Helping a friend put together a sub-$1000 system

Agree with MMF-25 as source used sub $400. Jolida makes a sweet little amp for a few hundred either the tube or believe it not thier small Solid State. NHT SB2s on sale or possibly used should be less than $300 very close in design to thier top SB3. The Cd player has to be decent.

I have been using a NAD C320BEE with a Music Hall MMF CD 25 for almost two years and the two components absolutely sing together. See my latest comments on my 2 channel HT system. I like the how the NAD sounds with sealed box/acoustic suspension speakers and so, I would opt for the NHT SB2's (I use a pair in a bedroom system with a vintage Marantz receiver). Because the NHT's are sealed box, they can be placed close to the wall and go on bookshelves. If you are buying new, the price will come in at $1200 or so ... so used would be definitely be under a grand. For IC's & speaker cables, you can go with Radio Shack Mega Cables; Signal Cable; or Better Cables (whose Silver Serpent IC sounded best to me).

Regards, Rich

Have her go down to J&R Music World and check out the Teac/NHT system. It's the rack system right in front of you when you get to the top of the stairs. Or Even the $600 top of the line Denon mini system which J&R sells. This has the separate CD player and bigger Mission speakers.
I would get the Teac Reference 500 integrated which is only $300 at J&R and go with some speakers slightly rolled off on top like KRK or Epos. The Teac gives truly high end sound but is a little rough on top.
Other suggestions:
Ascend CBM-170 for $328 and Arcam delta integrated.
B&W 303 or 601's with NAD integrated.

I wouldn't recommend that a non-audiophile buy anything with a tube in it. Nothing against tubes, but they're for dedicated hobbyists. Also, I know it's heresy around here, but don't rule out stereo receivers. An entry-level Denon receiver runs $250, and can hold its own with NAD when drivng the kinds of speakers your friend is likely to choose. Also, she gets a tuner for free, which is a good thing to have in Manhattan, where there are actually still some great radio stations.

I also wouldn't spend more than $150 for a CD player in a system like this. Stick to the major name brands, and you'll be on safe ground. (Not the ultimate, but safe, which is good enough in a $1000 system.)

That leaves $600 for speakers, possibly including stands. Speakers are very personal, so rather than come up with a short list for your friend, I recommend that you take her around to the various shops in NYC that will have her (there are some who won't), and have her listen to what's there. It's more important that she finds something she's sure she likes than that it meet with the approval of the audiophile community.

Hey everyone, thanks a lot for the advice. I thought I'd drop a line and let everyone know how her decision turned out.

True to her past form, my friend has decided to eschew everyone else's advice and spend more money than originally planned. It seems like she'll take to this hobby just fine.

She finally settled on a matched set of Cambridge Audio A640 int. amp and CD player hooked up to Epos speakers. I'm sure that the system will sound great once up and running.

Thanks again,
Nirav