All depends on how you spend that $18K! If you think it's simply a matter of getting the best gear you can fit into that budget, you'll end up falling short of stellar performance. The gear is really less than half of the equation really...and the reason most never achieve truelly top caliber restults with this stuff!
If you read your magazine articles over the past several years(HT mag, Stereophile GHT mag, AV Interiors, Perfect Vision, whatever.), you'll read article after article of the importance of acoustics, equipment set up, speaker and seating placement, tweeking, calibration, knowledge, skill, and experience in doing this stuff right!
IF you want to do this right, you'll need expert help.
people like www.rivesaudio.com, PMI,and others offer some high end consulting for not too too much. YOu might look into it.
Otherwise, there's virtually infinite choices in quality, applicable gear for your needs out there, even on the used market. But the consulting and expert help..that you can't be some liberal with...chose qualified help. That's what my extensive experience around doing this stuff right has reinforced over the years. good luckk......
If you read your magazine articles over the past several years(HT mag, Stereophile GHT mag, AV Interiors, Perfect Vision, whatever.), you'll read article after article of the importance of acoustics, equipment set up, speaker and seating placement, tweeking, calibration, knowledge, skill, and experience in doing this stuff right!
IF you want to do this right, you'll need expert help.
people like www.rivesaudio.com, PMI,and others offer some high end consulting for not too too much. YOu might look into it.
Otherwise, there's virtually infinite choices in quality, applicable gear for your needs out there, even on the used market. But the consulting and expert help..that you can't be some liberal with...chose qualified help. That's what my extensive experience around doing this stuff right has reinforced over the years. good luckk......