Coming out of the blackhole called work...retirement

Welcome AMG.

Life begins at retirement - at least, it did for me. I could not afford the system I wanted - so I began to build my own equipment. Consider DIY - it's far more rewarding than just buying stuff.

Now after 15 years of DIY, I have an ESL system with DIY electronics and DIY air bearing turntable and DIY cabling. Could not touch it for $100,000 new retail.

Several posters have suggested visiting audio shows. Good idea. I also suggest that you consider buying direct from the manufacturer, where feasible. With your budget, you can afford to travel a bit for auditions, and take in a concert as a bonus. Cases in point: Trans-Fi for turntable and tonearm, Soundsmith for cartridges and preamp, K&K Audio for kits and advice. I use the TF tonearm - I have two of them, and don't think they can be touched for less than 5x the price, and maybe not at all.

Why manufacturers? Price, obviously. But also, VERY few people will bother to set up an analogue system to anything near its potential. The manufacturer is your best bet for determining that potential.

Be sure to audition exotic speakers like ESL's or big Magnepans before you buy anything.

And, I suggest, spend a maximum of $500 on cables until you have your system at a good place. Then try out new cables using your current sound as a reference. I use microphone cable for interconnect at $1 / foot. Exotics work no better. In my system. In my opinion.

If you live near Seattle, why not stop in for a listen?

My 2c from someone who did what you’re doing 8 years ago.

I had last built a system in the 80s and it still works fine. But I decided to see what was around after 25 years of no spare time, now having a nice new very large room (actually a heated garage) to play with in a new way.

I found as others mentioned that affordability was amazing, and began stocking up. But with me it’s a hobby so I went for the next thing. I discovered digital products and did some now-so-easy research on the web, ending up replacing stuff with Minidsp stuff, learning along the way. And of course, in one of life’s ironies, the former software engineer finally realized that it all (well, most) could just be done in software. Duh. What I hadn’t known was the plethora of free apps available. I ended up with a new pair of computers (refurbs costing ~$400 total with pcie soundcards) taking the place of everything up to the power amps. It could have been just one computer, but my speakers are some 40’ from where I choose to ’work’ and to select music to play.

Before you run out and spend money on a pile of more conventionally-packaged stuff (e.g. preamps and other boxes), I suggest you do some research on making your system out of a computer (or two even). Want an equalizer or other ’box’? Download one or ten and try ’em. Steep sloped linear phase crossovers. Drawable EQ curves. Reverb. Echo. Compressors. Any effect you can think of. It’s a blast, it’s actually downright cheap and it sounds better too.

AMG, another thing - room dimensions. You are really close to cubic, and that's not good. I suggest that you look up University of Salford (UK) research into acoustics. They have done a lot of work on optimal rooms.

Acoustics Research Centre - the University of Salford

       Architectural and Building Acoustics

              Room sizing for studios

Buy some jbl 4350 studio monitors and some McIntosh tube gear and you’ll be right back where you left off and just as happy as you were in the 70s. You’ll be in it for 15-20k and it won’t lose value. Congrats on your retirement!