Killer Two Channel (system 4)
System
Price $1788
Speakers:
B&W 685 $650pr
The
B&W 685 has been on the market since 2007. The day it hit, it was lauded as among the
best bookshelf speakers the market had to offer. That hasn’t changed! Combine B&W’s
famed smooth top end with B&W’s purpose built 6 ½” Kevlar Mid/Woof and you
get a great synergy. The cabinet is thick and well braced. It sounds three times bigger
than it looks! The image is marvelous. Much of the “magic” here is because the
685 is not aggressive or bright on top. We recommend the B&W 24” speaker stands
for $150pr. Yes, you can toss bookshelf speakers on shelves, but they sound a lot better
on their own stands!
CD
Player: Marantz CD-5003 $350
Marantz has redefined the category of a great budget
source! Up to now virtually every CD player in this range has been a real mixed bag of
limited mechanical integrity and relatively bright sounding chipsets. The CD-5003 has
broken the mold with a sledge hammer! It is built solidly, clearly benefiting the sound
and reliability. If Naim could build a $350 CD player, this is what it would be!
Integrated
Amp: Marantz PM-5003 $450
Marantz’s new PM-5003, 40 w/ch, is our favorite
integrated in a budget price range! It uses Marantz’s custom built E-core transformer
and fast ESR power supply caps. The circuit board is a very clean, double sided glass
epoxy design. There is no spaghetti on the board, just a few jumpers to adjacent
connecting points. It has a Source Direct circuit that shortcuts the electronic path (tone
controls & balance are bypassed) to a significantly appreciable sonic advantage. It
has an excellent MM phono section. The sound is clean and detailed- strikingly so for its
modest price!
Interconnect
Cables: Magami LINK II $50
The Mogami interconnect features a 100% shielded cable
with excellent, gold plated RCA jacks. The sound is clear and yet a bit mellow!
Speaker
Cables: Kimber 4PR, $3 per foot, with Tributary banana plugs at the amp and speaker
ends. The 4PR uses braided conductors to maximize RFI rejection. The jacket is poly
instead of Teflon so it doesn’t have quite the
Teflon clarity. Two terminated 8’ runs = $128.