Budget of $30K. Help me build a system

Ejlif - First, thanks all for the reply.

I live in Europe and have not been able to find a good marketplace for used high-end equipment. Buying used from Audigon doesn't seem like an option due to high shipping costs, people not willing to ship global and the gear I have targeted not in high supply.

Gsm18439 - Some do but the cost of $650 each way in shipping (was what I was quoted for a medium sized speaker) seems like I could waste my budget on shipping alone if I auditioned quite a few speakers.

Newbee - Valid point. It is a concern. And it gets worse. The ceiling is slanted 10' which slants to 6.5' on the long wall.

But it is the only room I have ant the moment. I have been working with GIK Acoustics to come up with a strategy. 2 sofit traps, 4 diffusers, 8 bass traps (with 3 hung from the ceiling). They assure me it will help with acoustics but how much, I dont know.

I could entertain monitors but as I am looking at this as my last purchase for a long time and this house is not somewhere I will live for a long time I would hate to paint myself into a corner.

The Merlin's are supposed to be pretty good off axis in terms of power response and only being a two way speakers as Jordis pointed out, bass response might be 'controllable'

The amp im looking at is a Class A 30w tube amp so my thought was its not a huge amount of power.

Still valid points and will talk to Bobby about this possible issue and see what can be done. Thanks.

Yes room size is critical here.

However I did hear a speaker yesterday that I think would suit. In fact its the finest speaker I have ever heard - period - and believe me I have heard a lot.

I am lucky and live pretty close to a small speaker maker out my way here in Australia - Lenehan Audio - and so get to hear all of his stuff.

Anyway I was down there yesterday checking out some new amps I ordered from him which finally cleared Customs (god these things take a long time here in Aus) and he had this new all out speaker he was working on for a customer connected.

It blew me away. I can't listen to my speakers any more - these things are that awesome. If it wasn't for the fact I have an even wilder isobaric speaker on order I would get a pair straight away - a friend from Canberra was with me and was so impressed is probably getting a pair after hearing them. We were both simply blown away.

Anyway here is a link to the thread over here in Aus about them rather than simply repeat it here:
http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/46808-lenehan-ml-ii-reference-limited-edition/

Its a big ask to get a speaker unheard and from an small overseas maker at that. Although it is so new the exact price is not known but I am sure it is well under your $30K limit.

Thanks
Bill

First:
Buy the best pair of vintage Audio Research tube monoblocks you can buy with the matching pre-amp.

Buy a vintage TEAC x 10 Reel to Reel to record digital onto analog tape...Super Cool!

Buy pair of dc10audio Berlin Studio Monitors with the solid maple horn

The look and sound of this system will be fun and hard to beat!!

Just going to suggest to you perhaps a radical departure from your current approach:

If you sort through the very high end systems on audiogon, you will find the system is often built around the front-end, the opposite of what you suggest (the speakers). This is because the source is your starting point, and nothing can undo problems that begin here. Consider allocating 10-15k of the 30 to the best DAC/CD/Turntable you can afford, and reduce spending on treatments. The goal is balance: no one component should "outclass" the rest. Music reproduction is a chain, and a system is only as good as its weakest link.

Kind regards,
RGK