Need New 2 Channel System for under 25K


Hi,

Trying to help a friend set up a new 2 channel system for his office where he spends 12hour days.
Hi budget is $25K MAX on the entire system.  The office is 8'x12' with 8ft ceiling. It has a large desk and several book shelves and large window. 

He wants to stream from the Internet or from his NAS drive and play CDs.

He wants to spend the money in phases and he is not in a rush.  He also wants the system to be bookshelf based (make sense for a smaller size room like this), but wants to start by purchasing electronics first (this is because he has a pair of lower-midlevel Focal bookshelves and a pair of lower-midlevel Sonus Faber bookshelf's so he wants to play around with those speakers first and then upgrade to the strategic bookshelves when he gets some more funds.
 Ability to plug in headphones into the electronics is definitely a plus and headphones themselves are not part of the 25k budget as he has Sennheiser HD600 and his happy with them for now. 

According to him, physicals size of components is not that important to him, but I know that it will become important later in a small office like his.  He is also into esthetics of his systems.

So I we were thinking of going with 'used' components to get more value but with relatively newer models
For example, if it is possible to find in USED but good condition: 
 1. -Simaudio 680D V2, and 600I V2 together for $12.5K, that would be good  (no CD playback here however and no headphone amp, but thats ok)
 2. -Bit later get a pair of Focal Diablos for about $7.5K if possible 
 3. -That leaves about $5K for cables, power conditioning, cords, Interconnects, etc.

The electronics can stand on his desk (if they fit), or can be put on a rack (which would also need to be purchased)

The Simaudio components are good size and very good quality and I think the system would synergize together very well.

Can any one suggest something comparable or better for the money based on the requirements.  Also If we can get a comparable system in a different brand for less money, that would be great.  (i.e. Perhaps  Lumin Streamer/DAC with a Pass labs INT 250 and pair of Paradigm Persona Bookshelves :)

Please let me know if there are any other details I can provide.
Thank you in advance!

Ag insider logo xs@2xjmarshak
@arion Mike thanks you for elaborate proposal.  I understand your motivation for having me look at these products and would need more people  (none dealers) to opine on the same. 

@dejones - thanks for the further details on the monitors. Interesting.
What a fun budget :-) 12 hours a day need be fatigue free !

DCS Bartok with Ayre or Pass integrated. Decent CD transport or rip to NAS and away you go. 
Also since headphones in the mix in a pretty small space consider the Magneplaners desktop system w under the desk bass panel for in the future.... super fatigue free 
And if you want a killer DAC/cd player convo w volume control consider the Aesthetix Romulus- 2 additional levels of future upgrades past base model - you would need a streamer - Auralic, Innous both fine. The Aesthetix has 4 small tubes.
@tomic601 Thanks.  Really good points.  No fatigue is really important.  That's why I started with Simaudio stuff.  From my experience, very light on the pressure to head. And you are right, it is a fun budget, one can own more than one car for that money (used of course :)). The brands you recited are inline with some that I am considering.  Tubes would be a nice touch for him.  He mentioned that hewould want to have tubes somewhere in the system.