2. amps-preamps
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Best Used Integated 1400 for B&W CDM1NT's

I would like to gradually start building my system. Currently I am using a NAD 7225 (@1988) and although the speakers recommend 50-120 wpc, I have been quite happy with the 20wpc with the 60+wpc "power envelope" although I know it can get much better (I am using a Velodyne CT-100 sub running from the NAD's pre out). I have beat all the high end audio web sites to death and have been considering a handful of integrateds.
I have a wide variety of musical preferences ranging from pink floyd & grateful dead to beastie boys and even reggae,jazz, windham hill, and classical. When I read the reviews for many integrateds, I hear considerable amounts of praise for various amps, but then again, I have no idea what these people are listening to. I also do alot of 2 channel HT viewing and would ultimately like to incorporate this amp into a 5 or 7 channel setup (this will take a long time so I need an amp that will last) I will move my CDM 1NT's to the rear & probably look into 7's or 9's & maybe even Nautilus 804's for the front, so I want to make sure I have enough power and an amp worthy of running the mains if I upgrade to the Nautilus series.
My budget is $1400. I know that I can get some good amps in the 6-800 range

Anyhow, these are the contenders:

Bryston B-60

@$8-900...great 20yr warranty, good resale, but will it be enough for the fronts in the future?

Simaudio Moon I5 @$1400 is it $500 better than the Bryston? How much "higher end" is it? Will I be happy with it longer? Love the looks, like the 10 yr warranty (shouldnt it still last longer though?)

Sim audio I5080 @$800. Will I be wishing I had gotten the I5, only to have to sell this?

Krell KAV300i @$1200. Dont even know what to say about this, this may be a love/hate relationship that I dont even want to get into...besides, every time somebody asks about this amp, everybody has an alternate suggestion.

Plinius 8100/8150/8200 @$1400...People say good things about these & also comment about how one of these is so much better than the others..it doesnt matter which one to me since any i'm sure will be quite an upgrade.

Sorry about rambling on, & if anybody has one of these for sale now, for the right price I'm all ears!

Thanks

Ellery
ellery911
frmont
16 posts
 
Ellery, I also enjoy a wide range of music. I have CDM1NT's with a Musical Fidelity A300 Int. Amp. for power, and the M/f A3CD on the front end. I am not using a sub at the moment as I live in a meduim size town home. Other then missing a few octaves of bass in the low end this IMHO is a great combination! The A300 has enough power to make the CDM1's sing. I get a nice big soundstage, with lots of detail and "air". You can pickup a New A300 for $1495.00 plus shipping!.. Good luck, Frank
viggen
838 posts
 
I owned a pair of CDM1s when they first came out. Instead of telling you what to do, I will tell you what not to do.

I auditioned these speakers at a store that used Harman Kardon electronics. To me, they sounded more natural and musically truthful than the Matrix 805s, so I bought a pair of the CDM1 home.

At the time, I was using Nakamichi separates and an NAD 502 cd player. The CDM sounded dry and lifeless with this set up. I thought my amp is too dry to match with the CDMs, so I borrowed a Denon 8200 which is known for their liquidy smooth sonic characteristics eventho its sound is mid-fi, yet the CDMs still didn't come to life. Then I thought my preamp might be too dry, so I borrowed a Klyne preamp, and the sound is still dry as crackers. I returned the CDMs.

The reviews on Stereophile says you have to feed the CDM lots of high quality wattage, well, the Harmon Kardon receivers matched these speakers just fine. My
conclusion? These are great speakers, but they hate me.
gthirteen
354 posts
 
Hi,

I own Nautilus 805s, and have found them to really work well with tubes. At first I had a CJ preamp and McCormack DNA.5, then went to "Rev A". This was good, but then went to a AudioPrism Debut (Now Red Rose Music $$$), incredible midrange, but bass was a bit weak (I should NEVER have sold this amp, just bought a sub-that would have been magic). Then I went to Audio Refinement Complete, great little solid state integrated, but left me wanting... I have settled on Rogue Audio Tempest for now, and I love it. 60 watts in Ultralinnear, 30 watts in Triode (switchable), remote controlled volume (I never knew how much I missed this from my "Sony days"), and great, authoritative sound. Bass in UL mode is awesome, in triode it is a bit lacking. The Tempest is highly adaptable,, having preamp outs, both active and passive, if you decide to use a different amp later (it can also be mated to a Rogue 88 for a Bi-amp setup, the 88 is the same amp as the amp section of the Tempest), and preamp level inputs, if you decide you want to use a different preamp. I paid $1400 for mine used, but I think there's a couple of them on the site now for less than that. I can heartily Recommend Rogue, they are great to deal with and stand behind their products. Sound is great, the amp is self biasing, meaning no tube problems to deal with (other than replacing tubes every 1-3 years).
Anyway, I found that my 805's really like the Rogue! good luck
ellery911 OP
549 posts
 
I want to thank everybody for their input and help on this issue. After milling i tover and over in my head, I decided to stay towards the lower end of my budget since the friend who is buying my NAD is going to buy the next amp. I ended up buying a Bryston B-60 (mainly for the warranty) and believe it or not, I like it alot. I am new in this high end game and now I know I am hooked. I thought my NAD sounded good...this is a whole new ball game. Once again, thanks for all your help everybody...next up, new interlinks & speaker wire (gonna go with homegrown) & then a new DVD/CD. Happy Holidays
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