Suppose… you are a music guy first, and a TV or movie lover second.
You want your system to serve music well FIRST. But you also need to run cable or satellite through your system. You only want to run two channels. You don’t really care about the tricks of surround sound.
What’s the best way to approach this?
Atoll IN50 Signature Integrated Amp With DAC, $1500
Atoll’s IN50 Signature is a class breaking integrated amp. Its warm and muscular flavor are just the ticket to make (typically) harsh-thin TV sound more palatable.
Further, the Atoll sounds fabulous on music and will outperform all the similarly priced, feature laden products that are made in China.
IN50 Sig is $1200 in line stage config. For tying into your TV audio, we’re going to include Atoll’s great built in DAC ($300) and run OPT in.
OPT is my choice for running TV or streaming sound through a fine two channel system. It is far less problematic than HDMI. HDMI eARC is often a bag of cats. Don’t go there, even though your gear may say it will work. It MIGHT. It’s not a sure thing.
By the way, with the DAC on board you can run your other digital sources straight in and glean
the advantages of Atoll’s DAC on those as well.
Speakers
The world is your oyster. Yet starting with the Atoll IN50 Sig, you’ve got a couple of righteously logical choices.
Bryston Mini A Stand Mount Speakers, $1650 Per Pair
Mini A is available in real wood finishes of Black Ash, Walnut or Boston Cherry. Mini A is a Canadian built, outstanding 3-way with solid bass, clear midrange and 20 year warranty. Almost everything else is this range is a Chinese 2-way, with rare exception.
Bryston A3 Floor Stander, $3290 Per Pair
A3 is a Canadian battleship with a 20 year warranty. A3 has superb imaging so you’re not likely to miss a center. The phantom center image is impressive to hear! The bass is so deep and tuneful on A3 that you won’t miss a sub. Short of needing special effects flying around your room, running A3s will take care of everything you need.
Running Atoll with Bryston will give you a warm and impactful sonic presentation, whether you’re watching TV, streaming or playing silver or black discs. Considering scrapping the surround sound receiver with gimmicks and get more from your investment with higher quality two channel performance!