which budget integrated amp Rotel, NAD or other

according to onkyo's website, the new a-5vl only puts out 2 x 40w--a higher powered integrated would give you more flexibility. if you want a real budget play, i'd look at the late 80s/early 90s integra and yamaha units, both of which are very neutral, have good phono stages and are easily available under $200. for a more modern piece, i'm partial to arcam, which is both very good values used and to my ears, sounds more "refined" and less forward than nad.

I went through a whole slew of amps from NAD, Rotel, Cambridge Audio, Musical Fidelity, Creek, Vincent ect and then I found the Exposure 2010S. It is mind blowing. The sound is tramsparent and real. It sounds like live music. All the others had their good and bad points as does the Exposure but none came off sounding like music the way this does. keith

My vote goes to a Musical Fidelity - 2nd hand A300 or A5. Good power (A300 has 150W/ch, A5: 250W/ch), very high quality phono stage and a transparent and well integrated sound. I have the A300 driving the Usher BE-718 in my second system and they combine superbly. I would expect very similar results with the X-718's.

You didn’t mention a budget but given that you are looking for a “temporary” integrated with a decent phono section I submit there is no finer choice than a vintage Sansui AU series integrated.

The depreciation is already absorbed and you would be amazed at the quality of a properly serviced; well maintained AU series integrated. As a Levinson owner trust me when I say the vintage Sansui AU series of integrateds are truly a best kept secret. Find one; always keep it as a backup and enjoy.

I have an older arcam A65+ that includes a nice phone stage, and have really enjoyed it with a pair of Focal/JM Labs. It even has enough current to push a pair of magnepans 1.6's while only rated at a 40wpc amp! That tells you a lot about numbers on paper and real world. I put it up against a Rega, which I also think highly of, and they sounded equally nice though the arcam I thought gave the maggies the soundstage presence they are able to reproduce. Im actually using it right now in lieu of a parasound JC2 pre that I have and am selling brand new due to finances. If you can find a dealer with some older arcam components give them a listen. Since arcam has been changing their line-up quite a bit you can find them very cheaply - and they were made very solid (I got mine unopened for $300 from a rep who had a backlog) but those went fast.