$50k - $80k Budget…Opinions please.

I have never encouraged anybody, friend or associate,  to spend on HiFi in using great sums of monies, but if an individual is set in the mind and want to indulge themselves, I will assist with suggesting options to consider if prompted.

As a first suggestion, Start receiving demo's of New Model devices of Interest or complete set ups, that will cost in today's money $120 000+.

When the funds materialise the shortlist put together might be able to be found for very close to your budget.  

As an alternative suggestion, an investigation into and receiving demo's of used equipment in the range of similar monies referred to above, could be presenting devices that have had much more substantial retail prices and have a few reviews on them to be found, that might be valuable and worthwhile reading, especially learning how the devices might have worked in conjunction with other devices.

80K being touted as a budget to become available will win one quite a few friends, cautious steps will be needed.

@ghdprentice I am in agreement with you about the 'careful choices' needing to be considered. There is an additional requirement which is footwork. The options for  a selection of devices, especially ones that are capable of showing each component at its best does not just appear, they are usually found.

My system is a end product of what I will call a pre-forum era, much footwork has been put in and the result being, I have met with likeminded individuals and formed long term communications and friendships. I have been fortunate to have made discoveries that are far beyond my expectations.

As part of my social activities around my Audio Enthusiasm, I have demonstrated my system at weekend event I have been a visitor to on quite a few occassions.w , This event has been known to have up to 500 Visitors in attendance to experience a range of enthusiasts systems.

On the weekend of my Demo' I had a filled room that was not emptying, some attendees returned and stayed for most of the day. Some were quite frequent visitors and regularly requesting tracks to be played.

A Father and Son came to me at the end of the day and had deliberately made this time as a return visit, they informed me they owned a HiFi Company and have been producing TT's that retail at £50K and upwards, they also informed me the system I was demonstrating was on par with much of what they have heard from their own Clientele, where systems can easily accumulate a £200K retail value.

I was asked to play a Vinyl Track they had in their possession, one they knew very well, I was given a pat on the back as big thank you.

If I done my Math, I would be less that £40K all in, even with much of the system having been Commissioned to be Bespoke Designed and Built by time served very adept EE's and Engineers.

$50K as a budget, or up to $80k, is serious spending. Cautiousness is ones best friend, as there will be some real efforts made to encourage an individual to spend a large proportion if not all in a particular quarter.

I know a 'from the home' HiFi Dealer, based about 15 Miles from my home. Iwas once in their company when going through a rough trading patch and considering an alternative means for a income.

There was a suggestion of maybe a backer could be found to invest. I made an inquiry about how the sales would assure a backer of a safe return on their money. I was shown an Mono Block Valve Amp' retailing at £45K, that was arriving at the Vendors home with a purchase price and Import costs of approx' £22K.

I was shown a TT bought in at £15K and retailing at £40K, there were also lesser cost items with a similar ascension to a retail value.

I was shown a range of Horn Speakers, with the TOTR Model costing approx' £12K and retailing at £36K 

My assessment was Three Big Ticket Item sales in a Year and was their any need to leave the home to seek an alternative income. 

Was I tempted to make a offer to invest, no way, the relationship would have been doomed, I have no interest in requesting a Customer supplies me with that level of Profit. 

 A very good friend of many years, developed a relationship with a well known UK HiFi Company's Proprietor. This is another Business that is a success as it isa Cottage Type Industry with very little overhead and very healthy Mark Ups to produce the retail price.

It was a short time of this new relationship, before my friend became assimilated into the ideas of Super Profit. I received a contact asking for my revealing the suppliers of a PC Triple C Wire I am a advocate of and suggest as a wire to be tried out in Cables.

I was offered a free PC Triple C Cable for my support, when it was made known the Cable was to be offered for $2K, I informed my friend we need a break from each other, as I am insulted to be expected to be, and am certainly not the individual who is to open the gate to such extortion of fellow audio enthusiasts. 

When I crunched the figures for the Cable intended to be produced, I was not too far off £120 for a Pair with a RCA Phono @ 1 Metre in Length.

Again I say it, cautiousness is ones friend, when being investigative and choosing where to spend.       

@95dyna It is good to see your timeline 'over the past few years', that is a good advisory. It would be good to hear of, how much foot work you put in, prior to committing to a device to be purchased.

It is also good to see your List of Interface Umbilical's. How the devices are interconnected is a critical consideration. My experiences are set in stone, this area is an evolving and ongoing trial, there is always room to extract a little more that is in line with a end users unique preferences for a sonics presentation. I have heard good things about Wireworld and will be trying out a Cable and loaning it out for further assessment in the not too distant future.

The OP will be well advised if they take up on the suggestion that a parallel experience worthwhile of encountering is to learn how changing the Umbilical Interfaces can effect the overall sonic of the system being built and that a Budget to be solely dedicated to this is best proportioned in as an early in the ventures considerations.

Footwork and Experiences $???? - Devices $?? ??? - Interface Umbilical's (Interconnects + Power) $???'s - ????'s - Supporting Structures $???'s - ????'s 

It is not too difficult to spend into the $100's and even into the $1000's creating Electrical and Mechanical Interfaces.

@ghdprentice The experience is a passion, I come to learn this many years past. I also found I was quite happy to participate in this passion with likeminded individuals, which resulted in myself developing a social side to the hobby. I am today with a numerous amounts of home visits behind me and vice - versa. I have supported many events put on for enthusiasts only (demo's being non commercial) and I am a member of a Local HiFi Group, where I met two of the founders at a forum event 200 miles away from my home, it is this group that is my most enjoyed part of HiFi over recent years, there is humour, food and there have been really good meetings put on with a opportunity to encounter selection of New Devices being made available regularly as Home Demo' Loans from a member, who is a proprietor of a HiFi Company, then there is the New Acquisitions made by Group Members and then the trickle of DIY Builds. The Group has a resident Two Generation Valve Collector, who has inherited collections from within the family, (this individual kindly loans selections of Pairs and Quad Matched Valves for Tube Rolling Experiences), who would not want to be present at a day when this is occurring. Nearly all valves in my devices today are selected as a result of this kind offer, other Group members share the same outcome as my own in relation to chosen Valves.