Building a system for a friend...Please Help

I would give consideration to the Creek 5335SE, Arcam DiVA A85 and Musical Fidelity A300 integrated amps. My choice for a CD player would be the Arcam FMJ CD22 or the Cary CD-308. You don't mention whether your friend has good quality cables. You might want to review some of the discussions on this subject on Audiogon and Audio Asylum before you make your recommendations.

If they're willing to buy used you could probably find an ARC CA-50 for around 12-1300 and plenty of excellent used CD players in the 7-800 range.

Audio refinement integrated. They are supposed to be bringing out a 150 wpc in the near future. I agree with the Arcam cdp. Also, look into the Music Hall CD 25. Also the Creek 5350SE would be a great choice.

For performance/sound the Magnum IA-170 integrated amp would be my first pick ($750 w/o or $850 -w- phono stage).

I found this inexpensive amp to better the older (2 years ago) Plinius/Classe/Musical Fidelity/Creek integrated amps. A nice balanced sound (just the music) with good bass/mid-bass control.

For a CD player maybe a used (as they are no longer produced) CAL Icon MkII with the HDCD/Power Boss circuits ($500, or so, in good shape)? I like the basic MkII myself (in my system), but can see why many went for the upgraded model and feel that it might work better with the Proac's.

Including taxes and shipping the pair should run around $1400 which will leave money left over for cables, stands, et cetera.

I'll admit that I prefer tubes and vinyl, but I would enjoy this combo (along with the Proac's) I think.

I would suggest a McCormack DNA 0.5 amp and a CDP like the California Audio Labs CL-15, with variable output voltage. Later on your friend, as funds permit, can have the amp upgraded by SMC Audio. He could probably get into both of these pieces here on Audiogon for abot $1300-$1400, having money left over to buy better cables.

See if you can find a used LFD Mistral integrated amp and any of the CD players mentioned above.

I finally finished building my friends system. Here is what he ended up with.

Classe CAP-101 Integrated Amp
Philips SACD 963 CDP
ProAc 1SC Monitors
XLO Ultra 1 interconnect
XLO Pro 600 speaker cables.

The system is very impressive and he can't even believe it. He has been listening to an old Yamaha receiver running his in-wall speakers. I think I may have gotten him hooked!

Total cost (used...except CDP) = $2,750.