i just got off the phone with Revel and they recommend at least 100wpc for the M106 speakers. He suggested Bryston or Mark Levinson. They are not in my budget. I'm looking for a simple setup. Np phono stage needed. Recommendations?? Thanx
You’ve answered all the questions except one critical one; new or used? If new, you’ll be compromising on quality if 100wpc is a criterion. A Creek Evolution 100A is a good option if you can stretch your budget.
I second the Yamaha, perhaps the A-S1000(or A-S801) which can be found new at a friendly price. Quite powerful, smooth sounding, nice features plus excellent build quality. Just one of many options out there...
I've never heard it but the Outlaw Audio RR2160 has always piqued my interest. 110 watts in to 8 ohms, an assumedly decent dac, bass management for a subwoofer, and a headphone output all for $799. Perhaps someone here has heard it (or the older model).
There is a difference in the quality of watts. A Yamaha or Cambridge 100 watt amp will sound quite a bit different than a 100 watt amp for on Levinson/classe/McIntosh. That's why Revel wants you to use a quality amp for their speakers
There is a Plinius 8100 integrated amp here on audiogon. Looks very sweet for $650. Get a nice power cord and good speaker cables and I bet you would be in sonic heaven. There are also some sweet tube amps there too....Cayin, Jolida and Eastern Electric. Those tube amps are much more powerful than the rating. I know I have a Line Magnetic Audio push/pull and it sounds like a 100wpc amp.
Of course if you wanted something new, I would increase my budget $50 and get the Bluesound PowerNode 2. An amazing product that could really transform your system. I have the Node 2 and the MQA playback is astonishing.
The Plinius 8100, 8150 and 8200 are excellent if you can find one in your price range. They are getting a little old, but should still be good for at least a few years. If/when they need the caps replaced, do it and still have a good, inexpensive amp.
NAD also offers a broad range of integrated amplifiers and their power ratings are usually conservative in my experience. You can also expand them by inserting the Bluesound module referenced above to create a complete system.
For those suggesting Yamaha (a very decent choice and match for your speakers) look at audiocircle.com. There is a A-S801 for a great price. Don't know what kind of transformer or caps, but I am sure it will sound fine.
revel needs a lot of high-current juice, which i'm not sure the yamaha or lower cambridge will provide. i've had vg results with parasound or, if you can find one, acurus dia100 or 150.
It is not in your price range, but the Magnum Dynalab MD-208 receiver is an absolute Gem. It can be a bit surprising what good music there is on the FM dial....esp. if you live in an are with one or more college stations.
Naim pretty famous for integrates with balls. Your speakers deserve something special. Try Tyler at Next Level Audio. Have only bought one Naim unit from him but he seems like a nice straight up guy. Just an opinion.
For your budget, I'd like to recommend the Anthem Integrated 225. It is a quality two-channel analog solution that offers the performance of high-powered separates, without the associated cost and complexity. It delivers a clean 225 watts per channel and is perfect for someone not looking for a multichannel home theater receiver. The URL is: https://www.anthemav.com/products-archived/type=integrated-amp/model=i225/page=overview
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