If your finances/partner gave you free rein ...

Ohhh are we listing off our dream "never going to happen" systems?? I'll share mine:

Clearaudio Concept turntable: 1,600
Marantz CD6005: 500
Mcintosh C2300 preamp: 6,000
Mcintosh MC302 amp: 13,000
JBL 4430 monitors: 1,200 ish

Ok so it comes in at 22,300 not including interconnects.... Man that mac amp is expensive....
 
onwardjames said:
Friend of mine who gets a crazy check from the gubment for an injury he sustained involving a tank lid and his skull, well he called me last night to tell me he had won 500 bucks playing the lottery, and was ONE number from winning a million.

I told him not having to work another day in his life for a faked insanity check was despicable, and sort of its own winning of the lottery, and to take his 500 in rolls of quarters and shove them up his bum.
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Having friends who fake insanity is certifiably insane.
Apply for your own crazy check and RAWK!!! :yes:
 
michaelhigh said:
Having friends who fake insanity is certifiably insane.
Apply for your own crazy check and RAWK!!! :yes:
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While my own sanity is definitely circumspect, this guy is more of a resource than a friend.


He has supplied me with so much esoteric knowledge, I'm kinda scared NOT to be his friend. Army field manuals, how-to vids and books, he's quite the resource, despite being a freeloading grifter.
 
JumpingBean said:
Ohhh are we listing off our dream "never going to happen" systems?? I'll share mine:

Clearaudio Concept turntable: 1,600
Marantz CD6005: 500
Mcintosh C2300 preamp: 6,000
Mcintosh MC302 amp: 13,000
JBL 4430 monitors: 1,200 ish

Ok so it comes in at 22,300 not including interconnects.... Man that mac amp is expensive....
Click to expand...

Thanks for this - you made a valiant attempt to abide by the rules I set out in my OP. Seems many here arent interested in 'changing up' for anything under 100K - that's fair enough, but I wanted to keep it within the bounds of most folk's idea of 'reality', particularly in a hobby where people are still happy to charge 15K for a cable.
 
While it would change day to day, here is what I would buy today.

Martin Logan Theos 8 - $5000

2 x SVS SB13-Ultra - $3200

McIntosh C2300 - $6000
McIntosh MC275 - $4000

Build dedicated music PC - $1000

With about $1k left over for a DAC.

Wow, vinyl would have to wait... Maybe I'd buy a U-turn :D
 
If I had 20K I would by a VPI Classic II (hopefully B stock to save money) -- so 3K

I would then get the best LOMC cartridge I could for between 1-2K

I would probably also have to upgrade my phono stage to something in the 1.5-2K range.

Here comes the hard part. I would love to upgrade my speakers but I think I want to move to floorstanders however my listening is too small for this. If however, I got this 20K to spend in a couple of year when we plan on moving and I hopefully have a bigger listening space ... I would get new speakers. I would probably look in the 5-7K range.

I would then spend the remaining money on the best Pre-Power combo I could get with my the speakers. At this point I think I would prefer tubes but would consider anything.

Sorry for the completely non-commital answers on everything but the TT ... as I try not to look at stuff that is too expensive all that often for fear that I have a brain fart and buy something before I realize that I can't/shouldn't. Plus, I'm pretty happy with my system now.
 
I suppose I could just blow the whole wad in one fell swoop. Trade in my Shahinian Obelisk 2's for a new pair of Hawks....Ouch.
 
tomlinmgt said:
Same here. And I'd be willing to bet the room is hindering 70-80% who participate in the hobby. And half of that percentage is probably in denial about it.
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Sage advice. I was in denial myself and then a few experiences hearing other members systems (as well as a superb audition of an all Mac/JBL array 1400 system at a dealer in NH) changed everything. I can't not hear my room now, which sucks a bit. But at least I know to stop chasing a target I can't achieve in that space.

Jblnut
 
This would pretty much eat up my $20,000, the rest of my current system I would live with if I could have the turntable.

_acutus_6_large.jpg
 
240sx4u said:
I'd be better off building a proper room on my house with that 20k and keeping my current gear I suspect. I have hit the point where my room is what is hindering me.
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Yep, would love to hear my current gear in a proper room.
 
OKay, after giving this some serious thought, I would probably keep my current Shahinian Obelisk 2's, and give them this:

Dynavector HX power amp- $6500
Dynavector L200 preamp- $3200
Dynavector P75 MK3 Phono- $900
Dynavector XX-2 Pickup- $2000
Well Tempered Labs Versalex-$4500

This total comes to $17100, which gives me some sapce for my DAC of choice, which at this point in time I really don't know what I would buy, or maybe even add the left overs to upgrade Dynavector preamp to an L300. All comes in under budget....barely.

Gee this is fun, now where is my 20K?
 
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I would purchase my current system all over again.

There might be more than likely better components that I could fit into the budget, but I've heard what this combination of components can do, and what it does well I have not heard $100,000 systems do anywhere near as well.

That's proof enough for me.
 
I wouldn't want to be married to a single system and the same sound.

I'd spread the money over several systems and for the most part they'd be DIY. The more options the better.
 
I am going to attempt to stay within the spirit of estreeter's original intent here. Assuming I have no hi-fi presently and that I have to spend my money on gear only at retail prices I would get:

DeVore Fidelity Orangutans with stands-$12,000.00

Line Magnetic 218IA Integrated Tube amp-$3500.00

Chord Chordette QuteHD DAC-$1800.00

NAS storage device-$150.00

Decent laptop or tablet-$700.00

This totals $18,150.00 That leaves $1850.00 to be used for cabling.

For 20k I would have a pretty damn nice hi-fi!!
 
Well lif I had free reign.....$20K would buy a ncie turntaable arm and cartridge. I will need a bit more to finish the system.

Regards
Mister Pig
 
I'll assume the term "clean slate" used in the OP means I don't have my current system in this discussion. Assuming I'm left with only my music, I'd like to have an all-new system that includes a Rega RP3, Rega Exact, Audio Research LP1, Audio Research VSi60, a $1,500 DAC to be named later, and whatever ProAc speakers I can get for $10,000.
 
MWalt said:
I am going to attempt to stay within the spirit of estreeter's original intent here. Assuming I have no hi-fi presently and that I have to spend my money on gear only at retail prices I would get:

DeVore Fidelity Orangutans with stands-$12,000.00

Line Magnetic 218IA Integrated Tube amp-$3500.00

Chord Chordette QuteHD DAC-$1800.00

NAS storage device-$150.00

Decent laptop or tablet-$700.00

This totals $18,150.00 That leaves $1850.00 to be used for cabling.

For 20k I would have a pretty damn nice hi-fi!!
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:thmbsp::thmbsp::thmbsp:
Now we're talking, although I would have allowed you the laptop/NAS outside the budget. The DAC/amp/speakers combination would definitely be a combination I'd like to hear, even though I have no idea how well that amp matches the O/96. It's interesting that you leapt into the exercise while others could only mumble something about 'I'd never spend that much on audio' before limping off to play with their collection of Barbie dolls :D

(flame on, ladies, but you dont play fantasy football without a freakin' team do you ?)
 
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