best small room 2 channel set up for under $2ooo

You can get great rig for that money.
Shop used......that will save you a bunch.
Match speakers and amp.
Pick the source that will fit your predicament, budget and lifestyle.

Here is an examples from what I found interesting on used market (keep in mind that your preferences might differ from mine):

For amplification:
- Eastern Electric MiniMax Tube Integrated - small, sweet, great sounding integrated amp. $600
- Onix Melody SP3 $500

Speakers :
Zu Tone monitors (non on AgoN at the moment) - expect to pay around $1000-$1200 for a used pair

For source .....well there is a dilemma.
You can get a decent CDP or use one of the network devices like Logitech Duet or use you PC/Mac and external USB DAC.

Or there is also above mentioned Shanling MC 30 which is basically all you need (integrated amp, CDP and iPod docking station.......it has radio too)
You can probably find it used for or around $800.

Decco is nice.......has some nice features and name behind its design as well as Little Dot - chip (digital amp) integrated amp with tube pre-section.

Hope it helps a little..............unless it makes it even more complicated.;)

Mariusz

My young son's name is McKennan, nicknamed "Mackie". Stupid reason to buy Mackie monitors for an office? I guess I can think of dumber reasons.

I have to chime in and recommend Mackie monitors for the third time.
I'd go with the Mackie HR624MkII with the thought that the HR824MKII would overpower your smallish room.
I have the HR624MKII as desktop speakers in my office and have lived quite happily with them for the last four months.
Can be bought at a local Guitar Center with 30-day, no question money back guarantee.
Nothing to lose, everything to gain.

I shall correct myself. Shanling MC30, not MC3.

I'm looking to do this same thing in a few months. This is what I came up with.

Shanling MC3- basically an integrated with a tuner and cd built in-$700.00 (numerous sources are selling these for this price)

I'm considering a used Dynaco or Dared tube amp. I've seen these in the $500.00- $700 range

Fritzspeakers with 6" fostex driver -around $400 or so from his website or here on a'gon.

a couple hundred for cables.

I first need to sell my Carver gear and my old Marantz 2226 reciever though. I also need to do more research on tubes considering I know very little about them.Any advice on the proposed above rig is also appreciated.

I highly recommend looking at Peachtree Audio Decco integrated hybrid amp with built in DAC. It's only $799 in black (musicdirect.com). It sounds top notch and DAC is excellent. Just get a cheap CD/DVD transport and you are set with amp and source.

You can find plenty of good monitors ~$1000 and stands ~$200 assuming you don't really plan on putting speakers in a bookshelf because that will be a grave mistake. You just need to figure out what you need: front ported, back ported or sealed depending on where you plan on placing them then go from there and audition. I was especially impressed with Audio Physic Yara but settled for B&W CM-1 for WAF.

I just put together a small system for my (super senior) father's room for about $1300: Music Hall Trio($700 used), 60WPC all in-in-one unit; Triangle Stellas, front ported, 91db sensitive ($329 new, a close out); Kef PSW 10002 sub ($150 new, a close out) and a set of Speltz speaker cables. Even given the stock cord on the Trio...sounds way better than any of my more expensive systems from college...of course, that was a long time ago. Good luck.

well, I gotta tell you, forget the bookshelfs unless you absolutely are cramped. I have heard lots of bookshelfs, like the BW line of 602's etc. they cost around $400 used, but they sound pretty bad imho. A few years ago after my divorce, I had to downsize and was out in SEattle and lucked upon a set of Vandersteen 2ci's. They are FANTASTIC, only cost me $450.!! They have depth, sound stage, bass, remarkeably good midrange and highs. Their not that big either. you can probably run a shelf over the top of them and serve a dual purpose. A friend of mine also picked up a set of Paradigm monitor reference for less than $700 or a set of Mirage, all great yet inexpensive speakers, but again, not small bookshelf's. But if you HAVE TO, you might try a set of BW's, not bad, and their small, but not worth the price imho.

Do the speakers actually have to go onto a bookshelf? If so, you need to consider positioning and such, and there are relatively few small speakers that will sound good on an actual bookshelf.

If, on the other hand, what you're looking for is small speakers, then you have opened your possibilities substantially.

For small rooms, I like the Totem Arro's. Not quite bookshelf speakers, but they are small and image like nobody's business. The best budget pairing I've heard with it is the Jolida 302b. Add a strong budget CD player such as one of the Oppo's or a Music Hall CD-25 or Rotel and you're in business.

Michael

Well you would be have to make some grave errors to not get good to very good sound with your 2k budget...you could even do it for alot less...trends little amp(has only one input) for power(less than $200)...a source of your choosing....and some nice small speakers...however...no speaker performs at its best on a shelf...if that is the only solution...maybe a sealed design of front firing port variety....good luck!

Music Hall trio cd/receiver and a small pair of speakers designed for bookshelves (ie linn).

I probably will get beat for this in an "audiophile" community, but I was thinking Mackie HR824 Active Monitor's may serve your purpose for bedroom and sound good. They are moniters after all. They're powered, so you'd really only need to feed them from a source. They can be found for $650 each and the remainder would fuel a CD player, etc.

Good luck.