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Starting from scratch and seeking advice as to how to proceed...

Dear fellow Audiogoners,
After residing abroad for a number of years, we are moving back to the U.S soon, and I am taking this opportunity to sell all of my current modest gear before we leave this country, to start again from scratch as we settle into a new home in the Washington D.C area.
a) My current gear (total purchase value = $5.000, as some of the gear was acquired second hand):- Peachtree Audio Nova 125 integrated- Buchardt S300 MK2 stand mount speakers- Magnepan MMG- OPPO BD93 Universal player- Bluesound Node 2i streamer
- SMSL SU8 V2 DAC
- SVS SB12NSD sub- Bluejeans/Audioquest  cables throughout
I have a brand new, still in the box,  ProJect Debut Carbon Esprit DC turntable with a Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge but it is in 220V version, so I don't know if I can use it in the U.S...(can anyone tell me if I can use it in the US?)

b) Listening room: will most probably be integrated into a living/dining/family/TV room to start with -- As we move back after several years abroad, we will start with a modest two room apartment/townhouse for the first year or so, in order to take our time and learn the market anew before embarking on the purchase of a more permanent, larger home.
I do plan to add essential room treatments, starting with oriental rugs on the floor, pictures and frames on the walls, boosted by a few specific sound enhancing wall/corner absorbers... (not sure what exactly I'll need, depending on the actual room I guess, my reading on the subject, and YOUR advice).

This means that I get to go through this lovely process twice! At first, a smaller, more modest system with a limited number of pieces (integrated + DAC/Streamer + speakers + turntable/CD), something that can easily be integrated in the multi use room, yet, that will provide better sound quality than my current setup, which is OK by me, but nothing transcendental.
c) My music tastes and medium: I listen to Modern  and vocal Jazz, classic rock, some pop, world music, alternative rock, and classical. In short, my tastes are eclectic and sources multiple and of varying quality (Spotify, Qobuz, CDs, around 300 old LPs accumulated over the past three decades, internet radio, poor quality files, YouTube..). I listen at normal volume (not too soft, not too loud), but sometimes need to crank it up when we have guests...
My questions:
In general, what is the ideal order in which I would purchase my new/used gear: speakers? amplifier? Source? DAC? etc.
How to best match components with each other...? and the rooms they will be installed in?
It would be nice to have a setup that we can use for both two channel and home theater use...(cable TV & movies)

System A (temporary gear, or foundational pieces on which I can built up later, when we eventually move to a bigger place, hopefully with a dedicated listening room...).
My budget for the first "foundation" system is around US$ 5.000, perhaps a little more, if it results in substantial SQ improvement.
I am OK with good used gear... such as ones found here!
There you have it! I tried to provide as much information as possible so as to allow you all to target your advice and suggestions.
When I get there, I will take some time to go and listen to recommended gear at pertinent stores in the D.C area and/or member's homes, should I be invited...
Thanks in advance for your informed advice, I am not so much interested in actual brands and models of specific gear, but rather on proper/optimal system building rules, while taking into account my specifics.
Regards,
jlr261
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jlr261 OP
34 posts
 
Hello daledeee!YES, I shall definitely look into room treatments as it makes 110% sense to ensure the listening room allows for the best possible interaction with whatever setup one has at any time.

However, this may have to wait until we move into a more permanent home, where I certainly hope to have a dedicated audio-video room!
Thus far, it's looking like I'll focus on trying as many efficient speakers as I possibly can, taking advantage of the trial periods offered by a number of good manufacturers and stores, as well as a good integrated amp and possibly a better than average DAC.
That should be sufficient to hold me over until we are fully settled back, at which time, I can take more time to try more equipment and fine tune my setup until I'm satisfied.
Thanks again everyone for your suggestions and opinions, half the fun of this hobby is to share and learn from each other, like many things in life!
johnto
1,039 posts
 
I would suggest pairing a Parasound Halo Hint with Maggie 1.7i speakers. You will have a Stereophile A rated piece of equipment that has everything you need and matches extremely well with Maggie’s. Welcome back and happy listening.
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jlr261 OP
34 posts
 
Hello johnto,
Thank you! Your advice is right up my alley, budget and SQ wise...
I already own a Bluesound Node 2i and a pair of Magnepan MMG's that I'll be bringing back with me, so my first task will be to acquire an amplifier in order to have music in our home quickly.
I can then take my time to tryout in view of acquiring the various elements of a new setup, preferably on the used market to maximize value for $$ spent!

As I've never had the possibility of listening to different setups, due to our living in countries where there were no decent audio shops to speak of, I intend to take advantage of the possibility of ordering, listening/testing, and returning unsatisfactory gear, allowing me to experience different sound signatures, etc., finally allowing me to distinguish between OK, great!, and WOW setups... within my budget range.

As I wrote in my original post, I'm just starting in this hobby, although I've loved music and good sound quality for decades...
Within the context of my modest experience, I do like the Peachtree Audio sound very much.

Have you had a chance to listen to the Nova 300 with maggies ?

This iteration amp has received numerous accolades, is currently available on the used market for less than 1.5K, and also, reputed to be much "better" than my  Nova 125...
How much "better" than the MMG's are the 1.7i?

Would the Nova 300 drive the 1.7i with proper authority?

Of course, acquiring another, larger, pair of Magnepans will largely depend on the space I will have to devote to an audio-video setup.

From reading dozens of threads here and there,  I shall proceed as follows:
  • Set aside a dedicated audio-video room in our new home, if possible;
  • Start with the purchase of a used amp to drive my exiting gear (MMG/Node 2i) as a foundation;
  • Improve room acoustics early on, making modest but noteworthy improvements;
  • Visit stores/ attend shows, and use in-home trial possibilities to sample a wide variety of gear that suit my situation (room, music, budget, etc.);
  • Keep an eye out for exceptional gear that becomes available on the used market from time to time... Put together a system that will decisively improve on what I already have, and go from there...
  • In fact, it is entirely possible that I will be satisfied with the new amp driving the MMGs, using the Node 2i, and perhaps adding one or two good sub-woofers?

Voilà! Thanks again for chiming in, I am certainly reading many good things about Parasound's great compatibility with maggies, and the Hint integrated is definitely a hit as far as the various professional/private reviewers are concerned.




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