2. amps-preamps
  3. 1016478410

semi-budget sys - under 1450

Apologies if you've seen this on audiorevew.com...

Speakers I'm down to:
B&W 602S3s or Paradigm Studio 20s or 40s
Integrateds:
NAD C370 (sounds worse, but hey, it's 105 watts)
Rotel RA1060 (what I thought I wanted until some damn aimable salesman my age played my wife and I the
Arcam A75 (which is my current fav but a stretch for my wallet - only 50 watts, but lordy what soundstaging - it's uncanny)

play mostly rock, nice nice soundtrack) and left-field electronica (no boom-boom-boom-boom, thanks) and just enough jazz to make me listen close to cymbals and timbre while demoing.

if i get the paradigm studio 20s and arcam a75 for purity, i would have to add a subwoofer at some point. if i get the B&Ws and anything else, I'm gonna wanna bi-amp (unless it's the NAD, in which case I would probably just sell/trade-in it) I think. what would you do? throw more speakers at me if you want but let's try to control my urges to build a $2000 core system instead of a $1400-1500 dollar one. thanks everyone!
cbinkleye862
9 responses Add your response
stehno
1,453 posts
 
Check out the following audiogon thread:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1016149072&openusid&zz
ohlala
1,231 posts
 
My approach is different from your approach, but i have decided to add anyways under "what would you do?".

I would not get the NAD if i did not like it. I would get the Arcam if I did. Monitors just do not need that much power, especially when quality is compromised. I also do not understand biamping a ~$700 monitor. It's just more of the same, but not really more. Because you like seem to really like the Arcam, I am not thirlled by adding this but a used Classe CAP-100 or 80 (both rated at 100w) is in your budget.

And BTW-FYI-the 105w rating of the C370 is very conservative.

Good luck, hope you have fun buying and listening.
seandtaylor99
1,262 posts
 
If you like imaging see if you can get to hear some EposM12 speakers. Used they can be had for around $500 and I think they're a very good all-round stand mount speaker. New I think they're nearer to $800. In case you haven't heard of them Epos is now owned by Creek Audio so they're backed by a good manufacturer.
http://www.epos-acoustics.com/
grandpad
151 posts
 
I think Ohlala has given you excellant advice on all of his points.
ohlala
1,231 posts
 
Thanks, Grandpad...made my day.
cbinkleye862 OP
4 posts
 
thanks for the suggestion on classe. hadn't heard a lot about them. i'm also interested in a rega mira but they don't seem to have many retailers in the US....

as for bi-amping, well, probably not right now but if i decided to get floorstanders sometime. i don't know if any of you are aware of the prices of B&Ws in Europe, but they are about 30% cheaper as a result of the lower initial retail price and exchange rate, and then when you factor in
the fact that you get the taxes back when you leave the country, phew. guess who's going to france in march?

i forgot to add that because we're buying this with wedding present money (register for pots and pans, not us!) my wife absolutely refuses to buy used! so that is a factor unfortunately. we'll probably get a cd-player used or refurbished, but right now I'm just going to run "audition" music off my computer, which has a $200 24-bit DAC pro audio recording card.
gold001
30 posts
 
Another good choice for an inexpensive monitor is the Mordaunt short MS-90. It sounds much like the Epos12 mentioned previously. It has good imaging, and room placement doesn't seem to to be a big issue. They are not well represented in the US, but are worth a listen if you can find them. I'm using a pair with a REGA Mira and it's a good combo.
89vett's avatar
89vett
30 posts
 
How about the Audio Source AMP 2.I have one coming but
the reviews are very good and it's only 249.99.I am going
to try one for the hell of it.Adcom 535 amp is also a good
little bargain amp.
89vett
salsero
16 posts
 
You may want to see into a jolida integrate ($700), a cambridge D500 (I think) CD player ($450) and sound dynamic RTS-3 (Audio Advisor $200).
The integrated is a tube preamp/solid state amplifier - many think this is the best of both worlds, plus you can later upgrade the tubes and power cord for better sound. The CD player is stereophile recommended class C - many tweak the power cord.
The speakers are rated at 90db sensitivity - don't require much power to fill the room plus they sound well at 45Hz (i.e. good bass for a small speaker!!)
You can then look up for good interconnects and speaker cables in audio advisor plus speaker stands - OK, you maybe a little over budget now - but it will be nice!!
Good Luck, Salsero
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