Good Budget CD and integrated????


Hi Everyone. I have recetly saved a friend from buying a bose stereo and he is now looking for a budget integrated amp and a cd player. He will be using them to power Paradigm studio bookshelves. A Small active sub will also be added to round out the bottom end. Mostly classical music.
Any good ideas?
Budget is around $1000-1500us and new or used does not matter. Due to his price range, I would like to get used gear for the best "bag for his buck".

I think, for new stuff, we will start looking at cambridge audio....I am not really sure, and hence I put the Question to you.
Cheers
S
superfly676
You could also look at Cambridge Audio. Their new line of cd spinners are in your price range. If you combine the Integrated amp with the cd player from the same place of purchase they should give you a bit of a deal.....worth trying for. All the brands listed give you good value....have fun and let your ears decide....good listening.
great suggestions everyone. I begin the listening tomorrow. I am in Hong Kong at the moment so among some of the used shops there can be an interesting sellection. I will report back what we find.....hopefully some good older gear perhaps.
Cheers!
S
I would 2nd the Rotel recommendation. I first started in this hobby with the Paradigm Reference line and Rotel equipment. Thought they worked quite well with one another. The RA-1062/RCD-1072 combo has received universal praise and would be well under your stated budget.
I recommended the Music Hall CD-25 in my post above and it occurs to me now that a very good combination could be a Music Hall CD-25.2 paired with the new Music Hall A-Series integrated amp, particularly if your friend prefers to buy new and get a warranty, probably a good thing for a newbie.

They look good together and if the amp is anything like as much of a bargain as the original CD-25, it would be a very nice system for a total price of $1,080 new.
Here are links to one vendor:
Amp
CD-25.2