If you had $12,000 for speakers and amp

i would buy vandersteen 3a signatures new with a 2b bryston amp , aes djh pre tubed amp, with transparent plus speaker biwire with jumpers and transparent plus interconnects...save a ton of money and buy linn or cary used cd player and buy music...if not the amp pre amp combo then a plinis 8100 intergrated....save money buy music which is just as important...thanks for the question and letting me respond

Well, I'm not much for box speakers, so Soundlab/Apogee/Maggies as speaker choices for me...amps would depend on which of those three I went with. Could be tubes or solid state...depending.

Dave

I would do exactly what I did : Legacy Whispers and McCormack DNA-500 amp. Lots of power, musicality, detail, imaging, layering, etc. They work really well together - the Whispers just sing!
If you're careful, can be done for about $12K used.

Well, might not be quite 12K, but I'd grab a set of Odyssey Stratos Extreme Mono's, and a pair of Harbeth Monitor 40's.

I'm drooling just thinkin' about it....(:

My reality is not so drool inspiring !

Mike

I would buy the Harmonic Precision Caravelles with their stands, YBA Passion Intgegre, and if you need those very low Hz (as I did) get a Jame EMB sub woofer) I'm suggesting these components from first hand listening experience as you can see if you click onto my "system." You will be hard pressed to find better. Different? Certainly, but sound to die for. And you can buy them new. peace, warren

BTW the Maggie recommendation is a good one, but the amp (as far as power goes)is not, IMO. You need a shit load more quality watts to run those babies. Figure 400 per, not to be behind the eightball. Maggies, also, need oodles of room. And I mean oodles to really sing...