If you had to start all over again in this day and age

With the same amount of money, I will buy the same pieces of equipment and do the same control methods for the embeddings....Only more refined perhaps if I must recreated them, because now I have learned how to do it.... :)


I think that top Hi-Fi S.Q. is much more in the hand of the acoustician than in the hands of an electrical engineer...Not many people know really that,  and it is especially true if you dont have money to spend.... But it is true in all case....

It’s sooooo true that it’s important to find “your sound” right from the beginning as mentioned above. Before my upgrade I listened carefully to over two dozen speakers over six months to find what I liked. Not 5 minutes, ten minutes. Minimum of half hour to one hour each, over six month period. With the finalists probably at least 2-3 hours over several sessions with different electronics.

Figured out that a Spendor D series was what made my toes curl, and its all been fricken musical bliss since. Put the D7’s in my reference system and the D1’s in my bedroom!

Gonna give somewhat counter intuitive answer ;)

Have thoroughly enjoyed building two systems around a pair of freshly serviced Crown PS200 pro audio amps from the ’80s. Two different approaches, one with minimal processing inbound and an investment in good new towers and an REL sub. Went the opposite way on the other, with full 6U rack of modern inbound processing and vintage speakers I already owned from years ago....Cerwin Vega bookshelf units (!) and really warm little 60W Jensen powered sub. Roughly the same investment in both.

The "rat rod" system with only a streaming DAC input and the better newer speakers is the stronger one - wider sound stage and happier at higher volumes. But the processed input system through old speakers is very warm and rich at lower volumes and provides a nice backdrop for hanging out in our 1924 side gable bungalow cottage in the Maryland Mountains.

I enjoy them both. But I’ve learned from this that I am not a totally discerning listener, LOL. So if starting over, I confess to trusting PS Audio a lot from the enjoyable (if somewhat rambling) Ask Paul series. If starting over, I would buy the bottom, Sprout/Elan system and call it a day. Fun question, though!

https://www.psaudio.com/product-category/system/

@aero222  MY BAD!  Clearly misinterpreted your post--glad to hear that the products have improved.  Obviously, I have not had an opportunity to hear their new stuff.  The D-150 was the last big thing I heard from them and it was outstanding...I would buy one today if they were not so old. and unavailable!

As for the newer gear, I recently got an SP-6 preamp--old, yes, but it is new to my system and it is wonderful!  Looking for a used ARC amp, but found out from ARC that many older ones are no longer eligible for service, so I am looking carefully.  Wish I could buy one of the pairs of $17,000 (used) 600's now being advertised around...oh, well, something will show up eventually that is in my price range..

Thanks for straightening me out on this.

Cheers!

...  turntable, CD transport, streamer, top-of-the-line Integrasteds (1 tube, 1 hybrid, 1 SS), Totem Mani ll bookshelfs bi- wired with really solid stands