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Best upgradable system components for under $6K

Hello All,

I plan on upgrading my system with components that I can live with in the short term and the long term (hopefully so I don't have to keep upgrading components as I upgrade my speakers).

I currently have an NAD 356BEE integrated and while it is entry level I must admit it sounds very nice. My room is 14'8" by 20'4" and I currently have a pair of Legacy Classics (not Classic HD). My goal is to make my next big purchase on components in the $6k or less range but I would like to make it a once and for all purchase. In other words I'm looking for something I can live with for 15-20 years without worrying about upgrading.

I would prefer to stay solid state and don't mind having an integrated or pairing separates. New or used also doesn't matter as long as it is a great bang for the bucks. My ultimate goal is to one day be driving a pair of Acoustic Zen Crescendo or Vandersteen Quattro speakers. A 200wpc + consideration would be preferred but I’m flexible on that too lol.

Finally my music selection is a bit diverse. I like jazz, soft rock and new age. Some of my favorites are Dave Matthews, John Mayer, the Wallflowers and John Tesh. I value your opinions highly and would love the community's input on the best component upgrades for my $6k budget.
xerotrace

Showing 6 responses by xerotrace

xerotrace OP
30 posts
 
Thank you all for the feedback so far.

ZD542: great option with the Ayre combo. It looks like new the pair is around $8.5k so I bet I can find the set used closer to my $6k budget.

Illuminator: I have not heard of Moon amps pre-amps. Do you know how they compare to Ayre, for example?
xerotrace OP
30 posts
 
Thank you everyone for you input. I think I need to do some auditioning with the Vandys to see how they sound to my ears. The Ayre sounds like a leading contender with my speaker choice so I will certainly give those a listen.
xerotrace OP
30 posts
 
Thanks again for all the feedback. In researching my options I stumbled upon some reviews of Class D amps. I know NAD makes one that is pretty reasonably priced (around $3K new) as do some other manufacturers. I think the technology is still new (from what I can gather) but should this be a consideration for me? Would it be a problem to match a Class D amp with the Class B amp that is built into the Vandy Quatro's?

What are the advantages of the different class amps? Do I need to have a different class amp for a speaker that is completely passive (like the AZ Crescendos) vs. a speaker that is partially passive (like the Vandy's)?
xerotrace OP
30 posts
 
Great points!

Roscoeiii: what is a DSP? How does it replace a pre-amp and a DAC? That sounds like a very interesting option...

Zd: that makes a lot of sense. I think the speakers will be my main focus. So with that in mind do I need to make sure the amp is a class B (if I do go with the Quatros to match the built in amp)? Sorry I might be reading too much into this. Also what has been he best DAC that you have seen to work with Vandersteen in your opinion?
xerotrace OP
30 posts
 
Zd: thanks for the recommendations I will definitely audition them. What do you recommend as far as DACs that would fit well with the Vandys? Does the Ayre DAC fit that bill? Based on what I am hearing I think I will need to raise my budget.
xerotrace OP
30 posts
 
Thanks so much for this great feedback- I have a LOT to consider. A couple clarifications: right now to my ears my Legacy's are very nice but I think I'm running flat on the component side of my system (the good news is because of my limited experience I don't think I know any better so I'm not disappointed yet lol).

My thought was to beef up my components to get the most out of my Legacy's using equipment that will also be a great match for my next set of speakers. The $6K budget would only be for components. Down the line I want to allocate about $10K for a GREAT set of speakers (possibly the Vandy's or the AZ Cresendos as those are the two that seem to have the best reviews from the research I've done in the $10-15K price range). I run most of my music from my Laptop using a NAD 1050 DAC so that might also have to be a consideration as well. I honestly don't know how much focus to put on the DAC...

Like ZD put it I do want to do it right the first time with minimal "Swapping" so to speak so if I spend $10K over the course of 2 years I would rather do that than spend $6K now and have to swap out things again to get the RIGHT system. My goal is to have the right setup (speakers included) within 3 years at a budget of around $16K total.
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