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One box do it all

Enough of separates. Too many boxes, too many cables, don't care for those anymore.

I am willing to get a simple box that will do for me:
- AMP driving Dynaudio special forty, at least 100W
- Pre Amp for digital and analog
- Needs to have phono input as I still do some 20% listening on those, possibly MC but can live with MM
- Streaming, has to be Roon Ready as most of the time I do Roon or Roon on top of Qobuz
- Budget 2500, can't really stretch it much more than that

Seems like Cambridge EVO 150 and Arcam SA30 fit the bill but I will not get a chance to listen to those comparatively and the reviews (the "honest" ones that I could find) are kind of OKish but several complaints on Arcam stability and not so convincing on Cambridge SQ. NAD C388 also come to mind but doesn't seem to have much of a reputation

Anyone here has had personal experience with those ?

Any alternative that I should consider ?

Thanks a lot for reading so far,

Mark.
marklings
ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
2,861 posts
 
@ozzy62 would you include the higher end integrateds in your evaluation as well? Boulder 866, Gryphon Diablo 300, Simaudio 700vi2?

No. The OP was pretty specific with his budget and his requirements. There have been several suggestions that don't meet them all, needing to add either a phono stage or a streamer. My contention is that a one box solution at 2500.00 will have to compromise something, and that something is more than likely sound quality. All of the ones you mention are way above his budget, and most of them don't have everything he wants.

I use what I consider to be a high end integrated by Allnic, but it's just that, only an integrated. None of the other fluff.......

Oz




itsjustme
681 posts
 
at that price, i wonder if your 100W minimum reuriement is limiting your selection needlessly. I wont get into it but a) ratings are often somewhat misleading, 2) 100W is actually only a marginal increase in volume from 40/50W and it takes a lot of units out of contention.
I'd also look for Roon ready but NOT a Roon streamer (stream from your PC). OF course you could also stuff a raspberry pi with roon bridge in front of it.
ronboco
753 posts
 
@ozzy62 Thanks for your input as I am looking into a dedicated listening room that would probably include one of the above. 
Regards 
marklings OP
61 posts
 
2) 100W is actually only a marginal increase in volume from 40/50W

Yeah I know, been wondering about that. What worries me is not volume but potential distortion.
anotherbob's avatar
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anotherbob
333 posts
 
NAD M33 is everything you want plus Dirac Live room correction.  200 wpc into both 4 and 8 ohms, stable down to 2 ohms.  Purifi’s brand new Eigentact amplification with nearly unmeasurable distortion and amazing uncolored sound.  $5k new, used ones trickle on the market around $4k. Save up a little more and you’ll thank me.
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