For a second system, the Outlaw RR2150 receiver ($600) would be awesome. I am using one with a small pair of REGA Ara monitors and a Cambridge Audio Azur 540 DVD player. Sweet system for about $1100. As an added bonus, the tuner section on the Outlaw is as good as some vintage Marantz receivers that I own. Regards, Rich |
I used a Kandy III in my system with Vandersteen 1Cs and then with Meadowlark Audio Shearwater Hot Rods for nearly a year. I won an ebay auction for a Son TA-F707es with a ridiculous low bid so I hooked it up to audition. Funny thing, I actually preferred the Sony. Better resolution and soundstage IMO. Both units had decent phono stages. As for Mcintosh, I can't say as I've never owned one. Good luck. |
There are several. The headphone outs in the cheaper integrated amps I've heard are pretty bad (e.g., in the Arcam A65, NAD 320BEE). In the better Arcam integrateds like the A85 or A90 the quality goes up significantly. Rotel actually has fairly good headphone outs as I recall, but it was a years ago that I heard one so I may not hold the same opinion now. You can get an old Linn Majik integrated that has a good headphone out for under $500, but this is a fairly low powered piece (33 watts, albeit British watts)so if you have inefficient speakers it is not a great choice. |
Arcam's integrated amps have headphone jacks and MM/MC boards can be added. I suspect most units would already have the boards installed as it was only $100. The Alpha 10, FMJ 22, and FMJ 32, are the better choices than the Diva series. All are very reasonable. Alpha 10 integrateds were going for $5-600 used with phono board. Good Luck. Jim S. |
