My last rodeo

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