Inheritance ($100K) with a caveat


So you inherit $100k but with the caveat all the monies be put into a two channel stereo system.
And can never sell.
What to do?
Analog? Digital? Both? Tube? Solid State? Cables? Room treatments? Build a stereo room?…

128x128hbarrel
I would call the folks at GIK, Simaudio and Sonus faber and give them the budget and tell them to build it.
Easy to write off the OP as fantasy, but I have seen guys in pretty much this exact situation. The best one was a guy I hardly knew, just a regular at this brew pub. When he retired from Boeing first thing he did was drop $40k on a high end system. Knowing nothing he bought Martin Logan and a slew of other stuff he had no idea what it was. In fact the only reason I know it was Martin Logan, he told me what they look like! That is how little he knew, yet he dropped forty large.  

He was real happy. Well they usually are at first, shiny and sparkly and all that.  

Another guy, knew him through PCA had no idea he was into audio at all until he came over one time and went all gaga. He was pretty similar to the first guy. He knew a lot more about what he had but hadn't really much experience and so as a result had spent way more than I had in my system at the time but when he sat down and listened he was blown away. Just kept saying play another, please play another!  

Music to my ears.  


I believe there's value in appreciating and wanting what you have.  Everything changes and what you think is the best one day may change due to many things including learning what you didn't know, changing priorities and curiosity.

Patience isn't my virtue and I'm willing to use the money for convenience.  I don't enjoy tweaking like others and my mechanical aptitude for upgrading things like tone arms are an undesirable chore.  (to each their own, I'm very critical of my own work versus someone else's)

  • Speakers - I own Sonus faber Olympica Nova V and I'm inclined to keep them
  • Preamp/Amp - I like my current Mc stuff and would consider upgrading the amps to MC-901 amplifiers or moving to full tube with Audio Research Reference 6 preamplifier and the Reference 160 M amplifiers.
  • Turntable  - I like my Rega P8 so perhaps a Rega P10 w....I would enjoy the auditioning process for cartridges and phono stages and would consider Rega across the board deck, cartridge and phone state.  There are some options including Linn and VPI that make great products and the selection and matching table, arm, cartridge and phone stage is not something I find enjoyable.  I like cars and instead of modifying a car to provide the performance I desire - I buy a car that's stock with those characteristics (cost more if I had the skills and knowledge but it gives me peace of mind) 
  • I have a Moon DAC/Streamer I like and I'd consider other digital front ends including Boulder, DCs and Moon.
I think a great chair would be need such as a Stressless Recliner or two in the sweet spot.  Some sound treatments, racking, cables and media storage would round out the remaining funds.

In the end, the person who left me the money could come and haunt me and would appreciate my enjoyment of the inheritance!
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