What stereo amplifier/receiver?

[Pablo]

Under $1200

Decent wattage, w/input BT on board better, turntable, CD player. Subwoofer output. Maybe TV input in the future but don't really want a 5.1 or 7.1

Clean sound.

Open ideas, without Fabulous $27,000 Audio Brothers recommendations.

 

[sparky123]

Cambridge AXR85/100. One of my int. amps is a Cambridge Azur 340A. I've been pleased with the way it sounds and looks.

 

[doitmyself]

Is the Outlaw RR2160MkII Stereo Receiver good? (asking). They are a direct-to-consumer company that always intrigued me.

 

[MrHorspwer]

I'm not very well versed in receiver models (How important is an AM/FM tuner to you?) but in the integrated amp space, there's a lot of good options that check all (or most) of your boxes.

NAD, Rotel, Marantz, and Cambridge all have offerings in your budget and you'd be hard-pressed to find any truly discernable difference in audio quality between them (despite what internet arguing would have you believe).

Pretty much everything has an onboard DAC, so connecting to CD and television won't be an issue. A few don't have a phono stage but a phono preamp would still be in budget. With BT, some support Apple Airplay and some don't. If you're an Apple user, that may be important to you.

Personally, if it were me, I'd put a little more money into the budget and do a Marantz 60n. It does everything, has Apple Airplay, and is a class AB amp instead of class D.

 

[Pablo]

Cambridge AXR85/100. One of my int. amps is a Cambridge Azur 340A. I've been pleased with the way it sounds and looks.

No phono input

 

[Mcbeem5]

Under $1200

Decent wattage, w/input BT on board better, turntable, CD player. Subwoofer output. Maybe TV input in the future but don't really want a 5.1 or 7.1

Clean sound.

Open ideas, without Fabulous $27,000 Audio Brothers recommendations.

Try these guys ,they have customer service personal to answer questions.

https://www.crutchfield.com/g_356350/Stereo-Receivers.html

 

[Pablo]

I'm not very well versed in receiver models (How important is an AM/FM tuner to you?) but in the integrated amp space, there's a lot of good options that check all (or most) of your boxes.

NAD, Rotel, Marantz, and Cambridge all have offerings in your budget and you'd be hard-pressed to find any truly discernable difference in audio quality between them (despite what internet arguing would have you believe).

Pretty much everything has an onboard DAC, so connecting to CD and television won't be an issue. A few don't have a phono stage but a phono preamp would still be in budget. With BT, some support Apple Airplay and some don't. If you're an Apple user, that may be important to you.

Personally, if it were me, I'd put a little more money into the budget and do a Marantz 60n. It does everything, has Apple Airplay, and is a class AB amp instead of class D.

$1500+

What about Marantz PM7000N ?

 

[Nessism1]

No phono input

Is there anything special about phone input? Most all AV/Stereo receivers have various universal auxiliary inputs. Couldn't a phonograph input use one of these?

 

[Pablo]

Is there anything special about phone input? Most all AV/Stereo receivers have various universal auxiliary inputs. Couldn't a phonograph input use one of these?

Extremely low level to start - some will need a preamp. Some sloppier amps get away without a phono because they don’t have a high enough SNR

 

[walterjay]

I was always partial to Marantz. I don't think you could go wrong there.

 

[Vercingetorix]

I am totally not liking the Marantz modern look. Old school with the horizontal tuning wheel was bad @ss.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I have not been in the stereo hobby in a long time. But you are gonna have a lotta fun!
It is soooo easy to have costs spiral out of control. Remember to save some $$ for your software.

It starts with the amp; I am a bit partial to American amps. The English seem to make wonderful speakers; I still have my Monitor Audio speakers. Velodyne subs used to be made right here in Gilroy.

 

[GSCJR]

I would trust @OVERKILL, to recommend what your looking for, within your budget.

 

[dippschtick]

I know it's above your budget but I'd love to have a Yamaha R-N1000A.
It's a want and not a need.

 

[OVERKILL]

Under $1200

Decent wattage, w/input BT on board better, turntable, CD player. Subwoofer output. Maybe TV input in the future but don't really want a 5.1 or 7.1

Clean sound.

Open ideas, without Fabulous $27,000 Audio Brothers recommendations.

You are best served finding a pre and using a separate, dedicated power amp.

Not the prettiest, but it has a built-in phono stage, this Bryston pre-amp is likely a solid choice:
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650181250-bryston-1b-preamplifier/

This is newer, but doesn't have a phono stage, so you'd need to buy a separate one:
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details...s-1-power-supply-both-in-excellent-condition/

Even newer, but I'd want to confirm that this actually has the phono stage installed, because it may not:
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650163446-bryston-bp16-preamp/

This is a LOT of amplifier, but it's a good deal:
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650115090-bryston-3bst/

That amp, with the 1B pre is right at your budget and you'll have an absolutely top quality amp with a very good, albeit older, pre. Bryston services everything they've ever made, indefinitely, so there will always be parts.

Anything new, the phono stages are absolute crap unless you buy a standalone one, so if you want to use digital, it's best to have a separate pre for the turntable, like the Bryston one I've linked. I'm using a PS Audio pre for phono in my system, which is a solid pre, but I don't see any that are reasonably priced on Audiomart.

For digital, if you go with the Bryston power amp, you don't need anything fancy, and you can either just use a conventional receiver and place it between the pre/phono combo, or use it as an input if you want the pre to drive the show. I have my setup configured the other way, with a Denon AVR "running the show" with the PS Audio handling phono and the big Bryston powering the speakers.

 

[OVERKILL]

Oh, forgot to ask, what speakers are you going to be driving?

 

[Pablo]

Oh, forgot to ask, what speakers are you going to be driving?

Klipsch medium bookshelf and TBD SUB

 

[OVERKILL]

Klipsch medium bookshelf and TBD SUB

OK, then that amp is SERIOUS overkill, but it's a beautiful piece of equipment. I was thinking you would be powering a pair of towers. Unfortunately, I don't see any smaller Bryston amps on there that would be more appropriate. That one is a fantastic deal, so it would be pretty upgrade proof if you did choose to pick it up and change components later, you could pretty much do everything around it.

 

[alarmguy]

I have not been in the stereo hobby in a long time. But you are gonna have a lotta fun!

I agree, I love audio and used to be into mid range stuff. Now, I dont know, it a mix of everything, jack of all trades, master of none.
Though I do believe you can still find the masters, just a bit more tricky since most companies are now under one master corporation or holding company vs decades ago when they all competed with each other.

This is one example-
" The new owner is Sound United, with Boston Acoustics, Denon, HEOS by Denon and Marantz joining Definitive Technology and Polk Audio on the company's consumer electronics roster. Sound United is a division of DEI Holdings, a portfolio company of Boston-based private equity firm Charlesbank Capital Partners. Charlesbank acquired DEI Holdings in 2011."

Source - https://www.whathifi.com/news/denon-and-marantz-bought-us-private-equity-firm

I think, if I was to look at any one product, I would consider Rotel (distributed by Macintosh in the USA) but is a mix of Japanese family ownership and now related to China (I dont know) But was always attracted to and never owned the brand
The whole industry as been wiped out but the products exist as a mid priced range for those who search
Source https://mcintoshgroup.com/news/mcintosh-groups-sumiko-acquires-rotel-electronics/

There is also Bryston which maybe more specialized then ever>
I miss the days of doing stuff like this... now all I have is a JBL 5.1 Sound bar *LOL*

I like the Maranz brand but agree with another, not a fan of the small display. NAD and Oynko Amps were my favorate affordable brands decades ago.

My post is meaningless but I can feel the thrill of setting up a nice system. If I did I would LOVE to have a turntable in the mix. Ive always been on a budget... and for nostalgia I would look to see if Grado still makes a budget friendly cartridge. I believe it is still a Brooklyn owned family business. Yes, confirmed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grado_Labs

 

[LDB]

My dad's friend, 50 years ago, collected Macintosh equipment. Had one room in his house with about 18 different pieces. Had Klipsch speakers and one I don't recall, didn't know anything about until visiting him in Phoenix, Magnaplanar maybe? Neurosurgeon so his budget was way beyond a college freshman. I always like Marantz back then. Good luck with your research.