement has been in the increased realism of the acoustic guitar and trumpet sounds. I would highly recommend this INT2 for Jazz and Acoustic lovers. The hybrid game plan seems to work most effectively here. I find myself closing my eyes and getting lost in the music, that is what I have been searching for, on a reasonable budget!

The crew of Sonic Frontiers have received a standing ovation from me and my ears...for the money spent I couldn't be happier.

Compared against the Krell, Bryston, B&K, Parasound offerings. Liked what I saw and heard with this unit. Will be adding an additional Anthem amp (MCA2 or AMP2) when I move to bi-amping my soon to be delivered Newform R645 Speakers (A Gold Star rated speaker) The secret is getting out on these "non-conforming" speakers.

In a quest for personal satisfaction and "Sonic Bliss", I would encourage everyone to put this on your comparison list.

Current Audio Room Setup:

Anthem INT2
Anthem CD1
Paradigm Studio 20's
Paradigm PS1000
Audioquest Viper Interconnect
Audioquest Crystal Speaker Cable

Similar Products Used:

Nad, Creek

build quality, great mid-range, detailed, looks

loose volume control (hopefully can be tightened)

For a long time now, I thought that with my old system there was no point upgrading to a new amp since it would not be worth it -- I had a TEAC VRDS7 CD, Rotel 840BX4 amp, and Paradigm 7se MkII speakers. However, when my Rotel kind of died, it was an opportunity to buy a new amp.

I was wrong about my system. With the addition of the Anthem, I had a system that did not sound tiring after a while of listening. The music was engaging and fun to listen to! Female voices were more realistic. Violins used to sound like a cat in heat with my old system. Now they sound a lot closer to the real thing.

Another amp I was considering buy was the Audio Refinement The Complete amp. I haven't heard it personally, but I have read great reviews on this amp, and it sells for about $1000. I did not buy it because I wanted something with more power (it only had 50W/ch, but I'm not sure).

The only annoying thing about the amp is the volume control. It might just need tightening, but right now it's very loose and out of control. Also, I noted that the rod that connects to the power button (internally) is plastic, not metal.

Overall, for an amp less than $1000, it exceeded my expectations. Go Canada!

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None

Tube/sold-state hybrid design produces a very clear, clean sound. Reveals details not heard previously. Excellent build quality. Classy appearance.

No phono stage. Only one set of speaker outputs. Remote volume control is stepped, rather than continuous.

I bought this amplifier after reading several reviews. The idea of a tubed preamp stage combined with a solid-state power amp really appealed to me, and while the list price ($1799) was higher than I planned to spend, I found one at a good discount. When it arrived, I was impressed with its weight. This is a hefty piece of equipment! I've had it for about a month now, and am very impressed with the sound it puts out; even my non-audiophile wife hears the differece! My only real complaint is that there's only one set of speaker terminals. Also, a phono stage would be nice, even if it was an extra-cost option for about $125-150 (the price of a Parasound, NAD or DB Systems phono preamp). Still, no real complaints, and it does come with a five-year warranty!

Similar Products Used:

Philips FA-80 (replaced by Anthem)

Built,bass,very sharp imaging.

Thin soundstaging quality,very narrow presentation,somewhat bright for a tube amp.

Very disappointed with the sound,lacks the tubey signature that you would expect,shallow soundstaging and a course draping of instruments is a major worry.Bass is strong and tight but the highs seems highlighted.Compared to the Jadis and even the Jolida and Creek intergrated amps this amp does not even come close to the midrange bloom.Reviewers of some audio magazines gave this amp a luke warm approval but in my own experience its a total let down.Audition at your own risk.

Similar Products Used:

Jolida,Jadis,Bryston.

Clean, detailed sound; plenty of power for most speakers

No phono stage; only one set of speaker terminals

This ain't the greatest amp in the world, but it's sure no one-star piece of junk as Bob (below, twice!) would have you believe. Either the guy's got it in for Sonic Frontiers, or he's just a jerk. The INT-2 is, at worst, a three-star piece of gear and by the standards of this board, a 4+. So it doesn't sound "tubey," as a couple of reviewers have complained. Well, duh, it's not a 100% tube amp -- it's a HYBRID! FOr a good, thorough review of this amp, go to http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/paul01.htm ... or, better yet, check it out for yourself! (I'm giving it five stars just to offset Dopey Bob's ridiculous ratings.)

Similar Products Used:

none like this (tube/ss hypbrid)