2. amps-preamps
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Friend needs advice for $8,000 system

My friend is starting out from scratch with an $8,000 budget. He listens to all sorts, but mainly indie rock. He's keen on the Magnepan .7 speakers and lives in a small apartment, so listening room about 4x3 metres. Don't worry about cables. We just need a power amp, a turntable, a cartridge, a phono stage, NOS tubes, and a DAC.


How do we achieve:


Truthful tonality/timbre


Truthful harmonics


Liquid sound


Transparency


Speed/Dynamics/Pace/Rhythm/Timing


Soundstage Coherence



All for $8,000 new.



Cheers!


uberdine
kalali's avatar
kalali
1,977 posts
 
"Sorry I should have mentioned the Magnepans are non-negotiable, so a $5,000 budget for everything else."

Magnepan .7 is ~$1,400 in US. Are they $3K where your friend lives?
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Ill make a list get back to you asap.
johnto
972 posts
 
I would go with a Parasound integrated it will give you everything for about $3K new.
I ran one with my Maggie 1.7i and the paring was musical magic. It has almost a tube like sound. That would leave about $2K for a t.t. and cartridge and there are lots of good choices in that price range.
I always buy gently used as you get lots more for your $$. If you go used on the amp you should have about 1K for a good sub.
Good luck.
teo_audio
2,197 posts
 
The truth is he can buy a better system, by far, for $10k, instead of $8k...

..and he can buy a  better system by far, by spending $6k, not $8k.

Hope that helps clarify the realities of what happens when asking other people’s opinions.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Don’t worry about cables. We just need a power amp, a turntable, a cartridge, a phono stage, NOS tubes, and a DAC.

Right. Because, as we all know, cables don’t make any difference. Spend $8k, hook it up with freebie patch cords and rubber power plugs. Oh, and start tube rolling your DAC. This is your advice to your friend?

I have some advice for your friend: find a better friend.

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