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Help: ISO Beginner full setup for excellent sound on $2000 max budget

Overview: Brand new at this, looking for help purchasing beginner full setup of TT, Tube Amp, Speakers, Preamp that is aesthetically pleasing (i.e. minimalist, blends in as piece of furniture with plants), that sounds fantastic, and will stand up over the next 5-7 years, for $2000 max. I'm in search of the best sound, most aesthetically pleasing, and holds up longest overtime. If you could put together a beginner set of quality products for somebody about to enter their 30’s for xmas with a $2000 max budget, what would you include?


Hey y’all, I’m brand new to this and don’t want to jump down a huge rabbit hole, or spend countless hours contemplating decisions about these, not because I don’t have time, it’s just not good for me: I’m so bad at making decisions and I want somebody’s advice that I can trust. So, figured I’d start a dialogue:

I am looking for a simple setup with the following components for a small to midsized room:
- Turn Table (I like Rega, UTurn, and Pro-ject easthetics);
- Preamp (whatever pairs best with the entire setup);
- Speakers (what I think I should invest most in? - I like Omega Super 3 XRS Speakers); and
- Tube Amp (whatever pairs best with the entire setup - I like the Almarro a205a).

The most important aspects of these products are all:
- Durable (wanting to last a while and feel a little modern classic 6-7 years from now);
- Best sound for the price; and
- Aesthetically pleasing (this is important, it will be the center of my living room for the foreseeable future).

My music style: is mostly slower independent stuff: Sun Kil Moon, John Prine, Iron and Wine sounding stuff. Other than that I’ll mostly listen to Hip Hop, like J Dilla, or Rock, like Pearl Jam).

I’d love for it to be something that’s not jumping head first into this as a hobby, but something I can be proud of owning that I can play every day.

If you have any specifics please ask, I apologize for the length of this post, just figured I ’d try to be general enough so y’all could get an idea.
whyistherenopie
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
I get the idea. You’d like a system that could be featured in both Architectural Digest and Stereophile, for $2k. No problem. Saddle up the unicorn and lets go shopping!

Seriously, a great system can be done even at this price level, but not spending $1600 of the $2k budget on speakers and amp. Not that they aren't nice speakers and amp. They just don't leave anything for a turntable, speaker cables, interconnect, power cord, etc. Things that make a real difference you can hear. Things that will make your budget system shine like nothing you ever heard before.

So what you do, divide your budget, $2k or whatever it is, by 5. Because that's the 5 things you need:
Speakers, amp, source, wire, accessories. The last two are just as important as the first two. Wire is speaker cables, power cords, and interconnects. That's $400 per. 

This narrows it down and focuses your search. If you really want those speakers and amp go ahead and get them but realize you either increase your budget considerably or sacrifice a whole lot of sound for the sake of the bling. Because without quality wire connecting them that's what they'll be, bling.
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
7,977 posts
 
Alright millercarbon, I’ll admit it...that was damn funny! Sadly, I agree. This is a tough one, but there may be someone out there who can help. Tube integrated, very modest ’table and a small pair of monitors and some lamp cord?
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Yeah hilarious but I'm trying not to be so mean. And yet not fall into insipid like so many others. So check it with the edit.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
What's really funny is if anyone cares to read through all my many entertaining and illuminating posts they will find buried in there somewhere the stories of the budget systems I have done for people. The most impressive of which the one that really stands out and that I miss being a full system for $1200 all-in.

The main reason it was so impressive is it was a complete system. Not just bookshelf speakers, integrated amp and CD, but also speaker cables, IC, PC and Cones under everything. 

Also did another one for $2500 all-in, including my $500 fee. So coincidentally the same $2k system budget. It was a birthday present and sounded so good the guy was convinced his wife had spent at least $5k. 

It really is that mathematically simple. Why nobody gets it I don't know. But I've done it several times now. It totally works. Its not flashy. It just sounds like way more than anyone would ever think. Same as mine. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 Tried and true.
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