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Would like advice on upgrading entry level system

Hey everyone,

So I’ve finally gotten to the point that I’m ready to upgrade my entry level audio system and I’m here for some advice. 

To give you some background, 3 years ago I had a home theater setup in a medium sized loft in my home using Definitive Technology for the front stage and Atlantic Technology dipoles for surround duty all being powered by a mid level Onkyo receiver. Then downstairs in the living room I had a 2.1 setup using a Velodyne sub and Martin Logan Motion 35XTs powered by a Marantz SR5011 receiver. That system also incorporated a Parasound Z Phono preamp and a vintage Denon direct drive turntable with a Adcom HO MC cartridge that was purchased by my father-in-law when he was in college 40+ years ago. He’s extremely OCD so it was in beautiful condition with no issues or imperfections at all. That was the first system I spent any real money on, though it probably wasn’t much over $3k total even with everything being brand new other than the TT and sub.  A year went by, I got divorced and moved into a small apartment. I sold the HT setup and obviously the ex took the TT with her (along with the preamp).  Within the following year I started dating a woman that had a one year old son which was a completely new experience for me. As much as I loved having a legit stereo setup I came to the realization that it may be hard to do that with a little guy that just started walking being in the mix. All he wanted to do was go around and touch and poke stuff or push on it or climb, etc. I sold the Marantz, put the ML 35XTs in the closet and decided I would probably have to live with a sound bar until he got older. However, after trying several I just couldn’t do it. Lol. I decided to compromise and ended up settling on a Sonos Amp (which integrated well with my other Sonos speakers) and the ELAC UniFi UB5s. At only $350 for the pair I wasn’t going to be heartbroken if they got knocked over or scratched or something. It honestly worked out pretty well. 

Now fast forward to present day and I am single again. I sold the ELACs a couple months ago and currently have the Sonos Amp running the MLs. During the KEF sale I finally picked up a pair of the Black Edition LS50s. I’ve wanted to own those since hearing them back in 2014 at AXPONA. They were extremely impressive and totally obtainable from a cost perspective. Picking them up now for $900 seems like robbery. I truly can’t wait to hear them in my room. Also during the holiday sales events I picked up a SVS sub so I can get back to 2.1, which sounds like the way to go for a lot of people using the LS50s. My goal with that will just be to spend the time to integrate the two properly so they sound as good as they can in my room.  At some point I’m sure I’ll be asking for advice on achieving that. But the main thing I need right now is to figure out what integrated amp or separates to pair with the LS50s given my wants/needs and budget. I live in a smaller apartment and have a tendency to move often (about 6-7 times in the past 8 years) so simplicity and ease of transport is a huge asset. That’s one reason a stereo receiver or integrated seems quite appealing.  I need something with a digital input for my TV, which has HDMI or optical, so I can use the system for 2 channel home theater also. I will probably want to integrate this system with my Sonos network using the Sonos Connect so I’ll need a analog input for that. Also, I’ll definitely be picking up a turntable at some point this year so I’ll need a phono preamp input or another analog in. If I can find something with a built-in phono preamp that is pretty good I would much prefer that. Again, the simpler the better. However, I’m not opposed to running an external phono preamp if necessary. I haven’t gotten into streaming much other than using Air Play 2 with Apple Music, which I do use all the time. I wouldn’t mind exploring Qobuz or Tidal or Amazon HD at some point so a DAC would be nice as well. Same thing goes, where a good built-in DAC would be ideal but I’m not opposed to running an external if I have to. I have also been looking into DSP and I like the idea of trying that out for the first time. Using Dirac Live with the DDRC-24 from miniDSP seems like one of the easiest options. So, having a Preamp Out/Main In connection would probably be ideal although there may be other ways to incorporate it. If not, I can stick to room treatments and doing the best I can with speaker placement. I don’t necessarily want to compromise too much just to use DSP. Obviously whatever I get needs to have plenty of power to run the LS50s well and I want something that does them justice regarding sound quality. I realize I will probably never reach their full potential given budget and room/setup limitations but I want something to partner with them that they deserve.  

My budget at this time is probably no more than $2k for the integrated or separates gear. The sources will be a turntable (probably in the $500-$600 range), streaming services running on a iPad Pro, a Sonos Connect, and 2 channel home theater.  Some of the options I’ve considered are the Outlaw RR2160, NuPrime IDA-8, PS Audio Sprout 100, Rogue Audio Sphinx v3, NAD C388, Cambridge Azur 851A, Yamaha A-S801, Musical Fidelity M5si, and some of the separates gear from Emotiva and Parasound. But there are many other options, especially if I look at buying used equipment. 

Wow, I realize that was perhaps too much information but I wanted to give everyone enough detail to assist them in making good recommendations. I research a lot online within the different forums and I read the industry magazines. I’m definitely not uninformed or a newbie in the 2 channel world.  But there aren’t a ton of places to properly demo gear I’m interested in  where I live (Indianapolis) and I haven’t had anywhere near the personal experience with many of the brands that members on here have. So I definitely appreciate the help and I look forward to seeing what suggestions you all have. Thanks so much in advance and please let me know if there’s any other info I can provide or questions I can answer. 


indyvw
smrex13
645 posts
 
The most important thing is to get an amp that can drive your speakers. Based on my experience with the LS50s, they sound best with some power behind them.  I would suggest a class A/B amp with 150+ wpc into 8 ohms.  At the price that you're looking, an integrated will give you the most bang for your buck.  Parasound and Musical Fidelity both make high current/power integrated amps in $2-3K range that can be found for less used.      

-Parasound Hint6 - 160wpc, phono stage, $3k new
-Musical Fidelity M5si - 150wpc, phono stage, $2k new
-Musical Fidelity M6si - 220wpc, phono stage, $3k new

Any of the above should give you outstanding performance with the LS50s, and they will drive pretty much any speaker you decide to try in the future.  In addition, they are sold by online retailers like Music Direct and Audio Advisor that have generous return policies and a good selection of demo/open box gear at discounted prices.  I've seen all three of the above models at demo prices fairly frequently.  They also pop up here on Audiogon.

Good luck, and let us know what you choose!
Scott

 




johnto
1,023 posts
 
Second on the Parasound Hint you could even get the older model at a substantial saving. It sounded terrific with my Maggie 1.7 system and seems to incorporate most of what you need.
joekapahulu
246 posts
 
I have the Marantz pm8005 integrated now the 8006. I demoed with both ls50 and rs300 from kef. It drive it well, cleanly at very good volumes. I got with rs300s which were as good as ls50 with more bass as a 3 way. Been very happy. Good power at 75 reset 8 ohms AND current whic is really what you need to think about not wrms. Made in Japanese Reference  factory, 3 yr warranty, operates direct mode bypassing preamp or with to be,  balance controls, preamp out for sub and to use pre or power only, good phono amp and headphone amp. Only limit is no Dac. Available online for $1k.  Btw, have heard Outlaw and it's very good for the money. Not as refined as Marantz but good. HINT is nice too but quite a but more. 



indyvw OP
43 posts
 
Ericsch, thanks for your input on the Yamaha. That one definitely is at the top of my list to consider. Seems like a nice unit. 
Mesch, I definitely would be open to looking for something used on the various markets. That could open some doors for slightly nicer options and still be in budget. I like buying new items just because of the safety involved with having warranty coverage or the ability to return things but if I found the right piece at a good price I would be cool going used. I may consider allocating more money towards the TT setup too. I gave most of the vinyl that we had to my ex wife but I still have around 30-40 albums or so that I couldn’t part with. I’ve missed having a TT available. Soon enough though. 
Soix, I definitely will look into Peachtree too. I listened to a couple of their offerings at that AXPONA show I went to a few years ago and was pretty impressed. I like the overall aesthetics of the Peachtree gear too. Do you or does anyone else have personal listening experience with the Peachtree integrateds? If so, how did they compare to other things you’ve heard in their price range?
Smrex13, I really like the Parasound Hint6 idea as it has everything I would want and I’m sure sounds great for its price range. Definitely would be a step up compared to the options I mentioned in my original post. The only thing that would prevent me from going that route is the cost. It’s a bit over budget for me. If I could find a great deal on a used one that would be under $2k that would be a no-brainer. The MF M5si and M6si are also interesting pieces that again are a bit over budget but used may be an option. How do you think they compare to the Hint6?  Do you have any experience listening to them by chance?

joekapahulu, I’ll look at the Marantz again. I really like the look and it checks off a lot of boxes for what I want. It’s definitely a nice piece of gear.  I think the main reason I kind of dismissed it originally was due to the power output being lower than some of the other options out there. It’s basically the same way I felt about the Spout 100. Many nice features and great overall build but perhaps not as much power/current as I’d like.  But I’ll definitely consider it again given your input from personal experience. 
Thanks to everyone. I’m happy to hear more opinions as well. This is definitely helpful. 


indyvw OP
43 posts
 
Well, it’s been almost two weeks and I have an update that I would like everyones input on. I decided I’d like to stay under $1500 for the integrated so I can spend a bit more on a TT here in a couple months. That being said, I just happen to have a connection that would allow me to buy the Yamaha A-S1100 at a substantial discount with the cost being slightly over half price. If I go that route I would just have to add an external DAC for the digital inputs I need. I would be able to stay right around $1500-$1600  total for both of those new.  The Outlaw RR2160 and a couple other options I’ve looked at/ mentioned would be significantly less expensive, however, I think I would be hard pressed to better the sound quality of the A-S1100 with an outboard DAC at the $1500 price point and I would expect that combo to easily outperform the Outlaw and others in that similar range.  Thoughts on this?
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