Best aesthetics for a grand?

[admin_exported]

Which stereo amp do you guys consider to have the best looks and build quality for under a grand? Personally i think the the Kandy K2 is uggers.

No hating please, obviously i would never choose on looks alone (i'm told a personality matters).

 

[John Duncan]

Well dur

 

[Anonymous]

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO AZUR 840A V2 from Richer Sounds, £699

 

[lordmortlock]

Contraversial Igg....

 

[chebby]

Yamaha A-S1000...

Or black...

 

[SteveR750]

+1 for yamaha. Though I dont think the K2 is that ugly, better looking than either Cyrus which looks cheap, and Naim which just looks like a half thought out NAD.

 

[SHAXOS]

I hate the way that yamaha looks! Tacky and cheap looking imo.

I dont know if i like any of the amps under a grand looks wise? I have a soft spot for cyrus eqipment and also bel canto(which i dont think are under 1000).

 

[chebby]

Of course our father's generation had far more fun....

http://www.thevintageknob.org/PIONEER/RT707/RT707.html (clean links)

http://www.thevintageknob.org/MARANTZ/MODEL2600/MODEL2600.html

http://www.thevintageknob.org/YAMAHA/CR3020/CR3020.html

 

[chebby]

SHAXOS:I hate the way that yamaha looks! Tacky and cheap looking imo

That is the fault of the photos.

They are solidly built and very well finished as Yamahas always have been.

 

[Anonymous]

Of course, some might like the green glow...

Image from www.naim-audio.com

 

[chebby]

Naim is ugly.

But you have to love your own

 

[SteveR750]

My first amp, not as good looking as I remember.....

 

[Anonymous]

No contest

http://www.stereophile.com/integratedamps/bel_canto_eone_s300iu_integrated_amplifier/

You'd have to find one second hand though.

 

[lordmortlock]

Spot on Chebby - that Yammy really does look the business in the flesh - sounds pretty good too!

 

[Anonymous]

I love the Yamaha looks and was going to consider it when buying my new amp but the fact that it's about the same size as a Smart car was a bit of a problem.

 

[lordmortlock]

I know its a pre rather than an integrated but

 

[SHAXOS]

Wow looks like a high school DT project! Whos it from?

 

[Thaiman]

 

[lordmortlock]

SHAXOS:Wow looks like a high school DT project! Whos it from?

Its the top of the range NVA passive pre amp. I think its beautiful.

Then again, my taste has most emphatically been called into question before

 

[chebby]

Looks a bit like a 1970s architectual scale model of a theatre or art gallery.

Not necessarily a bad thing, interesting, odd even, but certain to be a conversation point.

I think a whole system along that style would demand sympathetic decor for it to fit in though.

 

[John Duncan]

It has indeed (ew), but in the case of the NVA I'm inclined to think you have redeemed yourself...

 

[John Duncan]

His monoblocks are quite pretty too...

 

[lordmortlock]

Anyone know what it sounds like? I'm tempted to give the passive a go with my 909.

 

[John Duncan]

No, but I hear good things about his work, his upgrade path is very tempting, and there's a no-questions-asked money back guarantee...

 

[Anonymous]

JohnDuncan:His monoblocks are quite pretty too...

I can see the stands, where's the amps?