Newbie looking for system suggestions

Wow, not a bad "problem" to have! I'd ask Duane. I always ask Duane. Duane knows everything. So I ask him everything. And he's always right (except for once with a preamp--sorry about that one, Duane).

Sorry to break the news to you Kotta, but Bryston is Mid-Fi.

I also would start small at first. If later you decide that you're not satisfied with mid-fi, then fine. Easy to sell what you have and trade up to something better. You'll have lot's of money left over from the first purchase to get something better. Upgrading is what we all do.

A lot of people blow a ton of money on fancy gear and a year later never listen to it much. If in a year or two you're still listening, then yes go for it big time.

Go and listen to hi end gear. Simple as that. Then buy what sounds best to you. Do not buy expensive cable. The source is the most important part. Dont let people tell you speakers are the most important.
Amps try and hear Rogue, Speakers Coincident.

Sure I realize Bryston is Mid-fi (Upper mid-fi perhaps?) because it doesn't cost megabucks. Mapleleafs3 mentioned "Rogue." They make a new int. amp which is definately worth investigating. If you invest your budget wisely, you should have a very nice system. Audition as much equipment as posible. There are so many choices and ways to go. Decide on the spk. and then find the amp or int. amp best suited to drive that spk. Use good cabling. Besides sounding good, the equipment must blend in w/your surroundings and suit your tastes. Don't rush into anything, take your time and investigate. Good Luck! Happy Holidays to all!

I always start with a good look at the room I'm going to be dealing with and any placement issues I'll have in this room...speaker setup is critical to good sound.

Sound pressure levels, setup issues within the room, your budget, are a good place to start.

Why do I start there?, well because I'm going to pick the speakers as my place to begin the system build.

The rest of the components fall into two categories:

1. Mandatory...ie, their task is assigned by specific needs but with some overlap into #2 (tweaks)

2. Tweaks...ie, components you pick because YOU like the way they sound in YOUR system...cd players/Dac's/cables come to mind.

I never worry about the old argument for starting at the source "crap in, crap out". Why would anyone build a system only to top it off with crap?

Research, listening and a good plan with some degree of flexibility should build you a system you can enjoy for a long time.

Dave