advice on integrated amp

Check out the Magnum IA-170 integrated from the UK (it retails for $750, or so, w/o the phono stage option).

It has a nice neutral sound that draws one's attention to the music instead of the amp itself and good bass/mid bass control (even on 4 ohm speakers). Kind of odd looking with a chrome facepate, but I preferred it's sound over Plinius and Classe integrateds a few years back (not as laid back as Classe and not as forward as Plinius).

Anyway, I found it to be a real shocker in this price range (especially if you compare it to NAD and the likes).

I was auditioning my speakers @ the time and had requested ahead that the shop hook them up to modestly priced amplification (don't like the $10K amp running $800 speakers concept when I am trying to make a real world decision:-). Otherwise I probably never would have heard (or heard of) the amp as it is not very common in the US.

I'm quite enthusiastic about the music reproduced through my NAD C370. It works extremely well with my Vandersteen 1C's. It retails for $699. I bought my NAD C370 new from my local NAD dealer for $600, including tax. YAWA Online( http://www.yawaonline.com/index.html ) is a fine online source for NAD products, and they sell a new C370 for $550, including ground shipping. In my opinion, you'd have to pay *much* more for a new alternative or get a great used deal to do as well.

I'm not a cable devotee, but I use, with contentment, DH Labs ICs between my NAD C541i CD player and NAD C370 and to replace the little jumpers between the preamp. and amp. sections. I've also been happy with single runs of DH Labs T-14 speaker cable between my amp. and speakers.

A friend who owns a Rotel 970BX CD player gets great results with Tara Labs midline ICs.

Consider the Electrocompaniet ECI-3. It's rated at 70wpc and can be found for $1000 used or less. I used to own the Simaudio Moon I-5 also rated at 70wpc and the person I bought it from said the Kestrels sounded very good on it.

However, I owned both the ECI-3 and I-5 at the same time and was able to compare them extensively. In many ways the amps were surprisingly similar in my room, but I found the I-5 to have a lean tendency at times while the ECI-3 was easier to listen to for longer stretches.The Electrocompaniet had a fuller, warmer presentation than the Simaudio and that was more to my liking.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

First a disclaimer that I am a dealer for Jolida: You may want to check out the new Jolida JD-1501RC. It is a 100 wpc hybrid Integrated that is a real giant killer. Tube preamp stage and solid state outputs. It is not yet on the website but is basically a remote version of the JD1501A with 2 tape monitors in silver finish. The 1501A is at this web address: http://www.jolida.com/catalogue/jd1501.html

Wally