Building a new system for about 5 grand
There are a lot of options out there, but the most important things are: 1. The system should be balanced unless you plan on constant upgrades (eg, don’t buy a $4K integrated and $500 speakers). I think in general components should cost about the same as each other with the only exception being the speakers, which should cost about double your component and integrateds which replace 2 components. So for $5k, I would budget something like $2k for speakers, $1500 for an integrated, $750 for a turntable/cartridge combo, $500 for a DAC, and $750 for cables. 2. Start with the speakers - these have the most coloration and the widest requirement range for upstream components. Speakers sound extremely different. It is a taste issue more than a quality issue. Kind of like cars, do you want a lightweight car like a lotus (sort of akin to a tube/hi efficiency speaker system) or a muscle car like a Hellcat (big class A/B with big hard to drive speakers)? Do you like a warm sound, a dynamic sound, or an analytical sound? Speakers to check out before you buy which give you a wide range that will heals you narrow your taste: Magnepans (it never ceases to shock me how good these are for the money - but they are not very dynamic and need some good power), Klipsch (highly efficient and colored but very fun - will let you use a little tube integrated), Tekton (highly efficient, dynamic, and not super colored). Once you pick the speakers, then pick the amp and upstream components. My only other suggestion is to spend more on your cartridge than you might think. I think a $750 turntable should be about $350 turntable and $400 cartridge. And finally, buy used if you care about resale, but getting new at 15% off from a dealer will save you a lot of headaches. They know how to build a system that has synergy. Let them do their thing and help you put something great together - you can replace the middleman, but he makes your life so much easier. |
Take a look at Buchardt Audio out of Denmark. The floorstanders are just outside your budget, however your overall cost will be much lower since this is a near all in one system. Their stand mounts come in much lower. The shipping and return policies are excellent. Your wife may also appreciate less component clutter and exposed wires, etc. https://www.buchardtaudio.com/products |
Swspeakers’ Swoxx active stand mount is another similar option, though not as fully "all-in-one" as the Buchardt. https://swspeakers.com/product/swoxx-hazelnut-wood/ |
