$50k - $80k Budget…Opinions please.
Long story short, I sold my beloved 2-channel to reduce family debt. In about a year-ish, I’ll be in a position to rebuild with a hefty budget. I loved my Harbeth + Pass Labs combo. My REL sub died before I really got to integrate it, so opinions wanted there as well. I fully understand the diminishing margin of returns when moving into some arenas, but that’s ok, opinions are strongly encouraged.
I listen to a lot of Miles Davis/Coltrane, Radiohead, Tool, Pearl Jam, Brent Cobb. I’ve often preferred “organic” or neutral, not sure how technical that is.
Lots of good guidance here. The hardest part may be where to begin, so it’s good that you know the kind of sound you prefer—organic, neutral. I would describe my own preference the same way. If I were you, I’d start there with speaker lines that are described that way in reviews. Then it becomes a matter of what will work in your room—sonically, practically, and visually. As many previous posters have described.
You’re giving yourself some time to do this, and that’s really great. Enjoy! |
op listen to @ghdprentice @verdantaudio ignore @grislybutter good luck, have fun, focus on speakers and how they work in your room |
@jjss49 ignore what? do you have reading issues? there was not one actionable piece of advice from me in this post. I made observations, that were pretty freaking objective. I am sorry about your unhappiness that you have to take out on other people. |
Yes, definitely. Carefully chosen requires footwork, listening skills, reading, exposure to different systems, etc. I think each of us with many decades of experience have chosen slightly different paths to be able to evaluate equipment and systems. So, for me, I have listened to different systems for 50 years, read virtually every copy of The Absolute Sound and Stereophile over that time. Through thousands of hours discovered my own values (modified greatly with the knowledge I gained over that time) and am able to judge sound quality of equipment and the synergy they are likely to bring. This is a pursuit of passion where the time spent is enjoyable and in the long run incredibly satisfying. The great thing is, at the end of each learning / investment cycle one has a testament to what you have achieved. |
Just went through the same exercise over the past few years and ended up with Focal Sopra2's each paired with with REL S812's using baseline blue high level cable, Esoteric F-05 integrated, Esoteric K03xd, VPI Signature 21 w/ Fatboy arm, Soundsmith Paua MkII, Bob's Devices Sky 20 SUT fronting the F-05 on board phono stage, Bryston BHA-1 headphone amp, Grado PS2000e cans and a mixture of Wireworld, Nordost Shunyata and Kardas cables. Also a Miles fan, jazz/classical. Current MSRP on the above around $83K. |
