I Feel Overwhelmed....Please Help

I can send you some links so you can read some articles on some of those products for the next few hours or days. And then dig some more.

Send away. I would love to read them. Gracias.

Chap_cat

Sorry your forray into live auditioning wasn't quite to your expectations... Selling or stepping up a buyer is what salesman do.

In my area there is scant little 'customer friendly' audiophile outlets. Either they are incredibly arrogant & condescending to the customer or completely inflexible on price, or limit what one can preview in already setup systems. There is one outlet which is pretty good but is now just too far to visit.

Consequently, I've bought almost every piece in my system without audition beforehand. I've done a few system itterations as well during the course of the past eight years. The past five, intently. Given my own exp. I'd say doing the "Audiogone buy & try shuffle" is a worthwhile endeavor, provided good sense and a trust your gut attitude is in place up front. That and some goals of what you would like to wind up with in the end.

Personally, I'm here for the music and not a routine gear hound... moving in & out pieces just to try on for size. Which ever way you go, and there really is no wrong way...just longer and shorter ways... buying without trying first can and is an option.

For instance, the Rega Apollo which is in your price range new, could be supplanted for the Saturn, used. the Jolita amp new could also be stepped up to another level there or with another lable, if bought used. Depending upon popularity and price points, flipping the component if it's not your preff, is most viable then.

On the previewed compnents list I still have? Just two, my Sony CDP & my Thor preamp. The VSA VR 4JRs are gone... and what has replaced everything is far better... I never heard the Dodd mono blocks before buying 'em, or the Sonata IIIs or the Bel Canto DAC 3, or the Elrod pc, Halley PLC, or some of the cabling I now own, either. I am however very, very pleased with it all and to the point, am not considering my 'next' whatever purchase. Which IMO is where you are satisfied. No longer in the hunt, so to speak. that is a real relief too.

Being very honest here, what I got in my living room now is far better than what I have heard at several high end joints in my area. 90% of which was bought 'on the come' so to speak.

That Simm audio system got your attention... then it's evident that the CDP in that rig put out a fine enough signal for you? Maybe start there and move on down the line. Adding what you can as you can.

that's exactly why I said, "Slow down".

or just get an Apollo or Saturn here online along with a Jolita amp you like.... and use the Cable Co,. to try without buying, some ICs & PCs.

Some gear makers offer a 30 day in home trial with a money back guarantee! So there's another option.

Read the rags... ask the ones here who have bought loads of stuff what they think about a thing, and try to connect with those whose tastes correspond to your own.

.... and forget about prefection... as there is nothing perfect on this rock. you'll not go far wrong, if at all.

The only issue I see as a real problem for a person putting together a high end system is their own self... their ego in fact.

Buying without trying first can and does work... if you're smart and paitient. were it not for Audiogone and some other manufacturers I've met because of Audiogone, I'd never ever have been able to have in place a system on the level I own now.

"Being very honest here, what I got in my living room now is far better than what I have heard at several high end joints in my area. 90% of which was bought 'on the come' so to speak."

Amen brother ! And it isn't that tough to do !

"In my area there is scant little 'customer friendly' audiophile outlets. Either they are incredibly arrogant & condescending to the customer or completely inflexible on price, or limit what one can preview in already setup systems."

Doncha just love west central Florida for audio ?

Chap Cat;
"He had no tube gear in stock, which was a major disappointment. He advised that the amps that I would audition would smoke the tube competition in their price range."

It has been my experience that shops are either pro tube or pro SS . While some may carry both they usually lean toward only one . It will be evident in the equipment that they have setup for demo's . A good question to ask before going there for an audition . If you are required to make an appointment... be very specific about what you want to hear .

Good luck .

I agree with some of the above about giving strong consideration to going vintage. If you take your time you can build a very nice system for well under your budget. That is what I have had to do and am very happy with the results. Those that have heard my system have commented that they love my system and that they should have saved their money and gone that route. I have less than $2000 in my complete system which includes 2 TT.

Going vintage requires patience and lots of footwork, but you will be amazed what you will find if you persist.

What I have done with vintage is buy what you find that is better than what you currently have, listen to it for a while until you find something better and sell your previous gear (usually for a profit). If I took the profit into consideration, I actually probably have closer to $800 in my system, but it did take considerable time, but the hunt is part of the fun for me. I am currently very satified with where I am and don't look for gear like I used to. Now my focus is directed on building a music collection that I love.

Just a thought!

Wwwrecords has it right. You can remove most of the anxiety from this whole process by just buying used product judiciously and stair-stepping your way up. It is entirely possible to make money on these exchanges but just avoiding a loss is victory enough.
The definition of vintage will vary from person to person but I would say that any product with a proven track record that has reached the bottom of its depreciation curve qualifies nicely. With products that fit this description, you would be hard pressed to lose money. With new product you can be certain of losing.
The amplifiers I mentioned above (Rowland Model 1 and Ayre V-3) are near classics which will hold their value indefinitely while providing you with a performance level and reliability quotient you are unlikely to find in new Chinese product at anywhere near the price. I'm sure there are many others. I chose these examples because I'm familiar with them.
If you want tubes in the chain, it would be better to have them in the preamp than in the amp for numerous reasons.
You can also go for a tubed CDP although I still maintain you will be shorting yourself by passing on the OPPO 980H.
It provides a big advantage when limited funds are available.
If you bought either amp I named, and the OPPO, you would have enough money left over for a used Modwright SWL 9.0 SE.
and some good wires. The Monster stuff isn't going to play at this level.