$50k - $80k Budget…Opinions please.


Long story short, I sold my beloved 2-channel to reduce family debt. In about a year-ish, I’ll be in a position to rebuild with a hefty budget. I loved my Harbeth + Pass Labs combo. My REL sub died before I really got to integrate it, so opinions wanted there as well. I fully understand the diminishing margin of returns when moving into some arenas, but that’s ok, opinions are strongly encouraged.

I listen to a lot of Miles Davis/Coltrane, Radiohead, Tool, Pearl Jam, Brent Cobb. I’ve often preferred “organic” or neutral, not sure how technical that is.

toddcowles

With that kind of a budget, I will visit as many dealers as I can and demo as many systems as I can. My 1 cent 😉.

Unfortunately I myself have been in that same situation before. Anyone can speak of a great stereo manufacturer but regardless what anyone recommends including myself LISTEN TO YOUR EARS.  Those are the biggest critic 

Speakers: Revel Salon 2 speakers can be had on the used market for around 10K-11K, which makes them still one of the greatest values on the planet. The Revel Salon 2s can still compete with most any, and I mean any, of the current outrageously and ridiculously priced speakers on the market today. I just can’t speak highly enough about the Revel Salon 2 speakers, they never disappoint and are pure performance loudspeakers for the ages.

Amplification: The Salon 2s need high power amplification to be driven properly. If your room is more moderately sized, you can (as I did), drive them with the extremely powerful and absolutely reference quality sounding Hegel H590 integrated amp, which sells on the used market for around 6.5K, and you’ll be well on your way to a system that will absolutely blow your mind and knock your socks off!!!

 

Since you liked your previous Harbeth's, if your room is large enough, you can purchase a used Harbeth 40.1 or 40.2 for about half or less than original price. Add  good solid state amps like  Classe monblocks, a good tubed preamp like Audio Research or CJ, a quality turntable/cartridge and you would not even spend 1/2 of your proposed budget

 

 

 

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