Options to upgrade from Cambridge Integrated

Well, I guess you're going to get every opinion possible here. Do the integrated, spend more on amps, spend more on speakers, etc. They're all right, of course, it all matters. Notice how we're trying to drive up your budget here -- "spend it all on speakers (or amp) now" -- the implication of course being that you'll later come up with the same amount to spend on the other piece later!

I also vote for the speakers. In particular, choose the speakers first. Then you'll know how much you have left to spend on the amp! And you can demo amps with your actual speakers (once you own them) which is important. So even if you buy them close together, I'd do speakers first.

I will say that I am not a big fan of integrateds. I shopped hard for integrateds about 5 years ago, and compared the Cambridge, NAD, NAD silver series, Arcam A60, Marantz, AR Complete, all head-to-head. In the end, I went with separates. I do think the AR is smoother and less forward than the Cambridge. But if you can save your pennies and buy separates with a $1000 (used) or $2000 (new) budget, it's a big leap up. Integrateds in that price range don't sound as good, at least not on my speakers. In the $500 range you'd need to stick with an integrated, but I just wonder if you will hear a significant enough difference over your current amp.

I think Tobias and I are on the same page here. I agree that an amp upgrade is important (when budget permits), and also with choosing the speakers first so that you can try amps to see what sounds best with your speakers and room.

I have not tried the integrateds that Tobias mentions. People also speak well of the Plinuis integrated, by the way. The problem for me was that most of these were out of my price range (and most were not available to demo locally). I paid $1200 (demo gear) for separates that listed for $1800. For that money, I couldn't find an integrated locally that sounded as good (it's counter-intuitive, but in many cases you pay more for a good integrated, and there seem to be fewer "deals" on integrateds).

Some of this may be specific to the speakers you have. I use an old British pair (Celestion S300) that I like and have had drivers replaced on. These have a reputation for presenting uneven loads across frequency range (in other words, requiring a powerful amp). I found that the typical 60WPC integrated just didn't cut it (but might do great with your speakers). It seems to be relatively easy to build (and cheap to buy) a 135WPC power amp. But harder (and more expensive) to put the same power into an integrated -- 100WPC integrateds are quite a bit more expensive than the 60WPC flavor (and are more expensive than reasonably priced separates).

Integrateds have advantages, of course -- small space requirements and clean/simple/elegant installation (fewer cables, etc.). Separates have advantages too -- if you think you will want to do further upgrades, it's nice to be able to upgrade pre and power separately (I later replaced my amp with a large step up, but have my original pre-amp -- which is where most of the money went on the original purchase).

I don't doubt that you can find an integrated that will sound great (and maybe even in your price range). The AR Complete *does* sound better than the Cambridge. And I expect the SimAudio and Plinius would be excellent (if you can afford them). Again, I suggest you pick your speakers first, then try some integrateds and separates. I recommend buying locally so you can haul your speakers in to a shop to demo (or even better, bring gear home to try).

I don't think the advice you're getting is really that different from person to person, just different emphasis. I hope that helps, and best to you in your search.

Hi Rule,

I think you will find all 60WPC integrateds meek in your new space. I did when I demoed them in a large living room.

The most bang for the buck on amplification will be to pair a high-quality pre-amp with a lower-quality but decent amp. You can always upgrade the amp later, but the pre-amp is the bigger factor.

The problem is budget. I would expect to pay $500+ for the preamp, and $300-$400 for the amp, even used/demo. If you stick with integrateds, the 100+ WPC integrateds are all out of your range as well.

If you really can't stretch your amplification budget, perhaps the best route is to go with Tobias' advice -- go with new speakers now, and live with the Cambridge until funds permit a more substantial upgrade to you amps.

Home demos of speakers will be important in your space. If the dealer is nice, try to borrow reasonably-priced electronics with more power than the Cambridge, so you can compare.

Best,

Eric