$35K to spend, how will you build a system?


Never in any stereo system arrangement have I or anyone I know, ever initially proportioned out the money for the whole enchilada. We just bought this or that. We began somewhere and finished it all later on. Somehow.

Or, the proposition ‘finished’ became a moving target and the trek wandered about here and there, as the effort continued past the intentioned budget. Some steps were sideways, some allowed for definite improvements. Some moves took us a step backwards or merely into a different perspective.

All of the moves provided one benefit everytime, experience.

Experiences are what is being asked for in this topic.

Then one day, suddenly, buckets of duckets land in your yard and you want serious sounds? .

Here’s the question…

If you had it to do all over again, what do you put into a home audio system if you have $35,000.00 to spend?

Regardless the format, tubes, Solid state, mega watts or flea powered doesn’t matter. Its your rig and your money.

The destination is a rig with copius amounts of Acquired Illusionary Reality (AIR) in short, an involving alluringmost respectable, , “man I really hate to turn this thing off”, stereo system.

Because invariably someone will ask, so For the truly anal, the room is not in a mansion, has no dedicated power lnies, and is of moderate size 14 to 17ft wide, 18 to 23ft. long, 8.5ft. ceilings. Acoustically untreated. Closed off, or opened onto other areas, you make that call.

How do you feel you’ll spread the dough around immediately?

Address all four areas? Maybe attend to only amps and speakers, then later look towards other parts of the affair?

Example 1:
Find someone who already has a stellar sounding system, rent a room, and buy the new entry level Tesla..

Example 2
Buy new amp and speakers along with better than average cabling and isolation, just on a smaller scale.

Example 3
Spend it all in thirds, source, power, and speakers obtaining the best value possible, new or as re-sold because everything matters.

Example 4
By new SOTA speakers that you can find with the whole wad! Steal everything else.

What is your approach with $35K burning a hole in your pocket to acquire great sound? Can it even be done in 2017 with such a budget?

blindjim
 jmcgrogan2 > Instead of the speaker first approach, or the amp first approach, I suggest the combo (speaker/amp) first approach.
Go out and listen to as many combinations as possible. Take your time. Maybe even allot $5K of your $35K on travel expenses.

Blindjim > John, thanks much. I believe we are on the same path here as your input stated.
The traveling aspect for me at least, is gonna be involve and expensive. Might just eat up all of that $5K. though I do feel its both a valid factor, and worth the expenditure.

Finding and then buying the rig I hear which sounds best, is quite likely that is what will take place. Its what I should have done 13 years ago when I first joined this site. The issue as is said below, was I could not afford the rig I heard which actually nailed my jaw to the floor. Well not completely.

Although, I did try to emulate it, piece by piece. Found out, it could be resembled, but not duplicated, unless I got the same gear. I did come quite close and ,was pretty happy about it before my world stopped turning for a while.


roxy54 > I think that the OP is just asking the question hypothetically for the sake of conversation.

Blindjim > “roxy54“, thanks, but not really. Some perhaps. Afterall, forums are all about conversations anyhow.

Its supposed to be two sided. There’s the part pertinent to me as I’m tentatively in this boat. Or am trying to be. Albeit, I’ve not much faith in putting together a serious contender, soup to nuts for under $40K addressing every facet of the system adequqately.

But let’s see what someone else says… and as such this thread came to mind.

Then there’s the part that back in ’03 – ’05 I was trying to figure all of it out from scratch. Not knowing anything of nearly any manufacturer or their models. Virtually knowing nothing at all about anything, but wanting to arrange a serious audio system, so this input affects those who are in the ‘boat’ with me eyeing a new arrangement, or just beginning to consider different themes on the same road.


inna > Of course, speaker/amp unit first is great approach. Problem is that most of us cannot get everything at once, sometimes it's too expensive and at other times you just can't find it quickly enough.
I would have two very different set-ups for different music, rooms and mood.

Blindjim > inna I think I got it. I liked what Fremer said about the Greek Alias monos, but at $30K plus. Yikes.

I’m a planner. I need to see the thing and get comfortable with it, before I try to get or do, the thing.
We ain’t talking buying a bag of burgers and fries here.

Even with ‘found or unexpected money’ once its in the pocket, pulling it back out is much harder.

2 systems. Yep. In a near perfect world, two very different outfits is the ticket. Well that and a kick ass HT rig. So, really it would be 3 rigs. Lol

A turn key setup. Now theres a decent idea. For amps and speakers only, that sounds more than very do-able. For the whole system, well, we’ll see what others say on it perhaps.

I did see a blurb on Andrew Jones ELAC stand mounted monitors which showed recently and gained loads of appreciation and the whole affair ran well under $35,000.00. well under. A highly touted power line conditioner at $5k was the most expensive piece in the array.

One idea right off was a system with one primary digital source (DAC) which doubles as a preamp, a quality Integrated amp and a pair of nice easily drivable speakers, floors or stand mounts. If the INT also has a competent DAC, the end of the road is quite close.

Gryphon integrateds do have optional dac, not sure about Ypsilon. I have no idea of the US prices of Diablo 120 and Diablo 300, I think it's something like 9000 euros and 13000 euros respectively without dac plus VAT in Europe.

blindjim,
Sorry if I misunderstood, but I just went back and read your original post again, and it certainly sounds like a hypothetical. I don't see you mentioning anywhere in the post that this is something that you are actually considering doing. 
Inna > Gryphon integrateds do have optional dac, not sure about Ypsilon.
I have no idea of the US prices of Diablo 120 and Diablo 300, I think it's something like 9000 euros and 13000 euros respectively without dac plus VAT in Europe.

Blindjim > I saw those options. No, I don’t think the yps allows for a DAC onboard. I’ve not checked on what current prices are exactly. Just saw what was mentioned in the older reviews if I mentioned them at all. I liked what I read on the Greek offering. I’m pretty sure they’re not on the table for me especially if bought new though.

As for using an INT, once more for me, its overcoming my own prejudices that a single box can out run separates in performance… we all have our demons to deal with regularly.

Although, for this thread, it & they are exceptionally viable options depending ..on the DAC and speaker choices one would add on which brings the rig in under or on budget.


roxy54 > blindjim,
Sorry if I misunderstood, but I just went back and read your original post again, and it certainly sounds like a hypothetical. I don't see you mentioning anywhere in the post that this is something that you are actually considering doing.

Blindjim > No worries. You’re right. I purposefully avoided making it all about me initially.

originally I figured as said, the thrust of the topic might aid someone else as it asks for ‘experiences’..

Personal curiosity fueled a large part as well. Given recent iterations, new brands, models etc., I’m completely unfamiliar with, the hope was input would land here on what or how others would formulate all or parts of their outfits with the handcuffs of $35K as a learning experience and with luck, as some notes already demonstrate, some fun too.

The last line says:
What is your approach with $35K burning a hole in your pocket to acquire great sound? Can it even be done in 2017 with such a budget?”
‘it’ refers to the topic of a system in total or in part, for $35K.

Invariably at some point, we always ask each other what did this or that run you? right? Or why did you pick that one? Or simply where or from whom did you get that?

Yes, I’m considering erecting another rig which if all falls in line can well exceed the inferred financial barrier. My original plans were to do one front to back, ‘landed’, under $75K. more or less.

Talking with other friends, about the advances in Digital technologies, and associated platforms, cabling, and especially loudspeakers, felt I might be far too deep into the diminishing returns bucket and could be wasting money with such a knee jerk over the top budget.

Then came along the thought, well what actually can be done with less money in the here and now? Hence, this topic.

Find out what other’s think and learn something new very likely.

Maybe I should not have shown my hand thru the course of the feedback. I apologize if anything herein was confounding or confusing. It seemed crystal to me.

No apologies necessary. I understand now, and I agree that replies can be for the benefit of everyone. Whatever the result, I'm sure that you could have a very nice system for $35k, but if you had $75k to spend, that would surely be nice.