Neophite needing advice

All used...Audio Refinement Complete, Magnepan MMG's, Rega Planet or DVD player, Carver Tuner off Ebay, Homegrown Audio Interconnects, and Maplehade Golden Helix speaker cable. This setup will run in the $1500 range and I have listened to one with a Panasonic DVD A310 as the digital source and it was quite pleasing. I personally use a similar system with a Linn CD player and it is quite nice. The Classik setup that Eldragon suggests is also very nice, but might limit your development of your system. If you want something compact and do not intend to upgrade, then the Linn Classik is for you. You could match it up to any number of speakers. The Tukan and Sekrit are the logical Linn Choices. P.S...you could swap out the Audio Refinement Complete for a Linn Majik..I personally like the Complete...and also check out the latest Stereophile review of the Linn Classik.

Thanks for the additional push Jayboard. White would be perfect, the room has white "ragged" walls. Yes, the LF specs are lower than that of the Tukan. I could not use the Tukans in our living room (L shaped room) because of unruly bass. But this was a fault of the room and not the speakers. I do not know what the retail is but will find out when I listen to them. I have purchsed my other system mail order and used but have included new gear in the budget for the second system. The local shops have good trade in and upgrade policies and I do not like to ship gear when I sell it. The KLH Model 21 radio that I sold on Ebay arrived damaged to the new owner, and I packed it with everthing short of embryonic fluid. I paid for the repairs instead of waiting on a UPS claim.

I agree with Sugarbrie's picks, and they are all readily available used, saving you a fair bit of cash. Funny how people, once swung over to Linn, remain Linnies for life. Nothing wrong with Linn, just never did it for me. Jeff

Wrong, wrong...i am owner of SOME,of the Linn "gear", i believe that they offer, one the best balanced (neutrality-musicality) audio gear on the market! And NAD, Creek,...aren't even in the same league, even with the "cheapest" Linn line! Tip for you: MiracleEar, offers free ear check-up, just before you spend some more money on your next audio purchase!

jeff, i got my 1st linn preamp ~4 years ago, & i really *did* like it. but after trying tube-stuff, no way isle ever go back to linn for my main rig. trick is to find a tubed preamp that still has accuracy, transparancy & detail of the linn. i found that the cary slp98 & the melos music director *both* equal the linn at what it does well, & are a *lot* better w/soundstage depth. i tink the preamp is the key to a system. one person's opinion... doug