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

I would get a KEF Blade Meta (or Blade II Meta) and put it along the long wall. 

@hilde45 A local guy to me is selling an almost new Blade 1 Meta for $18k. His ad and 2 others for under $20k are on USAM.

I was tempted to buy since the Blade has been my fav speakers for about a decade. However, I decided that the Yamaha NS5000 I own now is something I want to stay with.

Only issue with the Blade for the OP is that the Op’s power amp maybe too weak for the Blades. I would pair the Blades with either the $2k Schitt Wotan or the $20k CODA #16. Both of which I own. Those 2 amps have prodigious power. The Wotan is not at the sonic levels of the #16 (but close). It is at the level of many apps that are considered top notch. Schitt also have a 15-day home trial.

@hilde45 I thought the $20k budget was for speakers.

The NS5000 speaker that is posted above is a killer speaker and what I got for about $11k new. I tried it with the Wotan and the #16. I think all my gear was under $20k, new and used.

I listen to a lot of Zep on the NS5000.

BTW - for Blades you need a nice long wall. A lot of people place them in a confined space.

I used to own the Revel Salon1 for 5 years and have heard the Salon2 a few times. For my ears the Salons are not as fun as the Blades. The thing with the Blades is that the soundstage on that thing is incredible. The aluminum Blade drivers are not my favorite but that soundstage, especially on a long wall placement is the best I have heard. I always have fun listening to the Blades.

In terms of cone drivers, I have not heard anything better than the Zylon drivers in the Yamaha NS5000. The Zylon is similar to Beryllium (BE) in the tweeter of the Salon2. However, while companies like Paradigm can make a BE tweeter and midrange in the Persona lineup, Yamaha is the only company to make tweeter, mid, and woofer from the SAME material. What that means is an incredibly coherent sound, especially when the cone material maybe the best around. Yamaha actually had the first BE tweeter and mid in the 1970’s in the NS1000.

I love the soundstage on the Blades and love the sound of the NS5000. My ideal speaker is a Blade with Zylon drivers. Even the Paradigm Persona 9H with Zylon (instead of BE and the woofer material) would be something special.

Saying all of this, the Blades are great, the NS5000 is great, and the Persona can be made great with some work. I take the NS5000 from this cohort.

The Schlitt gear recommendation is something I have realized is great advice. I used to have a negative opinion of this company before I took a chance and ordered some gear. Their products cost a lot less and they had a unique name and marketing approach. I was a little turned off by this. After hearing the gear, I am all in.

One thing I would suggest is to wait until late summer 2025 for the new Schitt DACs. I am holding onto my Schitt Yggi+ LIM DAC to upgrade to the new iteration of the Yggi+. The Yggi+ chassis and internals are upgradeable.

I will never part with the Schitt Yggi+ OG DAC which is no longer available. I sold a $15k DAC to go with the Yggi+ OG. This DAC was recently in a shootout with the Mola Mola Tambaqui and Chord Dave. Comments are on Head-fi. It did not beat them in preference but did not lose either.

I am selling a $7k amp to go with the $2k Wotan (for my office with Maggies).