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Best integrated to drive vandersteen 2c's

A while back I got my hands on an acurus a150. I've been living with a nad receiver (7175pe and then a 7250pe after the 7175 died) and the vandersteens for the last 15 years. I figured, those are quality components, what the heck. I hooked the acurus up on a whim, using the nad preamp section. Revelation. Those thumpy low frequency sounds are acutally musical instuments! So thats what you audiophile guys have been going on about.

I'm trying not to catch the disease (ok, hobby, if you prefer; I can't really afford the disease in the current business climate, anyway). The acurus is nice (to my ears), but the upper registers are a bit harsh. So I'm thinking a nice mid-level integrated will satisfy this new hunger without doing too much damage. I would guess I need about 100 watts for those speakers. I'm looking in the sub-$1,000 (used) range; a Musical Fidelity A300/A3.5 or a Creek 5350SE, maybe a Jolida 1501. A Plinius 8200, Bel Canto eVo 2i or SimAudio I-5 seem a bit out of reach financially right now. Any opinions?
jeffnolan
16 responses Add your response
jcoehler's avatar
jcoehler
229 posts
 
I used the MF A300 with Vandy 1C's and 2CE Sigs with great results in a smaller room (11x12). Plenty of power and the A300 will give the Vandy's enough kick for rock, jazz, or whatever you listen to.
theunderlyingtheme
90 posts
 

As far as sub-$1,000 stuff goes, I had great results using the Audio Refinement Complete integrated with my 2Ce Signatures. Granted, if you play vinyl, you'll have to get a phono stage, but you'll still come in at under $1,000.

I'll admit it - eventually, I got a Plinius 8200 MKII, but for what your paramaters are - I don't think the Audio Refinement can be surpassed. It makes beautiful music that you can just flat out enjoy - just like the Vandys.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
I'm would think the MF gear would be very good indeed. I suspect that 100-150 watt integrateds from Rotel would also be a very good match at your price point.
trianglezerius's avatar
trianglezerius
119 posts
 
Throw into the mix the Rogue Cronus which is rated at roughly 50 watts but has the current to drive these speakers.
theunderlyingtheme
90 posts
 

You can get a Rogue Cronus for under $1,000 secondhand??
jeffnolan OP
4 posts
 
Thanks for the feedback, guys. I've been away from my computer for about a week. The audio refinement complete seems to be on a lot of peoples lists. My only concern is that 50 watts won't be enough to really make the vandersteens stand up and sing. That certainly was my experience with the NAD receiver at 50wpc, although I suspect there are other problems with the NAD. The audio refinement is definitely attractive from a price point of view. It might actually leave enough room for me to upgrade my cd.
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samzx12
1,220 posts
 
What about the YBA Integre DT??? It has duel transformers hence the DT designation.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Must it be an integrated?
jeffnolan OP
4 posts
 
separates are not out of the question. I just want to keep it simple.
jeffnolan OP
4 posts
 
Samzxl12, I'm thinking a yba integre dt is also a little out of reach right now.
ablang
165 posts
 
If you've liked your NAD, try the C372 integrated. When I used the 50 watt C325BEE with my Vandies, the bass was just as you describe. The C372 is a great value and a great match with the 2ces. It's 150 watts (which controls the bass beautifully) and a much more refined amp than their cheaper models.

I would recommend strongly against the Jolida 1501, as I've owned two--the first without remote, the second with. The non-remote version is a great sounding amp and responded well to tube-rolling; I actually loved it. The remote version is much cheaper in build and parts quality and sounds grainy and veiled. When I talked to my dealer, he said (and too bad he hadn't mentioned it before I bought the RC version) that I couldn't expect it to sound as good as the non-RC, and that the remote came with sonic trade-offs. If you're want to stay toward the bottom of your price range (or just want a great-value piece of gear that mates well with your Vandies) the NAD is a good way to go.
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samzx12
1,220 posts
 
Jeff...I have seen them for $800 used. Consider the YBA YA-201 also.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
If seperates are a viable option, I strongly reccommend you consider that route. For your Vandy 2's, a used McCormack amp and passive pre would only add one pair of interconnects, and will probably offer better sound, for roughly the same cost as an integrated. Furthermore, it will offer more options down the road.
jeffnolan OP
4 posts
 
I was originally looking for separates, and came very close to pulling the trigger on a Mccormack ald-1 ($525 on agon) about the time I got interested in integrated amps. There were a couple of others that I probably would have bought if someone hadn't gotten there first. I was poking around the bottlehead website today. The idea of pairing a tube pre with a solid state amp makes sense.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Depending on the amp, that might be a good option too. I was just trying to keep it simple. The more options you'r open too, the greater the opportunity for satisfaction.
joelv's avatar
joelv
103 posts
 
What did you finally settle on?

I have a pair of 2Cs and I'm getting the most puzzling results...
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