Best $600 integrated for Monitor Audio RX-2?

Apologies for the double post!!

I've heard most of the amps you mention above. I would add a Creek 5350 to your list. You may be able to find a used one in your price range. I can't say for sure because I haven't listened to all the amps above, but the Creek should easily beat them for sound quality (at least for my taste's). I had mine driving a pair of Monitor Audio speakers for a while and the combo was great.

Look for an integrated that provides ample power (sufficient headroom for transients) and one that supplies generous amounts of current in that power rating. This generally results in a "fuller" and "ballsier" sound that doesn't fall flat on its face when pushed hard.

-RW-

Thank you guys for the suggestions. Zd542, which MA speakers did you have paired with the Creek?

RW, is there any integrated on that list that may meet your suggested criteria? How much would "ample power" be for me, considering room dimensions? Also, how do I know an integrated is high current or not?

I had the Silver S8's. Similar to yours, but floor standing. Unless you have a large room or high volume requirements, the amps you list above should work OK. I list the Creek mainly for sound quality and that it was a great match with MA.

Hi all,
I think I narrowed it down to:

1. Brio-R
2. Arcam FMJ-A18

Does any of you have experience with pairing any of those amps with MA RX speakers? I am undecided which one I should get, since both have are similar in power, features, and price.
Any feedback will be much appreciated. Thanks a lot in advance!

Zd542, I am also considering the Creek, but I could not find any available yet. Did you mean the old 5350 or the newer version?

Consider Teac AI-1000 It has parts found on much more expensive gears and sound like it. It's on sale at ebay 40% off too, which makes it a better choice than the ones you are looking at. Pretty powerful at 100 watts per ch. as well.

I was blown away with it's quality. We don't expect a mass market company like Teac to come up with a genuine hifi, but I am telling this is a real deal!

I think there's 3 versions. The 5350SE (original version), the 5350SE (classic/2nd version) and the Evolution 5350. I was talking about the first or second version. There's very little difference between the 2. Either would be OK. I had the original. The Evolution is something else. Its not made in the UK and I'm pretty sure that there are some significant design changes as well.

Here's a few reasons I like it the best out of all your other choices. For me, the biggest thing is that the pre amp section is passive. That's a really big deal for sound quality. Its extremely difficult to make a good sounding active line stage for products in this price range. But, if you find that you still need an active line stage for some reason, they make an active card for it. They also, have a couple of phono cards that sound pretty good. The amp and preamp sections of the Creek are connected in the back with rca jumpers. That allows you to use it just as an amp or just as a preamp. Since the 2 sections are jumped in the back, the signal doesn't run through the section not in use. It makes upgrades so much easier.

Thank you! I'll keep an eye on it. I am almost decided on the Brio-R or the FMJ-A18 just due to current availability (and good reviews). I read about the Creek and it has great reviews.