My last rodeo

 What will your source (s) be? Vinyl,CD, streaming ?

I plan on CD and streaming. What I have left over from the past is a PS Audio Lamda transport, PS Audio Ultra Link II and 2 passive stepped attenuators. I wanted to plug those in first and then go from there.

Audio Concepts had some really good speakers. I had a pair of the Jaguars for a while and they were excellent. Their only downfall was that they couldn't play really loud, which is the only reason I sold them.

Good luck with your search.

I doubt many people are familiar with your speakers, so it’d help if you could share what you loved about them and what sound characteristics are most important to you so we know better what you’re looking for.  Also, are you looking for a tube amp again, and would you prefer separates or an integrated amp and are you looking for a warmer sound or more neutral?  Would you be buying new or used?

@soix 

I'll do my best to explain. The final sound through the component chain was detailed, large soundstage, focused, good bass extension and great front to back layering.  I was happy with the final sound. I probably would prefer tubes but maybe SS amp with tube preamp would do.  Would say I'd prefer warm/ neutral and not analytical. Used is a possibility. I hope this helps. Thanks

For monitors I’d look at the Joseph Audio Pulsar, ProAc K1, and Acora QRB for neutral yet very natural sounding and musical speakers that excel at producing a layered 3D soundstage among other things.  For something that leans a tad warmer the QLN Prestige One or One v7 would be very worth exploring.  I’d pair any of these with a Spatial Audio Raven preamp and a Coda S5.5 Class A amp, and I’m not the best resource for tube amps so I’ll leave that to others but hope this at least gives you some ideas.  Best of luck. 

Aurender for your Digital Source , Highly recommended. 

@tburdwin Keep the transport, sell the rest. Not needed. and there are better preamplifier implementations in 2025 than the PS Audio Ultra Link II

Since you’re keeping the transport, you need a DAC/Preamp with AES/EBU input, coaxial and Toslink inputs too so you can route from any of the corresponding outputs on the transport into the DAC/Pre.

I’d recommend a DAC/Pre that has DSP system onboard for seamless subwoofer integration (also has streaming capabilities built in. Get this witht he added UMIK-2 and Tripod - miniDSP SHD

Get two of this monoblock - Purifi EIGENTAKT 1ET9040BA

Analog XLR cable to link each XLR output from the SHD to each monoblock. - Balanced XLR Cables

Two of this large stand mount stereo pair with incredible imaging, tonal coherency and precision of soundstage cues - In Black or In Walnut

Stands. Get two - Custom Speaker Stand Made Upon Order

Get two of this subwoofer - Hsu Research VTF-TN1

this AES-EBU cable - Supra AES-EBU XLR cable

I assume you have speaker cables

And then use the rest of the money to dedicate to making iterative, room treatment decisions backed by science and not vibes.

Someone say "Rodeo?"  Something for everyone!  Personally, I prefer the second.

https://youtu.be/lb2JCRo5xiM

https://youtu.be/f2DEuHWvt0U

@soix 

Those are great recommendations, IMO. ;-)  A friend of mine, a professional musician, heard the small Acoras in Tampa last year and was blown away.  The video online is very alluring, even if it can't convey everything about them.  I've also always liked ProAcs (still using my original Response 2's with replacement drivers) and Joseph Audio (wonderful realistic mid-range).  I'd like to hear the Coda amp.  Tube amps can be wonderful but they're a lot of work.

Thanks for the suggestions. Now it's time to research.

@tburdwin 

What about the room it will be in? More important than any one component. Good luck ! 

@tburdwin 

Look at getting some used PS Audio BHK equipment.  Both the Signature preamp and the 300 mono blocks are hybrid,  with tube input sections so you can configure the sound to your tastes.  Together you should be able to get them for $9-10K, leaving you at least $20k for speakers and a streamer. Speakers are a more personal choice, so I’ll leave it to others for suggestions, but I will add another vote for getting an Aurender  streamer.  
 

All the best.

Have you budgeted for 5% of the overall budget to get out in the thick of audio world and receive demo's, or is it 0.01%, for the accompaniment's whilst using the Keyboard.

The idea of not receiving demo's when making plans to part with $30Kish on audio equipment is not good.

@curiousjim 

Good suggestion on the PS Audio BHK equipment.  PSA are clearing out the old stock and you can get a new BHK 300 amp for $8,499.  I paid about the same for mine used and love them.

Seems like the OP needs a new audio chain:

• server/streamer
• DAC
• preamp
• amp
• speakers
• cabling
• maybe power conditioning 

Decisions​​​​​​​:

1. tube vs SS
2. Separates vs integrated (preamp+amp). Integrates saves on casework and cabling, but less flexibility in upgrading vs separates.  Integrates built in DACs are often subpar to stand alone DACs since they are often built as an afterthought to a cost point, but a few integrates have good DACs.  Even fewer integrates have a built in streamer.

Starting from scratch, one can choose amp first then speakers, or speaker first then amp (which is my preference)

Both speaker and amp choices are highly subjective- there are many great sounding components, but few that would subjectively resonates with you (pulls you into the music).  So best to demo yourself to find what you like.  Check out high-end audio stores and audio shows like AXPONA.

Seat time first. Without your credit card, check or cash. Go listen to the best on offer and hear what is possible. Then figure out what you like, and why. References are good, but I’d listen to as wide a variety of music as possible to hear the man behind the curtain. Every system has some weaknesses. But the strengths often outweigh those, based on your ears. And you should save money by doing this as part of your personal "due diligence" to educate yourself as to your own preferences in today’s market. I didn’t look up where you are, but a plane flight is still cheaper than an expensive component or raft of them that takes you in the wrong direction. I express no preference. You can look up my system here, which represents where I’m at on one system; my other system is a vintage system that replicates what I ran in 1975-- based on the Quad Loudspeaker, also all tube, vinyl. 

But that’s my preference. Yeah, I can do digital and use it. Some of it sounds amazing. I’m still vinyl heavy but that’s the result of almost 60 years of buying LPs. Hit or miss. No one way. Have a riot. :)

@tburdwin As a forum member without too much activity but possibly a regular reader I typically post for individuals with this type of profile.

I would also like to suggest that you investigate if an audio club is functioning local to you or at least at a distance that can be covered to make a meeting or two.

An interaction with likeminded people with the shared interest, especially individuals without an interest in your intention to spend, will bring into your hobby a substantial amount of experiences to assist with how to consider structuring your new direction. There is only gain and absolutely nothing to lose, when being active in a social encounter with audio as the common theme. 

@whart I'm just back to this thread. I may have to fly. It's about an hour 1/2 drive to the Spokane airport. Any recommended dealers in Washington or Oregon? I might actually prefer to drive, not because I'm afraid, I hate the hastle and love to drive. I used to live in LA, Should have done it before I moved. 

@pindac I'd be lucky to find one conveniently close but you never know, I'll have to look. 

Thanks all

@tburdwin - you are correct.  In my speakers search, in addition to audio shows I went to many high-end brink n mortar stores in the Bay Area and LA area - many storefronts.  Likely the Seattle/Tacoma 
 

The Pacific Audio Fest may be the closest local audio show. 

@kennyc Thanks for the heads up. The timing couldn't be worse as we are headed up to Canada for a week or 2.

@tburdwin -sorry, have little first hand experience with audio dealers in your neck of the woods- I know that one person took my recommendation to visit pitch perfect (which I think is now in Cathedral City, Ca) at a time when Shindo was still a very active brand, and bought into that sound. 

I guess the other bit of advice I would offer is to seek out dealers who promote different things--such as planars, dynamic speakers and horns or high efficiency speakers, and consider the amplification most appropriate for that type of load-- 

 I guess at this point, we’d need to talk about your room, size, dimensions, materials and surfaces, etc. 

and remember that no one dealer is going to have all brands/lines and will promote what they think is best to them. If you get enough seat time (and especially if you have multiple dealer options available that are close), you should really let your ears tell you what sounds most real to you, recognizing that an effective demonstration is going to maximize the results and your experience at home may differ. 

PS: as an after thought, I guess conceptually the best way to look at this is that you are building a system and synergies are real things which are very hard to know if you are buying X amp, Y speaker and are left to your own devices, such as reading reviews or listening to a sales pitch. 

I am at my last rodeo and just have to decide on a turntable/tonearm. I have had the pure joy of owning Kharma Grand Ceramique speakers for 15 years and highly recommend them. There happens to be a pair available for 12.8K on Audiogon. They originally sold for 68K and were the flagship for Kharma at the time. Enjoy the journey! 

@chrisoshea Negotiations with my wife.

Thanks @likecap It is a journey!

OP...Geezz..Please accept my apology. Enjoy what you end up with!

@whart The only room I have ATM is our living room . 20x20 A-frame with about a 19’ peak. Carpet with wood walls and ceiling. Close to perfect as it gets. I do have a shop I could dedicate for listening but I’d be guessing at the dimensions, it is rectangular. I’m at the age where the end is in view and I hate to put things off. I may not be able to due all the due diligence and I’m willing to accept that fact. I was happy with my last system and know it was far from perfect but I was happy. I never once balked at firing it up. I am in awe of all the knowledge and experience here at Audiogon. 

@chrisoshea Appreciate that.

In Portland:

Pearl Audio

StereoTypes

Echo Audio

Good Luck,I wish I had 30K to spend.

@ghdprentice Perfect. Thank you

All three are great. I favor the first and third. 

I concur with @ghdprentice recommendations. 

@ghdprentice @revreed I need to plan a trip! It's about 500 miles from me and I'm not close to an airport. Road trip!

In today's world, 30K is going to go really fast. If it were me, I would consider looking at used, since your dollar will go much further. 

Gig Harbor audio would be worth the trip. Great gear and super nice staff. Bonus…nice wine store right next door. 

OP,

Call and make appointments. Tell them your tastes and what you want to hear. So, reserve three or four hours at each place. If they know you are coming from that distance, they can have everything set up and essentially reserved. I have done this many times. 

I’d lean towards integrated for simplicity.  You can get a great system for $30k, even buying new.  IMHO, you can get a state of the art streamer for $2k or less, a killer dac for $5k or less, and that leaves $20k for speakers and an integrated.  That’s a lot of money! So figure out whether you want to go tubes with high efficiency speakers, or you prefer 4-driver floorstanders that present 4 ohm loads and are 86db efficient, thereby requiring SS amplification.  Both paths are legit, and can sound amazing, but who do you want to be?  What’s exciting is that you get to decide for yourself.  Listen to stuff, and make notes about what makes you happy.  I have a close friend who listens to the extremes first - low end and high end detail.  He has Simaudio 891/861 with Wilson Sasha, mainly digital.  I hear midrange and tonality first, so I have Audio Note speakers with tube integrated, vinyl primarily.  And we both love the other’s system!  There are so many paths to choose from, so just take the one that feels right to you.

I was in your position about five years ago, with equipment I had purchased in the 1970s through 1992, after a flooded truck ruined my Infinity RSIIb speakers.  I started out in 2020 to buy a pair of speakers in the $5K range, but after hearing the Fyne F-702s and getting concurrence from my better half, I bought them; unfortunately, their price has increased significantly since I purchased them, but the F502SPs may give similar results, as Fyne says they have incorporated features the F-700 series in the F-502SPs..  I find their imaging, tonal qualities, and overall musicality to be excellent, their only shortfall was in the bass region--8" bass units-so I added two Rythmik F12SE subwoofers that significantly improve all aspects of the music. I have a Rogue tube preamp and finally settled on solid state mono bloc amplifiers, although a single stereo amp might do equally as well.  I finished the primary music chain with Silversmith Fidelium speaker cables, which had an impact FAR beyond what I expected in sound quality. The only legacy pieces in my system are my NAD C658 CD player, used as a transport into my Schiit Gungnir 2 DAC, and my Thorens TD 126 MKII turntable with Audio Technica 540ML cartridge feeding into a Lounge Audio phono preamp.  I have on order an Innuos Stream 1 with linear power supply and the Phoenix USB reclocking output board.  Not counting my legacy equipment which was about $1100 in much older and more valuable money, my current investigate over the past four to five years is almost exactly your target amount. Were you to go with something like the F-502SPs--made in Scotland--and a stereo power amplifier, you could probably build a very decent system for a good bit below your target price.  BUT, as I am sure you are fully aware, you must listen to speakers to determine whether or not you like the character of their sound quality.  That would be the first step, as it was for me that sent me down this path to extremely satisfying listening.  Best wishes in your efforts.

tburdwin

You've have some very good suggestions so far, and as usual my man Soix made some excellent ones. In my opinion I'd suggest a preamp, amp, and speakers....and the speakers should be relatively easy to drive; no 85db 4 ohm loads please. Difficult to driver speakers may limit your amp choices, or force you into an amp you may not love.

I own an Aric Audio Motherlode XL preamp, Aric Audio Transcend "Push Pull" tube amp $6,400, and the CODA S5.5 solid state amp $6,400......and they are all amazing, I can highly recommend all 3.

Preamps - Aric Audio Motherlode II $5,750 (RCA connections only) or Motherlode XL $6,875 (RCA and XLR fully balanced), Don Sachs/Lynn Olson Raven $6,395, Backert Labs Rhumba Extreme 1.4 $8,500, or Supratek 6SN7 Cabernet $4,000....are all world class, though I feel the Motherlodes and the Raven are the best I've ever heard.

Amps - So many good options available to you, others here may recommend others

Speakers - Soix's 3 choices are all spot on. I'd add the Pure Audio Project Duet 15 with wooden horn $6,850 or Trio with horn 15 $8,450, Volti Razz $8,200, Fyne Audio F502SP $5,250 or F702 $12,000, Revel Ultima Salon 2 $12,000, MOFI Sourcepoint V10 $8,000, Arendal 1528 Tower 8 $9,500, Monitor Audio Gold 300 $9,000, Rosso Fiorentino Elba $7,000 or Arno 40 $14,000......all of which are relatively to supremely easy to drive

Of course used would save you even more if you can find them, but even new you could get a great preamp, amp, and pair of speakers well within your budget. Best of luck to you