Help a new guy get started

Also, the NHT Classic line is a bit demanding from a power standpoint in my experience. They'll sound acceptable with average power, but really need some good current to open up and play to their potential. They need amplification that a good bit more expensive than they are to make them worth while IMO. I'd look into a speaker that is more forgiving to start out with. PSB is a solid choice in that regard. I like PSBs, and they were the first two pairs of 'real' speakers I bought, but that doesn't mean anyone else feels that way.

PSB pairs up very well with NAD, as both are owned by the same parent company and are most likely used together in development of each other's products.

Not that I'm telling you to buy PSB and NAD.

My personal rule of thumb is different depending on what my intentions are.

If I am spending my money to have music now, but would like to have a better system when I can afford it, I put more of the budget into the source.

If am spending for the last time I distribute the funds about equally.

This is because in my own personal experience, it is more fun to listen to a great source than an ordinary one, no matter what the other gear is. Really great electronics and speakers can reveal faults in the source but they can't fix them.

The MacBook Pro-plus-DAC source is IMVHO a great choice. You will be able to upgrade downstream in future and find out how good it really is. I would use the best DAC I could afford. If the interface is USB, use a quality USB cable. Audiogoner Acreyes sells a cryo-treated silver cable on auction, which means a steal may be possible.

The Peachtree and Music Hall options suggested above are pointing you in the right direction IMHO. The Music Hall is made by Shanling and represents excellent sonic value. I have preferred Shanling gear to equivalent NAD units in the past. However the NAD BEE series is also a good place to start if funds are limited.

If you can live with tubes in the bedroom ( I do ), the Audio Space Mini Galaxy is worth considering. PSBs, more sensitive than NHTs, would probably be a better choice with this amp.

The NHT speakers I own are less sensitive and sound punchier and less laid back than the PSBs. If possible, it would be a good idea to get a listen and choose your favourite.

Alternatives might be B&W 302 or 303 ( 88 dB ) or Triangle Titus ( 90 dB ). Also consider one of the LS3/5A clones from Gini or JAS Audio, for more money. LS3/5A types are not very sensitive, though, so, like the NHTs, better with transistor amps.

Have fun and trust your ears!

Thanks for your responses, they are helping me be real about this.
A little bit of backstory applies, I believe. I'm an English teaching trumpet player (thus the low budget) that has heard lots of music from the stage and the audience, but once we decided to start a family I have backed off on the playing so listening matters much more now. Sadly, trumpet players are very similar to audiophiles in that they like to tweak their equipment, and I can feel that starting with me. I have a Yamaha receiver Klipsch quintet combination for movies and it isn't cutting it any more. I bought a pair of Grado 60 headphones that I really like, so, in a way, I am trying to replicate that sound without walking around the house with a pair of headphones.

As always my friend Toby has some great insights. I just went through this myself, re-building a bedroom system. My system was a Linn Classik that can be bought here for under $700

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatran&1292776098&/Linn-Classik-CD-Integrated-uni

and a pair of B&W DM303 speakers. I changed up the speakers recently, stumbled across a mint pair of Spica TC 50's. So.. for call it $700 for the Linn all-in-one and another $200 for a pair of B&W DM303 speakers you'll have a very nice system for well under your budget, leaves you some coin for speaker cables and perhaps an upgraded power cord. Feel free to get in touch if I can help. Best Regards, Jeff

In the spirit of generating more possibilities to consider, a few speakers I've heard and liked in the $400-700 range used are:

1. Von Schweikert VR-1 (monitor with neutral, balanced character. Full sound and surprisingly good bass)
2. JM Reynaud Twin/Twin Signature (monitor with more lush/romantic sound. Very musical.)
3. Totem Arro (Small floor stander with excellent bass and big soundstage. Project sound like crazy)

All three of these speakers are efficient enough to be driven with a lower power amp (i.e. 50-70 wpc). The first two are now discontinued but come up relatively regularly on Audiogon. The third is still being manufactured and should be available to audition if you have a Totem dealer nearby. Have fun and good luck!