Heck, you are retired...so get out and go to some audio shows where you can see and compare a lot of gear in one place and then begin to develop a feel for the type of sound you will enjoy most in your home audio system with the types of music you listen to. There are many excellent systems posted on this site that achieve their qualities differently based on the preferences of the owner.
Price point is not as much a differentiator as achieving the sonic qualities you value most. Choices are many such as large SS amps and dynamic speakers, horns with lower-powered amps, single driver speakers, many varieties of tubed amps and preamps, digital vs. analog, and more. You need to develop a feel for what sonic qualities you value most and then consider gear that will get you there. How do you want to interface with your music...through a computer, vinyl, CD, or a combination. Don't neglect thinking about things like ergonomics such as large or small, easy or fidgety, warm-up time or leave it on all the time, and heat generated. Go to some shows, check out some gear, ask some questions here and have fun. |
Since you are now retired and presumably have some free time get out and start listening! Where are you located? Any good dealers or Audio Shows in your area? Consider you're basically starting with a blank sheet of paper so go slow take your time listen and if you can do it right the first time. And + 10000 to what kalali says it is a system and it takes some care or expert advice or trial and error or all three to get that right! Good luck and happy retired listening!
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My humble advice is don't approach your acquisitions as a component by component and look for the best in each category. Approach it as a "system " from the get go and then buy the components either gradually or all at the same time according to your budget. One word of caution I have for you is most "expensive " components will sound excellent to you when compared to your old system but be patient and decide on the total system before buying the first component. Good luck. |
Out of the black hole into the worm hole? 😳 |
Welcome to the site amg56.
Enjoy the journey and don't be in any hurry to make a purchase.
You got some good advise from individuals that posted above.
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Amg56 - nice car. Be careful not to overspend. An unscrupulous dealer can see you coming a mile away. You do not need to blow 6 figures on this. You need more records! |
Thank you freediver. I assume you are what your avatar represents. I tried until my ears blew. That was the end of that and scuba. It doesn't omen well for an accurate assessment of each HiFi element. No wonder my 70's gear still sounds the same. crud..... |
You might want to spend time going through the Virtual Systems by room size and get an idea how we here on Audiogon have set up different rooms/systems... |
Welcome! amg56
Best advice is to visit dealers/retailers and listen, listen, listen to the gear. There is no substitute for your own ears. Enjoy the audio journey. Happy Listening! |
Thank you all so far. I have been browsing the various posts and note that all (most) really know what the equipment specifications are. I also note that there is a lot of bagging happening (friendly I hope). This does not help a person such a myself (HiFi ignorant, well not too ignorant...) get an opinion of elements making up a system. I cannot believe the mounds of metal that disguise turntables. I have browed dozens of floor mounted speakers each 2m but range from a couple of thousand to... well I need to be a movie star or own an oil well to consider one for my study let alone a humble dedicated music room. I guess music is personal as my 70's system has been to me. A small/medium upgrade will seem like a transformism, or crud.
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@amg56...btw, welcome to the 'Gon, and congrats on your retirement. With that much money available, and a new house to be built, I would pay attention to the room build, for example : reinforced walls, floor and ceiling, dedicated electrical, and room acoustics. |
@amg56.....you are speaking of the Lightspeed Attenuator, by George, who goes by the name here of georgehifi. |
Get out and listen to as much gear as you can. What else are you to do while you wait for your house to be built? Congratulations on the retirement!
Even though you can afford a $100k rig, you might find that $20 or even $15k worth of gear is just as good to your ears. The systems that receive BOS awards are often near the $20k range. If I had a $100k budget, I'd spend a few $000 in road trips to demo as much as I can. You have the time and the scratch, you don't need advice here. Listen for yourself.
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Ok, thanks freediver. That's a heap to consider. We are building a new house with one room (about 5m x 5m x 2.4m) for my music room. I can have free reign as far as sound proofing and preparing for the new equipment. I have 400 records and a turntable, albeit old, a JVC Quartz Lock direct drive, so a phono stage is a yes. The rest, I haven't a clue. I suspect I will be budgeting between $50k to $100k for a decent system but I am still trying to absorb as must information as I can. I have heard that Ayre preamps are good, but expensive unless one is available second hand. Streaming, yes, I have a NAS with 10,000 tracks on it that I listen via a PC and DAC/Senn HD800 phones. The big stuff is something I need to get my head around.! |
We are in a Golden Age of affordable gear so NO you don’t need to spend big bucks to have great sound...
But we do need to know several things besides budget.What types of music do you listen to mostly,how big is the room and how loud do you listen..What is the rooms acoustic signature,lively/bright(lots of reflective surfaces),highly damped(lots of stuffed furniture,heavy drapes,thick carpet)or something in between?Do you need a Phono stage?Can the speakers be pulled out from walls and boundries or need to be close to walls?Do you want floorstanding towers or stand mount Monitor style speakers
Off the top of my head with no other intel I say a Streaming Based system with an all Tube Control Center/Amplifier like my Quad AV-One and the best speakers you can afford...All in 1 box solutions have surpassed the need for separate preamps and amps with manufacturers like Ayre,McIntosh,Mark Levinson and other heavy hitters supporting the consolidation... |
There are plenty of affordable hifi components on the market from several manufacturers. I am not familiar with the one you mentioned but I think an enjoyable system can be assembled with a reasonable (meaning not astronomical) budget.
What do you have now, what are you hoping to achieve, and how much are you willing to spend? |
