Moderately priced audio

There are countless "budget" components out there (some are truly excellent) & excellent systems can be assembled from them.

I've subscribed to T.A.S. & Stereophile for ~35 years, also some other publications that came & went. Generally print media focus on larger/more expensive gear, multi-channel & audio/video, or both. Neither really helps me much.

But that's OK. I found many other sources for information online. Besides, I love music, always have--that's a constant motivator to maintain at least one audio system that really works for my ears. This is my life & I'm living it, no matter how crazy expensive things get out there...

Your 1970, $1,000 system is about $7,000 today.  I would venture that if you spend your $7,000 carefully, you can easily get a system that sounds better than the 1970 $1,000 system. 

I started out in 1970 with a system that cost about $700 - and that included a Dual turntable, 35 watt stereo amplifier, TEAC 10-inch reel-to-reel.  I built the speakers myself.

Today, that $700 system is the equivalent of about $4700.

The first job I got after graduating from college in 1971 paid $9,000.  With some bonuses the first year I made about $11,000.  Doesn't sound like much does it?  Well, in today's dollars that's equal to $70,000.

What I'm suggesting is that you have to adjust your budget thinking. The "low cost" systems of the 1970's, in reality, represent a larger amount of money spent that the "low cost" dollar amount sounds.

Count me among the lower-budget audiophiles, one who takes great pleasure in continuously tweaking my sub-$5,000 system to get the best out of it for not alot of money, and enjoying my music collection through it. Every small tweak in cables, mostly, has resulted in a very recognizable and positive increase in sound performance (to my ear; my wife is even hearing the same audible differences and articulating them in her own terms with no prompting or suggestions by me). I just replaced my DIY Moonshine/White Lightning speaker cables with straight-up 12 gauge, single conductor THHN speaker cables (sheathed in Techflex and a pair of cable pants; no twisting, braiding, etc.) with bare wire going to the amp binding posts and speaker inputs. Wow. I thought the Moonshine cables were a step up from the 16 gauge zip cord I started with!

I replaced my modded Hafler DH-220 amp with a B&K EX-442 Sonata a couple years ago, and THAT was a substantial increase in performance. The Hafler was good (itself a nice upgrade over the Adcom GFA6000 it replaced) but the extra 100 watts or so into 4 ohms delivered by the 442 really perks up the Maggies. My 2-channel listening rig:  
 
Parasound P5 preamp

Oppo BDP-93 used as CD transport or Pandora streaming source

Denon DVD-2900 used as a CD transport

B&K EX-442 Sonata 2-channel amp

Magnepan MMG mains

Rhythmik FG12 subwoofer (that, for being only a single sub, integrates VERY nicely with the Maggies, thank you very much)

I now use BLE Design 10 gauge Rhodium Plated power cables for the pre-amp and main amp (very reasonably priced off eBay) which were added a couple months ago. Another great addition that upped the audio revelation. The rest of my gear is powered with standard 16-gauge power cables. My interconnects are a mixture of Monster and Monoprice cables - nothing special, and the the next likely candidates for the next tweak.

With the speaker cable "upgrade" of a couple evenings ago, what was a well-defined, deep and wide soundstage with precise imaging has been fleshed out into a more forward and robust presentation. I detected a small decrease in soundstage depth with the new cables immediately after install, but at the same time, what I presume many would call the "dynamics" of the sound increased. The bass is a bit fuller and tighter (was pretty damned good before), the middle filled in substantially, and I gained height in the soundstage. I may have bought an extra decibel in volume as well. As the cables are burning in, I’ve noted that some of the immediately lost soundstage depth has returned. The overall sound image/presentation is what I would consider to be more cohesive instead of what what I would call the surgically separated sound I had prior. I believe I’m also getting a smidge more detail, though I had what I thought was excellent detail before. My wife said she hears the overall sound presentation "gel" better - it’s really helpful when you can bounce your perceptions off someone who is hearing the same differences you are. I haven’t yet sat to critically listen to most of my reference material other than a few pieces here and there, but so far I’m very pleased with the fit of the cables in my system now that they’re settling in. A completely new sounding system - which sounded pretty fine already - due to a $40 set of DIY speaker cables.

Yeah, I’m enjoying my mid-fi system immensely. I’m here, present, loud and proud.

I hate to judge too quickly but I suspect I’m bringing down the curve just a little bit with my $10 system. A thousand pardons. 😬

Knowledge is what’s left after you subtract out all that good stuff you forgot from school.

I have put together at least a dozen inexpensive ($1000) to moderate priced (under $2500) audio systems for friends over the years.  I purchase used equipment in almost all instances, with turntables and cartridges often being purchased new.  The systems have late 1970s early 1980s receivers from Yamaha and Marantz.  They often have Dynaco or ADS speakers.  They use either download from computers for digital or older CD players of which I stockpiled dozens back in the early 2000s for really cheap ($10 - $100).  These systems get the fundamentals of the music right.  They do not pretend to be a high end system.  However, I can enjoy listening to them as do the new owners.  Note that most get into or back into LPs after inheriting or wanting to hear their collections again.