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Please recommend components for newbie with $1K

I currently have a late-90's Sony cd player, a pair of old Realistic speakers that are hand-me-downs from my father-in-law, and a Scott 418-A integrated from the mid-70's (I think) that I acquired at a pawn shop when I was an undergrad. Sounds pretty bad, so I want to upgrade. I can put in $1000 now, so I want to get speakers and an integrated amp or a receiver. I guess that gives me around $500 for each. I need the amp to have A/B speaker switching. A phono stage would be nice too, although I'm not opposed to getting a separate phono preamp in the future if necessary. This system will be a smallish room, about 14x10, 8' ceilings.

Unless I can find something used, I'm leaning toward the Marantz PM7200 integrated. Local shops have also suggested the Integra DTM 5.3 receiver. I would buy the NAD 720BEE today but it's $540 before tax.

Thanks for reading. Any amp and speaker recommendations will be greatly appreciated.
reanalyst

Showing 3 responses by reanalyst

reanalyst OP
3 posts
 
But hang on, do you want full range or monitor speakers? what music do you listen to most, do you like alot of bass?
Chadnliz,
I wish I knew the answer to the first question, but I don't know the difference between monitors and full range speakers. Could someone explain that?

I want to be able to hear bass, but I don't need big bass boom.

I listen to a lot of rock (Richard Thompson, Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Beatles, Stones, Taj Mahal) and a lot of bluegrass & folk (Richard Thompson, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Gillian Welch, Del McCoury, Alison Krauss, Johnny Cash, etc).

Thanks for all the suggestions. Rkeman, the NAD C352 won't work for me because I need two sets of speaker outputs.
reanalyst OP
3 posts
 
Reubent,
Thanks for the input. Your comments on speakers are right in line with what I have been thinking. I would prefer a full range speaker. I have been considering the cost of stands when looking at smaller speakers & am finding it difficult to locate small floorstanding models to audition. It seems the stores in my area (Raleigh, NC) carry only bookshelf or monitor sizes in my price range. I wanted to hear the Paradigm Esprit ($429), but the local Paradigm dealers don't have it. I also am curious about the Axiom M40ti ($504 for 2nds). There is a Wharfedale dealer in town, so I will see if they have some 8.3s I can listen to.

I'm curious, though; the Wharfedales are listed as having 6 ohm nominal impedance and sensitivity of 86. My understanding is that that speaker would require a lot of power at that sensitivity and the 6 ohm impedance would call for even more. Would a 100 watt amp be able to drive a pair of 8.3s and another pair of speakers?
reanalyst OP
3 posts
 
Would the Vandersteen 2c's pair well with an NAD integrated?
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