Dear @uberwalts : You are almost rigth and agree with you.
Yes, more important than money ( that always is welcomed. ) is our knowledge and skills levels and this knowledge/skills are not achieved through audio forums but by first hand experiences over several years with a self training through tests and errors.
The true sound quality differences between any $ audio system is the knowledge/skills levels of the system owners.
As I said I'm against mediocrity/average sound and that's why my advise is that the OP try to start ( first step ) at an excellence land with a 4K DAC that with help him to know if his systems can honor that DAC quality level performaNCE OR HE NEEDS TO CHANGE ANOTHER OR OTHERS SYSTEM LINKS IN HIS SYSTEM CHAIN.
At the end I don't care what the OP can decide I'm just posting an opinion and that's all.
@dimora , I'm not against VPI other than its unipivot tonearms that can't honor the quality sound of any cartridge but that does not means is the best at its level price because something almost unexpensive like this DD TT outperforms any VPI rig but the VPI DD model:
https://www.technics.com/us/products/grand-class/direct-drive-turntable-system-sl-1200g.html
and this Technics TT comes with very good tonearm too with that advantage of its removable headshell to mate easily any cartridge to it.
In the other side, there are differences between cartridges in different range price and in the rigth audio rystem a 5K cartridge always will outperforma a 2K-3K ones.
Btw, in the rigth system do you already listen ( example ) the Lyra Etna cartridge?
Yes, I agree with you that exist several 40K-50K audio systems that outperforms 300K + systems and outperforms it because a very low knowledge/skills levels of the owner.
Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
Yes, more important than money ( that always is welcomed. ) is our knowledge and skills levels and this knowledge/skills are not achieved through audio forums but by first hand experiences over several years with a self training through tests and errors.
The true sound quality differences between any $ audio system is the knowledge/skills levels of the system owners.
As I said I'm against mediocrity/average sound and that's why my advise is that the OP try to start ( first step ) at an excellence land with a 4K DAC that with help him to know if his systems can honor that DAC quality level performaNCE OR HE NEEDS TO CHANGE ANOTHER OR OTHERS SYSTEM LINKS IN HIS SYSTEM CHAIN.
At the end I don't care what the OP can decide I'm just posting an opinion and that's all.
@dimora , I'm not against VPI other than its unipivot tonearms that can't honor the quality sound of any cartridge but that does not means is the best at its level price because something almost unexpensive like this DD TT outperforms any VPI rig but the VPI DD model:
https://www.technics.com/us/products/grand-class/direct-drive-turntable-system-sl-1200g.html
and this Technics TT comes with very good tonearm too with that advantage of its removable headshell to mate easily any cartridge to it.
In the other side, there are differences between cartridges in different range price and in the rigth audio rystem a 5K cartridge always will outperforma a 2K-3K ones.
Btw, in the rigth system do you already listen ( example ) the Lyra Etna cartridge?
Yes, I agree with you that exist several 40K-50K audio systems that outperforms 300K + systems and outperforms it because a very low knowledge/skills levels of the owner.
Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.