Best way to spend $3500

Buy Apple. In 1994. Wait 25 years.

 

For $3500, you can get a bangin set up if you buy used. Check out the Classifieds section of the forum.

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...bel-canto-red-wine-audio-ps-audio-l-k.664868/

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...vapre-preamp-dac-220-amplifier-bundle.665651/

Some nice gear that's not "entry-level."

 

If my room were large enough to accommodate a Rogue Sphinx and the Tektons of my choice. If it were not large enough to go that route I'd be looking at some British monitors and stands.

 

Good "problem' to have.

 

Use the HA-1 for preamp and buy a nice PA, and speakers

 

I recognize that you seem a bit beyond this stage now, but if you like the Marantz sound, why not put more dollars into that and pick up a 7005? They get great reviews and have USB/Phono/DAC/etc that are all well-though of in that price range.

 

Ummmm.... you don't need/want an integrated amp with the HA-1. It's an Excellent preamp as is. Add an excellent amp like the Parasound A23, then speakers

 

I've been looking into power amps based on the helpful comments. I like the Emotiva XPA Gen3, Parasound A23 or Marantz 7055. Any of these pair better with a pair of Elac uni-fi uf5s? I'll be using my Oppo ha-1 as the preamp.

 

Really? Mine worked flawlessly for 13 years, after which I traded it in for an upgrade, and now it makes someone else happy in its second home. I have never heard (or read) about NAD anything being unreliable. You might be confusing it with Cambridge, which does have a weak rep as far as reliability goes.

 

The Rotel A12 & B&W CM8 S2. Seriously.

 

Is the system still in a medium sized bedroom? If so I don't think you need all that much power. For a similar room I recently bought a used Bryston 2B-LP (60 watts) and am impressed with it. It gets rather hot, however, so it should be in a well ventilated place.

 

I'm the one who suggested the Parasound. It has 125 watts, and can be bridged to mono if you want to add another later for more power. Another advantage is separate gain pots in the back for R/L channels. There can be a pretty big volume differential between the headphone output (depending on your phones) and the speakers.. I turned down the gain on the amp so I didn't blow up speakers if I'd been rocking out on the headphones!

 

Easy one: Get the Wireless LS50! Amazing sounding. You can adjust the speaker to match the room and your preferred freq response via an app for Android or Apple. Sounds better than the original passive LS50 because it is an active design with corssover done digitally. And they can really fill a room. Amazing. I was gobsmacked listening to them at AXPONA.

Only $700 + you've got the amp and a variety of wireless and other input options. Even has a built in DAC and can take digital inputs. Total homerun.

 

If I had $3500 to burn right now, I would spend it on the following:

1. Pro-Ject "The Classic" Turntable: $1100
2. Lounge Audio LCR Mk3 Phone Pre-amp: $330
3. Cambridge Audio CXA80 Integrated Stereo Amp: $1000
4. Tekton Designs Lore Loudspeaker: $1100

If you shop deals or dicker down a little, even with cables (blue jean is a good, well regarded cheaper option), you could come in under $3500 and have a solid analog playback system.

 

While I have not listened to the new XPA-3, I have the original XPA-2 and think that it is an excellent amp and I have several nice amps.

Do check out equipment for sale on our forums. You are getting nice equipment, from fellow members, well cared for and at fair prices.

I also own three Rogue amplifiers and think highly of Rogue, as well.

The late model, larger Marantz AV receivers, are also real nice. A real advantage here, is that when my processor went south on me, I bought a Marantz off of eBay, to use, while the processor was in the shop.

I thought that it sounded excellent and has a manual that is thick as War and Peace. It would be perfect for most users, but it wasn't for me, because my system is set up with digital outputs from my processor going to the DAC and preamp, in my Peachtree iNova, which is my central point of control. Because of this, I gifted it to a long time friend of mine.

But here's the real advantage for Marantz products. They are such a large company, that you can always buy late model products on eBay for a fraction of their retail price.

This was around a $900 retail amp, when it was introduced, around 2013 and I paid about $300 for it. It came in the original box, with everything and was in showroom condition!

I have posted about the Marantz before, just search on my user and Marantz.

I don't sweat buying pre-owned equipment because most people who are selling the equipment that I buy are folks like ourselves, who are not prone to abusing the gear. Besides, you can review an eBay buyer's ratings and are backed by a PayPal guarantee, that the product will arrive and preform as stated.

A Sphinx might be a nice amplifier for the bedroom. I would tend to favor a design that includes tubes in the equation.

A small Prima Luna, might be nice also, if you can find one used.

And lastly, the speakers...

No matter what else, they are the final determination of how your system is going to sound.

Check these discontinued M-350 speakers from Boston Acoustic.


A few years back, BA came out with these speakers as part of their new flagship line for stereo and HT.

These speakers retailed for $2,500/Pr., I bought them on sale for $1,250. They had them on sale, to reduce the price of a HT system, based around them, which would be in the $6K range.

Along the way, BA decided that their customer base, was not in this price class and discontinued the line.

Liquidators bought the remaining stock and their a few pairs still available for $699.98, with free shipping!

Boston Acoustics - M350 M-Series Floorstanding Loudspeaker- Pair (Black)

I have posted about these before, you can look them up also. They are the best speaker buy on the Internet.

I do have a pair of these and the smaller M-340's. I just purchased their M-Center, earlier this year.

They have a flawless piano black finish, are very compact, for a tower and would be perfect for a bedroom.

Here is a thread going by another member, who just received has pair a just a little bit ago.

S&G