I had some little British box speakers: ProAc Tablettes. I ran them with a Classe CA200, and the pairing was good. The Tablettes didn't need anywhere near that much power. I find each to be slightly on the bright side (the Tablettes more so than the CA-200), and that was the only real issue with the pairing. Bass extension of the Tablettes is impressive for a speaker with a 4.5" woofer, but not extended on an absolute basis (duh!). The CA200 is VERY extended in the bass and delivers tight, controlled bass with ML Odysseys (my current speakers).
I like your idea of using the integrated's pre stage until you can get a better one. Sure it's a compromise, but it's temporary, and you'll end up with a better system this way.
I like your idea of using the integrated's pre stage until you can get a better one. Sure it's a compromise, but it's temporary, and you'll end up with a better system this way.