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Last Audition - Blown Away By A Lottery System

I went into a local B&M store and did a quick listen to an integrated and speaker pair around 6K.  I was just chatting with the sales guy, and I said thanks and was going to walk through the rest of the listening rooms.  He volunteered to take me to another room that wasn't in use.

This room was sparsely populated with two systems, as opposed to the other room that had a dozen speakers and several dozen pieces of electronics.  He streamed a song that I heard on the other system.  Without knowing exact models of equipment:
Moon player
Moon pre
Moon mono blocks
Focal Utopia
cables & IC unknown

The sales guy is watching my expression, which is disbelief, and then starts quoting the prices which totaled $380K.
That is the most expensive stereo I've ever heard, and was floored at the amount and quality of the sound - a dream system for sure.  Kind of gives me an insight to what some of you discuss here, but couldn't relate myself.

I'm screwed!  My budget only allows $20k, and that's probably what the cables in that system cost.

I bought a lottery ticket on the way home.  LOL.
bgm1911
richdirector's avatar
richdirector
269 posts
 
You can get 90% of the way there for 20k... Reckon that is mine 

UK
Rega P8
Upgraded Bluesound node2i
Audiolab 6000cdt transport
Chord Qutest Dac
Luxman 550ax2 (great phono inbuilt)
Tannoy arden

US
VPI
Streamer of choice
LUXMAN
Klipsch Cornwall / devore

Spend the rest on music and travel. 
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
5,430 posts
 
+1 on the room comment. How good was their room compared to your room? Because $380k in gear doesn’t even count whatever costs it might take for your room to measure up to their room. (Maybe.)

I don’t know how good my system is ($17k) but I love it. And I improved it immensely by learning about placement, better power, and really good interconnects; I am now investigating some room treatment.

And don’t forget, the longer you take to put your kit together, the more your hearing will degrade. So get to work! And good luck!

surfmuz
412 posts
 
+1 MC.... affordable and amazing SQ could be just within a couple steps away from you. It kind a boring to pay top $$$ and just peace yourself. The real satisfaction is when you get to the point of amazing SQ by comparing and making right choices not necessary expensive.  
barts's avatar
barts
770 posts
 
To the OP,
Do whatever you have to to go back to that system that "blew you away".
Bring music your familiar with.  Listen as much as they will let you.
To be clear I'm not sayin' jerk them around. Outline, on paper, the system you would like to build and share with the salesman.  See where there is common ground in equipment he sells, maybe trade-ins.  The point is you have found a reference system and that should be your goal.  As others
have said it is much more attainable @$20k than you might imagine. 
All the best.

Regards,
barts
bgm1911 OP
17 posts
 
I'm a confused kid in a candy store - so many options it's overwhelming.

I'm (mentally) prepared to do room treatments.  My previous 5.1 equipment was just turned up and I ignorantly dealt with the noise.

I'm 55 with a bunch of hobbies, so I'm making this purchase decision big deal because I really want this to be my last system.  In the next two months, I'll be buying a 2021 Goldwing to keep the wife happy, and maybe she'll be lenient about me spending 20K on a stereo.

Appreciate all the responses! 
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