new member, some questions, need help please

@jaimeromero ,

Welcome back to the hobby.  A mixed bag of advice on this forum.  I have been into audio for a similar amount of time.  Some has stayed the same, a lot has changed and most confusingly, some brands that were great are less so today.  

If you have time and patience, I would recommend coming to Axpona in Chicago, mid-April. Quintessence Audio (which was mentioned earlier) is a fantastic dealer and carries Wilson here in Chicago area.  As you will find out Wilson speakers now range new from $20K to $1M and are really excellent as are some of the others mentioned on the thread; i.e. Magico, Sonus Faber and others.  Yes, digital is a completely different realm than in the 80’s (separate DAC’s, streamers, etc.) and can be quite good but analogue is still also doing great.   Quintessence has both.  Other stores I’m familiar with that are in southern CA are Scott Walker Audio and Alma Audio (a new Wilson dealer).  My strongest recommendation is to find a store that you feel you can trust and will patiently work with you as you explore what is now available and start to define your wants/needs and most importantly—budget!

 I have friends that have assembled really musical systems for <$20K and friends that have systems that are $1M+. Mine is somewhere in the middle.  Nice if you can network into a group of friends that are knowledgeable without being “know it alls”.  

If you do come to a big audio show, one thing you will quickly realize is that most of the crappy stuff is gone.  The general level of equipment has improved.  There are many good-great options.  But within that reality, the best costs the most… or at least a lot.  

The final point I would make is that the cost of your primary components: source, pre-amp (if you’re using), amp (or integrated amp and speakers) is not the end of the story.  Cables, racks, power supplies/conditioners, isolation devices, room treatments, etc. can easily cost more than the basic equipment.  Make sure when you start to build your system, that you factor in the auxiliaries.  

Good luck in your journey and have fun!

My speakers were built in 1956.

I have been listening to them for 47 years.

For the first two and a half decades, I would come down with a case of FOMO fever about every 5 years or so and go running around listening to stuff I could afford, and stuff I couldn’t. Eventually my immune system built up and I haven’t been doing that anymore.

Every 15 years I get the speakers remagnitized and reconed.

I’m kinda locked into them because my amps love them.

They have their issues but I’ve adjusted other parts of the system to get the sound I want. It’s a late 60s to mid 70s tube sound. It’s not for everybody but it’s not without its subtleties, it’s extraordinarily transparent and detailed (likely thanks to the amps and the cartridge) almost everyone who hears it is blown away, say things like “It’s better than being there”.

So I disagree with many here: all other things equal, newer is not necessarily better. Listen to a bunch of stuff with closed eyes and an open mind. Pick what sounds best. To YOU.

Btw, expensive isn’t necessarily best either. I’ve been tube rolling my phono stage. I’ve been listening to tubes that go from $50 to $500. The guy selling me the tubes was with me in the room trying them out. He suggested that the $50 tube sounded best in my system. That was a relief to hear because I thought it definitely did too but I didn’t trust myself: I thought it was my wallet talking to me.

theaudioatticvinylsundays.com

Jaime, I would lean on the advise to go out and listen to speakers at dealers or a show if you can.  That will give you a flavor of what you prefer now.  Sometimes tinnitus can be aggravated by the voicing of some speaker designs. 

Thank you all for chiming in.  Exciting to restart my audiophile journey!  thank you again for your kind and informative thoughts

Jaime

If you are not in a hurry to make a purchase, and can wait 6 months, I'd recommend that you go to Axpona in the Chicago area. The show is April 11th through13th. I'd go the entire 3 days,

There will be a lot of the best manufacturers of speakers, amplifiers and preamps, streamers, DACs, etc. You could listen to so much in such a short period of time.

If you are not so patient, you could go to a big dealer (like Upscale Audio near LA), and spend a couple of days listening to your hearts delight. There are so many companies now that did not exist 20 years ago that are state of the art, and you owe it to yourself to get acquainted with them. Some of them are still craftsmen building equipment by hand here in the US, and there is some excellent audiophile equipment coming out of Korea, Japan, Europe, and yes even China