Where do I go from here?

My journey continues.  I've finished assembling my CLSs and they look fine, but the truth will come out once I get some much through them.  I managed to purchase a BAT VK-60 that sits in the box until another one finds its way to the market.  

Since my last post, I've spent about 20 albums that sit in their boxes until I find something to play them on plus I still need a phono stage and a pre-amp.  A friend has a beautiful VPI Classic which he'll let go for about $2K.  It's had light use and needs a cartridge.  VPI has been on my short list, but there are so many options that it's hard to choose.  I don't know what I don't know. 

Would be interested to know anyone's thoughts on the VPI Classic and suggestions for a cartridge? 

I will likely purchase a BAT pre-amp and mostly listen to Jazz, female vocals (Rickie Lee Jones, Tracy Chapman), Classical and Choirs.  

@tomic601 - I know I should slow down and breathe.  My brother, who just purchased MLs and plans to purchase Maggies for a 2nd system told me the same thing, but I only have so many summers left.  So, I hope to bring this system together in 2024.  With regard to the Acoustats, I'm not ready to get rid of them.  

I love the CLS and have not written them off yet.  I unplugged them several days ago and plan to disassemble them this weekend to see if there's a loose connection.    

I've heard others describe reliability issues with the ESL-57s, but I'd like a more modern model.  I've seen folk who make them more robust.  So, I'm exploring that as an option. 

. . .and, yes, I'm going to get the VPI.  It won't be too long.  I need to also understand how to select a cartridge.  Working on that too. 

@elliottbnewcombjr - The room is roughly 16 x 28...and thank for the link to the Acoustat article.

@ghdprentice wrote, "I had a pair of Acoustat 2 + 2’s in the late 70’s that simply put me permanently in the audiophile camp and began my lifetime pursuit."

I got started by listening to Spica TC-50s that I purchased in the mid-80s from a shop called Opus One in Pittsburgh.   When I finally head electrostatics for the first time, I was hooked. 

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The Acoustats seem fine after all of these years.  They were put away in custom boxes.  One of the transformers has a loose part on one of the boards.  I suspect when I have it checked out, it'll be fine.  The CLSs are a different story. One speaker, which has a replaced panel, isn't coming on.  So, I need to recheck the connections.  As it stands, I dusted off my trusty old Boston Acoustics and those are what I'm listening to now.  

It may be time to look for something new.   Quads ESLs in some form are at the top of my list.

The wife surprised with with an Eversolo DMP A8 all-in-one streamer/DAC/preamp.  So convenient.  At under $2000, it's a bargain.  After living with it for a few days, it's making me rethink my priorities with regard to the order that I build my system.  (I say this as I look over the top of my monitor at the 10 or so boxes of vinyl shipments that I received from Acoustic Sounds and Blue Note over the past few months.)  I'll still purchase a turntable and continue to purchase more records (I like looking at the boxes), but I suspect new speakers will come first followed by a second vk-60, a preamp, then I'll get a turntable. . .and I forgot to mention that I spontaneously purchased a Revox B77 Hi-Speed Reel-to-Reel just because I've always wanted one.  It's price and condition were right. I couldn't resist.  I also still need an equipment rack or furniture instead of the cardboard box that I use now:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XjLdflpd1BFl4t44qTUYbQJ6Lx622uiU/view?usp=drive_link. 

@elliottbnewcombjr, @carlsbad2, @jl35   Thank you for your responses as I try to work through next steps.  

The room si-ze is approximately 16' x 28'.  I've assembled one of the Acoustats, plugged it in and hear an occasional crackle (or pop) in the panel.   Not sure if that'll be a problem, but will know once I assemble the second panel and get a signal thorough them.  Regardless, I expect to mainly use the CLSs.  Electrostatics, IMHO, are hard to beat for the music that I enjoy and I plan on getting an ML sub. 

I need to wrap my head around the DAC in terms of options available.  It's on my to-do list this week.

@tonydennison - PS Audio is on my list.

I'll have a better handle on this by week's end and will report back. 

While I understand the potential benefits that come with separates, I really want to keep my system simple by having the digital source rolled up into one package.  I'm not a critical listener anymore.  It just needs to sound (and look) good to us.  My home has  an open floorplan and, although we're still unpacking from our May move into this home, I suspect we'll be moving from our current location in two years into a home that we plan to build.  Ideally, I'd Iike a one-box digital solution that can act as a pre-amp, a power amp (perhaps dual monos), the CLSs, and a sub or two.  That's it.  As I approach 60, I want to shed the excess stuff in my life. 

For the amps, I was a big fan of the BAT VK-60 and would love to find a pair, but I'm also interested in the Cary monos.  I've got a line on a set of the 211s that may become available.  Love the way they sound, but not sure if they'd be the right match for my CLSs which aren't going anywhere.  

After having a back-to-back comparison between streaming and vinyl.  I've decided that I am not going to used a streamer as my primary music source. We listened to Hugh Masekela's Stimela [Coal Train] (Analogue Productions AAPJ 117-45) and The Blind Mice's Midnight Sugar (Impex AIMX 6022-45).  The  the vinyl was unequivocally better than the streamed version which, by comparison sounded flat.  I never expected such a difference. 

I haven't owned a turntable in over 40 years, but that's about to change.  I'm not sure which table, but I looked at VPI and Feickert Analogue (about 8K just because that's what was available.  This is an area where I am most ignorant about what I should purchase.  The Feickert Woodpecker at around $8K may be more than I'm willing to spend on a turn table (I'd like to be around 5K all in for a table)...I don't know.  So, I'm interested in any thoughts.  

@jl35 That's the plan.  Streaming offers convenience that I'd never get from LPs.  So, it's in the mix.  

@ghdprentice I hope that I can achieve what you describe as I work to figger it out.  I expect this'll be my last system. 

More to come.   Thanx for your comments.