Tuner/Pre-amp
 

as this appears to be the season for stereo questions I want to post this before the end of 2012...

I am looking for a good tuner/pre unit for a 2nd stereo setup (master bedroom downstairs)

best quality I can get for ~~ $400 or less

and must have a remote

thx

A tuner/pre? Good luck. They were never that popular & tuner sales have plummeted. Look at a net player with a remote & use internet radio or one of the music services or stream etc.

Ian

ok, then - how about a receiver and I then sell my old nad amp?

doesn't Cambridge Audio make a small receiver?


BTW - it has to drive my small epos speakers

Dsng. if you could do w/o a remote I'd say either an old Nakamichi 630 or an Advent 300 (decouple the amp). Both great little units and very cheap these days.

$1199 retail . . . so well out of your budget. We have a cheaper one coming but even it will be $900 retail. For what you want to spend, hit craigslist for something with a remote.

Like this one Pioneer Elite

Ian

you think Pioneer has better sound quality than Denon?


- I see the Cambridge Audio - Sonata all over the place for $500??

As just a tuner/pre it is a toss up. As an amplifier, it would be better, I believe.

Ian

Reccomended
 

Best bang for buck in that price range (maybe a little more) is Peachtree Audio by far. All of their components are countertop/desktop do-it-all wonders that have won innumerable awards worldwide. They are also for sale at your local Best Buy.

I am not an "audiophile" but I have been a musician for a bunch of decades and know what I like sound-wise. I just did this. Went to Goodwill and found a sweet receiver for $40. Sounds great. Go ahead and dis me but I am $360 ahead of your budget. For a part time rig, it does just fine.

Just another opinion.
Larry

Well done. Nothing wrong with second hand.

Randy

What are you using the unit for? I assume you have an amplifier? One thing to bear in mind buying used, is to make sure it has pre outs.

Ian

for a 2nd stereo setup (master bedroom downstairs); must have a remote

I have an old NAD amp already that is no longer used.

thoughts re the Cambridge Audio - Sonata?

it's $500 - worth it maybe?

Here's your problem. You can't get the signal from a Sonata (for example) to your NAD amp because it lacks a preamplifier output. It is rare for a 2 channel receiver to have a preamp out. A lot of 5.1/7.1 receivers do have line level outputs, so consumers can use separate power amps for some of the channels.

Ian

Webb,
Look at Yamaha. The R-S 500 is a clean and simple receiver with quality components and sells in your price range. Only the features you need without all the nutty 5.1 stuff. It does have a pre-out so you could use the NAD but the onboard Yamaha amp is pretty clean. I own a pair of older versions of these and they have served me well. Give it a listen and trust your ears.

Amazon.com: Yamaha R-S500BL Natural Sound Stereo Receiver (Black): Electronics

Randy, I've sought the same thing. Just get a good receiver with line level out. You're gonna have amps sitting there, but these things have gotten so cheap, you wont care.

Got a promo email today on the Harman Kardon AVR1700 marked down from $499 to $199 -- as an example.

What about this?

Arcam Alpha 9 Preamplifier | Solid state | Conway, 72034 | AudiogoN - The High-end Audio Community

I can't say I know what the difference is between a pre-amp tuner and a receiver.

A Receiver is an intergrated unit that has a Tuner, Pre Amp and Amp. wt inputs for other components.
A Tuner Pre Amp needs an Amp to make sound.

A Tuner is a component for a Pre Amp and Amp. As are Turn Tables, CD Players, tape recorders etc.

will it drive my epos speakers ok?

then I can sell the NAD amp...

14s? No typical receiver would do well with those. The darker character of the NAD would suit them . . . hmmm. Back to the used AV receiver with pre-outs.

Ian

no no - they are els-3 speakers - small acoustic suspension design

Have you considered a Sonos Connect? Uses wi-fi to stream radio or music and to connect a smart phone or iPod touch as a remote. 2 channel output and 1 input.

That is what I thought.

That said, is the thing I posted a viable solution?

Got one for $200 and quite happy with it.

The connect works surprisingly well, but like most other devices (streaming devices, receivers, etc.) , has a crappy DAC.
The Connect is a better choice than the bundled amp from Sonos.
Bundled with this,
Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus | Sweetwater.com
you can make MP3's sound fantastic
You can also use a Mac Mini instead of the Sonos, if you want to stream from your ipod,laptop,iphone, etc, via AirPlay.

The Connect has all of the rhapsody, line-in, NPR, spotify, iheartradio, mog, slacker, amazon cloud, etc. etc. built in. Also seamlessly plays your network shares of ripped CD's flac files, etc. you can go analog line out for reasonable quality, or use the digital out to a decent DAC like the Cambridge .. and the Cambridge has balanced audio out so it is perfect for decent bi-amplified studio monitors
I have the JBL6328P ? - it is an amazing sound at a great price (if you shop / ebay/ etc.)

you only need a $20 CD player as long as you have a decent DAC, but best is to just have a drive to rip all of your CD's to. (or multiple drives, multiple computers, etc.)

Here you go for an asking $200. These are very solid units that has a tuner and does 2 channel music reproduction exceptional. Road trip.

Parasound AVC-2500

Product Review

Try to find a Marantz 2270 for nice mellow bedroom listening.

Randy

That Parasound piece would be a good buy. They make good equipment & they are really nice people if you ever needed service. They saved our butts at a show 2 years ago so I will always say good things about them. ;) Not a really popular brand in NA because 75% of their product is sold in the Orient.

Ian

I Emailed him - it is local cash sale only.

Will the Cambridge Audio - Sonata directly drive my Epos els-3 speakers ok?

if so, I can just sell my nad amp

Borderline, I would say. I remember Epos as being a bit forward in the upper mids ~3-6KHz or so. And they are only 87dB/2.83V/1m. Couple that with an low-powered amp & it would have a tendency to sound thin. You would have to hear it. The Parasound/NAD would probably sound better - certainly better bass & the Epos IS a mini monitor so it needs all the help it can get in that department.

Ian