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A good inexpensive integrated for Totem Sttaf's

A good inexpensive integrated for Totem Sttaf's

I have been holding out looking for an integrated to finish off my starter system. I have the totem sttaf’s, an old Integra Pro-Logic Integrated, and an X-Dac V3 (fed by lossless itunes collection via airport using toslink).

I have been needing to get an integrated in the system just to get it up and running, the Integra is under powering the speakers (I feel like I have to turn the knob to 80% just to get good sound out of them).

I was searching for a good deal on a Jolida 502b but my pockets are to emptied now that I we are furnishing our first home so I just need something decent around the $600 used mark and am looking for a good/warm/musical match for my blues/jazz/Americana.

Room size: 18 x 13 x 10 (though this is a great room so there is an adjacent 8x10 and 8x12 rooms off to the side …listening area has a solid front and back wall 14 ft apart)

Speakers: Impedance 8 ohms / Sensitivity 88 dB / Power 100 W max. program

Is the 302b an idea ok given my room size?
Should I look at Solid State for now?

The main focus here is to get the speakers breathing and then upgrade later because this Integra amp is a big sissy-to-my-ears.
shawnparslow
rar1's avatar
rar1
1,769 posts
 
Shawn:

$400 will get you the NAD C320BEE, brand new. I have owned one for 3 years, am very satisfied with its performance, and at the time I posted a review of it here . I have used it with speakers rated as low as 85db in similar sized rooms with no problems. It would be hard to get better performance under a $1000. If you go to this months's Absolute Sound, their review of the floorstanding Revel Concerta F12 was done using a NAD C320BEE.

Regards, Rich
bacs68
12 posts
 
Shawn,
I am running a Myryad MA 240 power amp and a Anthem TLP1 preamp to my Sttaf's and they sound absolutely awesome. I recently upgraded to the Myryad from a NAD system and the difference was night and day. I think it's only now I'm really starting to appreciate how the Sttaf's should've and could've sounded. I know that Myryad made an integrated version of the MA 240. It was called the MI 240. It is 120 wpc but produces enough current to make my speakers really sing. Compared to the NAD which was the same power output, the Myryad just smoked the NAD. One thing I found with the Sttaf's is that try not to surround the speaker with furniture or anything. I found when I had mine set up in my family room (14'x30'), they really opened up. But when I moved the system into my bedroom, where it is surrounded by my bed and furniture, they tend to sound a little "constricted". It was originally suggested that I look for a Myryad MI 120 (60 wpc) but I found the 240 instead. Hope this helps. Good luck in your search.
soulbrass
246 posts
 
A nice SS that has some of the charm of tubes...MF A220; used around $400. Very sweet amp! Looks cool, too. No remote though : (
shawnparslow OP
23 posts
 
I see some of these suggestions are Solid-States around 50 Watts ...I don't think that sounds like enough power for the totems but I could be wrong.

I sort of am thinking I need to stay around 100 Watts transformer based or around 50 watts tube to get the sttaf's to sing.

I wish there was some place to go to here totems hooked up to various gear ...but I am sort of stuck going into this blind for this first system.
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,758 posts
 
The Audio Refinement Complete is within your price range used and is a wonderful integrated. Here's one review from Soundstage and there are a number of others online. A typical used price is around $500.
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