$2000 Budget for a speaker + integrated amplifier

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.

The John Blue JB3's are absolutely remarkable speakers and very well suited for an office or bedroom system. I'm extremely happy with them in an office system driven by a Jolida FX-10 tube integrated that's rated at 10 watts. It has more than enough power for the JB3's in a 10"x10" space.

My bedroom rig costs a lot less than that: Linn Classik and Spica TC-50 speakers. Sounds awful good.. really good!

Thank you for all the input guys!

Yes, he is looking for book shelf speakers, prefers to stick with the 2.0 set up.

DAC is optional. And based on Prpixel's input, I shall give up the nuforce :) I have never tried nurforce before, and was hoping there can be some miracle with it.

How about some Class T amps by Virtue Audio? looks like they are kinda popular:
http://store.virtueaudio.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=27

according to 6moon's review, the Virtue amps can drive the 85db M&Ds without problem.