Ok,
Moving house soon and it looks like I may be getting a nice mancave 🙂
Partner has one of those decent Denon all in one systems for the main living room, and I've an older pair of Mission bookshelf speakers which sound great with this on some decent stands.
However, for the mancave I want a new amp and some decent speakers to partner my old Rega 3, which I've just had recabled and serviced.
Currently using an older Pioneer amp and some cheap Gale floorstanders, which are on their last legs.
Not listened to any decent amps for ages, but used to love Creek amps, Naim Naits, cheaper NAD's and the Exposure stuff.
Had some Quad II valve amps at one stage, which were excellent, but sadly got stolen.
Always found Arcam amps too smooth and Mission too bright.
As for speakers, have enjoyed Royd A7's and Heybrook HB1's in the past.
Tried Diamonds and Rogers LS3/5A's but just couldn't get on with either.
Budget isn't huge, thinking Rotel/Marantz at the mo for the amp and possibly some cheaper Floorstanders or nice standmounts from Richer sounds bargain section for the speakers.
So, any recommendations for stuff to shortlist?
Would prefer amps with a headphone socket and MM phono amp built in, for convenience, but open to ideas.
Would prefer a tape loop as still listen to cassettes as well 8O.
Rega have been making some decent amps for a while now, obviously they'd be giving more attention to the phono stage than most manufacturers. As always second hand would be my suggested route. Lots of hifi dealers offer limited warranty on traded in stuff if that gives you confidence.
Go to ebay and see if you can pick up some NAIM amps (from any year). Send it/them off to Salisbury for a re-furbish and, HEY PRESTO! excellence on tap.
Even second-hand they beat all your other alternatives into a, er, cocked hat... 😉
NAD 3020i amp:
has phono (I think. I can check later when I get home) and definitely has a tape loop, although if you only listen to tapes & don't record you don't need a tape loop as such.
As for speakers - how about the Monitor Audio BX1s or BX2s??
Or if looking in Richer Sounds - these look like a bargain and are fairly sensitive so would work well with the 3020i:
http://www.richersounds.com/product/bookshelf-speakers/kef/iq10/kef-iq10-blk
I've got those Kef iQ10s wired to a Marantz PM6002 amp. Paid about £400 for that set up a couple of years ago to mainly listen to vinyl on a Project Debut 3 deck. It's all "entry level" stuff, I suppose, but it sounds great.
Work out your budget, 3020 was a fifth of the price of a Nait, very different products.
If you aren't too fussed by appearance you will get much better VFM buying active studio monitors over Hi-Fi loudspeakers. Then just buy a cheap Pre with an MM stage and you're done. Have a look on Ebay for Monitors. If you could stretch to a pair of used Dynaudio BM5A's I'm sure you would be more than pleased with the performance.
