Weak Link in chain as I upgrade from mid-fi?

After reading this thread I am glad I am not the OP. 

No one is reading what this guys goals and limitations are. 

At your level you need to sell it all…not upgrade this or that.

You will need a real DAC like a Lampizator or Esoteric or MSB.

Then save up 20-50k for speakers. I would hear a pair of YG acoustics Carmel 2 or go up to a Magico A5.

Your amp will be a Pilium integrated, their small one is only 30k and it is fantastic. 

@juanmanuelfangioii haha, thanks for that. Im not new to hifi forumers, just loudspeaker ones...so Im not naive enough to believe stuff like that post you quoted, but people gonna try 🙄

I will say I didn't 'give' a 'limit' in price...partially because im not looking for 'hey if u had a dream 2 way setup what would u put in it', and I think im getting enough useful feedback to know that came across to many. 

I could imagine dac mattering but no matter how much source matters I couldn't imagine having a $6k T2 makes any sense until ive upgraded speaker and amp, though am curious what's the entry point of other gear when a DAC like that makes sense.

For now Im likely going to get some small Rel T subs, then eventually separate int amp/dac pieces...then speakers.

Regarding my choice of Sonetto I if it gives understanding why I chose the speaker...The SII is almost 2x the cost and I found it was lower on the value/$ scale which is already tough for SF given import costs to NA. The S1 gets close to the S2 (at least closer imho, compared to idk...lumina I and 2 or dyn emit m10/m20s, other big/baby brother 2 ways Ive heard), and will be sort of my training speaker for paying attention to depth and imaging on a loudspeaker setup.

@lanx0003 thanks haha. Yeah I know the sonetto is not the maxima amator, or ON 1 etc...let alone their 'true' high end lines...but I view it as the lowest point of entry to have usable training ground for what SF can offer. Lumina imo sacrifices too much on imaging to use as a chain in SF upgrade path that teaches you what to listen for. 

As for the Arcam its actually a really nicely done thing. I didn't trust the added electronics for the SA30 (wireless/dirac etc are something I could use down the line but not for now), and I know id upgrade the amp relatively soon anyway. The dac is easily best bang for buck Ive heard for a digital int amp at 2k or below, and I got it new for like 1100...was an easy choice! Its generally an easy going amp, and some of the lower end Hegel construction concerns me (was considering h95 but something irked me about the way everything mounted to chassis). That said, I wish it had less plastic and more metal, and the standby light can be seen from space.
 

Way back in the day, Arcam made some good CDPs and their Brit-integrateds were competitive.  But then they went off into class H, and that model and subsequent never seemed to get any traction, at least in the US.  There are literally dozens of excellent integrateds in the 3K-10K range, and there are a lot of threads about them on this site.

i think the op is knowledgeable enough to parse through the myriad of comments and ’advice’ posted thus far, separate good advice target to his situation and needs, from the garbage

i would only add a few add’l points here for his benefit

1 - don’t underestimate hegel... they know what they are doing, their gear is really excellent

2 - i agree that arcams’ sound has left me cold for a good long while (cool, shrill sound, little heft or body to the music), but i have not tried their more recent stuff (last 3-4 years) - the nice warmth in his s-f speakers are likely compensating for this presently

3 - op’s sonus fabers should scale up decently for a few upgrade moves, the most significant of which is to integrate in a decent sub (or two)... that would be the most transformative equipment improvement imo (assumes his room and setup are decent)

Get decently efficient speakers (high sensitivity and moderate impedance/phase angles) that will allow use of a wide range of amplifiers. Then upgrade the rest from there. Good examples are the DeVore Orangutan 0/93 or 0/96, or Spendor D7.2. 
 

Don’t run out and buy B&W 800s or Wilsons. Not only will they not pair well with your current amp, they will highly limit your amplifier choices going forward.