Hawthorne has a nice selection of turntables. But you want a DAC. Oh well. Hawthorne is right across the street (Roosevelt) from Definitive. Ideally you would do Hawthorne, walk across the street to Definitive, listen to their million dollar (or whatever, might be 2m by now) statement system. Then drive across the lake to my place where you will see and hear just how good a reasonably affordable system can be. Seriously. You owe it to yourself.
Especially since it is the only way to hear just how good you can get with your budget. Because I don’t know about wire and tweaks, but for $10k you can get the same Tekton Moabs ($5k with upgrades) a Raven Blackhawk integrated ($3k) very similar to mine but actually a whole lot better, and still have $2-4k left over for whatever you can get for that with digital. My fingers almost cramped up typing the d-word but to each his own. ;)
Then having settled on your speaker and amp (seriously, once you hear Moabs you will know you are done looking), and smiling warmly as you realize just how doggone good those Moabs are gonna sound in your very own room you can head on over to check out the honest to God statement system of Mike Lavigne’s in North Bend. PM Mike to be sure and make arrangements but the guy is incredibly welcoming. Its a half hour or so from my place but just the drive up towards Snoqualmie Pass is worth it. Especially if you do like the Portland guys did and take the back roads past Snoqualmie Falls and through the little town of Snoqualmie (Twin Peaks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Eb5WeSuc5E ) and North Bend, a lot of which should be decorated for Christmas.
Plan on a couple hours at my place and you will be smart to take me up on my offer of ribs, as they are like my system TDF: to die for.
Especially since it is the only way to hear just how good you can get with your budget. Because I don’t know about wire and tweaks, but for $10k you can get the same Tekton Moabs ($5k with upgrades) a Raven Blackhawk integrated ($3k) very similar to mine but actually a whole lot better, and still have $2-4k left over for whatever you can get for that with digital. My fingers almost cramped up typing the d-word but to each his own. ;)
Then having settled on your speaker and amp (seriously, once you hear Moabs you will know you are done looking), and smiling warmly as you realize just how doggone good those Moabs are gonna sound in your very own room you can head on over to check out the honest to God statement system of Mike Lavigne’s in North Bend. PM Mike to be sure and make arrangements but the guy is incredibly welcoming. Its a half hour or so from my place but just the drive up towards Snoqualmie Pass is worth it. Especially if you do like the Portland guys did and take the back roads past Snoqualmie Falls and through the little town of Snoqualmie (Twin Peaks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Eb5WeSuc5E ) and North Bend, a lot of which should be decorated for Christmas.
Plan on a couple hours at my place and you will be smart to take me up on my offer of ribs, as they are like my system TDF: to die for.