Budget integrated amp?
Friend's amp is having issues and he asked me what was "good...for around $1000 new". Like me he is deep in the middle of the Pacific, actually deeper than me because he is on the Big Island of Hawaii, out in the desert/volcano area. I suggested the Schiit Ragnarok 2 which I have only read about but is on sale and has both good writeups and a 5 year warranty and is American made. Also, the Marantz PM6007, a few Rotel amps I read about that are on deal at Crutchfield (which ships to Hawaii free) and the Outlaw RR2160, which I have heard at another friend's. He is an older boomer like me and wants something like his old Marantz 2252B. I told him that those dont exist anymore. For those of you who might have head some of these am I giving him good ideas and have I missed anything substantive. He is not oriented to used and is on a tight budget. He is running both a CDP and an iFi streamer. Suggestions?
I went through the same dilemma I tested Yamaha, Creek, Rogue and Vincent Audio amps Creek was easily the best and Yamaha by far the worst. Rogue the 2nd worst. From Crutchfield, I would get a NAD. I don't the know the Rotels. I would trust Denon too. The good thing is it cost $15 with Crutchfield to try for 60 days. After my search I decided to stick with used (Moon or Hegel) but I don't know how to listen to them yet, before buying or I will just go with the Creek. You also have https://www.underwoodhifi.com/ in Hawaii? Not that I see anything on their list to buy |
Every component and brand within its class has its own bespoke sonic signature . TAKEAWAY: That approach also applies at the budget-class strata requested herein. Whats been blindly offered up so far are just conflicting and highly biased personal favourites that provide negligible assurance of ever optimally working in HIS system (emphasis added)
assurance |
@akg_ca while it would be beneficial to know the speaker, the op has given us some important information to consider. He has been using a Marantz 2252B and would like to replace it with something similar - which does not exist anymore. Well, we know the 2252B is on the warm side of neutral, great build quality, and about 52 watts. My suggestion of Musical Fidelity M2si took this profile into account. It was not a blind offering as you lectured above. The MF M2si has very good build quality, the controls are metal and not plastic, it is slightly on the warm side of neutral with a touch of richness in the mids and bass with very sweet top end; and is around 76W into 8 ohms. |
