Recommended amplification?

Friend

This is easy....go McCormack DNA 0.5 and a passive preamplifier! The McCormack comes close to tube sound!

Oh, cables? DH Labs...best bang for the buck!

Hope this helps

Studio 1

Just wanted to let everyone know that I finally got an amp! I bought a Parasound HCA1000A amp and a P/HP-850 pre-amp here on Audiogon. Thanks for everybody's input!

You can get some nice integrated amps in the $750 range.

Rgodin, what then is a more legitimate price to expect?

Any more suggestions?

The $500 price point is a tough one. NAD, Creek, and Rotel are the first that come to mind. The good lower price integrated amps go pretty fast, so you'll have to check often and be ready to jump when one that fits your preferences and budget shows up.

Other options are vintage amps or off-shore manufactured models that benefit from the lower labor costs in Asia.

Expanding your budget by a couple hundered dollars or so increases your choices quite a bit.

Rgodin, I've been under the impression that integrated amps usually have better components than receivers and that separate pre-amps and amps cost much more than integrated amps. If that isn't true though, I would go for any economically reasonable choice. I'm usally Ohm Walsh Super 2s which are the current Walsh 100 S3 drivers in an old Walsh 2 cabinet.

Thanks for the other suggests so far!

I would recommend Parasound products..check them out. Great affordable amps and preamps w/phono stage.

Heard few impressive things about Onkyo A-9555. Integrated amp is the only one that will have phono stage, otherwise you will have to buy pre-amp with phono. Check it out:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000J0ORMS.01._AA280_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

If you're after another receiver a Rotel RX-1050 would give you 100 watts and a phono stage in a pretty versatile package at about what you want to spend. I had one and liked it. It got a great review in Absolute Sound, as well.

Are you looking for another receiver, and integrated amp, or a preamp and power amp?

Which model of Walsh speakers are you now using?

You'll probably get plenty of suggestions if you can provide a few more details.