Okay so first thing you do, make a list of everything you need. You already are ahead of the crowd in knowing you need a sub and cables. But at this budget level you will be able to get tremendously more performance by budgeting for a lot of other things as well. Especially the things you think right now aren’t all that important. They are. Way more than you think.
Speakers- 2 main
Speakers- 4 subs
Integrated amp
Turntable- including arm and cartridge
Phono stage
Wire- interconnects, power cords, speaker cables
Tweaks- Synergistic Research Orange fuses, HFT, ECT, PHT, Perfect Path Solutions Total Contact, Omega Mats, etc, Cable Elevators, Zero Stat, record cleaning machine and/or solutions.
I don’t include CD as that is optional but if you insist go ahead just make sure its a CD player not a transport/DAC that will eat up money without adding anything to performance, kind of like separates vs integrated amp.
Now you have your 7 essentials here’s where it gets fun. Divide your $20k into 7. Make it a nice even $3k per item. And there you go. That’s how its done. No wasted time listening to people blab about $5k or more speakers, you don’t have the budget for it. No time wasted on people saying spend it all on 3 things, you need those tweaks, they make all the difference. Those people are inexperienced and safely ignored.
That’s the purpose of a budget. Not to tell you what to buy. To focus your limited time and energy where it can be put to the most use.
What kind of system might this be? Check it out:
Tekton Double Impacts, with Swarm subwoofer system
Used 50 wpc tube integrated amp
Rega or VPI table
Herron VTPH2A phono stage
Used SR CTS speaker cable, interconnect, and Master Coupler power cord.
Full HFT speaker and room treatment, full system Total Contact treatment, and as many Omega Mats and Cable Elevators as you have budget left for.
If you actually do all this and it doesn’t blow away every $100k system you hear for at least the next ten years I will eat my hat. And its a nice hat!
Speakers- 2 main
Speakers- 4 subs
Integrated amp
Turntable- including arm and cartridge
Phono stage
Wire- interconnects, power cords, speaker cables
Tweaks- Synergistic Research Orange fuses, HFT, ECT, PHT, Perfect Path Solutions Total Contact, Omega Mats, etc, Cable Elevators, Zero Stat, record cleaning machine and/or solutions.
I don’t include CD as that is optional but if you insist go ahead just make sure its a CD player not a transport/DAC that will eat up money without adding anything to performance, kind of like separates vs integrated amp.
Now you have your 7 essentials here’s where it gets fun. Divide your $20k into 7. Make it a nice even $3k per item. And there you go. That’s how its done. No wasted time listening to people blab about $5k or more speakers, you don’t have the budget for it. No time wasted on people saying spend it all on 3 things, you need those tweaks, they make all the difference. Those people are inexperienced and safely ignored.
That’s the purpose of a budget. Not to tell you what to buy. To focus your limited time and energy where it can be put to the most use.
What kind of system might this be? Check it out:
Tekton Double Impacts, with Swarm subwoofer system
Used 50 wpc tube integrated amp
Rega or VPI table
Herron VTPH2A phono stage
Used SR CTS speaker cable, interconnect, and Master Coupler power cord.
Full HFT speaker and room treatment, full system Total Contact treatment, and as many Omega Mats and Cable Elevators as you have budget left for.
If you actually do all this and it doesn’t blow away every $100k system you hear for at least the next ten years I will eat my hat. And its a nice hat!