Just retired and want to get back to vinyl listening

I think the Luxman you are considering is a "can't go wrong" move. It will provide a baseline for phono, line stage, and power amp that will each be difficult to beat, and it gets you going right out of the box without agonizing over which other components might or might not appeal to you and still work well together.

Harbeth Super HL5 Plus speakers are no slouches - they sound a lot like Quads to me - I'd give them a listen too, if possible.

The Concept/Maestro combo seems like a good way to start on a vinyl journey - it should sound great without spending $20K, until you are sure you want to go further in the vinyl pursuit.  :)

BTW -- it is a learning curve on the AN-E as they have variety of models in a large price range -- I think as I get through this - first round of speakers for the new setup will likely come in the 5K to 15K range depending on what I end liking best and whether I do new or used

back on track.... I will listen to some o/93 within the week.....before the move in 2 weeks..... I still have no options yet to hear Harbeth 40,2 and and o/96 -- I may well not have a big enough room for them -- we’ll see where I end up and measure room.

The earlier pointer to Chapman and Daedalus speakers may well be part of western part of WA multi-day soiund trip to see and learn other things before I buy -- I’m taking it all in and will be listening - audition more..... I have the time..

also well I am listening to and learn on tube integrated and still have luxman integrated in sight -- what are anyone thoughts on Mcintosh integrated like the MA6700 -- just a little OP redirection for all ;-)

BTW -- both dealers I have visited since my decision to invest in vinyl and some higher end stereo setup -- but suggest tube amps for the speaker types I have been most interested in -- I understand this advice -- I think both are straight shooters and willing to give time and discussion of various topics -- so the journey continues

thanks all

I think, Ralph understood exactly what I meant, it doesn't matter what he said in response.
Anyway, if someone considers Audio Note speakers the first logical move is to audition them with Audio Note amps and then maybe try other amps.
Dealers often push particular brands and models for a few reasons one being profit margin. Some of them are also very good at brainwashing.

Ralph, don't take the bait. Industry insiders tend to shy away from enthusiast boards because of being abused. I have seen this happen again and again on a popular wine board-winemakers pitch in with their wealth of knowledge and get accused of shilling even when the comment was not intended to be such. If Inna were to be given the benefit of the doubt, it would be that he was remarking that "of course the AN-E's are tube-friendly-they are AN-E's!" and that your comment was kind of unnecessary or obvious. Perhaps that is what he meant, more-so than accusing you of shilling but only Inna knows for sure. 
I just bought the DeVore O/93's and before that, I had just purchased an ARC Ref 6 preamp and Ref 150se amp. While auditioning the DeVores, they were matched up with a VTL 100 watt amp. My dealer did this on purpose since he asked me beforehand what I would be using the DeVores with if I bought them. Nonetheless, I was a bit concerned that the ARC 150se would be too much power with the potential for too much 60hz hum and the like. No such problem. They team up very well. My point being that it is amazing that very efficient easy load speakers play well with tube amps of all types and power. 

@inna  :) my reputation all seems to come from the same place...
I first heard the Audio Notes at a show, seems to me RMAF. If I recall correctly the speakers were in the Electra Fidelity room where there was also a set of M-60s. I thought the two sounded quite good together; is it a bad thing that I commented on something from direct experience?

Ralph, please.. you sometimes damage your reputation without apparently knowing it.

Totally FWIW: the Audio Note speakers work very well with our amps. They seem to be a very tube-friendly speaker.

Did some more listening and learning today from the other hifi audio place close to me.. nice people as well

this trip was to specifically listen to Harbeth and Audio Note Speakers..  some side listen to some shop made very large and very expensive setups, but back to things in my budget

they did not have the Harbeth 40.2s in the place - but had 30.1s and they were very good with both digital and vinyl sources through Synthesis I-amps  or some in house built amps

Audio note speaker listen was an AN-E -- This was very very good and a smaller model AudioNote

The AN-E seems much like a Devore 0/93 that I have not heard yet -- will this week or next

These speakers all were very good with tube I-AMP  - heard with Synthesis A100 and A40

I may give the node to the AN-E for just natural listening to music...

thoughts on these speakers and Synthesis AMP -- I really was not going to tubes -- but may -- it is a time to listen more -- not sure I'll be able to listen to these various speakers with a Luxman I-AMP - but wish too

another 2+ hours well spent in the education

oops - that would be ATC Classic series  -- lots of ATC models have built-in amps -- that is not where I'm interested in going for this setup...

inna -- thanks for that -- I think I’m after a Luxman 590 -- although that is a tempting offer..............trying to understand the difference between the AX and AX mkII Luxman integrateds -- These are difficult beast to go see in shops.. The place I auditioned the Devore speakers - the owner had sold them until the distributor change.. I’ll be getting the I-AMP and speakers after the move...

len -- thanks.. I decided on a clearaudio concept wood with satisfy carbon fiver arm and the clearaudio maestro v2 MM cartridge to start -- I had read about and discussed the VPI tweaking with my friend who has a VPI Scout and with the shop I bought the TT from as they are also a VPI dealer -- they are going to take me through setup and care and feeding of the beast -- I do not think I will be an endless tweaker, but could upgrade change some things over time.

in my first round of "stereo" decades ago -- over a 16 year period -- I had Genesis (I can not remember the model - but was a big bookshelf style like an old Advent), Heresy, DCM TF500 speakers (these were ok, but I was traveling and moving so much in my early Active Duty days in the mid 80’s this is wre I give up my TT and other "stereo" things for a number of years -- Yamaha and Denon Receivers, Technics TT -- etc all

I would like to hear some of the ATM classic series speakers

Hi Steve, I've got to add my $2. Congrats on making it through your illustrious career. I retired several years ago to pursue other opportunities. I got back into analogue audio about three years ago. I have spent more money than I care to count trying to satisfy my lust for good sound.

I'm not going to tell you what brands to buy. I will just relate some of my experience. Peter Lederman told me the speakers and turntable/cartridge are the most important. In that order. You can match the electronics to those. I use a 35 yo Conrad-Johnson PV6 and an Acoustat TNT120 for the amplification. They sound as good as anything for my speakers, ATC SCM19s. You need to match features that you need with the performance necessary for the speakers. Your phono stage should match your cartridge, not the other way around. Pick speakers that will sound good in a variety of locations, so if you decide to move into a different room you don't have an acoustic nightmare, like I did.

As you are aware, there are literally 100s of cartridges and everyone will tell you to buy what they have. A really good one is going to go for $1K - $10K. Just remember that in spite of advancing age and the subsequent hearing loss, the best possible sound will be enjoyable even if you need hearing aids to have a conversation or watch TV. You will put them aside to listen.

The turntable needs to be able to track the better carts, specifically the cart you have chosen and most will do a fine job. I've heard VPI bandied about in this thread. If you don't mind tinkering and tweaking, the VPI is a very fine turntable. I have a Prime Signature. It sounds wonderful with my Sound-Smith Voice.

I had no idea though, the amount of continuous tweaking that is needed. Everything is adjustable, which is good, but there is a compulsion to tweak it to squeeze more, better sound out of it. Or you'll notice a bit of sibilance and after spending hours if not days trying to find what has caused it you find a tweak will help. You can buy tools and what not to help in the tweaking, but you are still tweaking. You'll need a Fozgometer and test records. You can adjust the azimuth with that. A lot, they say, do it by ear. Great! I can tweak and listen, then tweak and listen some more, etc., etc. Oh, and anti-skate. That's a whole education in and of itself.

So you've got to ask yourself, "do I want to just listen or do I want to spend my retirement tweaking?" I personally would prefer to set it and forget it so I can just listen. The VPI is hands on at all times.

You've heard what everyone else has recommended, mostly hardware, but I thought a bit of my personal experience might help too. Once the equipment selection is done, you'll want to listen and enjoy. If you've done a good job selecting you'll have years of pleasure in your retirement. Best of luck on this new adventure, bring the Dramamine. And, happy listening!

Peace out, Len

Music Direct has open box Luxman 550AX for $3.5k, that's $2k off. 

will be in WA -- Spokane.. moving van comes 2 weeks from day -- I drive away a day or two later after check out of the apartment -- 2500 miles to Spokane -- probably more with side trips along the way..

thanks for the input ---  the Daedalus speakers are pretty things -- what is their sound compared to the Devore Gibbon X??

@steventoney 

So you are in WA.?
You may wan to look up Chapman Audio. Stuart Chapman Jones and family are on Vashon Island, in the sound, and have been making top notch speakers for decades. He is very friendly and will have you for a visit in the listening facility.. 
Also, a trip to Ferndale, to visit Lou with Daedalus Audio would be top on my list, as well, for speakers in your area. Lou is one of the friendliest in the business. Both are very very good and you get more performance than you pay for going direct with these two.

But I do also love Devore and am personally looking forward to hearing the Gibbon X again... 

btw how picky on placement do you find the 0/93s -- how far out from the wall -- how far apart - anything between

I had an educated guess where they needed to be and think I am very close with no fine adjustment yet. I read John's "Care and Feeding" instructions and he ascribes to the rough equilateral triangle configuration with two options depending upon whether you set them along the long wall or short wall. Mine are five feet from the front wall, three from the sidewall, seven feet woofer to woofer centers, seven feet from my head in my listening chair, and toed in so that I barely see the sides of the enclosures. So my short answer is "not picky at all".
On the TT, my advice is to have the dealer set it up, buy a good digital tracking force gauge and level, and be sure to check VTF and for levelness when you arrive home. VTF is likely to change during transport. When I got back into vinyl about a dozen years ago, I felt compelled to tinker with alignment and VTA and azimuth rather than sitting back and relaxing and trusting that my dealer had aligned the cartridge and set up the table properly. That was a mistake. The problem with most TT's is that the basics of TT set-up are fairly easy but the the TT manufacturers don't make it very easy to actually perform the adjustments. I have owned two VPI tables and five different VPI armwands and though I love VPI, I don't like the tiny allen key screws that are prone to stripping with the least bit of over-tightening and the awkward location of those set screws. At 58, the most annoying thing is not being able to see what's going on without a pair of readers on and a flashlight in one hand with an allen key in the other while craning to see what's going on towards the back of the table against the wall. I tend to disassemble platter from table and tonearm from pivot point and transfer the whole mess to my kitchen table under bright lights :-) Don't let a bit of this cause you pause-the pain is worth it. 

thanks fson -- I will give the 0/93s a good listen before I move -- If I decide on Devore I may need to have the dealer I’m getting my local in house audtions and reeducation from a nod to selling me the speakers as there will be no dealer anywhere close to me in Spokane.. btw how picky on placement do you find the 0/93s -- how far out from the wall -- how far apart - anything between

I have decided to buy the TT from them as a starter and then can work with them if still needed after the move on speakers.. They are going to take me through setting up the TT and adjusting - measuring things on the concept TT and will use it for more next demo’s in their shop of the devore speakers -- I not that interest in the other speakers they have in house... I’ll basically rebox the TT in the shop with them and haul it with me in my yukon versus having with the stuff handled by the moving company.

I also will be visiting one other dealer here in VA - further away to listen to harbeth and audio note speakers -- I do wish to hear for my legacy memory a set of Klipsch Hersey-Cornwalls just to hear them and have a old memory comparative -- I plan to try to list to a KEF Ref5 and Sonus Faber Olympica IIIs if possible -- maybe legacy audio focus SE -- on a trip to the western WA area shops after I move and settle in spokane - it would roughly be a 3-4 days round trip to get out there and hit some shops in a 2-3 day time frame with the rest being travel time

pretty much decided on the luxman integrated and will buy they after move and paying for the move and getting new bed, etc in new place in spokane - probably a early christmas present for myself --

I only auditioned the O/93’s. I drove to Cleveland from Columbus and visited Don Better. He knew I was coming to audition the O/93’s and had them set up with gear similar to my own after we exchanged some email and he knew that I had a smallish room and knew my ancillary gear. He had set the O/93’s up with similar gear, more or less. I had spent 4-5 years with speakers that had overpowered my room and did not want a repeat. Don assured me the O/96’s would render too much bass for my room. Don is the definition of "a cool jazz cat", being a pro jazz guitarist IIRC who was from Cleveland but spent much of his career in LA. I don’t want to get Don in trouble with John DeVore, but Don told me that although he sells 10 pair of O/96’s for every pair of O/93, he prefers the O/93. This could be for any number of reasons but my guess is that the narrow depth of the O/93's turns people off. You can easily rock the speakers back and forth with one pinky finger which is antithetical to many who think loudspeakers need to be solidly anchored to the floor. I happen to think the overall design of the O/93's bucks many design parameters that are assumed to be valid by the likes of JA when he measures speakers. When Don said he preferred the O/93's, I don’t think this was sales-talk as Don seems to have far better-heeled customers than myself and he seemed to be totally neutral as to whether I would buy or not. In fact, I think he was a bit surprised when I pulled out my credit card. Btw, Don has one of the most amazing arrays of iconic turntables I have ever seen in one place and the DeVores seem to scream for vinyl rather than digital. I have yet to use my Aurender N100H/AMR DP777 with my new O/93’s-I go right to my collection of vinyl.

I'll report on the 0/93s..  fson... did you listen to other models before you bought your 0/93s -- 0/96 or Gibbon X..  I still have several other speakers to listen too before my purchase....  The Gibbon Xs seemed to do well through lows - mids - highs --- seem ed to really well in mids..  highs were good and bass was decent -- but I'm did not really listen to things that were a real "low" bass test -- like some organ music --  but overall the gibbon X did well at moderate to low listening volume -- I 'm not a really loud music listening person -- definitely very little to none of the real pounding rock - heavy metal sound

I look forward to your impressions of the DeVore O/93's. I just bought a pair a few weeks ago and though not yet fully broken in, I love them. Things may change, but the plusses are very tuneful bass, good (downright startling at times) dynamics, and gorgeous "tonality". Minuses-well minus in the singular-is a wee bit of deficiency in the midrange purity. 

nothing was bad, but I spent 2 hours listening to various sources and different types of music on the Devore Gibbon X speakers -- as noted they sounded good --  They had devore 0/93s in the shop but not set up. I'll go back and listen to those within the week as they are hooking the up -- they had a lot dynaudio speaker and some others -- some way outside my price range -- I did not bother with -- I did not bother with smallest bookshelfs on stands -- which they had several of these set up for demo at lower price points that the devore speakers

we talked a lot on speaker and equipment recommendations / advice I received -- I was there over 3 hours -- talk to the owner as he had sold Luxman until the distributor change and the main other person who spent the time with me...  both by the discussion and what they related have been in the audio business 30-40+ years... both were positive on luxman 590 -- even though it is hard now find dealers with the distro change

they sell VPI TT but did not have any setup and had several clear audio set ups at a variety of price points and some others that went way up into the 5 digits in cost and I just had a gapped mouth on a 5000-6000 dollar record cleaner from clearaudio -- I likely will not go there - lol

we did talk only a tiny bit on DAC streamer/server as this was a source for some of the demo'ed material and discussed my SONOS set up as additional source to include using a DAC between the ZP80 and the luxman

I did go to a local Magnolia store, but it had nothing of interest and no one with any knowledge to talk with -- so was a waste of time

I have one other high end place to visit prior to my actual drive away to spokane after the 10th of October that has harbeth - audio note - quad speakers

These guys where nice and helpful and I may well buy my starter TT from them as they will spend time - walking me through setup and play the the TT setup with various speakers ( I can then carry to TT with me in my yukon as slowly work through other choices) and if I decide to give the devore speakers a go after listening to other things -- I may buy them from this shop in falls church as there are few devore dealers -- from where I will be living the closest is 8-10+ hours away in Victoria BC or further way down into CA.. I would need to have the shipped - drop shipped etc..

Was there anything that you did not like in what you heard? At this level just about everything should sound quite good if the equipment is burnt-in and reasonably well matched. Negatives might help you more to choose.

Well -- I got out and listened to some devore speakers today -- Gibbon X

I liked the sound on a variety of material played through a clearaudio TT and some Auralic streamer and linear magentic integrated tube amp

I still likely will stay on my Luxman 590 bent for now -- but what I heard was good -- I will go back in a few days as they will set up some devore 0/93 speaker to listen to as well -- they have no 0/96 in stock

the Gibbon X are a contender, but many more listen to do...

The ClearAudio Concept Wood with Satisfy Carbon Fiber tonearm and Clear Audio Maestro V2 MM cartridge was nice -- I may well start with this TT and set up... after looking at my friends VPI Scout setup -- starting with a good TT and can update if I wish later

steventoney,

Again, good suggestions from members. Record Cleaning. U.S. is best.

This site will keep you busy and your money well spent. whart and terry9 have gone the DIY route with U.S. cleaning ( A good way )

Your vinyl budget of 15 to 20k is good. Maybe a little "stretch" room if your like me and have to have it now.  So...., My suggestions.

Make your move , Pick out Your speakers. Use Your Ears and eyes. You will be the one living with them!

TT = For my (3rd TT) ; I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on a Technics SL1200 G. ( Not wait for the (10R )
Use tonearm that comes with the TT.
Cartridge = So many choices and so many that I have Not heard. Pick something in 1-2k range.

Tube Phonostage =  ( I use a Manley Steelhead ) It is spendy even if you find on used market. Zero problems, responds to 'tube rolling', Dead Quiet ( counts a lot with me ) Look for a Manley Chinook on the used market. All the above applies.

For "the stretch part" of your budget; Think Room treatments.

Enjoy your vinyl journey.
Best to you 

Yep, record cleaning is a whole new thing. Good bang for buck too.

I use ultrasound. In my system, it made almost as big a difference as going from good moving magnet to great moving coil. For 20% of the money - actually, about the cost of a set of fairly costly cables.

again thanks all for input.......... been away about 4 days in Shenandoah NP visit.. only 2 weeks before moving van comes.. I’m interesting learn about separate phone stages versus say the one built into the luxman 590axII -- as this was mention in the inputs -- thanks

all the record "cleaning" devices is a whole other learning area

$500 Okki Nokki machine with Audio Intelligent three step fluid system and three Disc Doctor brushes works just fine. The key is to soak with fluid one and two before vacuuming off regardless of how vinyl looks. I usually soak for about 10 minutes with each, sometimes twice. And the last step is double water rinse, double water. Very time consuming.

An effective cleaning regimen is also essential, particularly if you dive into used records. There are a million and one ways, different machines, methods, etc. I've had the best success combining traditional vacuum type with ultrasonic. The latter you can DIY at fairly low cost. 

If you plan to be playing vinyl, here's a tip:

A lot of ticks and pops that are often associated with LP reproduction are actually artifacts of the phono preamp. This is because if the phono circuit is unstable, it can exacerbate a tick or pop event and make it much more audible than it actually is on the LP surface. This has nothing to do with bandwidth or EQ accuracy BTW- it has to do with how stable the circuit is.

You will find also that the better phono circuits do not require cartridge loading (assuming you are using a low output cartridge) as well (but just to make things more confusing, high output cartridges like most MM cartridges require loading; I can expound on this if you like).

If the preamp does not need loading to sound right with a low output moving coil cartridge, its likely that it will also be more resistant to ticks and pops.

Finally, nearly all cartridges are a naturally balanced source, so it is possible to run balanced from the cartridge right to the preamp. This will eliminate the interconnect cable as a sonic variable, in the very best place to have such an advantage- at the input of the system.

Good Luck!

Out of the the turntables considered, the VPI will be impossible to top.  The cartridge Id partner a prime with would be an Ortofon 2m black which would be very friendly with the MM inputs on many integrateds.  Soundsmith has great moving iron carts as well. For MC a great match would be Ortofon Cadenza Red coupled with a great step up transformer.  My VPI dealer is reference analog in Oklahoma.  

I absolutely think you are on the right path with Luxman.

Another almost impossibly musical integrated is the Wells Majestic with 150 watts.....

Devialet would be a wonderful all in one choice     and so elegant.....

Klipsch cornwalls would be my very last choice.........horns are just harsh and I revere everything Paul Klipsch did but audio moved on........you can do so much better in terms of overall musicality and emotional engagement.  That level  of system deserves more......If you like that high efficiency thang tho      look at Tannoy

my choices would be:

Look at Harbeth 7es3
Look at Marten Django (unbelievably musical)

Youd need more watts (used Mcintosh Integrated?)
but Magnepan 3.7s would give you the biggest dose of real instruments
in acoustic space in a way no dynamic speaker can.....Ive owned mine for four years and Im ridiculously content     but they are big.......

Be sure to browse show videos on avshowrooms      You  might consider going to Rocky Mountain next month to hear so many combinations.....

The chase should be the enjoyable part of this hobby     so listen lots and try not to have any preconceptions about anything......let your ears be the unbiased resource......

ive had a few VPI tables......here is my latest table    my first suspended table
Oracle Delphi MK Vi 2nd gen

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BF3wnfIAsQk

As JBHILLER said above, everyone has his likes and preferences, so I won't suggest this or that, other than to say I was just like you - wanting to get back into vinyl.  I have a ton of classic vinyl from back in the day but was not enjoying it with my present system.  One upgrade changed all of that.  I recently installed a VPI Prime TT, with Ortofon Black cart., Lehman Black Cube phone preamp, and well, it has all come alive again.  An amp upgrade and possibility speakers later, but this has made a huge difference.  I have since ordered several new albums - the first in many years. 

My small advice: whatever TT you purchase, get a linear tracking tonearm!
Good luck!

He forgot to add - The best turntables in the world are VPIs -. How would it sound to you?
Anyway, I don't give a damn about what he says. And no, I have not heard those speakers, I don't listen to speakers in this price range if I can help it, only cables in this price range.

My advice should be taken creatively not literally. One can go but..

"No, don’t go to RMAF - you may like too much what you cannot and never will be able to afford"

@inna ~ Someone who’s out of the game for a good while and you advise them to stay away from attending the largest consumer audio and home entertainment show in North America???

I have been attending the audio shows for last couple of years and they are great place to catch up on variety of current topics and latest trends in the audio industry. The electronics / speakers / cables ranging from $2500 - $100K. Where else one would find products from 400 plus companies under one roof.

I strongly recommend anyone to attend these shows before they make any sizable investment in a audio system.

I had a similar situation as you - check out the Tannoy Prestige Line, they are efficient and can be placed close to a wall - I went from Klipsch Chorus (Cornwall successor) to Tannoy Turnberry and really fell in love with the Tannoys.  I also bring it up because I had mine paired with the Luxman AX-550 also and it is a great match.  Very coincidentally there is a pair of Turberry's right now for sale up in WA (I do not know the seller) where you are moving. 

No, don't go to RMAF - you may like too much what you cannot and never will be able to afford.
I still suggest choosing speakers first after visiting dealers. It appears that the OP wants to recreate vintage system at a much higher level, this both simplifies and complicates things.

This is a solid recommendation. It'll help you understand where the current state of the art in your price range is. And remember not only what speakers you like, but what the supporting gear was. Then you can at least to attempt that in your own room. Good luck and happy retirement.

Well the answer is simple and it doesn't depend on anyones opinions but yours. Simple. Go to the RMAF beginning Oct 5th. My spend your time visiting rooms with affordable ( for you ) gear. If you have time come visit me in the Bricasti room. 

I've never had a dealer ask for money for an in-home audition.  A credit card on file to cover potential damage - sometimes.  But thats it. 

Doubtful if the two dealers cooperating would ever work  IMO. 

I wouldn't mind paying for audition of what I want to audition, either in-home or not. Dealers are not mules, why should they work for free? When you consult with other professionals you always pay, I see no reason why it should be different in high-end audio field. The fees must be reasonable and refundable if you buy, that's for sure. This situation would improve dealer-customer relations and decrease the probability of buing wrong equipment.
Two dealers cooperating to let you compare is a great idea even if it doesn't sound very realistic for most cases.

@greginnh & @whart

I wholeheartedly echo your last post’s ~ been there done that.  

You're not alone with this 'MAJOR'problem. Many of us always looking for ways to push the performance of your existing gear. It's a uncurable disease :-)

@greginnh - I think you make a point--"everything sounds great until you hear something better" that is worth underscoring, whatever the budget.  If someone hasn't been around the audio scene in a while, they may not appreciate how far we have come in a number of areas (though I'm a big advocate of vintage stuff too).  That can help establish a benchmark for what a good system is capable of reproducing. Granted, our sonic "memories" are short, but there is value in hearing what a top system is able to do and why it is regarded as such. I would think a reputable dealer, if approached honestly about this (with an appointment arranged in advance) ought to be willing to let a prospective buyer at X budget hear what that dealer's "top system" is capable of, if only to show that the dealer is able to assemble a system at lesser cost which has some of the virtues the buyer prizes--
@inna - the inability to compare all prospective brands at one shop is a real concern that I mentioned in my post. At the level of the gear you are talking about--very expensive stuff- I would ask dealer A to work with dealer B to allow a comparison within one of their shops. Not sure if this would work-- home trial is best, of course, but apart from specialty dealers selling top dollar stuff and places like Music Direct that offer a no questions asked return policy, that may be the only way, apart from having a friend or colleague drag their own piece of equipment over. 
I know I'm pushing the 'use a dealer' theme, but that's where they pay off- I had one dealer back East who had no problem bringing pieces to my home (sometimes, with the manufacturer) for home trial. And, I didn't always cut a check. 
The limited opportunity to make real comparisons is not confined to new or returning to the fold audiophiles-- we all suffer from it to a degree--which, I think, explains some of the turnover in gear. 
A friend with a killer system and a few connections also isn't a bad thing to have. I know a couple of different hot beds of enthusiasts in different parts of the country who are constantly trying out new and different stuff. One can benefit from their reach and participate in the listening sessions if the opportunity presents itself. 

greginnh, I appreciate hearing your thoughts. As far as gear, I've been the opposite of you, probably due to financial concerns more than anything, so I always am conscious of my huge lack of experience here. I think when mountainsong sold the amp to me, it was also to fund higher end Luxman separates.
L.

co93

One thing I mention that is rarely brought up is cartridges where they stylus extends past the body of the cartridge versus those there the stylus hangs below it .   The former are more exposed to damage.

 How can a cartridge trace a groove if the stylus doesn't extend below it?

Hi Steve -  First of all, I have a MAJOR problem that causes me to analyze the performance of my gear.  Over the last year, I have switched amps 5 times and speakers 3 times (not to mention DACs, SACD players, speaker cables and interconnects. Since "ugradeitis" is normally in play, I always find a way to justify these frivolous expenditures - and I have a very understanding wife!  Even now, I am tempted with replacing my Accuphase E-600 with the $21,000 Luxman MQ-300 tube amp. 

During my quest, I have auditioned or owned Arcam, PrimaLuna, Luxman, Gato, Esoteric, Pass, Plinius and Accuphase integrated amps.  I still own Gato AMP-150 and PrimaLuna DiaLogue Premium Integrated amps.

Without going into the reasons and circumstances for each purchase, I will tell you that my biggest regret was not leaving well enough alone and keeping my Luxman L-590AX and D-06U SACD player/DAC.  Several amps and $$$$ later, I have incrementally gone up the sonic "food chain" but not by orders of magnitude.  If I had to do it again, it would be the Luxman L-590AX II and I would call it a day.


Other than the value proposition the Luxman has over the Accuphase, here are my thoughts on the differences:

Overall realism and purity of sound:   Probably a tie.
Bass Authority: Accuphase
Soundstage: Luxman
Warmth: Slight edge to Luxman (more "tube-like sound)
Detail: Slight edge to Accuphase

It is important to note that synergy of components, interconnects and even power cords will have an impact on performance as well as room acoustics.  As others have mentioned, TAKE YOUR TIME and enjoy the process.  Work with a couple of reputable local dealers and always try to audition the gear at your home.  

The most important thing to remember is that NOTHING that anyone tells you on this forum is gospel.  What appeals to your ears is the only thing that matters. Having said that, everything sounds great until you hear something better so make sure you can establish the point of diminishing returns (something I obviously cannot do!)  The good news is that you are considering some really good gear and your budget will allow to assemble a first-class system!
 

greg -- what are your direct usage and "hearing" thoughts on the luxman 590 and the accuphase e-600

thanks

bill - I get what you are saying -- I think I'm ready to get back to vinyl and explore

all -- I’m starting my education and asking and listening as noted in first post

thanks for the input -- some things suggest while interesting and I do go read on all suggestions are out of what I have budget for at least my first start setup

As I approach retirement age I can tell you my ears have changed. The audio industry has changed too. Today, SOUND is part of the video market and downloading allows music to survive.
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Today’s sound IS accurate, but lacking the pleasant emotion that was built in to those 70/80’s systems of the past. I find that especially true of Klipsch. That sterile like sound is also drives the price of vintage equipment.
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Listen Well

He probably have not heard many or his hearing is bizarre at best or he is grossly exaggerating. No wonder I never considered VPI. This is BS.