Help me build out my first system

@boxcarman wrote:

This one costs nothing.  Have one of you experienced listener friends over and help tweak the room for wall and corner reflections.  Even the top-notch systems will sound bad if you don't address this issue.  Just go to an audio show and experience a hastily set up hotel room versus a room designed for high quality sound.  Some audio stores' listening rooms will show you what a difference it makes.  I have heard inexpensive systems in a well designed room outperform others costing much more

Couldn’t agree more! Working in the trades and as a musician, I’ve had the good fortune to work on some extraordinary media/listening rooms and spend time in some great recording studios…some cursory measurements in rooms with/without the panels hung yield some very stark differences. At the moment I happen to have enough Corning 703 on hand to cover my whole house. I’ve experimented with hanging mass loaded vinyl for lower frequencies, covered by a slatted wood enclosure to add some diffusion. Measuring and tweaking a room is a great joy. Have been fighting the good fight on this one for a while with my bass guitar amplification! Look forward to learning more about others’ experiences…no doubt there are some existing discussions on here. 

in your budget (3 times what my system is worth) I truly don't get why you would bother with multiple circuits. It's like putting Ferrari wheels on a Kia. 

And Kia has become a great car....

@grislybutter Under a different circumstance I might agree with you. I work in the trades so happen to have the materials I’d need in my garage from past jobs. My setup will be on the first floor and basement ceiling below is unfinished so easy access, and I don’t need to bring somebody in to do it. For the cost of two hours of my time, it seems silly not to do it. Some find it totally unnecessary, some won’t live without it; I can see the merits so why not, if for no other reason than peace of mind (or to do some testing and prove myself wrong)!

However an attempt at save my time and money is always appreciated!

Why don't you call a reputable dealer and speak to them. Share your system goals and see what they can put togther on your budget. TMR, Holt Hill Audio, Upscale Audio amongst others get mentioned here on this site for a reason.
 

@bgross there is indeed no substitute, I’ll certainly be making the rounds before pulling any triggers! Thanks for some additional names, I know there are many great resources mentioned around here. 

in that case, you might as well enjoy the gains down the line - upstream in your future upgrade path. I wish I had any skills that would contribute to good sound. 

Neutrality is important for me too. Two of the very best preamps for a neutral sound are (I also own both):

• Benchmark LA4/HPA4 (consider the HPA4)
• Holo Audio Serene

There is a review online comparing the 2 preamps. The reviewer preferred the warmer Serene I prefer the BM preamps. Both are great.

I have tried a few DACs, costing $700 - $15000. I have now come to a happy result with the Schitt Yggi+ OG (neutral) and the Yggi+ LIM (warm-ish).

I called up Schitt and spoke to a musician that was working there to discuss DACs. He hated the LIM because it was a warm and limited on the top end. One reason a lot of people like it, but as a musician he said he hated it. He then told me that the best DAC he had ever hear was the Schitt Yggi+ OG. He told me to buy the last one ever made and I would not be sorry. He was right, though it took a month of heavy playing to really break-in. The replacement for the OG is called the Yggi+ More is Better (MIB). It is supposed to be close to the OG sound and not the LIM sound.

Both the preamp and DAC suggestion will be around $6k new though on the used market the cost should be around $4k.

BTW - I can only vouch for the latest Yggi+| DACs. They have been around for 10 years, but their modular design is upgradeable. So, in the used market they maybe older units. Schitt and Benchmark support home trials.

 BTW2 - I said consider the HPA4 over the LA4 because I plan to use my HPA4 with maybe the world best headphone at any price. I heard this headphone with my Serene preamp/headphone amp and it was an immediate desire to buy it. The HPA4 will be even better as a headphone amp.