First let's be sure he doesn't have other needs that he has over looked. For example, will the system ever be used to watch movies? Does he foresee any need to stream music? Does he need Radio for music or for talk, news, & weather? Is there any circumstance in which he might want to connect his computer to the stereo system?
Next, does he have any limitation of the size of the system? Primarily the speaker; can he handle modest floorstanding or are we limited to stand mounted speakers?
On the issue of Radio, keep in mind, if he has network streaming, then he has access to Internet Radio which is infinitely better for music than broadcast radio. Also, now, many broadcast radio stations are also broadcasting into the Internet. But, I don't think there are as many options for Talk Radio, or for local news and weather.
Generally, this is how I break down a stereo system. Though this is not etched in stone, it simply establishes a starting point, Rarely does a purchase ever hit these numbers exactly. Again, just some starting perspective.
1x = Media Player
1x = Amp/Receiver
2x = Speakers
If you take the original £2000 and break it down according the the formula above, then we have this -
£_500/ea = Medial Player
£_500/ea = Amp/Receiver
£1000/pr = Speakers
Again, this is nothing more than an initial perspective.
Also, does he want matching equipment? For example, if he gets a Yamaha Amp will he then require a matching Yamaha CD Player? Sometimes you can get a better deal and closer match to the budget if you mix and match brands.
The previous suggestion of a system based around the Rotel RA-12 is good, but clearly is in excess of the stated budget.
DAB/DAB+ is really the most difficult aspect to achieve. In general, Receivers (amp+radio) are not that popular in the UK, so amps-only dominate the market. In the USA as a counter example, Receivers dominate the market, and Integrated Amps are harder to find.
Next, is the quality your friend requires. The Rotel RA-12 with 60w/ch at about £599, I would rate as approaching the high end of consumer equipment, or perhaps the low end of high quality equipment. Whereas something like the Yamaha would be solidly consumer grade equipment, which should not be taken as a bad thing. A vast majority of people have Consumer Grade equipment and are very happy with the results.
To illustrate, let me put together a very nice consumer grade system for you -
£299/ea = Yamaha TD500 Tuner - DAB/DAB+/AM/FM
£240/ea = Yamaha AS500 Amp - 85w/ch. Sub Out, PHONO in
£350/ea = Yamaha CDS700 CD Player
---------------------------
£889 = Total
That leaves up to £1111 for Speakers and accessories.
There is an alternative CD Player, the
Yamaha CDN500 (£499) which also has Network Streaming from local storage or over the Internet. Internet radio is really a good thing, but as I said before, it is long on music, but a bit lean on Talk Radio, or local news and weather.
Yamaha CDn500 - Google Search
That would change the total of the above system to £1038. Leaving about £962 for speakers.
For speakers, probably those topping my list of interest in this price range are the Dali Ikon 6 floorstanding. These are not huge speakers, and should work in any medium sized room. The price on these is about £999/pr -
IKON MK2
DALI IKON 6 MK2
If something more modest is required, the smaller Dali Ikon 5 at about £820 are worth considering -
DALI IKON 5 MK2
The Ikon 5 are very small, yet still have decent bass response of about 35hz to 37hz at - 6dB.
There is also the Dali Ikon 2 bookshelf version at about £640/pair.
DALI IKON 2 MK2
The bass on these bookshelf is actually a bit deeper than the Ikon 5. The Ikon 2 is rated at 41hz at -3db, which is about 33hz to perhaps 36hz at -6dB.
I suspect any of these speaker would do a fine job. Though in the same price range there are many other speakers to consider - Dali Zensor, Wharfedale Diamond 100 series, Monitor Audio BX series, some of the smaller speakers from the Monitor Audio Silver series, and more. It gets down to the size of the room, and they type of listening your friend will do. Obviously a kid listening to Hip-Hop and Dubstep has different needs than someone listening to Jazz or Classical.
That, as far as the electronic equipment, gives him everything he needs, and falls within his budget.
As to speakers, we would need to know the dimensions of the room the equipment will be placed in?
What are his feeling on Internet Radio? And by extension, for what purpose does he need Broadcast Radio (Music, Talk, Local News, etc... ).
Next, will he ever want or need to connect the system to his TV for TV and/or movie watching?
Give us some feedback on the issues listed above, and that will give us more insight into your friends needs, which in turn will help us recommend equipment. I can think of a variation of the above Yamaha system that is geared more toward electronic content and the Internet, but I will leave that for a later post.
I can also provide links to sellers of all the equipment I listed, but I fear my post is already a bit too long, so I will leave those detail until later.
That should at least give you some framework, and some perspective.
Steve/bluewizard