Kthomas, my advice is to initially devote most of your budget to your dedicated listening room. I suspect you will find that the construction and remodeling costs (including the cost of designing and installing acoustic treatments) when coupled with whatever upgrades you might have in mind for your reference audio system will probably get pretty expensive.
If you want to have a two-channel system in your living room when you move your reference system out, I would suggest that you start with reasonably priced gear and a digital source that can gradually be upgraded to include an analog source. As long as you start your living room system off in the direction you see for that system long-term, you should be happy gradually upgrading it without ever feeling the need to make any wholesale changes. For example, if you decide that you would like for that system to be a small scale system based around tube amplification and efficient speakers, you could start with a pair of reasonably affordable used speakers (DeVores or Zu Druids for argument's sake), some affordable amplification, and a competent digital source all within a roughly $5k budget. You could do an even less expensive system using an NAD BEE series solid-state integrated amp, for example.
Then you could gradually upgrade with higher end components in the same school of design and even add an analog source at some point in the future when the funds are available and the mood strikes. Over time, as you upgrade components in your reference rig, you might find yourself in the habit I have formed - that is, retiring your superceded components to your living room system instead of turning them into cash here on Audiogon...
Just some food for thought.
Good luck with your projects. We look forward to future updates!
If you want to have a two-channel system in your living room when you move your reference system out, I would suggest that you start with reasonably priced gear and a digital source that can gradually be upgraded to include an analog source. As long as you start your living room system off in the direction you see for that system long-term, you should be happy gradually upgrading it without ever feeling the need to make any wholesale changes. For example, if you decide that you would like for that system to be a small scale system based around tube amplification and efficient speakers, you could start with a pair of reasonably affordable used speakers (DeVores or Zu Druids for argument's sake), some affordable amplification, and a competent digital source all within a roughly $5k budget. You could do an even less expensive system using an NAD BEE series solid-state integrated amp, for example.
Then you could gradually upgrade with higher end components in the same school of design and even add an analog source at some point in the future when the funds are available and the mood strikes. Over time, as you upgrade components in your reference rig, you might find yourself in the habit I have formed - that is, retiring your superceded components to your living room system instead of turning them into cash here on Audiogon...
Just some food for thought.
Good luck with your projects. We look forward to future updates!