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Advice on Budget System?

I'm currently running my music through a Toshiba DVD player and a low-end Marantz (5500) AV Receiver. But I've become convinced by these forums that I can put together a decent music system for less than $1000 (not including speakers), so I'm ready to take the plunge. I currently have a pair of VonSchweikert VR1s, and I plan to upgrade to VR2s next year. But first, I'd like to get some decent electronics.

I've pretty much settled on a Cambridge Audio CD player for the source (either 540C or 640c). For an integrated amp (I never listen to the radio), I'm looking at these choices right now:
Cambridge Audio Azur 640A
NAD C32
Music Hall A25

Any thoughts on these or other choices in the same price range? Will either give me a noticeable improvement over my current setup? Will they make these VR1s sing, and provide enough power for the full-range VR2s?

Am I at least asking the right questions? :-)
rhetoricman
bignerd100
515 posts
 
The Complete is much more powerful than the 320BEE.
Regardless of stated output the Complete is very beefy.
The NAD is very good though and I think it will work well for you.

Good luck!
markphd
667 posts
 
All of the amps which you are considering, and which other posters have suggested, seem like good prospects. I would suggest you listen to as many as you can. Speaking for myself, I once purchased a small integrated amp. I auditioned a number of readily available amps, including Rotel, Arcam, and NAD. I was just entering the audiophile world at that time and I was surprised at how different they sounded. I ended up purchasing a Creek. It sounded the best to me from among the ones I auditioned.
rhetoricman OP
2 posts
 
Hi everyone,

I received the Cambridge Audio 540C CD player last week and the NAD C352 integrated yesterday. No surprise, the CD player was a major and immediately noticeable improvement over using the Toshiba DVD player for music CDs--more open, detailed, natural. An awesome upgrade.

The NAD also has some major advantages over the Marantz A/V receiver for music. Extended bass, sharper highs and upper midrange, and much more natural sounding. However, the sharpness gets a bit fatiguing. It's not "bright," really, but just more assertive on some notes, if that makes any sense.

I'm still breaking in the NAD, so I'll hold off on a final judgment, and I think some decent RCA cables might make a difference, too. (I'm using some $8 cables I had lying around until I can get some better ones.) Even if I end up trading it in, it's interesting and exciting to hear sound from my CDs that I never noticed was there before.

The bass from my VR-1s is so sweet now that I may not need to trade up to the VR-2s. But of course, that impulse won't last very long . . . :-)
rar1's avatar
rar1
1,770 posts
 
After some experimenting with budget cables, I achieved excellent sound with
the NAD C320BEE using the following: Signal Cable Analysis One (basic) speaker
cables and Better Cables Blue Truth/Silver Serpent interconnects. I had
originally started with Radio Shack mega cables, but they deadened the sound. I
still prefer the Music Hall with the NAD, but the Cambridge Audio is an excellent
player (I have an Azur 540 DVD player paired with an Outlaw receiver) and
should pair off pretty well. Give the NAD a little time to break in and you will be
pleased.

Regards, Rich
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