Spend the 100k for a dedicated music space in your new downsized house and listen to the fine equipment you already have. It will be a much wiser and more beneficial plan long term.
Help me spend $100,000 on a new system
I’ve recently been considering moving and downsizing my home. While exploring how much I might sell my house and land for, I was shocked that I might have an excess of $100,000 after selling and buying a smaller new home with less acreage. I’m 71 years old and can’t take it with me, so I’m trying to figure out how to spend that potential resource.
One possibility would be to purchase a new stereo system with all that cash. I would like to demo a system costing that much to see what sound quality you could get for a stupendous amount like that. But I don’t have any idea what brand/model components to look at. Perhaps you could suggest components you might consider if you were setting up a system at that price point. Also how would you budget the total amount per component including wiring.
I am not interested in adding streaming or anything else I might not already have to the system. I would be open to buying separates to replace any single component such as the integrated amplifier. Maybe a separate DAC, phono stage, preamp etc. Please tell me what you would do.
Following are the components I already have to upgrade. My system consists of Magico A3 speakers, a Luxman 507uX MK2 integrated amp, a Marantz Ruby KI CD/SACD player, A VPI Classic 2 turntable with a Fatboy tonearm and a Lyra Kleos cartridge. Wiring consists of Audioquest Rocket 88 speaker cables, and VPI house brand wires that connect to the tonearm. I forget the brands of the other wires and cables, but they are of similar quality to the above.
I also have a Shunyata Hydra Denali 4000 power conditioner with a Venom power cord (I think) that I will continue to use without upgrading.
I would welcome any of your suggestions and utilize them next time I go up to Washington DC to visit dealer showrooms for demos. Thank you much.
It does sound weird to consider spending that much on a system costing over three times what I paid for my first home, so I hope I’m not sounding uppity here.
Mike
162 responses Add your response
Of course you haven't shared your entire financial situation with us and maybe there is a lot more we don't know. But your home is a capital investment. I fund my audio purchase out of my monthly operation and maintenance budget. If I moved capital around and found an extra $100k, it would remain in my capital balance sheet and get invested. You have a very nice system. It would be very easy to buy $100k of equipment, especially if you go on the advice of stereophile or an internet forum, and have a worse sounding system. Jerry |
Mike congratulations on your new venture. Sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun. Although I don't know what your sound preferences are I won't try to suggest what components or speakers you should get especially not knowing what your new room will be like however seeing how you already own a Lyra Kleos let me suggest instead of up grading to a Lyra Lambda version as mentioned by Atomic you really should consider adding a Bobs Devices Sky 30 step up transformer between your cartridge and phono stage. You will get more of everything you like about the Kleos already plus added dynamics, soundstage and a quieter background due to being able to reduce the gain on your phone stage which I found increases the instrument separation and micro detail and timbre. Definitely worth considering for a mere $1200 or so. The Sky 30 version was recommended to me by Bob himself to be set on the 30 setting. It also has the option of setting it to 15. Another improvement I found with the Lyra was to set up the cartridge with a Mint LP protractor and a USB microscope. It takes some work to get it perfectly aligned on the Mint but the results are worth it. Lyra's benefit from the tiniest adjustments to get them perfect. I also use a fozgometer and test record to get the azimuth perfect. That results in great channel balance, soundstage and center imaging. Good luck on your new venture and remember to have fun with it! |
I highly recommend getting rid of the cumbersome CDs when streaming is much easier and with good cables linear power supply and Highly recommended T+A 200 dac - preamp - just read the reviews ,that is my next dac I will be buying soon. At $7200 retail betters other digital at 2x+ its price just investigate QObuz as your library of millions of titles , and buy a Innuos streamer with Solid state hard drive , No you are not too old I showed 2 guys in our audio club both over 75 , and they are now controlling their music collection from a Tablet like a iPad or droid it is so much easier and sounds superior buy a large amount vs the digital setup you currently have , I speak by experience ,I am 65 owned a Audio store for a decade and system synergies have been my forte , your sources is just as important as your speakers for that is where all your music starts if lacking in any way ,it cannot be improved upon down stream . |
Wise post! Especially if we add the fact that we must learn about system embeddings before spending as much money anyway ... And in the actual context of insane and toxic geopolitics climate this money will be best used for other means ... Add the BACCH filters to your actual system and go with the advice of jacobsdad2000..
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Find the house with the right room first and get the electrical done right. Set up your existing gear and hire an expert to treat and design the room. Now look at incremental improvements on a system that is already quite good. But in the meantime, upgrade the speaker cables yesterday. After quite a few trials, Acoustic Zen delivered the goods for me, but there are lots of choices. I like the idea of OCC, it makes some sense. And definitely don’t write off streaming, it’s awesome. |
OP, a great problem to have! As others have mentioned, I'd start with a dedicated room...pay attention to room dimensions, Greek golden method will get you in the ballpark. A badly designed room can ruin any great equipment purchases. Pull at least a couple of dedicated lines for the room, at least one for signal components, and one for power amplification. Use audiophile receptacles (Furutech GTX-D(G or R...gold or rhodium) or Oyaide R1. I'd recommend that you NOT run an amp through the conditioner, IMO it should be plugged directly into the receptacles. There is some great information here to use. The best use for $1,500 to $2,000 you can make. Reach out to Mike Major or John Dykstra at GIK Acoustics for room treatment ideas. They can help all of the way from design ideas to product choice, to placement, etc. Make sure that proper speaker placement is taken into consideration first and foremost, then equipment placement. Choose what pieces you already own will work in the new environment, and which ones will need to be replaced. You're getting great recommendations: maybe the turntable, power conditioner, and speakers are good enough already? Have fun! |
Your equipment is already very good but I would definitely upgrade to separates, preamp and amp, my suggestion would be the Simaudio 861 amp and the 850p preamp, also you could upgrade all the wiring to the NeoTech rectangular OCC wire which is far superior to anything OFC and even better than the round OCC, other than that everything else you can keep. |
Your equipment is already very good but I would definitely upgrade to separates, preamp and amp, my suggestion would be the Simaudio 861 amp and the 850p preamp, also you could upgrade all the wiring to the NeoTech rectangular OCC wire which is far superior to anything OFC and even better than the round OCC, other than that everything else you can keep. |
If I was in your situation I'd take a year off and demo/listen/research at dealer(s) letting them know what your plans are. AND, during this 1 year invest that $100000 in a GIC. If it's locked away, your forced to take a year and really figure out where you want to spend. The interest alone would pay for a trip to an Audio show of your choice or room treatments. Plus, you already have a kick ass system to listen to in your new room. Once the new room is treated you may find that is the improvement you've been looking for. |
Congratulations! This is a fun opportunity. My take on this is that you are the most eligible candidate I have ever seen to go to an Audio Show. That is the only way you can see and hear a broad range of equipment without visiting a dozen or more showrooms. AXPONA (Chicago) happens April 12th through the 14th and they are giving a discount to early ticket buyers. I recommend going for the Gold Pass where you get access to a special lounge where you can rest and meet other well heeled audiophiles. I met my bestie audio buddy at the 2018 AXPONA and I ended up buying my beloved Thiel speakers from him. I hate to tell you this but $100K is really not that much money when it comes to buying a new audio system. You could blow that on cables and power conditioning. You will see dozens of speakers that will cost most or all of your upgrade budget so you will have to be careful and strategic in getting the most for your buck. I'm also going to make a few general gear recommendations based on my direct experience. I'm going to assume that you will have a pretty good idea about your room before you start buying new gear. 1. Focus on the speakers first. If you find a pair of speakers that you really like then you can decide on the amplification. Your current integrated amp is no slouch. However, if you fall in love with a pair of high sensitivity horn speakers then you would likely want to go with a lower wattage amp (tubes probably) that would be a good match for them. Conversely, if you decide on a pair of low sensitivity speakers with a difficult impedance curve then you will want a beefy amp to drive them. 2. Regarding digital gear, I have a KI Ruby SACD player, Berkeley Reference 2 MQA DAC, a Tubadour IV DAC, and a Jay's audio CD3 MK3 transport. I'm going to be honest and tell you that there isn't a lot of difference between the Jay's/Berkeley combo and the KI Ruby. I think most audiophiles would have difficulty identifying them in a blind test. If I were in your position I would focus on the speakers and amplification and keep your Marantz player unless you really desire a separate transport and DAC. BTW, I absolutely love my Jay's Audio transport and Berkeley DAC - they are beautiful pieces of gear and a joy to operate. I don't care if they don't blow away my KI Ruby in sound quality. They are fun to own. 3. Once you have become familiar with what's available you will be in a much better position to explore the option of buying used gear. This is the golden age for high end used audio and you can make your budget go a lot farther. There are so may choices that it takes some diligence but it's worth the reward. I am 68, retired, and in the position that I could spend a fair bit of cash upgrading my system. I am running Thiel CS6 speakers, Krell KSA 300S amp, and a KRC-2 preamp. My core system is late 90's vintage; about 25 years old. I've been to three audio shows and I have come to the conclusion that it's going to cost me a whopping expenditure to better my system. Most of the systems I have heard sound fine but they aren't better than what I have. In several cases I have heard six-figure systems that clearly weren't as good as mine. I've heard several where the cables and power conditioners cost more than my entire system and they didn't impress me. A few have stood out, particularly MBL 101 E MKII speakers, but they are $80K. I could afford them if I really wanted them but I just can't justify spending the money. As one geezer to another - have fun and don't be in a hurry. The process can be a lot of fun. |
When it comes to conventional NFL wisdom, it's easier to get worse than it is to get better when you change quarterbacks. So, with that in mind, I'd keep your current system and see how it sounds in your new home. If it sounds better, then problem solved. If it's the same or worse, then I'd jump on the upgrade train; but, I'd start slow with things like cable upgrades or upgrading the component that you consider to be the weakest link. My most recent upgrade involved adding a CD transport that outputs I2S, and my return on investment was huge! I'm with you when it comes to avoiding a streamer, as I've experienced enough format changes in my lifetime (vinyl to tape to CD to HDCD to SACD). |
Transducers are the magical devices that change one kind of energy to another…. in your case the two most important are the phono cartridge and speakers. I was hinting at a Lyra Etna… or better… For speakers as Patrick said, i advise an unfair advantage when speaker designer build a purpose built amplifier / amplifier ecosystem : in your budget the Vandersteen Quattro CT / M5 high pass amplifiers…. but like i said, lots of choices out there…. You got great advice on HRS isolation…… |
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+1 @carlsbad2 Very wise. My audio purchases in no way affect investments or impact any thinking on that front. The only way to fly. Best advice is seen above several times. Get all your property movements completed. Hook up the gear you have. Treat the room. Then and only then figure out what may need to be upgraded after the dust has settled. Regards, barts
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@mitchagain , I am also a member of that club. |
Hi Mike: I'm presently working on prototype audio cabinets as I've started a bespoke furniture company after 40 years in insurance. I've been making fine furniture for over 33 years. My firm's initial niche is for those wanting beautiful furniture that accommodates the need for air flow from components, incorporating the client's desired isolation devices [as appropriate] while housing an audiophile system for the "living room". Others have mentioned downsizing to me as I've explored such a need and there may be times where a change in one's abode deletes the [previous] primary listening area in a "man cave".
Reach out to me if you are in such circumstances and would like to explore options.
Steven Harrison Madrone Timbre Woodworks steven@madronetimbre.com |
I will throw in a further two cents. I would keep your Magicos if you like them. If you’re downsizing your house, you may not benefit from a larger speaker in a smaller room. Much as you like your Luxman, I think you could improve your electronics. At the Capital Audio Fest, the Command Performance room featured the new Gryphon integrated amp running your speakers, and the sound was glorious. The Gryphon has more oomph than your Luxman. Your location is great in that you can easily visit Command Performance in Falls Church, and can directly compare the Gryphon vs the Luxman on the A3’s in the store, as they are a dealer for all. I’d give Jeff a call there. They also carry Doshi, so if you wanted to compare top tube equipment, you can do so. The second recommendation would be to look at power management. Command Performance carries Audioquest, and investing in one of their Niagara systems with new power cords might be worthwhile. As you like Audioquest (I have the Gibraltar with DBS speaker cable myself), you might up your game there in both speaker cable and interconnects. Finally, I agree that you should check out streaming. It’s been a game changer for me. Aurender makes streamer/Dac combos that are really great with an easy to use software control on an iPad. Command Performance is a dealer there, too.
The above changes could be $50-60K, allowing you to use the rest for a number of Wagyu beef dinners with great wine. Jeff could also consult with you regarding your room. Good luck! (Jeff is the owner) |
I think the biggest return on additional investment will come from getting speakers with an entirely different approach to sound presentation, like an omnidirectional speaker or dipole, but only if your new residence accomodates such a speaker. You need something like an 18' x 30' room, with a solid wall for balanced reflection. Then, I would look at German Physiks Borderland IV, about a third of your budget. Your existing amp will drive it but if you want to really go for it, try a pair of McIntosh MC-3500/II monoblocks. People here love the Atma-Sphere MP 3.3 preamp. Does anyone need more than a Technics 1210GR? |
i don't really get all the folks tsk-tsking and discouraging you from spending your own hundred grand. that said, if the objective is to improve your system (as opposed to merely wanting to purchase new gear for its own sake), i'm with the fix-the-room-first crowd--you'll get much more significant improvement from sound treatments etc. than from, say, upgrading your turntable. after that, i would also advise getting a high end dac and a streamer (either separates or a combo). you might also explore adding a sub to your magicos--even though the magicos extend very low you might hear a more dynamic, spacious presentation--worth a trial. |
yysantabarbara- thank you for your suggestions. I’ll look up each of them. Inna, nice to hear from you again. I’m not sure what I plan to do yet. But I would like to listen to a system at a show or dealer showroom that would add up to approximately $100,000 in equipment and hear what it sounds like. That’s an awful lot of money to spend. Since the law of diminishing returns applies to stereo equipment as you spend more, I’d like to hear what I could expect get with with that large a sum. I had planned to keep my current set up permanently. But this is essentially found money so I can spend it freely if I think the sound is that much better. Maybe it won’t be significantly better at that price point, who knows? I don’t have any experience with tubes so probably will stick with SS. I also need to figure out how to allocate the funds. I used percentage of funds per component suggested by PS Audio’s founder last time around. joeyv- i do like doing research so it will be fun, not a headache to do so. Maybe one or more of my current components could make the cut into a $100,000 system, but I’m guessing not. I could be easily wrong though, having never listened to any equipment in that price range. mdalton, sorry I missed the Capitol Audio Show such a short time ago. I will look up the equipment you mentioned and hopefully find that same room at whatever show I do get to go to. yoyoyaya, I’ll check out the Esoteric CD player you suggest. Any specific turntables or cables that might fight my budget? ronboco, the Gryphon Diablo 300 has had some good reviews and might be a good choice. Knowing my bottom line, how much do you think I should budget for a new amp. asvjerry, I’ll do my be to spend the money the taxman leaves wisely. deep_333, you could very well be right about $100,000 of equipment not sounding much better. I’d like to take a listen though to some suggested components and determine that for myself, hence this thread. I heard a very nice system, better than mine, at the house of the dealer who set up my new VPI Fatboy tonearm and Lyra Kleos cartridge, but have no idea how much that system cost. brewerslaw, thanks for the produdt brand suggestions. kerrybh, I will check out the Magico S5 you suggested and the DAC you like. Thank you for addressing my6 initial questions directly. I appreciate that. retiredfarmer, our outlook is similar and appreciated.. The family will get all the equipment, house, and everything else when I go, so why not reap the benefits of a lifetime of hard work myself first. I will check out your suggestions too. Thanks. jomonhifi, I just got back from Florida visiting family Monday. Next visit there it wouldn’t be too hard to go a little farther south to Miami. Thanks for the suggestion. mahgister- appreciate the need to study up and thoroughly plan. Appreciate your suggestions. At this point I’m only trying to gat a ballpark idea of what this kind of money can by to determine if it’s worth pursuing. Next up is doing the things you suggest all of which sound quite reasonable. overthemoon, thanks for your specific suggestions. pennfootball71- thank you for addressing my initial question exactly with definite suggestions to check out. I do appreciate that and will look into each component. curiousjim. Will do hilde45, I’ll look up Audio Note as you suggest. Thank you all again for your input. Hope i addressed everyone. Mike |
Let me suggest an audio system that is tried and true and will give you amazing realism and involvement! Vivid Audio Giya G3s2 - $43,000; Audionet WATT integrated amplifier with built-in phono stage - $21,100; Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC - $13,500; Kubala-Sosna Sensation Cables (spkr, IC) - aprox $14,900; Kubala-Sosna Emotion S/PDIF cable - aprox $1,800: Total cost - $94,300. Continue to use your Marantz CD/SACD player for playing SACDs and run a digital cable out to the new DAC for standard CD. Continue to use your existing VPI turntable. The total cost gives you extra money if any of the cables need to be longer than standard cables (2.5 m for spkr cable, 1.0 m for IC and Digital cable) and if you want to get upgraded power cables (2.0m Sensation is $2,350 each). This is a system that will keep you excited to listen to everyday!
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ddgtt, thanks for your equipment suggestions. I will look into each. Do you really think the current VPI Classic 2 turntable will cut the mustard in a hundred thousand dollar system? When I was asking advice about getting my current Kleos Lyra cartridge a lot of folks criticized the VPI Classics. I still like it in my current system, but I’m hardly an expert in this type of thing, just a partially educated consumer. Thanks, Mike. |
@curiousjim A5 had light bass still it won’t be a big improvement |
If you are advertising spending $100k there is a good chance there are a few dealers or other high end industry affiliated folks around here licking their chops and offering “unbiased” advice. So be aware of that. Also the people advising to not change anything until you know what you have in a new house and room are absolutely correct. You can’t know how anything will in fact sound there until you are there and listening. Anything is possible including ending up with your dream system for a lot less. Make one change at a time and the room and it’s acoustics will likely be a big one up front that does not change again. |
My suggestion is "hang onto those cables." Cables are the least bang for buck and tend to be system-specific. Make any new cables show their superiority in your new system at your convenience. IMO As for the room, there was a feature about 4 years ago in Absolute Sound or Stereophile on construction technique, which I mostly followed. Also, dimensions matter, down to the fraction of an inch. There's all kinds of snake oil about dimensions from the usual suspects, very definitely including equipment manufacturers. But the real deal has ben done by the famous acoustician Cox, at the University of Salford (UK). His results are available there - basically, he says that 80% of rooms are bad, 18% are OK, and 2% are good. I built according to his specs, and the results are excellent. I now have the best room I've ever heard. Good luck. YMMV |
mapman, I fortunately know how to build, having built my current 3000 square foot home myself, and should be able to buy a house that will either suit any equipment I might demo and really like, or can be modified to do so. That’s kind of backwards from buying equipment to suit a given room, but fortunately easy pickings having some carpentry skills. At this point I’m really only wanting to hear what $100.000 can buy and sound like. I could head in a completely different direction, as I am happy with my current system and home, albeit it's way bigger than I need with my wife having passed, and ten acres is a lot to keep up anymore, making me consider downsizing. terry9, I’d especially like to read that Absolute Sound article on room construction. If anyone knows what issue of Absolute Sound it was in that would helpful. Ron, thanks for your recommendation on your Rockport Avoirs. I’ll look into them. Mike |
It’s probably a fair assumption that anything reputable you buy for that money should be very good, in which case the end results will be determined largely by personal preferences (everyone is different here) and how well executed the system is end-to-end, including room, no matter what path is chosen. Main thing is to enjoy what you are doing at all times, both along teh ride and once you reach the destination. Were it me making that investment, I would be probably be seeking to have a large room that would be amenable to a nice pair of mbl omnis and go from there. In lieu of just the right room needed for best results from full omnis like the mbl, I’d probably either stick with my large Ohms, or might consider splurging on a pair of KEF meta blade 1 or 2s. I might even settle for a pair of KEF Reference 3 meta for ~ $15K and optimize for those upstream. This is actually something currently on my radar screen, but so far I can’t justify the additional investment and overhead of another pair of fairly large and heavy speakers. I’ve actually downsized in recent years and when I compare what I have to that ideal, I find I am in a very good place for a lot less cost and operational overhead. Cheers and good luck! |
skysraper, there really are almost infinite possibilities, and $100k can buy truly excellent sound. Choose your speakers first, something that you wouldn’t want to replace for the next 20 years. Take your time with that. The rest will be easier if not easy. I would probably audition $25k-$40k new speakers with good SS amplification. This is quite a range, I know. The brand you get should have a high reputation in terms of warranty and repair work after the warranty expires. You don’t want any problems with this. I would buy all the cables demo or used unless you must have something particular that is impossible to find. Great cables and cords are usually outrageously overpriced. Frankly, I don’t know what I myself would choose at this level, the biggest challenge would be to find those near perfect speakers for many years to come. |
Lot’s of great advice here, including maybe save half for a rainy day or an impromptu adventure. This is not good advice, IMHO.
It may be someone’s favorite cart but it can be beat for the same money, never mind 10-20K. (Not a Hana hater - I enjoyed the $1200 Hana ML for a year or so and sold it for $700) and neither is this...
Your current VPI/Lyra is likely equal or better. My dealer who sells Million dollar systems and sells Rega and Clearaudio would not let me buy the in-stock P10. He told me to wait a few weeks and get a ClearAudio for $2500 less, which I did. Conversely, the Technics SL-1000RE at $20K is likely one of the best in that proposed price range that eclipses the P10 and my CA, (Just one example) Also, be open to tube and SS amplification. I made the mistake of being stuck on tubes and bought speakers that didn't play well with a $17K tube amp. A $12K SS integrated made the speakers work as they should. Synergy is key, and my mistakes were expensive. |
Thx @laoman I decided to stop at 2 fairytales |
Hi Mike, What an exciting project! Since you already have an elaborate system, I assume you have a good understanding of the kind of sound you like for the kind of music you listen to. Perhaps you could triangulate from the sound of your current system. If you could imagine your system doing something different or sounding a different way, how would you like to improve it? How would you describe what it is not doing that you would like to do? How do you imagine improving its sound in concept? |
ronres, it’s hard to state conceptually what I’d like to accomplish. What I can do is listen to some of the higher priced equipment some of you are suggesting and then figure out how and why it is sounding better or not. then figure out if the improvement in sound is worth the financial outlay. I haven’t heard a lot of higher end systems, but do know some sound more three dimensional, almost in person live and that’s a direction to move towards. Dealing with room size, design and acoustics will push me in that direction as well as buying better recorded CD’s and records. Thanks for your thoughtful reply. bobby phischer, I’ll look into the brands you recommend. I did start my audi0phile journey with JBL speakers, their original (now reissued) Century 100’s if I’m remembering the model correctly laoman, I’ll look up the Parasound JC3 phono stage you recommend. Thanks. macg19. I’ll definitely pursue synergistic equipment as a number of you have suggested, and can hopefully avoid expensive mistakes by asking advice and careful research. inna, some more excellent advice from you, thanks. I usually avoid used, but it’s hard to imagine how cables could be misused, so probably a safe bet there outside of possibly getting fakes. $25 -$40,00 sounds like a pretty good price range for speakers to demo. I agree with your idea of seeking brand names with a good track record, especially thosr that have been around a while, and not too esoteric. mapman, I’ll look up those MBL Omnis, as well as the KEF’s and Ohms you mentioned. Thanks terry9, I love DIY, but am afraid of getting in over my head with audio gear, and auto mechanics for that matter. I wish they taught those subjects when I was school age. I will hang onto to those cables as you suggested earlier. crustycool, I’ll check ino omnidirectional and dipole speakers as you suggest. Any particular models you might recommend looking into? I would like a bigger room next time than my current 14 x 28 with 12/12 pitch cathedral ceilings, so yours is a good idea in that regard. loomisjohnson, at 71 I’m also not into the saving for the future approach either, or avoiding risk taking. At age 71 the future is now, so why not go for it. A high end DAC sounds like a good idea. Any suggestions in that regard. Again, thanks all for every ones replies, Mike
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Mike, to clarify, laoman wasn't recommending the Parasound JC3 phono stage, quite the opposite. Personally, I use the Goldnote PH10 with their PSU 10 linear power supply which I think is very good for around $3K and will run pretty much any MC/MM cart. It has balanced XLR outputs which I was only recently able to utilize with my new BAT VK 3500 and the difference between RCA and XLR was significant (I a/b tested exactly the same brand/model of cable in both RCA and XLR).
FWIW I have been told by several high-end audio dealers that I would have to spend roughly double to beat the Goldnote. Others here may have a different opinion of course. |
@mahgister I always enjoy your posts and find them insightful. @skyscraper Congrats. It is hard for others to build your system because it depends on the type of sound you like and the music you listen to. Big money can be spent on a system that does not pair well with your music style or taste for sound profile. There is great advice in this thread. I would spend some on improving your room both the acoustics and just to make it a place you really enjoy being. I am fighting my room right now even though I have spent a good bit of money on components. My next spend will be on room treatment. Plus, for me, part of the enjoyment is being in a clean, comforting, relaxing space. I would not start from scratch, but swap out a few things. I would also hold some money back for upgrades down the road to improve the sound or mix it up. I also encourage you to try streaming. It opens up such a vast amount of new tracks, again, part of the fun at least for me. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. |
@skyscraper , if I had the financial where with all, this would be my goal also. As it is, I know my limitations, and for that reason have never tried to listen to anything that I knew I couldn't have. I am not saying that logic is good for everyone, but I know myself, so I know that hearing something that was approaching The Holy Grail would not be good for me. Earlier in this thread I alluded to a work friend of mine who, going on 30 years ago, bought a pair of Cary 805s and some other gear. I never went over to his place to listen to the system that he bought because I felt the need to be happy with what I had at the time. But what he was always telling me was that "It is like being there." And that is what I have always heard about the SET stuff, particularly the higher powered SET stuff, and for that reason, if I could afford to buy it, I think I would want to find a way to hear it in action. On another note, getting into the later '90s, after I had made a few equipment upgrades, I bought some NOS tubes to retube the new stuff with from Andy at Vintage Tubes. In the course of a few conversations via telephone, we wound up discussing gear. I remember him speaking almost orgasmically about what 200 watts of pure class A push pull power sounded like. I remember him using the term "liquid fire" somewhere in that conversation. Tht would also be something I would like to hear if I could afford to buy it. |
Hey, You have really nice components. I would upgrade a couple of things like your speaker cables. I like Cardas, but try before you buy. Make sure your cartridge is setup correctly in the VPI. I would go with a tube preamp like a VAC or an Audio Research Ref 6se. Make sure it is SE version. It will work better with SS amp. You can use the amp in your Luxman integrated or go to the Luxman M10X amp. The most important thing before you swap any equipment in your new place is treat the room. Probably $20k or less. Acoustic Fields. This will make a Bluetooth speaker sound amazing. Maybe, just maybe the room treatments are all you need. I am not a fan of Mark Levinson preamps. They convert all to digital even the phono. Total of everything above is about $80k. Maybe you get a couple subs and have them setup properly in the room. The best thing about the system above is you can listen at very low volume with full dynamics. I have Ref 2se with a Luxman M10X and Revel Studio2 speakers and two JL Audio F110 subs with the external JL Audio CR1 crossover. I can listen to my system on volume 1 out of 100. At 5 out of 100 I have full range of sound. My speakers are not efficient. Maybe 86db at 3.78 ohms. Similar to your speakers. I hope this helps. |
OP - I’m a few years older than you but did something similar in one way but possibly different from what you’re planning in another. First off, I sold all of my “big dedicated room expensive stuff” including my turntable. Not because I didn’t like it or had the money to do even more, but because I enjoy and now have plenty of time exploring something new and different in audio. I then set up a smaller, dedicated listening area where I do nothing but stream. Quite frankly I finally just got tired of the ritual of playing records. Plus I’ve found that digital these days is pretty darn good and considering your loss of hearing as you age, is more than good enough at this point in life. Also after listening to (and playing) music for more than 60 years, I’m learning so much more about music then I ever had the time or ability to devote to before. Now I have a much smaller club like studio atmosphere where every thing is in easy reach of my listening position. My daily exercise is hiking with my dog, not changing records. Finally, in my smaller, more intimate listening area, I can reduce the size, weight and cost of my speakers (and certain other electronics) and still have at least the same but mostly better results. Plus the big screen is still around for the grandkids who could care less if my DAC sounds as good as what I used to have. |
The obvious component update would be your speakers. What’s your room size? - want to make sure you choose the right size speaker. When choosing my first high-end system, After deep research, I demoed to the best speakers I could find at dealers and audio shows. Speakers that consistently resonated with me were Magicos and YG. I’ve demoed the Magico A3 but it was much lighter sounding likely due to smaller drivers. Perhaps if you like Magico then move up their product line. The S3 got a recent update so when I heard them they sounded better than the S5, sounded more like their M level speakers. For electronics, the Audionet Humboldt is my budget choice whose sonics competes with the very best. |
jallan, I think I might have missed answering your post. That’s an excellent suggestion to visit Command Performance in Falls Church to listen to the Gryphon Diablo on Magico A3s. I will do it on my next trip up that way. My new house will definitely have a larger listening room so I’m thinking better speakers will be in order, if nothing more than going higher up the Magico line.kennyc, moving up the Magico line is a possibility. I’m not familiar with YG’s so will have to look them up. I’d like to hear some other pricey speakers too and may do some traveling up to Pennsylvania to check out the Joseph Audio line there.. That’s the closest dealer for them to here in Roanoke last I looked. I’ll look into the Audionet Humbolt line you suggest as well. marco1, I commiserate with you on how annoying constantly changing records on a turntable is. Glad someone replying here is a bit older than me. And coincidentally I just came in from my daily half mile walk, so we have something in common. Not to mention when I carried my heavy Luxman amp and Magico A3’s up a flight of stairs to my listening room a couple years ago it was a near death experience. I don’t think I’d ever want to part with my records and CD’s though, however inconvenient they may be. hsounds, thank you for all your suggestions. I’m adding the to the list of components to check out. Sounds like you have some nice equipment. immatthewj, it is amazing when you hear a system like you describe. When I purchased my Dahlquist DQ10 speakers back in the seventies I went to one New York Audio Society meeting the dealer invited me to. Ill never forget the realism of the system I heard at that meeting. I’m unfamiliar with the "SET stuff" you reference but will Google it. 12many, I will be stating from scratch room wise if I sell my home. If I don’t I’m perfectly happy with the equipment and room I’ve got. macg19, I’ll reread laoman post. I must have misread it. I’ll look into the equipment you mention you’re using too. Thanks for the heads up. Mike |
@skyscraper , sorry about that--SET = single ended triode. As opposed to push-pull. I am not very tech minded, but here is a page from Wiki describing the SET circuit.
Here is Cary's latest description of the 805s Here's a Stereophile review from '98 on the Cary 805s
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