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January 5, 2012 - 6:54am
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Got $2.000, love rock & classical, need int/amp & speakers. Need help!
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Being in the UK will likely limit your selections to European vendors. $2,000 or £2,000?
You could do worse than the Brio 3 and the B&W 805, but you should really audition before you buy. Also, the Brio 3 is right at the minimum power recommended for the 805s, could be a problem in a larger room.
Thanks for the quick response, the room is 20m sq (21 sq feet) with approx 3 meters between the speakers and the sofa (which leans against the wall).
Budget is $2000 (£1.300). I can see American gear on ebay and hi-fi shops, however European and British gear seams more feasible. Any particular brand that is know known to hold it's value (because ot being very tough).??
Trying to find Linn's to fit my budget.
Ummm.... 20 sq. meters is more like 200 square feet...lol.
I recommend that you consider the Monitor Audio Silver RX-2 speakers and the Cambridge Audio 650A amplifier.
Those are excellent products you will find easily in the UK and the 650A is being discounted now because there is a 651A coming out. It is a better amplifier which also will cost less right now.
Richer Sounds is advertising the 650A now for 250 pounds, which is a steal for such a nice amplifier (listed last October in Recomended Components at $800). Don't miss out on that!
Doug Brady HIFI is advertising the Bronze BX-2 speakers for only 250 pounds and the Silver RX-2 for 525 pounds. The Silver RX-2 is really excellent!
The Rega Brio is not bad, but the Cambridge 650A has more power and I also do not like the speaker terminals on the Rega; they limit you to bare wire-ends and pretty much prevent the use of spade lugs or anything else, because everything is so close together on the back. The 650A also has preamp outs and tape outs and is available now at a great price.
+1 on the Cambridge Audio A650.
emotiva upa 1 200 watt monoblocks for $349 a piece. then you could probably even go for the emotiva preamp. this would get the job done for under $1200. www.emotiva.com. i love my upa 1 monoblocks. they have a nice balanced sound.
Plus shipping to the UK?
Emotiva???
Customs fees, import taxes, shipping...be serious!
I'm an Arcam fan. Not sure where that puts you on budget, but used makes for a great value. Side by side, the Cambridge next to say a 3 or 4 year old Arcam a80 or a85 - which I owned, so I'm biased, sounds a bit washed out and bland. May be that I've only heard the combo on Focal, Harbeth, and entry level PSB floorstanders. Could be a bad match, but the Cambridge is none the less a pretty good amp.
As best I can tell from eBay and the classified section of British mags, Arcam and Cambridge amps are a dime a dozen over there, so you can avoid shipping and VAT's buying British and used. And save a lot of scrill.
Good luck.
I'm a bit perplexed by a Brit homing in on an American Hi-fi rag's site for advice on an inexpensive integrated. You're in the land of milk and honey for the product you're looking for! Cambridge and Arcam and Cyrus and Magnum - and that's just solid state! An average American audiophile hears "cheap integrated" and assumes the worse!
How am I supposed to know this one. Let's not get carried away by locational fanaticism. Advice so far helped a lot more than Brit Sites. Thanks all...