I should start with speakers. This I know. I’d like to establish a new system.

Returning to a hobby I abandoned two decades ago as life interfered with my personal desires.

I am currently drifting between horns or BBC sound. Two different worlds, but each intrigue me. Considering Volti Audio with Cary SLI80 Integrated while also Harbeth 40.2 with something like a VTL MB185 Series III. Schizophrenic I know.

Dedicated Room 12’W x 30’L x varied vaulted 11’H.

Your room is long enough where you can set up 1 pair of speakers on front wall and another pair of speakers on the backwall.

Rotate the chair 180 degrees everytime the schizophrenic hits.

Personally, I would ignore the BBC stuff and go with a) a horn and b) a panel llike a magnepan or something.

Huh, What?? Harbeth is not a musician’s speaker.

This is a musician’s speaker, made by the guys who made all the musical instruments.

Harbeth knows something these guys didn’t? or what?

I noticed HARBETH as a recommendation. HARBETH is very high on my list of top speaker choices, but - - - I consider HARBETH a musician’s speaker.

Huh, what? He needs to buy used with 20k for max value?? What??

Speaker: Tekton Epic 15 ($2400, new, made in the USA)

Subwoofer: Tekton Cinema Sub ($1050 new)

Amp: Schiit Freya+ tube preamp ($1000 new) + Schiit Wotan poweramp ($2000 new, made in the USA)

Dac: Schiit Gungnir 2 ($1600 new)

Conditioner: Audioquest Powerquest 707 ($1300 new)

Sum Total, (new, made in the USA): $9350

Balance: $10650

I might just eat my hat if some 300k Daryl Wilson & D’oggastino rig sounded better. He even had 10k left over to get himself a nice suit, go watch some wind ensembles and dance companies.

$20K budget means you will need to buy used to get max value.