Suggestions for lower priced pre/amp


I am looking to replace our 17 year old Nikko receiver as it is slowly starting to give up. Right now it is in our family room and has a small TV connected to it. We have a dedicated HT in the basement that handles all the multi-channel stuff. So, I was thinking of upgrading this to a better 2-channel setup to listen mostly to our music which I am currently converting to lossless FLAC files that will be played over a Squeezebox. The room is about 12wx15long and has 8 ft ceilings. The current setup has the receiver/speakers in the corner of the room angling out toward the seating area. We sit about 10 feet from the speakers and I have bookshelf speakers that are spaced about 5-6 ft apart. Our music is a little bit of everything, Classic Rock/Blues to Classical and instrumental jazz with just about all genres represented. Listening is mostly low to moderate volume but I do "crank" it sometimes.

My budget is most likely $500 or under for the amp. I will want to connect the TV audio to it but other than that all I need is an input for the Squeezebox. My current speakers are fairly sensitive (90, I think) but I may be replacing them within the next year or so so that could change.

Since I haven't been in the market for an amp or speakers in quite a while I'd like to get some ideas to narrow the field down. I know the amp and speakers work together so if you could suggest possible bookshelf sized speakers that might be a match with the amp that would be very helpful.
ruleof72

Showing 2 responses by bignerd100

NAD C372 has what you are asking for.
But, why not just use one set of speakers for both TV and music?
Is the seating area off center from the television?
The NAD/NHT combo is a big bang for the buck and a good pairing in most cases.
I like the NAD integrateds better than the Cambridge.
I like the Cambridge CDP's better than the NAD.
As stated above, just preferance though. No good/better/best among them.
The new NHT's like LOTS of power before they open up.

Good luck!