Best S/H Integrated Amp for under £200
- Thread starter MJSM
- Start date
I never said I was underwhelmed by Naim, I was only suggesting that it may be a lot more than I need now given my hearing situation, hence I want to see what a cheaper second-hand set-up can offer in comparison.
Actually it's been so long since I heard my Naim system (I worked in SE Asia for 16 years) that I have forgotten what it sounds like. Added to that, I have never heard the active 250s in my system, I acquired the second amp in 2005 or 6 and it has never been connected yet (same with the SNAXO obviously).
Thanks for the feedback on the Alpha and FMJ series, that's what I am looking to sort out in my head, I have contacted the seller on the Delta 90 to see if his price is negotiable, it ticks pretty much all of the boxes and is immaculate, only the price is (way ?) too high to my way of thinking.
Actually it's been so long since I heard my Naim system (I worked in SE Asia for 16 years) that I have forgotten what it sounds like. Added to that, I have never heard the active 250s in my system, I acquired the second amp in 2005 or 6 and it has never been connected yet (same with the SNAXO obviously).
Thanks for the feedback on the Alpha and FMJ series, that's what I am looking to sort out in my head, I have contacted the seller on the Delta 90 to see if his price is negotiable, it ticks pretty much all of the boxes and is immaculate, only the price is (way ?) too high to my way of thinking.
Martyn Miles
pfm Member
Slightly off topic I know, but Naim amplifiers have been mentioned on this thread.
I was somewhat dismissive of what’s been said on PFM about Naim amps.
Then a Nait 2 came up for sale in the Classifieds.
So I took a chance and bought it.
If I couldn’t get on with it I could sell it on.
I linked it up to my Stirling V3s and played a familiar CD.
Yes, it sounded good so I decided to live with it.
Slowly, over time, I found that not only did it sound extremely good but did something
I’d not experienced before with other amps.
With some amplifiers recordings were ‘difficult’ to listen to, giving listening fatigue.
With the little Nait those difficult recordings could now be enjoyed without the aforementioned
fatigue.
I still can’t put my finger on what it is about the Nait, I just know that it works...
I was somewhat dismissive of what’s been said on PFM about Naim amps.
Then a Nait 2 came up for sale in the Classifieds.
So I took a chance and bought it.
If I couldn’t get on with it I could sell it on.
I linked it up to my Stirling V3s and played a familiar CD.
Yes, it sounded good so I decided to live with it.
Slowly, over time, I found that not only did it sound extremely good but did something
I’d not experienced before with other amps.
With some amplifiers recordings were ‘difficult’ to listen to, giving listening fatigue.
With the little Nait those difficult recordings could now be enjoyed without the aforementioned
fatigue.
I still can’t put my finger on what it is about the Nait, I just know that it works...
Thanks for that, I actually have a Chrome Bumper (red LED no less) Nait 1/SNAPS in Thailand which I intend to return to the UK at the earliest opportunity as I think it may be faulty and in need or repair. I may eventually live with that here (although I doubt it) which is yet another reason I am not considering Naim this time around. My system in Thailand is a 180/72/Hicap/SBLs with a Cambridge Audio Azure 640C CD player for the front end. i already have more Naim gear than I can shake a stick at realistically.
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onlyconnect
pfm Member
A Yamaha.
Tim
Tim
Hazelberry
sister
Thumbs up. They tend to need work though so buying a restored one would be the best course of action here.
linnfomaniac83
I bet you can’t wheelie a unicycle!
Probably not no, BUT personal preference can still prevail, you might prefer your Marantz to some of them, but I’ve no doubt there will be others you’ll love.
Yes I agree with that, there are so many variables when it comes to what works and what doesn't, the room, and in the end your ears can end up being the biggest issue. To be fair I got the Marantz very cheap and I am keen to demo some other gear (which carries a decent reputation) against the Marantz to find out how good the Marantz is. If I don't feel there is a definite improvement with the next amp I will sell it on and stay with what Ive got meantime (until the next amp in the door).
I have been researching a lot of reviews on the gear I have mentioned but it is very hard to find reviews which compare the gear on my short list together (e.g. Arcam and Cyrus for now) so it is likely to be whichever amp comes up first in my Ebay watch list that I win the bidding on. Whatever that ends up being, I can try it out for a month or so and then keep or sell on as appropriate.
If it was the KI, I can imagine, some would prefer that to an Arcam etc. It was a bit of a 'cult item'.
Just try another amp, suck it and see. You are not spending 1000's.
linnfomaniac83
I bet you can’t wheelie a unicycle!
Where in the UK are you? I’m in the West Midlands if you’d like to hear a Cyrus 3 or Linn Majik… I can probably sort it out for you to hear an Arcam Alpha 9 too, I gave mine to my cousin but it’s sitting on the subs bench at the moment. I have a Nait 5i here too but that’s both pushing the budget hard and a Naim amp… lovely though!
TonyScarlett
pfm Member
While in the Midlands you could come & listen to a Delta 60, A60, Obelisk 3 & Rotel A10.
TS
Thanks for the generous offer gents, the Midlands is not all the far for me (about 1 hour-ish) so I might take you up on it if I don't win anything today. I would have to say that the hearing aids could end up being the biggest factor here, I can listen to jazz and well mastered stuff but some of my favourite stuff (Vangelis and old rock stuff) sounds awful via them.
I've had some ION Obelisk amplifiers back then, mostly on Royd bookshelfs which was a great pairing.
Later on the Obelisk circuit was refined and adapted into some of the Heed amplifiers.
Even they must be decades old I' would think with a service, they'd work great.