NAD Stereo receiver or Surround receiver for 2ch audio?

Probably not. Those look like pretty sensitive speakers. 50 wpc will go a long way.

The power ratings are probably not relevant since the speakers are pretty sensitive.

A receiver that includes a tuner seems to be what you need.

120 amps is a typo.

So lets see. You want to set up a nice 2ch system for your g/f, and you're looking at a 20 year old Rotel?

What's she going to do with all that power? Or what's she going to do if the thing goes bust? It's 20 years old. Aren't you worried about the electrolytic caps?

I think that it is a mistake to characterize receivers and amplifiers in terms of a single specification, namely power. It is also a mistake to presume that a more powerful amp or receiver is going to sound better than a less powerful one. Finally, used equipment is always a crap shoot, particularly when it is more than 5 years old. Electronics gear degrades over years and decades, even if only just in storage. Speakers are as much of a crap shoot as anything, because you don't know which drivers have been fried or damaged by the previous owners, which have degraded due to the passage of time, with problems such as foam rot.

For example, a common problem with speakers is voice coil rubbing. This often is due to cumulative overheating due to overdriving. Every time the driver voice coil is overheated its shape and/or size is distorted. Eventually it is distorted so much that if rubs against the magnetic pole piece. Thing is the last time it was heated up, distorted and started rubbing was just a brick in a wall that started building up years ago. With electronics the big problem is electrolytic capacitors. Some will last for decades and others will start losing value only a few months after the equipment is built. The jury decision on an electrolytic capacitor's life is out until it fails. No warnings are given.

In my experience a rule women don' t seem to be lifetime members of the crank 'er up club like many men are. They very sensibly want something that will play nicely at lower volumes and perhaps respectably loudly when they are so inclined. Small size, good looks and ease of use are more often their cup of tea.

+1 to that. I'll add that women seem to be less tolerant of balky or failed technology. They don't want to futz with it, they just want it to work. It's true with computers, it's true with the toaster oven too, so stereos are in the middle there somewhere. My lady put up with my hacked together, partly vintage system for years. Her being frustrated was unacceptable, so now the stuff is new, works better, sounds great, and she's happy. And plays music out of decent speakers connected to her computer/iTunes.

When the woman is happy, everybody's happy.

Wow. Auditioning amps at a hifi-store...now there's an exercise in futility. Don't even bother. With the rare exception of a few radical designs, the differences you'll think you hear will be the product of some form of bias, perceptual, psychological, whatever. But they won't be real.

Anything to add, Arny?

I've actually heard stores where they want to move a particular amp and run it a bit hotter than others, Often it's a higher margin product/higher cost. Only twice mind you but it is done.

That Rotel gear was quite good for its day, but not what I would use for your setup.

Both the 2-channel NAD and the Cambridge are good choices - why not show them to your GF and let her decide?

Out of curiosity, where in Sweden are you. I spent a great week in and around Malmo a summer ago.

Just hearty agreement. Auditioning equipment in a Hi Fi store is one of the most futile things to do that I can think of.

I've never seen a Hi Fi store present a fair listening comparison of any kind of audio gear ever, and I've never heard of such a thing ever happening.

I'd like to say that I've heard of people doing at least 1-time demonstrations of a fair listening comparison in some audio store someplace, but I've never ever even heard of that.

The chances of someone walking into an audio store and getting a good comparison of competitive product sound quality is as close to zero as anything in the world.

About as close to a fair comparison as one finds is a switching device that allows various amplifiers and receivers to drive various pairs of speakers, but if anybody thinks that there is any effective level matching, they are dreaming.

To make this very short, were all of the amps properly level-matched none of what you describe below would have never happened.

All of the above reactions are easily explainable by the lack of adequate controls in your listening experience.

I know this is hard to believe, but it is one of those things that you quickly learn if you ever have the opportunity to actually properly audition amps, music players and receivers.

Proper auditioning requires 3 basic controls: Level match within 0.1 dB over the audible range, playing the identical same music, and lack of knowledge of what you are actually listening to at any particular time during the actual comparison.

Only a tiny fraction of audiophiles have ever personally experienced a proper listening comparison. Proper listening comparisons take more work than most are willing to put forth, especially given that the results are usually economically counter productive.

Yes, this is correct, done it myself many times. Even a slight level difference and you'll pick the louder one as better. Any knowledge of what you're listening to will also spin the results. If you know you're listening to the amp that somehow looks better, or is in better light so it looks better, and the results are biased. If you want to discern the true audible differences you won't find that out in a stereo store.