Newbie looking for 1st amp

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[size=3>[face=Calibri>Hi guys, I’m looking at getting my first basic Hifi and would love a bit of expert advice.Hi guys, I’m looking at getting my first basic Hifi and would love a bit of expert advice.Hi guys, I’m looking at getting my first basic Hifi and would love a bit of expert advice.

[size=3>But I quite like the idea of getting an amp from new and I’m on a budget. [/size=3>But I quite like the idea of getting an amp from new and I’m on a budget.

 

[d_a_n1979]

Welcome to the forums

Whats your overall budget and what music do you generally listen to? Also, will you look at 2nd hand items?

There are a good few 'starter' integrated amps out there better than the ones mentioned above that can be bought new. As for 2nd hand; the likes of eBay would be a very good start

I.E the NAD C320BEE integrated amp can be bought via eBay for around £110 - £150 and its hell of a good amp!

 

[jockey.wilson]

There are quite a few older ARCAM Alpha integrated amps around, as well as a few Cyrus Ones;

Generally, these will run rings round something new such as the Onkyo suggestions. If you choose to sell later then you won't lose money...

 

[Anonymous]

Well money is tight, so if there's a bargain I'll take it. In general I'm looking at under £200 for the amp. And under £150 for the CD player (I was going to simply look for a basic model from a good brand). But as I want to connect a turntable I've found I'm limiting my choice if I want an amp woth a phono stage.

I would go 2nd hand if there's a bargain to be had, but I quite like the idea of being able to take something back if there's a fault.

 

[Anonymous]

Oh and I listen to rock and indie 🙂

 

[jockey.wilson]

andypalf:Oh and I listen to rock and indie 🙂

In which case try to find a nice Cyrus 2...

I had one of these a while ago from new and I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed Oasis, Happy Mondays, New Order, Echobelly et all as much through any other amp. You forget the hi-fi and start dancing, playing air guitar or whatever!.

I have seen quite a few Cyrus 2's for sale around £150-175 mark.

Cyrus will still support and service this amp by the way

 

[the record spot]

There's a Cyrus Straight line going for 150 quid at Bartletts in london. Worth checking out I think...

 

[d_a_n1979]

IMO then Andy the likes of the NAD C320BEE integrated would be a superb start (it won numerous awards and it is still a fine amp)

Matching it with the likes of the NAD C515BEE CDP or a 2nd hand NAD C542 CDP and you'll be laughing

If you wanted other options the Arcam Alpha 9 integrated amp would be a great match for the Arcam Alpha 7/8SE CDP's as well

 

[Anonymous]

What speakers do you intend using? Without knowing that it is difficult to recommend an amp.

 

[AL13N]

andypalf:I'm getting my hands on a Technics 1210
How about a vintage Technics tuner and amp (complete with VU meters!) to match the 1210?

Actually, sorry, ignore that - I got a bit nostalgic.

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers for the feedback guys. It sounds like a lot of you favour the second hand market over something new. Having had a look on eBay today it seems that a nice Arcam Alpha and Cyrus 2 are few and far between. Think I'll keep an eye out for a nice NAD C320BEE.

AL13N, previously I did want to go down the vintage route but decided that it's unknown territory for me. Also, I read several reviews of older amps and most people consider the quality of sound from modern amps far superior. But I've always got my eye out for a nice Marantz Quadradial. I did just come across a Technics SU-V6....what a beast! Do you know anything about it?

 

[the record spot]

Self-moderated for posting the same danm thing off the mobile twice. Somehow.

 

[AL13N]

Sorry, no. I can't even remember the model number, it was a long time ago and I was young.

 

[Anonymous]

What speakers?

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry Tarquinh, didn't see your post there. I haven't thought about speakers yet. Again I feel it might be an item worth buying from new and have a budget of around £100 for a pair of bookshelf speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

No problem.

I'd probably spend more on the speakers than the amp - the NAD C320BEE if you can get one second hand at a good price would be the ticket, coupled with Q acoustics speakers.

The other thought might be some second hand Missions - someone here will no doubt tell you the best ones to go for.

 

[d_a_n1979]

Yup

The NAD C320BEE would take some beating; partner that with the NAD C515BEE CDP and the likes of the Tannoy Curtom F1's, Monitor Audio BR2's (2nd hand if you can find them), B&W 601 S3's or some Q Acoustic 1020's and you'll be laughing

 

[johnnyblue]

Personally I would never buy a secondhand cdp. Over the last 15 years or so I've gone through 3 cdps and am now on my 4th, Sony, Marantz,Nad all of which started playing up well before they packed up.Also when I had my record shop I used to go through a cheap system every year and it was always the cd player that packed up.On the other hand I had a Nad 314 intergrated amp (with phono stage) which never gave me a day's trouble in all that time and which I only changed because...well after all that time even my wife couldn't argue that I hadn't had my money's worth out of it..

My advice is buy a secondhand amp and use the money you save to buy a new cdp,because basically there's too much that can go wrong with a cdp.I've currently got the cambridge audio azur 640c, which is under £200 from Richer sounds and imo is well worth the money.

 

[plastic penguin]

Depends on your speakers. But definitely look at Arcam A65+ and CD73T; with the correct speakers it will sing like little else at the price (around £150.00 for amp and £200 for CDP). Last weekend I connected the CD73 with a Roksan Caspian and Leema Pulse, and for the money you won't better it imo. The added bonus of the A65 is its in-built phono stage: They don't come much better.

 

[DIB]

Theres a Marantz PM7001 integrated amp going on Ebay at the moment for £190, only a few weeks old apparently. I used to have one of those and its a cracking amp with a good phono stage. I used to have it along with the Marantz CD6002 and ST7001 tuner which you can pick up 2nd hand for about £100 each.

.

 

[the record spot]

the record spot:There's a Cyrus Straight line going for 150 quid at Bartletts in london. Worth checking out I think...

Just spotted you were looking for a vinyl input as well, in which case you'd need to add a phono stage to this and there's a few to choose from that would fit in or around your budget. Personally, I'd check out the chat around the Cyrus SL; Cyrus will service all of their kit still I think, the SL is reckoned to be a better bet than many of other amps the company put out around that time (and a while afterwards) given they didn't have all the gizmos onboard for the remote control systems, etc., and the reviews were excellent at the time.

Last but not least, it'd cane the majority of the amps aforementioned (no disrespect guys), but at £398 on release, combined with the review it picked up, along with the performance, well, it's worth checking out. In fact, I did when my Sansui was in the service shop recently. You might fancy giving it a go, but do check, with the shop first if you can try it out through buying and then returning within a week or so.

 

[jockey.wilson]

Tarquinh:

I'd probably spend more on the speakers than the amp - the NAD C320BEE if you can get one second hand at a good price would be the ticket, coupled with Q acoustics speakers.

I disagree completely. The speakers are only as good as source and amplification. A cheaper pair of speakers will sound much better on a quality amp as opposed to vice versa...

Concentrate on the amp and then think about your speakers. This will then give you room for expansion later also.

 

[plastic penguin]

Yes and no - all amp have their limitations, but some brands like Arcam, Roksan, Cyrus etc can cope well with vastly more expensive monitors.

What puzzles me is everyone seems to be recommending Nad when the OP specifically mention the amp should be capable with a TT. A Nad does not have built-in phono stages...

 

[the record spot]

plastic penguin:

What puzzles me is everyone seems to be recommending Nad when the OP specifically mention the amp should be capable with a TT. A Nad does not have built-in phono stages...

Yup, the NAD fanboys have been at the amphetamines tonight...just as well Marantz had a splurdge of new stuff on the news pages today else we'd be worried the forum'd been hijacked and taken away to some weird new acoustic dimension...!

 

[plastic penguin]

the record spot:plastic penguin:

What puzzles me is everyone seems to be recommending Nad when the OP specifically mention the amp should be capable with a TT. A Nad does not have built-in phono stages...

Yup, the NAD fanboys have been at the amphetamines tonight...just as well Marantz had a splurdge of new stuff on the news pages today else we'd be worried the forum'd been hijacked and taken away to some weird new acoustic dimension...!

...planet Nad, no doubt.