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Best integrated to drive vandersteen 2c's

A while back I got my hands on an acurus a150. I've been living with a nad receiver (7175pe and then a 7250pe after the 7175 died) and the vandersteens for the last 15 years. I figured, those are quality components, what the heck. I hooked the acurus up on a whim, using the nad preamp section. Revelation. Those thumpy low frequency sounds are acutally musical instuments! So thats what you audiophile guys have been going on about.

I'm trying not to catch the disease (ok, hobby, if you prefer; I can't really afford the disease in the current business climate, anyway). The acurus is nice (to my ears), but the upper registers are a bit harsh. So I'm thinking a nice mid-level integrated will satisfy this new hunger without doing too much damage. I would guess I need about 100 watts for those speakers. I'm looking in the sub-$1,000 (used) range; a Musical Fidelity A300/A3.5 or a Creek 5350SE, maybe a Jolida 1501. A Plinius 8200, Bel Canto eVo 2i or SimAudio I-5 seem a bit out of reach financially right now. Any opinions?
jeffnolan
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Must it be an integrated?
jeffnolan OP
4 posts
 
separates are not out of the question. I just want to keep it simple.
jeffnolan OP
4 posts
 
Samzxl12, I'm thinking a yba integre dt is also a little out of reach right now.
ablang
165 posts
 
If you've liked your NAD, try the C372 integrated. When I used the 50 watt C325BEE with my Vandies, the bass was just as you describe. The C372 is a great value and a great match with the 2ces. It's 150 watts (which controls the bass beautifully) and a much more refined amp than their cheaper models.

I would recommend strongly against the Jolida 1501, as I've owned two--the first without remote, the second with. The non-remote version is a great sounding amp and responded well to tube-rolling; I actually loved it. The remote version is much cheaper in build and parts quality and sounds grainy and veiled. When I talked to my dealer, he said (and too bad he hadn't mentioned it before I bought the RC version) that I couldn't expect it to sound as good as the non-RC, and that the remote came with sonic trade-offs. If you're want to stay toward the bottom of your price range (or just want a great-value piece of gear that mates well with your Vandies) the NAD is a good way to go.
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samzx12
1,220 posts
 
Jeff...I have seen them for $800 used. Consider the YBA YA-201 also.
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