Afternoon all,
I’ve picked up a pair of dirt cheat TDL nearfield monitors and am planning to put together a first hifi for my 9 year old daughter. I’m looking for ideas for a reasonably priced integrated amp to get her started. Probably something from the old days 
Any suggestions? Bonus points for compact options (like the shoebox Nait)
What will be the source? A shoebox NAIT or NAIT 2 would be great but they don’t come cheap and do demand a top quality source.
What’s the budget?
Source would most likely be her laptop and something like a Chromecast audio. I would probably bid for a Nait if one came up for sale but ideally something much cheaper to begin with.
It’ll be wasted with that source. You’ll want something much more forgiving yet still musically reasonably capable. I’d be looking at something like an Arcam Alpha or perhaps a Rotel.
The problem with something from the old days is that it’s either going to be a desirable item, minty and serviced which will be expensive or something not so desirable and probably knackered and needing some TLC.
I’d look at something like a cheap Cambridge Audio AXA25 amp or an Edwards Audio Apprentice IA as a starting point. The Cambridge Audio is cheap (£250), the Edwards, shoebox sized.
If your daughter gets the bug then perhaps something a bit more pricey later on.
Used Rega Io or Brio?
I see used Nait 3Rs on the market (ebay, usaudimart, etc) all the time for well <$500. Naim boogie, phono stage, remote, compact-ish, good-looking and built like a tank.
I use a Sony STR-DH190 sourced from the dealer named after a Kent town with seven trees. It has a phono input, bluetooth, FM tuner and claims 100 wpc. All for £250. It is used in a spare room driving Neat Iota. Very pleased and great value. Using it right now with some Anne Sofie Von Otter , while Mrs BobF is engrossed in tennis.
At 9 years old wouldn’t she be quite happy with a pair of decent Bluetooth speakers connected to her laptop?
For compact, how about a late-80s/early-90s Cyrus integrated? Cyrus Ones look like they’re currently going for about £100.
9 years old. Why not a Muso?
I forgot about the Brio! Thats going on the short list
My old man has one from this range driving his home cinema setup, has my old Naim Ariva’s hanging off it. Sounds really good!
That’s what my wife said! That wouldn’t be any fun though 
Plus I want her to get used to the equipment.
Forgot about the Cyrus One! Had one years ago, was really pleased with it. Will add this to the list, thanks.
I quite fancy one of those for my kitchen
Richer Sounds currently has the Denon DM41 on offer for £199, if I recall, @Xanthe has commented favourably on this in the past.
But why? Isn’t it what she wants that’s important. She’s nine, why does she want a few old hifi relics? Surely she’d prefer a phone or a bike or whatever?
We have a Denon RCD-M41DAB is a box here.
It was our office system before SuperUniti. Perfectly capable as a Bluetooth connected mini system. Bit limited on functions but when connected to a tablet/phone/PC by Bluetooth it worked fine.
We didn’t use Denon speakers, used Monitor Audio Bronze standmounts.
Total cost of Denon + speakers/stands was about £400 (sale on Denon + discontinued speakers)
Nait 5i for £400 or less on eBay right now. Or a Rotel (as per Richard’s suggestion). I had an RA-02 at Uni that served me very well indeed, but even better is an RA-06 £185 also currently on eBay.
Who will be the most pleased here, the daughter or the father ? That’s the question.
Education
No, it’s my world and everyone else is just living in it!
Considering I already force her to ride a penny farthing, restrict her to using a rotary dial telephone and dress her like a Dickensian street urchin, this feels like the logical next step.
You tell me, when she’s banging out tunes like this at full volume…
My 12 year old granddaughter was blown away when we bought her a Bluetooth speaker for her birthday so she could play music from her iphone through it.