Let’s build a great audio system and begin with no brainers from Atoll & Axiom for $6500.

Atoll IN200, $3500 (120×2)

The Atoll IN200 is simply an astounding integrated. It uses class AB design and can drive literally any speakers out there. IN200 is so good, at such a reasonable price point, that we might well recommend you STOP here.

If your wallet is a bit fatter you can’t go wrong by sticking with IN200 and spending your surplus on higher end speakers or a more refined source.

IN200 is also very flexible. At this price it comes in line stage form. If you want to add phono MM ($210) or a DAC ($390), you can. Further, if you add these modules, they’ll be supported by the massive power linear power supply and sophistication of IN200. Yet, you might not need those features or… you might want to buy them within other components.

Take a look at ALL the Chinese built electronics out there in this price range. They all have power supplies less than half the value of IN200. They’re ultimately a pile of chips in a box trying to get great sound with TRICKS.

There is no substitute for a pair of huge toroidal transformers, a big bank of filter caps and a myriad of MATCHED MOSFET output transistors.

Due to its substantial infrastructure and refinement, IN200 will drive your speakers with a fast, heavy sledge hammer and more mellow tonal quality than anything similarly priced. The small transformers, caps and unmatched transistors sound leaner and more electronic that what Atoll achieves with IN200.

You can compare IN200 with integrateds or separates of dramatically more money and… fact is, there isn’t much more to gain. We’re parsing fine details.

Yep, you can compare a stack of $15-20k separates with IN200 and in most instances, it will be hard to perceive differences, much less determine which is BETTER. That tells me, use IN200 as the heart of your system.

Axiom M100, $3000 Per Pair

Axiom M100 is a very special speaker. Bryston is still offering this true heavyweight in a limited edition form- for which YOU pay no extra money. They’re including cast instead of stamped drivers during this limited window.

Axiom towers are typically built with their new 44 Series stamped frame drivers. Axiom has found a way to make the stamped drivers to within spitting distance of true die-cast drivers.

Yet… in the M100 right now, Axiom is incorporating full bore, cast frame drivers at no extra cost! It’s the only model they’re doing it for. Axiom wants to make your choice a veritable slam dunk. With that in mind, you’re actually buying an M100 LE (Limited Edition) the has more kick and weight-for no extra charge.

Hence if you purchase before the program expires, you’re getting this prodigious tower with a large image and prodigious bass for the same price as a million Chinese built sissy boys. Have a good look at the $3k speakers out there. You’ll find that almost all of them, even those with Euro names like B&W, KEF, Monitor Audio etc, are built in China and employ imprecise stamped frame drivers.

As you analyze M100 you’ll see the speaker runs a pair of mids, a pair of tweets, and a trio of woofers. There are many benefits to this formula.

Running doubles of mids/tweets means EACH driver has half the excursion and power handling compared to driving ONE of each. This improves detail and dynamics. ALSO… the extra drivers make for a taller, deeper image.

The woofs are run as a trio. They literally can throw barbells around your living room. Whether you want the weight of a drum kit, stand up bass or grand piano, it sure helps to have muscle to spare in your loudspeakers. M-100 does all of this and sound smooth for us acoustic instrument and singer fans.

Finish Your System

I’m a HUGE fan of great CD players. Consider an Atoll- where you can play CDs AND use the fabulous on board Burr Brown DACs for your streamer or TV.

Because you have access to the warm DAC on an Atoll CD player, you can run an inexpensive streamer or your TV- with more elegant results than running into a lightweight box of chips.

If you want more sophisticated streaming, get Atoll’s MS-120 instead of a two pound Chinese streamer. IN200 is still the heart of your great bang for the buck system.