Looking for $20k system for Mahler No 6

Ok, you said you welcome opinions, so here's one that's very direct:

With your plan you will spend $20k to achieve closer to $10k sound. You make a fundamental mistake by equating cabling with tweaks. Cables are legitimate components in today's rigs. You should not overlook cabling from the power cord to speakers. If you do, you will choke the entire system's performance. You would be wise to set an amount, maybe 15% of the budget for cabling. Your money.

If you don't believe it, once you're set up with your $20k of components and speakers with stock cords, replace the power cord on your cdp with a decent upgraded cord (Try, say, a mid-line Harmonic Technology PC, which I've used in the past; at used price this is a fairly trivial expense considering the price of the rig). If you don't hear the distinction clearly, then cable changes won't we worth it to you. If you do hear a distinction, you blew it on your plan because changing out the cabling on the entire rig will transform the sound, but maybe you'll have enough money to rectify it.

For realistically portray the grand orchestra of Mahler, and the dynamic changes of his music you may need a speaker with at least 10 inch, better 12inch, woofer, and appropriate midrange driver and very good tweeter. Such a loudspeaker is not cheap, and plus you need an amplifier which probably cost as much as the speaker set. Plus cabling, appropriate sources, the usual tweaks,etc and you are well beyond the targeted 20K. Within that cash limit, the best possible solution is a used ATC 150 Active speaker. It is incredible dynamic and detailed loudspeaker. To my taste, it is tonally a bit cooler sounding speaker compared to what is my perception of classical music tonally. But I heard it only at my friend, so dont know to what degree that tonality is due to room acoustics or to the Meitner dac.

Doug

I know the theory behind cable and I know there are people who tell the difference that cables will bring, but I am blessed I cannot tell the difference. I did blind-test with well-known local audiophiles a few years ago, most of us picked cheapest electric power cable as the best speaker cable, since then I stopped investing on cables.

Yes cables matter, but not to me. So I don't need to spend money on them.

Sigh. We're kidding ourselves. I too have a $20K system (mostly used prices) and I thought my sound was damn good but then this past weekend I heard the Scaena loudspeakers (smaller $44k+ version) with a Nova Physics Memory Player; amp was a ARS Emitter. When I got home and turned my system on I got very depressed. What's mine you ask?

FULLY BALANCED: Raysonic 168 with cryoed NOS Russians, Herbies Tube Dampeners siting on a sandwhich of large ER Audio Harmonizers with Machina Dynamic Springs. PC is a Morrow Audio MA 2.

Speakers are Magnepan 3.5Rs biamped with Wyred4Sound SX 500s and PS Audio GCC 250 (Level 2 Underwood HiFi mod) on the ribbons & a 500 wpc powered SVS sub. All running through an active XO. Speaker cables are Shotgun Clear Day Solid Core Silver. Interconnects a mix of DH Labs Revelation, and PS Audio Transcendent Silver. Electric is 20 amp dedicated line and PS Audio Premier Power Plant.

Alas, it might as well have been a table-top transistor radio. The good news is that a couple days later, it sounded good again, that is after I repositioned both the 3.5s and the sub- but still...

Hi Tweak1

I know what you said and I feel for you. Let me tell you my story a little bit if that makes you happier.

I have been in this hobby for about 25 years and about 5-7 years ago when I got a decent new job, I started spending buckets of money on audios. After using all-Krell all-Mark all-blahblah-$$$ systems, I wasn't still happy.

One day, while my audios were singing I went to the bathroom with door open (yes I was the only resident in my place), alas the music sounded like music, no more a spectrum of sound. I heard music.

What I realized was that there will be no end to this audiophile hobby as long as I remain anal and seek for best sound. There simply is no answer - I realized.

After that, I now even enjoy music from Bose wave system. I finally became a music lover.

But I sometimes want to try different types of speakers (I do not care much about electronics any more), so I have planar, bookshelf, single-driver, etc.

I gave up large-scale music like Mahler 6th, and enjoyed those with headphones. Soundstaging and body trembling air pressure are missing, but headphones do very good at large scale musci since there are simply no standing waves and intereference of sounds.

Now I purchased new home, with bunch of place I can use as listening space (yes I am still the only resident in my place), I will set different types of speakers for different types of music and will enjoy the differences.

The only thing I want to achieve is though to play Mahler 6th. I will set up some room tunes and acoustic treatment for that.

Hope I can accomplish this, but even I fail, I now enjoy life out of audios, so it's fine. I still have music.

DH