What are you guys having success with in a 2 channel system? Here is a typical scenario and criteria.

In a single room installation that is also a primary viewing area, budget allows for pretty high quality speakers, amplification etc, but really only in a 2 channel configuration. Physical wiring limitations for additional speakers also sometimes come into play here.

Sources are mostly digital, including AppleTV, Cable or satellite box, and a blu-ray player. My major concern here is that none of these sources have high quality analog outputs for use with an analog 2 channel system. Not many people are interested in buying a high end CD player anymore. The sources that do matter and do get used nowadays have horrible D/A conversion.

So one option is to use an A/V receiver which will utilize internal DACs and can offer some nice flexibility, but the caliber does not seem to be the same as an analog only system.

There are getting to be a few integrated amps that have DACs built in, but selection is limited. This will also necessitate running all digital audio through the TV first, which is a concern, depending on how the TV handles digital audio output.

So you could throw a DAC at a integrated amplifier or separates system, but what about additional sources beyond 1 going through the DAC?

The real question here is what is your proven solution given the criteria?

Use a product like the Classe CP-800? Of course it depends on the lines you have access to, I'm just giving you a for instance since I don't know your brands. It has several digital and analogue inputs as well as balanced and single ended outputs to go to your amp of choice and even has a usb input for an iPod. Sources with video such as apple tv, cable/sat boxes, and dvd players most always have some type of digital output (toslink, coax) so run that to the pre-amp and then hdmi to your display or a video switch for video only.

What is the expectation by the customer? Do they already qualify as connoisseurs of music and sound or will you be teaching them? Have you done A/B comparisons between some of the better AV receivers and 2 channel equipment in the same price range? Some of the receivers sound very good. Are you including a subwoofer, or just full-range speakers?

Because this is a recurring trend, I'm thinking long term for customers now and in the future, but what made me post is one particular job. The expectation is that they have had systems that always underwhelmed so they are ready for the next level.

As a baseline the underwhelming systems have included an early Gallo non-ti system (whatever the entry level one is) with a passive subwoofer, as well as an entry level Jamo system with an old HK AVR.

So they are on the right track but have never had anything truly worthwhile. They are ready to make an investment, but realistically it may not be more than 5K. I know we can squeeze nice speakers, basic control, infrastructure type stuff, labor in that price, but to do a full-blown separates surround system and 5+ legitimate speakers and subwoofer is not going to happen.

That is what takes me back to a pretty high quality 2 channel system rather than a mediocre surround system. But the struggle is fitting a 2 channel system into the modern living space/primary viewing area. The biggest issue is dealing with the new wave of sources that you can expect to run into. You used to be able to do a nice CD player, possibly a TT and you are set.

The Classe is a good option but we don't sell it for now. We do Onkyo/Integra, Marantz, Parasound, Music Hall, Creek, to name a few. I know there are good options in there but (in my mind) all comes down to not a great solution integrating digital sources.

Nothing that's entry level from a general consumer audio company will be overwhelming. Speakers are all-important, amps make the least difference if the ones being compared are of the same power output and the source is a major factor in how it sounds. However, no great system will sound great in a room that's bad, acoustically. If a large seating area will be used, wide-dispersion speakers will be needed, so you may want to consider bi-polar, like Definitive Technologies. If the main seats will be in a small area, you can use speakers that are more directional.

Anybody played with this yet??[Link: us.marantz.com]

This is a combo I would like to try:

[Link: kef.com]

[Link: sonos.com]

https://www.hdtracks.com/

[Link: parasound.com]

Looks like Sonos only supports 16bit streaming so maybe that wouldnt be ideal as a budget system.

One client of ours solved this for himself. Of course, this is the client who had ten 100-disc Sony CD changers, all run through and controlled by a PC, THIRTEEN years ago!

He's got a nice tube amp, brand not remembered, running a nice pair of speakers. His sources are a turntable and a CD Player with an outboard DAC.

When he wants to turn on the surround system, he switches the tube amp to AUX, sets its volume at 12 o'clock, and uses his Pioneer surround receiver for the video sources.

As for "entry level," what's an entry level Ferrari?

I love using the term "Entry Level" because it is so ambiguous. I also do it to avoid insulting the end user.

I think what I will do this time around is use a decent AVR and Monitor Audio silver series floorstanding speakers. I could do a DAC and 2 channel gear but that only takes care of one source. What about the other 2 or 3 or 4 depending on configuration? XBOX will likely be part of the equation as well. So I landed on an AVR. If budget would have allowed, I would have specified the AV70005 and power amp of my choice, possibly the MM7025.

If there weren't so many digital sources, the path would have been a lot more obvious.

Wait, what have you been using up til now, before this became an issue for you?With a high end CD player you were still using a DAC, so why not just get a nice standalone DAC or Preprocessor and use the same 2 channel setup you were using or had in mind?Although bluray and HDMi bring in a whole new world of high Rez audio that should be taken advantage of IMO.

Take a look at the NAD 390 integrated or some of the Peachtree audio stuff. If you can get it, it may be worth a look.

Look at your current lineup. Take a Marantz NA7004 and connect it to a Mac Mini via USB. Load some HD tracks and presto. High end media server. Control the Mac Mini via Autonomic and its integrated.

Then you can use an Integrated or you choice of AVR/ separates.

I was, strangely and miraculously, in a retail store much like a small Best Buy, but in Riyadh, a couple of years ago, and I ran across some garbage-variety A/V cables with the brand name Jipas.

Say that out loud. Remember the -i- is likely like our -ee-.

Now invent an Arab accent and say it again.

I burst out laughing on the sales floor when I heard it in my head: jeep-ass, which easily is a slightly accented "cheap-ass." Another term which, with the proper accent, does not insult the end user.

Thanks for the shout out, longshot, but we would recommend an even better solution.

The digital output on our MMS-2 supports high resolution audio at 24bit 96 kHz. The MMS-5 offers up to 24 bit 192 kHz. That should be high enough resolution to satisfy any audio enthusiast.

Of course, then in addition to local content, you get streaming content from Pandora, Rhapsody, Spotify, Last.fm, SiriusXM, TuneIn Radio, and more.