Two Channel Setup (1 Viewer)

[ehrawn]

I am putting together my first home audio system. After some valuable help from the folks on this forum, I decided that a two channel setup is the best fit for my needs. However, I am having a lot of trouble figuring out which speakers to go with.

A little background: the gear will mostly be used for music and TV, with occasional movie watching. I listen to a wide range of music (from hip-hop to jazz and everything in between). My budget is about $2K, but any money saved here will be applied to a new HDTV. A also have some space restrictions because of the room layout: all of the AV equipment will be placed a 5' W x 3.5' D x 8' H cubby in the middle of the long wall of a 14' x 20' room.

I am leaning toward an integrated amp for their general quality to price ratio, but am still considering stereo receivers. After some online research, I picked out the NAD C325BEE. It seems to have consistently solid reviews, and the right price for my budget. With that in mind, I went to a couple dealers to check out some speakers. So far, I've looked at a few combinations from B&W, Klipsch, DefTech, Arcam, and Totem. The Totem Arros are the clear front runner for my listening tastes. Plus, the cabinets are gorgeous: beautifully crafted, but small enough to disappear in the room (large floor speakers would overpower the room).

There are a couple of concerns I have about the Arro.
1) The dealer recommended a larger amp to drive them (Cambridge Audio Azur 740A), which totally blows my budget.
2) The price is too much for me to afford a sub. While the Arro would be fine for most of my music collection, I'm afraid they would lack the punch for something like the Roots.

I am looking for recommendations on speakers that would allow me to enjoy a wide range of music, but meet my budget and placement restrictions? Bookshelf, satellite, and tower speakers are all on the table. There isn't a good variety of authorized dealers in my area, so I'm willing to consider direct-to-consumer companies like Axiom and AV123. Do I need to rethink my amp choice (the Outlaw RR2150 is intriguing)?Any help you guys can offer is much appreciated.

 

[Alon Goldberg]

I'm a big fan of Totem loudspeakers. One of my close friends owns Totem Arro speakers (coincidentally Diana Krall owns a pair as well), along with a Cyrus integrated amp and cd player. Sounds amazing for two-channel audio. The speakers that I own are very similar in design to Totem loudspeakers, and the designer is also a huge fan of Totem.

My own two-channel system consists of a Naim integrated amp, Naim CD5x with FlatCap2x, and Naim phono stage, along with my Rega Planar 3 turntable. Astoundingly good, though this will exceed your budget. If you can find yourself a second hand Naim Nait5i and CD5i, these have beautiful synergy with the Totem Arro's as well.

In any event, I would deeply consider a Cyrus integrated and cdp for your setup, these should meet your budget.