howeschip
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Frist system to pair with Pro-ject Debut
bierfeldt
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I would look at:

The Musical Fidelity M3si which is $1495 is one of the better sounding integrated amps on the market. I would also look at the Roksan Kandy K2 which is $1700 and has sound to die for. The other would be the Rega Elex R at $1795 - ultra detailed, neutral sound and a very good internal phono stage.

I would put all three of those above the NAD or the Peachtree. I personally have not heard the Rotel.

I like the Parasound Halo line very much and that P5 is a fine unit. The 2125 sounds great. I listened to it driving a set of Sunfire CRS speakers which are not an easy speaker to drive well and it sounded as good as my Marantz gear though a touch more neutral where Marantz is just a hair warm.

That being said, I am not sure it would sound better than the Rega, Roksan or Musical Fidelity integrated amps I mentioned about for $300 to $600 more. I don't believe that at this price point, your will gain much with separates vs. an integrated amp other than upgrade flexibility in the future.

Incidentally, Parasound will be introducing an integrated amp in the Halo line that everyone is expecting to be about $1700 or $1800 and is going to basically be a P5 and a 2125 in one box. Send them a note and they will likely give you an estimated ship date.

I liked the LS50's, but didn't love them as they do not provide that much bass. I did not like the R300s when I listened to them being driven by NAD equipment. I have never heard the Golden Ear and have no POV.

If you have the opportunity, demo the Revel Performa3 M105s and the Dynaudio Excite x14s. They will sound a touch different than the Kefs. The Revels to me are less airy than the Kefs yet just as detailed which I really like. The Dynaudio's have a very full sound with, IMO, the best bass of the group.

You might also consider the B&W CM5s - many hate B&W and say it is overpriced crap and to some extent that is true - particularly on the 600 line. I disagree vehemently on CM5s and CM9s. They are darn nice speakers and are fairly priced for the quality they provide. I find that they provide a touch to much detail for my taste, especially on acoustic guitar and strings but that is my preference.

Full disclosure, I own the Revel M105s and am driving them with a Rega Brio R in a relatively small, 10x15 room and couldn't be happier. I have a Marantz network player and a Rega P3 24 as inputs.

howeschip
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This is definitely the type of information I need. It is difficult to find much locally to hear, so I am having to do a lot of reading online and hoping to figure it out from there. Thanks!

bierfeldt
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Needledoctor and/or AudioAdvisor sell Musical Fidelity, Roksan, Rega and Parasound. Both have a 30 day return policy. The upside is when you pick one, you can try those in home for 30 days and if you hate it, return it.

Speakers are tougher. There are lots of good ones, but not as many retailers carry these lines so that they are returnable. The B&Ws are returnable to Best Buy and are the same price everywhere. The Kef LS50s are also returnable to Kef Direct, but there may be a restocking fee.

I do not believe that you can get Dynaudio or Revel products on line but both have dealer finders on their WebSites. If you can't find local dealers to listen or buy, two other lines are seriously worth considering and are available on line.

Monitor Audio. They are available from AudioAdvisor and the Silver and Gold lines sandwich that $1500 price point. The Silvers are super neutral sounding speakers, though I find them to be forgiving and miss a touch of the detail you get with the Revels, Kefs, etc... I spent a couple hours listening to the Gold entry point bookshelf speakers which are $1800 and loved them. Still miss a hair of detail but the touch of warmth from the ribbon tweaters is really nice. I would look at the Monitor Audio Silver 2s and the Gold GX 50s.

Music Direct also sells the Wharefedale Jade line which is an incredibly good speaker. I demo'd them and found them the be decidedly warm but very detailed. I prefer a touch of warmth, not as much as the Jade's offer but still a wonderful speaker. The Jade 3s are $1500. Music Direct also has a 30 day return policy.

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