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10-15k budget in a 6m x 4m room. Please help.

Totally new to home audio world, nice to be joining soon :). I have some limited experience in the headphone audio world, and would like to create a home system. I have around 10-15k budget at the moment to start from scratch a home system. In my country, its hard to properly audition equipments, so require some advice. Also audio choices are limited..so please if possible just stick to the choices ive found available :)

My dedicated audio room will be 6 meters x 4 meters with no treatments whatsoever. The floor will be wood.

My audio preference are quite versatile, but i like to hear instrumental jazz (ecm), alternative rock (radiohead, coldplay), rock, new age music and alot of instrumental music..and basically trying to find a system to suit all needs. Due to connecting the system to my mac as well, i was hoping for the system to be able to hear some 320kbps mp3s without sounding like crap. So help me start and please give any advice or warnings in regards to my choices. and anything i should be worried before starting this new hobby.

The choices so far

speakers
-Sonus faber cremona m - $8000 brand new
-sonus faber cremona auditor m - $5000
-Rockport mira demo unit - $8500
-monitor audio gx300 -$5000
-proac d28 -$5000
-proac d18 -$2800
-proac studio 140 mk2 -$2500
-dynaudio c1 -$8000
-dynaudio focus 260 -$5000
-other dynaudios
-other sonus faber
-other bower wilkins

Amps

-Krell s-300i integrated - $3100
-krell s-550i integrated - $ approx $6000
-Moon audio w5 power amp + KRELL KAV-280P used - $4500
-roksan caspian m2 - $2500
-other krells to fit budget
-other moon audio amps within budget
-other audiolabs, marantz, rotel, cyrus within budget. (please state model name )
-any others to reccomend most probably not available in my country :) Im totally new to this

DAC
-audiolab 8200cd -$1000
-used MCINTOSH MCD 7009- $1600
-MUSICAL FIDELITY M3CD -$1300
-MOON CD 1 - $1300
-naim dac-v1 - $2000
-others (please specify and within budget)

Sorry if my choices are weird, but these are the few ive found in my country. Please help me with my new quest in the home audio world :)

-
nieveulv
yashu
195 posts
 
Thiels are extremely analytical. Don't touch em!

Proac, Dynaudio are much closer to your requirements and description. For years I had Proac response 2.5, which were just replaced by Dynaudio c1 signatures. Both are very musical, and you can listen for hours without fatigue.

Started with Thiel 2.3, and they could never be tamed. Couldn't even listen to half of my cd collection. Way too harsh.
bhobba's avatar
bhobba
303 posts
 
Of the speakers you mention I would go for the Rockports.

The amps I favor are Arions:
http://www.arionaudio.com/n_enter.html

Don't like Krell stuff personally - but the Arions are the best SS amps I have ever heard - even better than much more expensive Mac 501's.

For DAC's I like the new Chord QuteHD:
http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/products-info.asp?id=78

But do get an upgraded power supply:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MCRU-FULLY-REGULATED-LINEAR-POWER-SUPPLY-C-W-Chord-QuteHD-USB-DAC-/350591199458

Thanks
Bill
rll7x9
11 posts
 
I really like the Sonus faber cremona m, heard them at a local shop and I was very impressed. You might want to check some of the internet direct companies that deal internationally out there for some of the components might open up you selections a bit and make your budget stretch a bit further.

As far as amps and DACs i think it will really depend on what type of sound you are going for: warm musical (usually something tubed) (Warm with lower noise floor for better imaging) Class A or A/B amp, (neutral dead silent noise floor) Class D. I personally like the dead silent noise floor and neutrality of class D, or warmness of tubes depending on the mood I am in. I would go with something from Van Alstine Ultravalve www.avahifi.com, I think he ships internationally or maybe the d-sonic m2-600m mono blocks 975 a piece from www.d-sonic.net. DACs are tough but there are so many good ones out there I love the stuff from empyrical audio, the overdrive SE is the best DAc I have ever heard but might be out of your price range www.empyricalaudio.com. There are a bunch of other speaker designers out there that deal internet direct check out salksound.com or vaporsound.com for more good stuff. I know vapor ships internationally for sure, and I pretty sure salk does too, I own Vapor audio's cirrus and I will take these things to the grave with me, I have yet to hear anything better at many many audio shows. Sorry for the long post, hope it helps out a little bit.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,236 posts
 
Nieveulv,
If limited to the choices on your list and given your stated sonic/musical objectives. I would make an effort to hear the Rockport.The amplifier you choose must mate well with the speaker,you can`t seperate the two,they work as a team.
Regards,
peterayer
1,382 posts
 
When you write that it is hard to audition equipment, do you mean there are no dealers? If that is the case, I guess you can try to do your best research. But if there is a dealer anywhere near you, go there first. Even if you don't buy anything from him in the end, you will learn something. Also try to find some audiophiles who live near you and listen first hand to systems. That will get you started.
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