Looking to build a system for under $5k

I see allot of great advice on gear but very little inquiry on what is important to the end user. 

Many of you do not inquire how this particular gentleman  is going to use his system, or take into consideration what this man  may find appealing both in sonics as well as visual presentation, and although Vandersteens are very good speakers their look and sound is polarizing, many Women hate their boxy, fabric look, not to mention that if you have Cats they might not be the best choice. Also Vandersteens  sonic signature is laid back which some people love and others do not.

 I find it disturbing that they seem to be shouted out as the holy grail when I find them to be a very fine product but just one good choice in a sea of excellent choices. This is the same argument that Wilson is the best or B&W is the best or Magico.,I personally don't feel that any of my speakers is the best I have my favorites however, we extol the virtues of many different brands of speakers and let the customer decide which product they find matches their tastes, room size, visual look and sonic flavor. 

 All loudspeakers have their strengths and weaknesses and this gentleman needs to hear many different products and systems till he finds out exactly what he finds satisfying.

Also many people don't' want tubes or multi piece audio systems with a lot of components. 

So what I find interesting is how few of you have actually asked the pertinent questions of how the customer is going to use their system and what qualities matter most and what are the features or qualities that matter to the purchaser.

There is a difference between the music lover and the die hard audiophile, and unfortunately too many of you do not realize that the music lover does not necessarily care about tubes or records they just want to listen to music on a higher quality system. and simplicity and streaming may matter more.

When I  talk to a customer I ask all of these questions, we start with the choice of speakers first then work on electronics.

For your guys edification, Audio Doctor, has largest collection of audio gear in the area, and we have quite a few brands of equipment that we showcase. 

So for this gentleman's budget we have a choice of three or four excellent sets of speakers and many different combinations of electronics:

We have the Dali Opticons 6 and they are amazing for $2,500.00 The Dali's offer a unique set of sonic qualities they have a huge sound stage, are very warm yet have surprising detail. 

We have the KEF R 500 a great $2,500.00 speaker, big sound stage, very good clarity and resolution, stunning wood work. 

We have the Paradigm Prestige 75 very detailed floor standers, outstanding bass and dynamics

We have NAD, Cambridge Audio, Naim, Micromega, Nuprime, April Music and many more. In tems of first real audio systems, the Naim Uniqute is one hell of a great amp which has a built in dac, streams, Tidal and Spotify and is very compact with a great app.

The Nuprime IDA 8 at $995 beats most $2k integrated amplifiers and we  have many more great choices.

So to recap there are many great speakers in this price range, there are many choices of simple effective systems, this gentleman needs to understand that his choice should mirror all of the things that may be important to him,and that includes the way a system looks, its sound quality, how it suits his musical tastes, as well as how the system functions. 

He should visit Audio Connection and we would welcome him to visit Audio Doctor to hear our collection. 

If you guys are in the area you should come in and  take a listen to some of our systems. 

Joe, good to hear back from you. In as much as I agree with Audiotroy, and agree you should check out Audio Doctor, I also believe much of his advice and several of his questions were asked by several who responded to you in previous posts. I myself have asked several questions, while not suggesting the purchase of a single specific component.

When asking advice on a forum like this it is best to provide as much information about what it is your are looking for in a system, your listening environment, your sonic preferences (takes listening to several systems to understand this), and of course budget to solicit the best responses.

You are forunate to live where there are several quality outlets to visit to discover for yourself what will make for the best system for you. After some exploration, if you wish you can get back to us with more specific question.

Some personal, and in no way exhaustive,  suggestions reflecting my approach to putting together a system at your budget, some of which have been aforementioned in posts above:

Listen to several speakers, even those out of budget to get a feel for what sonic characters suit you best. I am not one to suggest spending half your budget on speakers. There are many $1000 - $2000 pairs that will play well into your room. I prefer 2-way stand mounts for bedroom sized rooms. Those of moderate to high sensitivity and not low ohm opens up choices for amplification. You should not need an excessive amount of power so you can focus on quality not quantity wattage.

Think in terms of an integrated amplifier. Best bang for you buck, and there are many available to fit your budget. Choice will be in part dependent on speaker. On an aside, I did own a Vincent hybrid once and wish I never sold it.

Regarding source equipment, there are so many ways to go. Give much consideration to what sources you are going to utilize. This will determine to great extent your allocation of budget and what features you will need in an amplifier.  I believe you desire to focus on digital for now with the possibility of getting a TT later. Either source demands much research to get right. Much information on this and other forums regarding digital and analog sources.

Buy the cables you need used online. You will save money. Research room treatment and practice DIY.

All provided with best intentions, regards.

Mike