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

Vinyl will eat up 10k or more of the budget. If I had it to do over, I don't think I would've gone the vinyl route. I would spend the money on better speakers and electronics. 

I would travel to a major metropolitan area and audition speaker-amp combinations. I would like to hear a SET amp with a high sensitivity speaker (e.g., Shindo or Line Magnetic amp, Devore speakers). I would want to hear an OTL system (e.g., Atma-sphere or David Berning) paired with a higher sensitivity speaker. Also, a dipole speaker (e.g., Magnepan 3.7i, Martin Logan 13A with built in room correction), paired with a high quality SS amp (e.g., PASS Labs 250.8, Constellation Inspiration). If I went the latter route, I would probably still go with a used Audio Research Reference preamp. 

Ayre cx-7emp CD player for disc playback and transport. $1,700. (Used)
Audioquest Earth Interconnects balanced $1000.
Audioquest Diamond Digital cable $1000.
Ayre qx-5 for streaming and HI-Rez $8900.
Audioquest Earth interconnects - balanced $1,000.
Anthem STR Integrated $5,000. ( on-board room correction and phono)
Audioquest Oak - 2 runs for biwire $6,000
Paradigm Persona 3F $10,000.
Total $34,600 without tax.
N

Dcevans > I would travel to a major metropolitan area and audition speaker-amp combinations.

Blindjim > my preffs and room have been outlined above. we’re on the same wavelength on a few accounts. It seems a necessity to travel at least some. Or find those dealers that will allow for an in home demo. Spkrs by nature will be the problem children and why one has to accumulate air miles.


Nutty > Total $34,600 without tax.

Blindjim > Super!! That was very thoughtful. Very nice. My preffs and exp remove Ayre as a candidate though. For someone else? Sure not bad at all. I’m very interested in how those new Para spkrs work. I’m also surprised on how many tend to declare AQ as the cable solution du jour. Thanks.

Hello all, bows to Blindjim. I couldn't sleep. And a few hours ago I got up, bored I logged on and joined Audiogon. and somehow, This is the first thread that caught my eye. I'm not sure really how to begin other than to give you all an "I'll be as brief as possible" short preface. Of why me finding and reading this thread tonight/morning is just so ironic.   Five years ago my world stopped turning with a sudden blow to the head. And it's taken me about four and a half years to get my world to start turning again. Now it feel like it's all happening too fast.
      About four months ago I was allot like most. but I have been something of an audiophile since I was 15 and acquired my first pioneer 8 track combo receiver with upgraded kenwood speakers, "I paid $15 extra for those!" and they changed my life. But soon I entered the rat race and lost focus on what was my first love, music. Fast forward to several months ago.
    Like many I had resigned my fate to having an Pioneer elite sc-77 and a pair of martin logan "source" speakers. Using my dvd player as my trusty transport I was awed about once a month for about two hours, "the time allotted me with no one home" at how amazing my system sounded. And of course I was the envy of most of my friends as most of them have really nothing at all except the $150 Black Friday box of 5.1 tiny, "Wife approved" speakers 10" sub and with luck a $200 AVR. 
   LO and Behold, I was awakened by a Mighty Din! As the Martin Logans melted and the Pioneer "Elite" popped and fizzled, I laughed, I really did.
  Not too insanely though, The Jonese's might hear.
         What was I to do? I couldn't justify just running out and replacing it all. And that Monster Cable speaker wire had been in my family for generations! I should at least save that right???
    I'll skip ahead a few weeks now. You don't need to hear about me finding the gospel at Best Buy's and their price matching. My seemingly endless journey through that price match maze of AVR's All with their own proprietary technologies that only THEY had that didn't mean Didly Squat at the end. Because at that end was Indeed the mighty Marantz!
      And Indeed, as I worked my way up through their Integrated AVR inventory "sometimes daily". I caught my self peeking at the "Separates".      Soon I was actually even talking out loud about them in the stores!!!!!!
Amplifiers and Preamplifiers Audioquest cables.
     At this point I realize that I'll never stop getting x-mas cards and such from Best Buy's. I made those guys millennium! But enough was enough and I stopped! For an entire 3 days I did not ONCE peruse the adds from anything that I knew was garbage. now realise, my house is at this time chock full of speakers I couldn't return, Klipsch's and Polk's and pioneer's! "Oh My". I finally took the big leap on ebay about 3? months ago? ?Yeah, my short term memory is the last thing that wont heal" Anyway
I purchased my first real amp, a rotel RB1080 which I adored. for about two months. Then I bought another to Bi-amp the Klipsch f-20 synergies that were so awesome. Deeeep bass I thought for a week, with Highs that would curdle frozen milk! But I knew I needed speakers. I needed to find a pair that I could both afford. And be able to look myself in the mirror about. And maybe something vintage. Hmmmm. And I knew this because I had just auditioned some b&w 800's. The new top of the line one's. And although I could not afford those, at least couldn't bear to afford them. I knew in a very literal 5 seconds or less I had to have something decent. What even a REAL audiophile would have.
                           Here we have to take a break. Well I need a break.
     I can hear the pain pills calling me.
   And oh yeah, I have kinda left a little thing out. Haven't I told you about the settlement fairy? I didn't?        BRB

Ok, Coffee in hand, 6:00am. Only 30 more minutes until the pills kick-in. 
     Yee ha!
   Hey pal, Don't feel sorry for me! I'm allowed 3 of those pills a day.
  Besides, I "did" get a visit from the settlement fairy. And I cannot , will not EVER tell you about it! Yeah that's right I signed the papers! That's the only way I could have bankrolled this! I had always, always said that someday I'm going to take the time and the money and become what is in my mind a real Card Totin, golden eared Audiophile. And all it took was an 'Traumatic Brain Injury". Besides, All my friends say I'm finally becoming myself again. Whilst beginning my mid-life crisis! About all I know is that this entire 3 month journey has well been worth it! And I've learned allot.
      Indeed for someone that thought that "Monster Cable" was just an audiophile thing and that those "special cables" that the average guy laughs about were only for those that really didn't know any better! And that they simply had too much time and money on their hands.
                        And now I am one with them.  "I make my own now", and am on my third set. Just having received my fourth type to experiment with yesterday.
                              Can you FEEL the LOVE people!
      I COULD sit here and keep writing except that I'm starting to try to be funny and that's generally a bad sign. 
               Oh well , The signs never bothered me, so,
Which brings me to this morning. As I laughed three months ago after probably showing the sorriest face I've ever put on. As the Martin Logans crumbled. I knew I was going to do this . And set myself a limit of $10,000.00. Which was gone in about a week and a half. with not really much to show for it. I started with the Rotels, Moved up to Onkyo Gran Integra's and found my speakers right in the middle. I will never forget it. It DID feel like a sort of epiphany. Having seen them in a magazine in 1984? While I was overseas with the service. I think it was playboy. The full, or was it half page add for the speakers. There they were, In all their glory. With a FOR SALE on top of the Ebay page. That was the day I called Magic Marksy! For those of you whom might not know who I am referring to "Although I believe from the conversations I read that at least a few of you do". He is a purveyor of vintage Infinity Speakers And as it turned out that MY "Holy Grail" are a set of RS-1b speakers heavily modded with the Monsoon driver upgrade. I was going to buy them....Until I found a set two weeks ago of the same speakers, "Marksies!" that were now even more heavily modded and upgraded with a newly rebuilt Crossover to boot!
       I am now the proud owner of a crapload of decent to great "IMHP" amps. And my first Onkyo M-509 shipped to me yesterday from Montana. My two M-508's are on their way and I have four m-504's split between Home and the shop. Those at home I'll take to the shop for servicing next week when I pick those up Along with my 5 channel Rotel RB1095 for my HT. My Rotel's which are now gathering dust are soon for ebay and Audiogon. The second Panamax 5400pm for the extra dedicated circuits being installed came yesterday of course, as did the Nakamichi Rx-202, "The nifty one that spins the cassette around". Last night I took some pics of the first 2" maple plinth I ever made for my Pro-ject turntable. And today my three VTI audio racks shall arrive from "Douglas Connection Cables", "Great Service!!! Two VTI, BL304's that will sit side by side and a BL 405 that will sit to the right of my Nifty Old Infinity RS-1b's That I just signed a contract to have delivered from Indiana to Maryland Just after midnight last night. They will FINALLY be here tomorrow!!!!!
                             So WHEW!   I've been a busy lad the last few days.                      There's more but I wont bore you.

    If you haven't heard of "USHIP", don't feel bad, Neither had I until Thursday, AND THEY they are awesome!
         Can you tell I'm excited?
                               Break!
     Audiogon can tell me to stop boring everyone any time now If they'd like to.
           But I just had to get all that off my chest!   
 Next I may actually add something to this thread that honors it's intent!
                                  OR, Maybe not!