$2000 Budget for a speaker + integrated amplifier

Spend most of the money on the speakers.

Use audiogon (or ebay) and buy an older integrated or even a receiver. People are dumping $2000 receivers on here for $500 because they are upgrading to HDMI. "Highend" receivers will have built in DACs that can be good, he could add a Mac Mini as a server and just run the toshlink out and be done. They also have bass management. Arcam's receivers are one of my favorite for music. Most receivers seem to lack a little soundstage when compared to good separates but it will make a good starter system. If he buys used you can always sell it in a year or two with no loss...

Anyway my point is to spend as little on the integrated as possible and buy good speakers. If he gets into it, he can sell the older cheap integrated or receiver and upgrade the front end later. Below are some cheap receivers I would use but there are lots of good integrated amps on this forum for sale. I have also added some links to some speakers.

Integrated/receivers:

Arcam AVR300 Receiver ($600, retail $2000)
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?miscrcvr&1310737034&/Arcam-AVR300-black--great-cond

Arcam A90 integrated ($700, retail $1900)
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatran&1309302614&/Arcam-A90-

Rotel RSX-1055 ($350, retail $1300)
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?miscrcvr&1310715132&/Rotel-RSX-1055-Rotel-Receiver

Speakers:
Below are a few speakers that would be good.

Usher CP-6381 ($1450, $3400 retail)
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1311003705&/Usher-CP-6381-glossy-black-w/-

Dynaudio Contour S1.4 Speakers ($1400, $2800 retail)
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1310923567&/Dynaudio-Contour-S1.4-Speakers

Dynaudio contour 1.8 mk ii ($1400, $3800 retail)
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1310674826&/Dynaudio-contour-1.8-mk-ii-rea

B&W CM7 ($1250, $2000 retail)
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1311255295&/B-W-CM7-Speakers

There's no way that the Nuforce Icon2 is going to be able to drive the 87db rated Gallo Reference Strada's. I have a pair of Strada's in my small office and they need a minimum of 25W RMS. The Icon2 is rated at 18W at 1khz with 1% distortion which makes it like a 4-5w RMS amp. BTW, the Strada's are a very nice speaker. I find myself almost listening to them more than my Martin Logan Summits.

Pre owned Rogue Cronus Tube integrated with Remote, phono able as well as Headphone out and a pair of Vandersteen 1Cs.
well supported and all made in USA....

James63 i am sure you were well intended
Having an AVR with an internal Micro processor causes hash
= harshness in a high quality 2 ch music system.
That is why most folks are not biting on them and are available so cheap.
Best Johnnyr

Audioconnection,

Yes I am aware of it (I have own both receivers and good separates) but I think we lose prospective here. His friend is clearly new to all of this and what we consider bad will most likely be the best system he as ever had at home. Many of the receivers processors can be bypassed, Arcam being one of them. But your point is justified and true. But really an integrated that is better than the receivers I listed will be as much as most of his budget (even used). Also I am assuming he needs the DAC that the NuForce icon 2 has.

If my budget was $2000 I would spend all most all of it on used speakers. Electronics are cheap until you get in the highend but they are all wasted if the speakers are the weakest link. Lets be honest at these price levels the speakers have far more problems than the electronics.

I can't think if a single pair of speakers that sell for under $1000 used that I would want to own. But $1500 on the used market opens up a lot of other options for speakers.

But that is what these forums are for, if we all agreed we would not need the forums.

I was under the impression that he's looking for something small and compact for a bedroom.

BTW: the amphions and John Blues are 86db - good luck driving them to anything but background levels with the nuforce.