What stereo amp up to £1,000

Micoo

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Hi

In search for stereo amp up to £1,000 (at a maximum push though) for the amp itself. Please advise.

Looking for:
-great sound (deep, alive, dynamic, powerful, colorful, analog, silky smooth, ultra deep and warm bass, music quality that will give me shivers and will hark back to the 1970s)
-I am not audiophile (not even an aspiring one). With all due respect, I am not looking for maximum transparency and 'non coloring' - far from it. I am looking for 'God this sounds amazing' kind of amp that will make me listen to music for hours (+will not wear me down). I am a music lover so I need to have something that will give me goosebumps everytime I will listen to it - flatering music basically, and not ultra flat/transparent for audiophile.
-Both amp and floor standers also have to 'be beautiful' - I know it lies in the eye of the beholder but if I had the money I would buy Technics R1 as to me it looks state of the art + I love the analog VU meters which I would love to have in my amp (but I understand that these days they are not popular and, if anything, they can be found on really expensive amps? - such a shame. I love them VU meters moving. Real sucker for it). Both the amp and the floor standing speakers will also have to perform visually and be a great looking furniture if you know what I mean.
-I am 34 years old and.....would like to get something that will 'be with me' for the next 10-20 years so preferably something very good quality. It's a bit of nostalgia as my Dad used to have amps like that.....they were indestructible and playing music all the time + ultra high quality to touch them and listen. I therefore associate anything that is Made in Japan today (which is rare right?) as something which may last with me much longer than models made in Malaysia/China/Vietnam - am I right in thinking that? It's again to do with nostalgia and my experiences with amps made in Japan from 40 years ago which are still playing until today so.....
-I was thinking about something vintage but the only ones I like are Technics se-a1 and se-a3 and se-a2000/3000 which are very expensive to buy + I have never heard them (but they have those lovely VU meters in a one big window - I just love it). Someone once told me that Technics amps generaly were poor in comparison to competition of the day and only the above 3-4 models were really good (still to expensive for me).
-I don't care for surround sound/AV receivers. I just want 'ultra high quality sound for a music lover for years'. I was thinking about going the AV receiver route as it 'would do both movies and stereo music' so a bit more universal but someone once told me that generally AV receivers sound considerably worse when playing music in stereo mode and that it has something to do with cutting costs by manufacturers or something like that and if I mainly listen to music then I need a good stereo amp which will blow me away (which I will struggle to achieve with AV receiver) - I don't know if this is universal truth?

Music I listen to:
-70% it's electronic in the form of Deep House 115-125bpm + ambient and new age. But the rest of the time I will listen to other stuff all over the place. Queen, Phil Collins, OSTs, game soundtracks, 80s music and so on. I JUST LOVE MUSIC! :)

Source of music:
Almost exclusively MacBookPro 15 late 2013 (mp3s and FLAC + streaming music on soundclaoud and youtube on safari a lot + sometimes internet radio in the web browser) and/or Cowon J3 player. I may add a turntable in the future but this is unlikely in the next few years. I have no CDs.
I understand that I can always use analog in on the amp from these devices but what about using digital connection?
Does my laptop have good quality/brand DAC or not really? If it is of bad quality and I would want to omit it and use DAC built in the amp for my usage how can I do it? Can I use coaxial or optical cable for that or it has to be via usb-usb only? I am a bit lost with it to be honest: if an amp has built in DAC does it mean I can automatically hook up my laptop and use it with it to decode digital signal in the amp DAC or will it only work with DAC built in but also through usb-usb cable only??

Room:
Untreated sonically. It is small - around 10sq m but I will be moving soon and will want to rent 'nice big living room' like 30-35sq meters so bascially my system will have to be able to easily perform in every conditions.

Floorstanding speakers I will connect the amp to:
I have shortlisted the following speakers I will be thinking of buying after I will have bought the amp (that's what I think I will be able to afford), I haven't heard any of them yet:
-Dali Zensor 5 (or 7 at max)-someone told me that Dali in general have great bass which would suit my Deep House/electronica listening requirements, they also look nice to me
-Indiana Line Diva 655 - absolutely amazing design, off the hook in terms of looks really, and apparently very good sounding
-Jamo Concert C95 i C97 very pretty speakers and they say they sound nice
-Pylon Pearl 25 and Sapphire 25 - polish speakers - they look good (not as good as Dali or Indiana Line though) and supposedly give off nice sound (+ are well priced)
-Kruger&Matz Destiny - again polish speakers which you may not heard off. Ultra cheap at 400 pounds for a pair and to my eyes they are ultra beautiful (and big). I have not heard them yet and few reviews can be found unfo.
-Tonsil Maestro III - apparently the III version of Maestro are amazing for the price (500 pounds for a pair)
-Maybe something from Taga Harmony......but I don't know which ones.


I have come up with my shortlist after 2 days of research and it is as follows:
-Onkyo A9010 - apparently sound quality from this unlikely brand in stereo amps world (they are more known for their AV receivers right?) is ultra rich and surprising. Especially considering the price of only 200 pounds (!) although I will buy european model which is like 250 but has Wolfson DAC built in (coax and opt ins only, no usb). To my eyes it looks very pretty, clean, ascetic look which reminds me the amps of the old. Apparently sound tuned in Blighty which is a key to it's amazing sound. Made in Vietnam and not Japan unfo.
-Onkyo R-N855 - and amplituner but I suppose that amps with built in tuners don't sound worse then normal stereo amplifiers? It's fairly new product and I can't find many reviews but apparently it again sounds great (maybe sound tuned by the same people again in the UK again?). It has FM and DAB so I could listen to radio now and then + all the remote connections possible (bluetooth, ethernet and bluetooth) + very high quality DAC and USBs so with this one I am sure I could bypass my MacBookPro DAC and decode the signal inside it. It looks really pretty to my eyes (I don't know why but I am starting to develop a thing for these Onkyos hehe) - I just wish it was a normal full sized element and not a scaled down element as it is (as it starts to remind more of a mini system and not full size system of 70-80s that I am trying to go back to in terms of memories). If it only had a separate amp element (and just keep the preamp in the same element) underneath it with VU meters (a'la Technics R1) I think it would be a system of my dreams (I have no CDs or SACDs). It's made in Malaysia so not my beloved made in japan - and don't know how it will stand the test of (long) time.
-Denon PMA1520 although it's too expensive at nearly a grand. It is Made in Japan which is great + to my eyes looks beautiful too. It has no DAC so the only solution is to hook up my laptop is to use analog connection and rely and DACs built in the laptop and Cowon J3 right?
-Marantz HD-AMP1 - off the hook looks to me - piece of art although again it's a bit scaled down and not full sized. Class D amp but apparently sounds amazingly good + has a lot of very good/brand internal components + very high quality DAC with USB input too. It just looks to me like really high end piece of hifi element (although I haven't seen it in the flash yet) + reviews say that the sound is of such a high quality that even audiophiles wouldn't complain and that the Class D performs so well that it sounds like AB amplification. Although it's fairly expensive at 800 pounds and look mega rich and pretty it's made in china which is a bit a of let down (especially when 7005 and 8005 are both made in japan
-Marantz PM6006 (new model, Vietnam, DAC with coax and opt no usb), PM7005 (japan, DAC with usb) and PM8005 (japan, no DAC) - they are all well priced (6006 is priced like the once 9010) and I have a thing for Marantz visually. Very pretty.
-I was also (of course) thinking of Cambridge CXA60 as it seems to be really good but it just doesn't convince me visually. Sorry, I tried :)

How much I want to spend? Up to a grand but if you will tell me that onkyo 9010 will give me great sound and I won't get much better sound from an amp that is 800-1000 squid (e.g. there will be a slight improvement but considering the 4-5fold price increase it will not reflect 4-5 fold improvement in sound quality) then I will be more then happy to go for the Onkyo (I am really not attached to any brand bar Technics which is out of my budget) or Marantz 6006 for example.
What also always like buying/getting is equipment that performs so well that it can compete with competition which is 2 or even 3 times its price - there are always pieces of equipment which perform so well and I hope you will help me choose them (I mean both the amp and the speakers too).

Please let me know what you think, what you advise....anything. Also say what you think about my speaker choices. Basically recommend what will suit me best.
I am sorry for writing so much (I am really excited as you can see) and if I made some stupid mistakes and wrote some heresy :D

many many thanks
once again: music lover and not audiophile (who, of course, also love music - you get the gist hehe).

peace in the middle east

ps. I just got to know that apparently there is a separate Onkyo a9010 dedicated only for UK market? It supposedly deletes DAC and favours spending the money on higher grade internal components but I am not sure (+ sound tuning in Britain by Brits for British listener apparently). So with the Onkyo I would have a choice of Europe version with DAC (but worse internals) or the UK version which has no DAC but better internals (so better sound?) - so I couldn't connect my laptop through anything else then analog headphone out-RCA cable in?
What does 'British sound characteristic' exactly mean? How does it compare to European tastes in music amplification? Would British style suit me considering I like warm, alive and thrilling sound with deep bass or should I lean towards European tuning (and therefore EU A9010) more?
 
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@Micoo

Although good to provide a bit of information there is just way to much information there for most people to bother reading I'm afraid!
 
@Arcam_boy
hey mate :)
I am not worried. People who will bother to read it are the people I respect the opinion of the most ;)

I also just found about something called Advance Acoustic X-i125 - just above my budget (so would have to finance it somehow) but it looks like piece of art (to me at least) and has those analog VU meters. Few reviews available but apparatently it has warm/analog/spectacular sound which is what I am after. Will see.

I should have also included Atoll IN100SE and Music Hall a.35.2 and Exposure 2010 but I dunno.....they don't have bass/mid/treble controls and most importantly no Loudness function which I would need for my kind of music and to make it more pumping when at low volume levels. Atoll is plain ugly too hehe.

If I only had the money for Technics R1 :)

peace
 
I think you might have a hard time exceeding this amp within your budget -

Peter Tyson - Yamaha A-S801 Integrated Amplifier

£899
100w/ch to 8 ohms
DSD capable ESS Sabre DACs - 384kHz/32-bit
Phono In
Sub-Out
USB-PC for direct connect to a computer
1xOptical, 1xCoaxial connections


Yamaha - UK/Ireland - A-S801 - Integrated Amplifiers

Review have consistently been positive on this amp.

The only item missing are Pre-Amp outputs. Yamaha made a trade off, they went with the market appeal of Sub-Out over Pre-Amp out, even though Pre-Amp Out are perfect for driving a Subwoofer.

While this has been available in the UK for a while, that I know of, Peter Tyson is the only dealer that has them.

I think there are very few speakers that could not be driven by this amp.

If you want to scale back a bit on the DAC and the USB-PC, you can get a fantastic deal on the Yamaha AS701, still with Hi-Res DAC (24b/92k), still with 100w/ch, but at the extremely low price of £400 -

Yamaha AS701 Amplifier with DAC - Superfi

A-S701 - Integrated Amplifiers - Yamaha - UK and Ireland

But at or near you budget, in my opinion, the Yamaha AS801 is both high quality and high value.

Steve/bluewizard
 
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I'd go for British makes as I'm British and I really rate our hi fi industry as one of the best in the world. Also if you are flexible to go used or dealer demo stock you'd get a very much better proposition.

Your won't get a huge amount for a grand but still a very decent amp. I'd be thinking arcam, Cyrus, rega, etc. Good mass market type better end brands. Also no home cinema amps for better sound. Quality components with toroidal transformers, good dacs etc.
 
ok, thanks for opinions so far
I will have a look at that Yamaha although I never was a fan of their gear.

Let's keep on those advices rolling :)
Anyone on here owns Advance Acoustic X-i125 and can share their experience please?
 
Once again, you have to define the feature you want. From that we can focus on amps that specifically suit your needs. As an example, for myself, I want Tone Controls, there are few to no amps I would consider without Tone Controls. Also, as it stands now, I want a DAC because I use my Stereo for both Music and Movies. That makes the Yamaha appealing.

If you don't want any of those things, then that directs us to a completely different set of amps.

In high features with decent power, consider Cambridge -

CAMBRIDGE CXA60Silver Stereo Amplifier

CAMBRIDGE CXA80Black Stereo Amplifier

Steve/bluewizard
 
Guys

Has anyone of you heard something called Magnat MA600?
Someone told me it's such a hidden gem it's unbelievable.
At 500 pounds, it has full inputs (DAC optical, coax and usb + bluetooth) - all in. Plus, it is a hybrid amp so apparently a bit more tube amp kind of sound (warm, analog). Remote is utter crap but I don't care much about that.
Very few reviews available and if anything they are all from German hifi mags and are extremely favourable. Considering Magnat is German though, I have to be careful when reading German reviews of it, if you know what I mean.
I really like the tube/hybrid design - not only it improves (supposedly) the sound but also looks mega cool when it's on - kind of retro which gives me that nostalgia aspect to the 'good old days' hehe (at least if I can't have almost any analog VU meters in my price range then at least I could have a glowing tube hehe).
Plus, I love having things that most people don't know what they are (provided it performs fairly well too) so such a unsuspected entry from Magnat in stereo amp market is even more appealing.
What do you think?
Has anyone on here got one of those please?

thanks
 
I'm not a fan of tubes - solid state amps outperform them in every way if you are after accuracy. However, if you want a 'warmer' sound then it may be for you.

HB
 
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yeah, apparently it has warmer sound of tubes of old, but at the same time, as it is a hybrid and power amp is transistor based, it doesn't lack dynamics which are a specialty of transistor constructions.
Don't know if it's true.
 
If you want something completely different and in my opinion an absolute bargain have a look at these Abrahamsen amplifiers from Norway distributed in the UK by a small British company in Cheltenham .
Hypex Amps, Abrahamsen Audio, IPL Acoustic Speakers


I think the V2.0 UP stereo integrated amp at £999 would be the one to suit your needs .

Hypex Amps, Abrahamsen Audio, IPL Acoustic Speakers

They are designed and built by a family company in Norway run by Per Abrahamsen who was one of the original founders of Electrocompaniet.
They are built like a tank with a massive 1000va transformer and it exceeds all your requirements sound quality wise .
Give them a call for more info or maybe a demo .
Here is a review.

Hypex Amps, Abrahamsen Audio, IPL Acoustic Speakers

I hope this helps :smashin:.
 
If you want something completely different and in my opinion an absolute bargain have a look at these Abrahamsen amplifiers from Norway distributed in the UK by a small British company in Cheltenham .
Hypex Amps, Abrahamsen Audio, IPL Acoustic Speakers


I think the V2.0 UP stereo integrated amp at £999 would be the one to suit your needs .

Hypex Amps, Abrahamsen Audio, IPL Acoustic Speakers

They are designed and built by a family company in Norway run by Per Abrahamsen who was one of the original founders of Electrocompaniet.
They are built like a tank with a massive 1000va transformer and it exceeds all your requirements sound quality wise .
Give them a call for more info or maybe a demo .
Here is a review.

Hypex Amps, Abrahamsen Audio, IPL Acoustic Speakers

I hope this helps :smashin:.


Hey Electro58

Yes, it helps a lot, many thanks.
I would never heard of this company and..........it looks astonishing. 1000gbp, looks amazing (that glass front, omg!) and specs are out of this world -> 1000VA, 100 000mF of capacitance and Slew Rate of 100Vus.
Someone told me yesterday that Slew Rate is the basic parameter by which amps should be compared as it says how 'quick' amp is (and very rarely manufacturers quote this in their materials) - I don't know if it's true?
The Abrahamsen seems to be mege quick with its 100Vus.

One of the downsides is it doesn't have a DAC but I can always really on my Cirrus DAC built in my Macbook. Or resort to getting a professional outboard DAC.
The bigger problem I would have with V20UP is lack of tone controls (bass/treble) and Loudness function. I still don't understand why companies sometimes don't put it in (I noticed: the more expensive the amp the less controls it has)? Well, if end user doesn't like sculpting the sound then fine - just don't use it. But what about the users that do want to use it and it is not available?
Of course I don't want to use Loudness all the time (at all volume levels) but in my opinion, Bass/Treble regulation + Loudness are very handy when listening to music at low levels/quite - it makes the sound hearty and alive.
Of course, the allure that it is unknown brand and product speaks to me greatly.

So you think it would exceed all my sound requirements???
Powerful sound with strong and deep bass?
Is this amp dark or bright sounding?

thanks
 
Hey Electro58

Yes, it helps a lot, many thanks.
I would never heard of this company and..........it looks astonishing. 1000gbp, looks amazing (that glass front, omg!) and specs are out of this world -> 1000VA, 100 000mF of capacitance and Slew Rate of 100Vus.
Someone told me yesterday that Slew Rate is the basic parameter by which amps should be compared as it says how 'quick' amp is (and very rarely manufacturers quote this in their materials) - I don't know if it's true?
The Abrahamsen seems to be mege quick with its 100Vus.

One of the downsides is it doesn't have a DAC but I can always really on my Cirrus DAC built in my Macbook. Or resort to getting a professional outboard DAC.
The bigger problem I would have with V20UP is lack of tone controls (bass/treble) and Loudness function. I still don't understand why companies sometimes don't put it in (I noticed: the more expensive the amp the less controls it has)? Well, if end user doesn't like sculpting the sound then fine - just don't use it. But what about the users that do want to use it and it is not available?
Of course I don't want to use Loudness all the time (at all volume levels) but in my opinion, Bass/Treble regulation + Loudness are very handy when listening to music at low levels/quite - it makes the sound hearty and alive.
Of course, the allure that it is unknown brand and product speaks to me greatly.


So you think it would exceed all my sound requirements???
Powerful sound with strong and deep bass?
Is this amp dark or bright sounding?

thanks

Hi Micoo ,
I would expect the Abrahamsen to do everything you want and more , as for tone controls I doubt you will need them , the drive and control at low levels with the Abrahamsen means that the bass and general detail remain in proportion with the rest of the music .
At high levels the bass drive and dynamics are exceptional every little detail is presented in a very realistic way with total control at all volumes.
Some people say that the Abrahamsen amps sound a little dark but I disagree, it is just a lack of distortion and the total absence of clipping distortion also they preserve musical transients in a way that few amps can or do due to the massive amount of headroom and current delivery.
If you are in the UK contact Colin for a demo or possibly a home loan .

http://www.iqspeakers.co.uk/abrahamsen?gclid=CJfq7nu9MgCFSoEwwodtMEDOQ

or anywhere else in the world contact Abrahamsen direct.

Store - ABRAHAMSEN© by ECS Holding
 
Hey

Thanks for your feedback on that amp. I suppose you know what you're saying and heard it somewhere?

Even if the V20UP sounds 'a little dark' then this is up my street. I really dislike light amps (headache after 2 hours of listening) and not a fan of neutral amps (yes yes, I do realize that neutral=audiophile=the best/how it should be but nevertheless I do not want audiophile transparency as I come from mass market/mainstream audio market, if you know what I mean ;)

Too bad I have just moved from UK to Poland - in here there is no Abrahamsen dealer so audition is not possible and buying a stereo amplifier without listening to it prior is a big no no I suppose.
But maybe I will jump the ship.....If it had tone controls and Loudness filter I think I actually would and buy it without listening to it - so if it arrived and it turned out that the sound is not to my liking (especially in bass extension and depth) I could contour it myself. Without it, I will unable to do anything.

cheers
 
Hi Micoo ,
I would expect the Abrahamsen to do everything you want and more , as for tone controls I doubt you will need them , the drive and control at low levels with the Abrahamsen means that the bass and general detail remain in proportion with the rest of the music .

I urge caution here. No tone controls means no control over the bass without a subwoofer, and we don't all want to hear all recordings "exactly as the producer intended". Some of them certainly, but most audio listening is not done in the perfect seating position, with perfect room acoustics or at high levels so we don't hear it as intended anyway for much of the time. I know that I'm far from alone in being annoyed at the number of high quality amplifier manufacturers who omit them in their low or medium end models. High end ones maybe, but not their entire ranges.

Annoying not to have the choice of say an Arcam or say Audiolab these days - there are others too. So we are sadly left with fewer choices of manufacturer and often can't get the amplifier we really want. I would have bought one months ago but for this but now, it's a matter of choosing a brand that I'm unfamiliar with, and the risk that entails.
 
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Hey D'@ve

Many thanks for your warning. There is a lot of truth in what you're saying.
I am really interested in V20UP but no tone controls and no Loudness is a quite a big stumbling point. Especially when I cannot audition the amp before I purchase....sigh. If it arrives and I am not happy with the bass and treble or it will sound 'flat' at low volume and there will be no Loudness then I will be left to subwoofer which I don't wanna do.

It's a 1000 pounds amp and it it doesn't have it - it really strikes me. In my opinion the more advanced/expensive amp/hifi the more sound control it should offer, not less. You know what, irrespective of if I will like the sound produced by this amp when it arrives, my friends will come over and they will go like this: "1000 pounds hifi and only 2 knobs? Where is bass and treble control? Well, my 100 pounds Philips has this so what the hell did you buy?" - I guarantee you this.

EVEN IF audiophiles say that 'you never should use tone controls therefore they are redundant' then just.........don't use it? But if there is a person who is not an audiophile and wants to use it and it can't what am I suppose to do?
Continuing this: audiophiles never use tone controls (not to mention the heresy of Loudness) and don't like the knobs for it on the front plate. OK, in that case don't make a dedicated knob for it but just make it available in the menu while using the screen and the selector for input right? Then they an amp manufacturer is not limiting itself to only audiophiles/people who don't use tone controls but caters for everyone while at the same time not annoying audiophiles as they don't have to use the tone controls + can't even see it as there are no dedicated knobs for it (or for Loudness) - and then everyone is happy. I mean, c'mmon....

Look at V20UP for example: it has a screen and a input selector knob. They could EASILY enable tone controls (bass/mid!/treble) in the menu while using the screen and pushing the input selector knob to access it!!! (and make it really flexible like -10 to +10 with increment of 1.0 or even 0.5). Loudness could be nicely implemented the same way and a choice of not one but two or 3 Loudness filters should be available - for example one Should be called Loudness, Second Extra Bass and third Night Time for listening in intimate conditions at night. This would be awesome. I could suit the sound to my needs, to my mood, to my music played in the moment, to my seating position, to my speakers, volume level, to my preference etc.
And without all this.......what I am supposed to do?
You know what........Abrahamsen is even in that comfortable position that it's small company (amps made to order ?) so even better idea would be to ASK THE CUSTOMER! And when the customer is and audiophile and ordering the amp say: "listen, in this amp, by default we have comprehensive tone controls and 3 different Loudness built in and accessible via on screen. If you wish it can be disabled completely so it won't be even visible if you want. Which route do you prefer?" - in this case even the most purist audiophile could be catered for and could receive and amp where tone controls and Loudnesses would be even visible in the Menu/screen of the amp.

Or am I just strange?

V20UP really looks very interesting. It's max of my budget but the specs it has are really strong - and these are the specs that supposedly really tell you about the quality of the sound the amp will be able to supply: capacitance, Slew Rate and transformer power in VA. It looks mega pretty too.
But no DAC with USB built in, no Bluetooth and no tone controls/Loudness. I mean, I can always get external DAC, external Bluetooth dongle/thingy but no tone controls? Spending 1000 pounds, how many compromises am I able to take in??? And not even being able to audition it so if I don't like it I'm screwed. If there was a distributor in my country and I at least had 2 or 4 weeks for return if I don't like it then fine but if there isn't any?
I am really torn as you can see hehe.
I think that because of all this I will be forced into the hands of Advance Acoustic X-i125. Chinese made unfortunately but at least has tone controls, DAC with USB and Bluetooth + mega pretty like Abrahmsen + has analog VU meters. And I can return it if I don't like it.

ehhhh, dunno what to do......
 
Very helpful thread, thanks :).

That Leben is not an amplifier... it's an amprifier, which explains the 'bass boost' control ;)
 
oh....and look what I found:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/af/4c/e8/af4ce8f634f2e3aba2bfd09352cafdc1.jpg
An audiophile amp with.................Bass Boost !!!!! :O :O

so no....I am not 'strange' hehe ;)
taking away any sound sculpting/tone controls and Loudness/Bass Boost is pointless and limits market relevance.

Tone controls and bass boost incorporated within integrated amps are very blunt instruments indeed and will not compensate for bad room acoustics or weak current delivery leading to poor bass at low volumes.
At best they are very poor fix that often leads to speaker damage if used excessively.
You would most probably find that with an amp of the quality of the Abrahamsen amp that all thoughts of tone control and especially bass boost will disappear out of the window.
That said if you room had bad acoustics and you really need some assistance for your system to get it almost perfect then the solution comes in a much more sophisticated and useful form .
This DSP antimode 2.0 allows you to tailor the sound to your room or your taste in a much better and more sophisticated way.

DSPeaker-Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core

It also has a built in Dac !

DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core

With an amp of the quality of the Abrahamsen this is the best most logical way to have your cake and eat it if you insist on proper tone and acoustic control.

You could opt for the cheaper version of the Abrahamsen V2.0 without the UP option then add the Antimode and have the UP upgrade at a later date to spread the cost.
 
If I were buying an amp for up to £1000 I'd probably look at a used Roksan Caspian M2 or Naim Nait of some sort.
 
Tone controls and bass boost incorporated within integrated amps are very blunt instruments indeed and will not compensate for bad room acoustics or weak current delivery leading to poor bass at low volumes.
At best they are very poor fix that often leads to speaker damage if used excessively.
You would most probably find that with an amp of the quality of the Abrahamsen amp that all thoughts of tone control and especially bass boost will disappear out of the window.
That said if you room had bad acoustics and you really need some assistance for your system to get it almost perfect then the solution comes in a much more sophisticated and useful form .
This DSP antimode 2.0 allows you to tailor the sound to your room or your taste in a much better and more sophisticated way.

DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core

With an amp of the quality of the Abrahamsen this is the best most logical way to have your cake and eat it if you insist on proper tone and acoustic control.

You could opt for the cheaper version of the Abrahamsen V2.0 without the UP option then add the Antimode and have the UP upgrade at a later date to spread the cost.

... Or you could get back within budget (£1,000) and take the simpler and low cost approach... tone controls. If only all manufacturers gave that option! Bass boost is for use at low listening levels and I suspect that's how even most hifi enthusiasts listen to most of their music. You turn them down or switch them out at higher volumes, when overpowering bass usually makes it immediately obvious should you forget. Most are limited anyway, to +/- 6 dB or so these days. The 'as the producer/artist intended' argument goes out of the window anyway, unless you play it at their usually very high levels and in their listening environment.

I think all we tone control enthusiasts are saying is.... give us a couple of products in your range that *do* have (switchable) tone controls. Give us a choice, Arcam etc. !
 

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