2. amps-preamps
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Best integrated to drive vandersteen 2c's

A while back I got my hands on an acurus a150. I've been living with a nad receiver (7175pe and then a 7250pe after the 7175 died) and the vandersteens for the last 15 years. I figured, those are quality components, what the heck. I hooked the acurus up on a whim, using the nad preamp section. Revelation. Those thumpy low frequency sounds are acutally musical instuments! So thats what you audiophile guys have been going on about.

I'm trying not to catch the disease (ok, hobby, if you prefer; I can't really afford the disease in the current business climate, anyway). The acurus is nice (to my ears), but the upper registers are a bit harsh. So I'm thinking a nice mid-level integrated will satisfy this new hunger without doing too much damage. I would guess I need about 100 watts for those speakers. I'm looking in the sub-$1,000 (used) range; a Musical Fidelity A300/A3.5 or a Creek 5350SE, maybe a Jolida 1501. A Plinius 8200, Bel Canto eVo 2i or SimAudio I-5 seem a bit out of reach financially right now. Any opinions?
jeffnolan
ablang
165 posts
 
If you've liked your NAD, try the C372 integrated. When I used the 50 watt C325BEE with my Vandies, the bass was just as you describe. The C372 is a great value and a great match with the 2ces. It's 150 watts (which controls the bass beautifully) and a much more refined amp than their cheaper models.

I would recommend strongly against the Jolida 1501, as I've owned two--the first without remote, the second with. The non-remote version is a great sounding amp and responded well to tube-rolling; I actually loved it. The remote version is much cheaper in build and parts quality and sounds grainy and veiled. When I talked to my dealer, he said (and too bad he hadn't mentioned it before I bought the RC version) that I couldn't expect it to sound as good as the non-RC, and that the remote came with sonic trade-offs. If you're want to stay toward the bottom of your price range (or just want a great-value piece of gear that mates well with your Vandies) the NAD is a good way to go.
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samzx12
1,220 posts
 
Jeff...I have seen them for $800 used. Consider the YBA YA-201 also.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
If seperates are a viable option, I strongly reccommend you consider that route. For your Vandy 2's, a used McCormack amp and passive pre would only add one pair of interconnects, and will probably offer better sound, for roughly the same cost as an integrated. Furthermore, it will offer more options down the road.
jeffnolan OP
4 posts
 
I was originally looking for separates, and came very close to pulling the trigger on a Mccormack ald-1 ($525 on agon) about the time I got interested in integrated amps. There were a couple of others that I probably would have bought if someone hadn't gotten there first. I was poking around the bottlehead website today. The idea of pairing a tube pre with a solid state amp makes sense.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Depending on the amp, that might be a good option too. I was just trying to keep it simple. The more options you'r open too, the greater the opportunity for satisfaction.
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