$25k budget for new system. How would you spend it?

J

JohnnyMusic

New member
Joined
Oct 6, 2021
Messages
1
Location
Canada
System is going in a multipurpose room. Will be used for parties and late night listening. I like to listen loud (not ear bleeding levels).

Requirements:

- turntable
- streamer (ideally something that can be controlled by phone)

Would love to hear some opinions.

Here’s a system someone local has suggested:

Main Stereo

* Speakers (Options)

* Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2 Floor Standing Speakers $6000
* Monitor Audio Gold 200 Floor Standing Speakers $7500

* Turntable

* Rega Planar 6 with Ania Pro Moving Coil Cartridge $3500
* Rega Fono MC Moving Coil Phono Stage $650
* Total $4150

* Pre-Amp / Amp / Streamer

* NAD
* C 658 Pre-Amp/DAC/Streamer $2000
* C 298 185 W/Ch Stereo Power Amp in Bridge Mode $2800
* C 298 185 W/Ch Stereo Power Amp in Bridge Mode $2800
* Total $7600
 
Stereo system by committee is never a good idea. I recommend that you call Mike and he can suggest systems for you that he has actually heard in your price range.
 
Welcome to AS. You will get tons of very different recommendations here.

Call Mike at Suncoast Audio. He will be very helpful with different options. So, +2!
 
Thanks guys. I think the OP is in Canada. I can make recommendations, but I don’t have access to Canadian pricing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Depending on which side of the country he's on a call to Audio by Mark Jones might be a good place to start.
 
Welcome to the forum.

Why not look at Sim Audio or Bryston made in Canada and in my opinion would be up from NAD. Sim has some nice integrated with streaming built in, Byston has a stremer or streaming preamp, which you prefer and various power amps. Just a option, with your budget there is many ways to go.

For playing loud with out any compression or distortion, unless from your amp, take a look at JBL. As to not take too much budget check HDI 3800.

Rega is a good suggestion. The Marantz Reference table, I think model is TT15, they only have one, is a great value. The table is made by Clear Audio for them. I was also impressed by the EAT table with same brand phono preamp using Ortofon 2m Black.

Most stand alone streamers and those built into preamps have their own app for tablet or phone control.

Sounds like you will be entertaining, look at the Boulder 866 integrated, hard to beat for cool factor and stellar performance. Integrated amps is a good way to go in many instances when wanting High end performance without going to costly separates.

As mentioned so many ways to go. I actually like getting some independent opinions as the person isn't trying to sell me what they have. On the other hand we all can't be aware/familiar with every product out there.
 
25k is enough that you should listen to whatever speakers you are considering first. DO NOT merely go by some audiophiles recommendation alone. With a budget like that I'd allocate 10k + or - for speakers. Also important to know and understand your room acoustics and associated needs.
 
JohnnyMusic said:
System is going in a multipurpose room. Will be used for parties and late night listening. I like to listen loud (not ear bleeding levels).

Requirements:

- turntable
- streamer (ideally something that can be controlled by phone)

Would love to hear some opinions.

Here’s a system someone local has suggested:

Main Stereo

* Speakers (Options)

* Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2 Floor Standing Speakers $6000
* Monitor Audio Gold 200 Floor Standing Speakers $7500

* Turntable

* Rega Planar 6 with Ania Pro Moving Coil Cartridge $3500
* Rega Fono MC Moving Coil Phono Stage $650
* Total $4150

* Pre-Amp / Amp / Streamer

* NAD
* C 658 Pre-Amp/DAC/Streamer $2000
* C 298 185 W/Ch Stereo Power Amp in Bridge Mode $2800
* C 298 185 W/Ch Stereo Power Amp in Bridge Mode $2800
* Total $7600
Click to expand...

If you have a preference for analog or digital It would be helpful for you to share so that readers can make more appropriate suggestions.

Also It may also be helpful to know what kind of music you like to listen to “loud”.

The biggest chunk of your money should be spent on speakers/room. In my book, that would be 75% of your budget.
 
Whatever you decide your system needs to be balanced in capability. Spending 75% on speakers then driving them with inadequate electronics is foolish.
 
Mr Peabody said:
Whatever you decide your system needs to be balanced in capability. Spending 75% on speakers then driving them with inadequate electronics is foolish.
Click to expand...

Not surprised that it sounds foolish to you.

The cat is out of the bag. And many old school folks are still trying to hold on to myths that the “audiophile” press fed to them over decades.

Let me say it another way: Not everything matters the same. The speakers and the room are the MOST important elements in any audio system.

If the OP can spend double what he is considering on speakers, the difference will be much more noticeable than spending it on electronics.
 
nicoff said:
Not surprised that it sounds foolish to you.

The cat is out of the bag. And many old school folks are still trying to hold on to myths that the “audiophile” press fed to them over decades.

Let me say it another way: Not everything matters the same. The speakers and the room are the MOST important elements in any audio system.

If the OP can spend double what he is considering on speakers, the difference will be much more noticeable than spending it on electronics.
Click to expand...

Agreed, lets just hope he doesn't spend 25% on wire, that would be beyond foolish !!
 
It doesn't take an audiophile to understand if you play music through a system that costs $5k through 20 or even $15k speakers you are still listening to a $5k worth of electronics through speakers that will never realize their potential. You are still limited by the electronics.

If your source doesn't retrieve or reproduce the information/detail in the beginning you can have a million dollar speaker and you will never hear that lost information from the recording.

So you can see your statements are illogical and wrong and you are fighting windmills.
 
Exactly. Spoken as a guy who spent more money on just one piece of electronics (a 2-channel preamp) than on his main speakers.
 
Mr Peabody said:
It doesn't take an audiophile to understand if you play music through a system that costs $5k through 20 or even $15k speakers you are still listening to a $5k worth of electronics through speakers that will never realize their potential. You are still limited by the electronics.

If your source doesn't retrieve or reproduce the information/detail in the beginning you can have a million dollar speaker and you will never hear that lost information from the recording.

So you can see your statements are illogical and wrong and you are fighting windmills.
Click to expand...

so let me get this straight....... you're saying that the 'electronics' are more important than speakers / room ?

I suspect not, regardless, do you not agree as to the pecking order with respect to speakers/room ?
 
I’m one of those that has a $6k int driving a $30 k pair of speakers and maybe a $5k pair of speakers would sound as good, idk, but I can’t afford to buy everything at once.
 
Speakers first then amplification for the load ( Speakers ) selected, will always produce the best overall results regardless of budget ..!



Regards
 
JohnnyMusic said:
System is going in a multipurpose room. Will be used for parties and late night listening. I like to listen loud (not ear bleeding levels).

Requirements:

- turntable
- streamer (ideally something that can be controlled by phone)

Would love to hear some opinions.

Here’s a system someone local has suggested:

Main Stereo

* Speakers (Options)

* Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2 Floor Standing Speakers $6000
* Monitor Audio Gold 200 Floor Standing Speakers $7500

* Turntable

* Rega Planar 6 with Ania Pro Moving Coil Cartridge $3500
* Rega Fono MC Moving Coil Phono Stage $650
* Total $4150

* Pre-Amp / Amp / Streamer

* NAD
* C 658 Pre-Amp/DAC/Streamer $2000
* C 298 185 W/Ch Stereo Power Amp in Bridge Mode $2800
* C 298 185 W/Ch Stereo Power Amp in Bridge Mode $2800
* Total $7600
Click to expand...

You list a pile of NAD electronics - Yes - I'm a fan but don'r spend $7600 on multiple boxes from their mid-range kit with all those unnecessary cables you haven't costed - spend less on a single box, the M33 from their exceptional Master Series. This offers streaming, phono input (if you must have a turntable), room correction, oodles of power (if you choose reasonably efficient speakers) from the latest and best Class D amp technology on the market, and can be controlled from your phone, PC, tablet, front panel LED screen, or IR remote using NAD's excellent BluOS app.

I'd spend the rest on first class speakers (look at Avantgarde Unos perhaps or used Duos) and you're done, apart from a turntable that I know nothing about since selling my Garrard 301 with Shure M212 arm and stylus (very rare, very expensive arm - look it up) 30+ years ago. Good hunting. Peter

PS - It would be helpful if we know the size / shape of the OP's listening room as this will hugely affect speaker choice
 
nicoff said:
If you have a preference for analog or digital It would be helpful for you to share so that readers can make more appropriate suggestions.

Also It may also be helpful to know what kind of music you like to listen to “loud”.

The biggest chunk of your money should be spent on speakers/room. In my book, that would be 75% of your budget.
Click to expand...

While I agree that the speakers/room are the most important part of the equation, I question assigning a dollar/value percentage to this.
It is quite possible that an $8000 pair of speakers could integrate and perform better in a given room than a $16000+K (75%) pair of speakers.
Very large expensive speakers in a small room is not a good match. Conversely, very expensive small speakers in a large room doesn't work well either.
It's more about balance than percentage in my book.
Furthermore, I support having good source equipment and subscribe to the "garbage in-garbage out" theory.
But again, Balance wins the day.
 
nicoff said:
Not surprised that it sounds foolish to you.

The cat is out of the bag. And many old school folks are still trying to hold on to myths that the “audiophile” press fed to them over decades.

Let me say it another way: Not everything matters the same. The speakers and the room are the MOST important elements in any audio system.

If the OP can spend double what he is considering on speakers, the difference will be much more noticeable than spending it on electronics.
Click to expand...

Middle age school , not old school , us old schoolers always bought the biggest loudspeakers in the store ..


:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top