Help a new guy get started

I'm almost ready to jump out there and do some listening, but I thought I'd pose one last question before I go. I think I am going the Peachtree Decco 2 route, but would there be much of a difference if I were to pair a separate DAC( DacMagic) with an integrated (used NAD, marantz...)? It seems like you'd gain speaker options if you went with a sep. amp. I realize that others are accepting the deficiencies in the decco's amp and sending the signal to a better amplifier, but I don't think I could do that for a while.

Thoughts? Experience?

Thanks again,
Allen

lots of great ideas. i use the decco with a 500 watt power amp with magnepans and velodyne subs and for a budget system it is really nice. lots of flexibility and well thought out options. i did use the decco alone with mb quarts for a year and the amp is ok. not great or esoteric like some of the other suggestions. peachtree is a good company i think. you can always upgrade the power cord and get good ics and spk wires. i would get another one.with no reservations. good luck

Allen, the only thing you will lose out on if you were to go with say, that DacMagic and an integrated of some kind, is the dac in the Decco. Those dacs that are inside that amp are supposedly worth the price of the entire amp alone, at retail. Not to mention the sound of the dac is outstanding and you'll save on interconnects.

I would just say get the Decco and then when you are comfortable enough with its sound characteristics and you know that amp inside and out and what kind of options you have with it, then you can easily go out and start picking up other amps and try customizing the sound. You may find you like the Decco as it is.

But since you really are starting out, I'd certainly keep it simple. And it'll give you a nice starting reference point with which to grow. Either way, in due time you'll start expanding on it and you might not appreciate spending $4-7K on a starting stereo when you could have had the sound you wanted for $2K.

Regards

Just to add another possible direction, at the risk of angering the townspeople, what about sinking your budget into the best active monitors your money will buy? Since you're going out and auditioning, tuck your source under your arm and plug it into a few monitor systems. What have you got to lose? If you want a discrete system later, the monitors will easily come in handy in another room.

Thanks for the idea Poprhetor,
I spent some time really looking at the Swans active monitors because, as is stated earlier in the posts, I plan to use my laptop for lots of the content. I decided against it because I didn't want to have to have my laptop tethered to them. I'd also have to get DAC as well. If I worked in an office I'd really pursue that idea.

Any advice on speakers to go with them? I'll have about $500 tops after purchasing the Decco 2.