Thanks to Audiogon and friends


Please be easy as I'm a nubile/novice/non-audiophile. Having said, I thought that I was the cat's meow. Friends and associates agreed. Now, please don't laugh. I have a HT/Surround system from a "high profile" manufacturer(it starts with B) that I, uneducated, thought was ideal. I was using the system for both HT and stereo audio. I thought it was great until I visited an old friend that had Rega gear. Suffice to say, he and Audiogon have awakened me. My surround system is great for "club sound" when I have a gathering, but is inferior when it comes to true music. I am begining to build a system with a small budget(I've started with a Cambridge Integrated). Needless to say, even wth a low budget amp, the difference is astonishing. Audiogon has been a great resource. Any further insight would be helpful. Please bare in mind that I have a limited budget. Thanks, audiogon members.
auditory
Our new fellow audiophile is just discovering what Audiogon is all about. Suggesting that he start out by building his own speakers might sound pretty heavy duty to a lot of people just getting into great hifi. It is a great idea though.
I think he might be looking for the biggest bang for his initial investment. Maybe finding out what his next component purchase should be will lead to a pretty interesting thread that would be of interest to people like me and a few more of us who are still pretty new around here.
I suggested what I consider a great first component (Valab non oversampling dac) , but I really would like to hear other choices for his next purchase.
Since I have a limited budget, I have empathy for anyone else with a limited budget. After careful consideration, I must retract my suggestion in regard to building speakers.
First, let me apologize for the term "nubile." I meant to say "newbie", but you could see where my head was. Anyway, the suggestions regarding building my own speakers has some merit. My cousin has been doing this with some moderate results. However, the speakers I'm currently using sound, at least to me, better. They are(please don't laugh) original Snell K1s, circa 1986. My son found them boxed away in our basement. I had loaned them to my brother years ago and forgot he had returned them. They are pristine. They sound a little "bright", but do have noticable midrange as opposed to my consumer grade Bxxx surround sound. A contributor to their "brightness" might be the room. It is 12'x 24' with hardwood floors and 2 large display cases containing crystal vases and sculptures. Certainly not ideal acoustics but this is my living room, the last "bastion" from multimedia overload. Once again, thanks for any and all comments. I'm trying to recapture the days of my youth when stereo music was king!
You are in the right place for your quest to make stereo king again. Lots of really great folks in here, and no lack of opinions, sometimes to the point of emotional chest bumping. It's a pretty cool place.

I hope you enjoy your audio adventure as much as I have.
Mattzack2,
Thanks for the encouragement. Even my son, born in the digital age, can hear the difference! He is now a convert!