Best upgradable system components for under $6K


Hello All,

I plan on upgrading my system with components that I can live with in the short term and the long term (hopefully so I don't have to keep upgrading components as I upgrade my speakers).

I currently have an NAD 356BEE integrated and while it is entry level I must admit it sounds very nice. My room is 14'8" by 20'4" and I currently have a pair of Legacy Classics (not Classic HD). My goal is to make my next big purchase on components in the $6k or less range but I would like to make it a once and for all purchase. In other words I'm looking for something I can live with for 15-20 years without worrying about upgrading.

I would prefer to stay solid state and don't mind having an integrated or pairing separates. New or used also doesn't matter as long as it is a great bang for the bucks. My ultimate goal is to one day be driving a pair of Acoustic Zen Crescendo or Vandersteen Quattro speakers. A 200wpc + consideration would be preferred but I’m flexible on that too lol.

Finally my music selection is a bit diverse. I like jazz, soft rock and new age. Some of my favorites are Dave Matthews, John Mayer, the Wallflowers and John Tesh. I value your opinions highly and would love the community's input on the best component upgrades for my $6k budget.
xerotrace
Great points!

Roscoeiii: what is a DSP? How does it replace a pre-amp and a DAC? That sounds like a very interesting option...

Zd: that makes a lot of sense. I think the speakers will be my main focus. So with that in mind do I need to make sure the amp is a class B (if I do go with the Quatros to match the built in amp)? Sorry I might be reading too much into this. Also what has been he best DAC that you have seen to work with Vandersteen in your opinion?
DSP stands for Digital Signal Processing. Google reviews of DEQX to get an idea of their products' functionality. Most recently there was a review in Stereophile. And there is a thread here, something along the lines of "Is DEQX a game changer?"
"Zd: that makes a lot of sense. I think the speakers will be my main focus. So with that in mind do I need to make sure the amp is a class B (if I do go with the Quatros to match the built in amp)?"

If you want to get the most out of the Vandersteen's, there is an overall strategy that seems to work best. Vandersteen speakers are designed to be time and phase correct. Where people sometimes go wrong is when they just consider the speakers themselves, and not the whole system. In order to be time and phase correct, you need to start at the source. The most accepted way to achieve this is to use electronics that are fully balanced and use 0 negative feedback. You definitely don't want to use any type of EQ or signal processing, analog or digital. For example, if you put an EQ in your system, any adjustments you make with it, will alter phase on whatever frequency you are changing. The signal then goes on through the other components, and you end up sending the speakers a signal that already has the phase altered.

So if you want to look at some equipment that will work best with Vandersteen, I would start with Ayre for solid state. All of their products are designed in a way that is the best possible fit for Vandersteen. You can look at other brands, as well. For a source, I use Wadia CD players. They're also fully balanced, 0 feedback components. For tubes, I like Aesthetix and BAT. ARC and Pass also work well. But before you buy anything, you are going to have to demo any of these products first. They're expensive, highly resolving and a mistake will not be cheap.
Zd: thanks for the recommendations I will definitely audition them. What do you recommend as far as DACs that would fit well with the Vandys? Does the Ayre DAC fit that bill? Based on what I am hearing I think I will need to raise my budget.