Go for the Canor 2.10
Best Integrated Amp (for me)
I recently upgraded to a Pro-Ject Classic turntable. I currently own KEF LS50 bookshelf speakers and a Nikko NR-719 tuner (from the 1980s).
I'm interested in upgrading to a better-quality (and nicer-looking) integrated amplifier to pair with my turntable and speakers. I love things that are really simple and classic-looking (but of course I also want it to sound great). I'm looking to spend somewhere between $500-$1000.
Any suggestions would be most appreciated!
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- 70 posts total
There are definitely a ton of great options listed above! I was bidding on the Vincent V-60 amp that someone mentioned, but lost the auction. I'm going to take my time and wait until I find something that I really fall in love with. It seems that I might need to wait until I have some more money saved up to get myself something really special. (I'm also realizing that I want to hold out for something really cool-looking... TBH, I don't necessarily have the most sophisticated audiophile ear, and so some of the more subtle sound-related nuances are probably lost on me anyways...) |
I'm happy with my Musical Fidelity A300. Powering a similarly inefficient B&W 805 Matrix (87db) with a reputation for being a tad bright. The A300 does a great job with sound staging, great depth while still sounding smooth. The A300 leans slightly warm, but still has good detail and manages to sound exciting. Vocals are especially good. I also think the phono preamp for MM is under-rated. I have compared the A300 phono with the well regarded Adcom GFP-565 phono and there is not a clear winner (I got the Adcom, thinking it would be a great improvement over the built-in phono on the A300). Adcom has the quieter background, but the the A300 is more lively and engaging. The A300 can be difficult to find, but I have seen them go for less than 700.00. It can be a good sleeper with ample power (150 watts, Dual Mono, lots of inputs, pre-amp out, MM/MC phono). |
mdodgeknee OP Because they are quite hard to drive in the bass as Stereophile says, you need an amp with good current drive at 4ohms to get the very best out of them. A used Parasound Hint would do the job very nicely, and the early ones should be around the $1k mark, and you get remote and ESS Saber dac in it also https://parasound.com/hint.php The electrical phase angle is generally mild, but the combination of 5.3 ohms and –41° at 135Hz, a frequency where music often has high energy, will make the speaker work at its best with a good, 4 ohm–rated amplifier. Cheers George |
- 70 posts total