Creating a budget high-end set

[Glareskin]

Hi everybody,

I was thinking of this idea. Let's create some really good sets with maximum value for money. I guess we all have friends who know we are experts (that is how they say in a nice way we are freaks) and like our advice but are not willing to invest as much as we do.

OK let me give it a shot first.

Active speakers:

The Focal CMS 50. Costing around 500 Euro so a pair is just over a 1000. I use them in my kitchen and they sound really sweet.
For small rooms they have sufficient bass but if you want real boom let's consider the optional subwoofer: (800 Euro)

For the amp I would go for the passive Khosmo:

With the premium resistors and the cool remote control still under 700 Euro.
Then I would recommend streaming. And this is a choice you could argue about as there are cheaper options but I would definitely go for Linn as it is more useable with open software. The Sneaky is the cheapest but requires an external DAC for best results. I would go for a pre-owned version of the first generation which you can get for 800 Euro.

For the DAC I think there are many good options. Form experience I would recommend the Styleaudio Carat Sapphire with linear power supply.

The DAC is around 350 Euro and the BOTW power supply 135 Euro.

The NAS for storage of the digital content. Definitely a QNAP 2 bay NAS. The TS-221 is 300 Euro.

The disks should be WD Red. Costs depends on the size but for 250 EUR you will have 2 x 2 TB which is sufficient for a huge collection.
To secure the collection a UPS for 150 EUR The APC RS 550 fits well with the QNAP

And an external eSATA disk for back-up. The G-drive 2TB for under 200 Euro.

To finish the set we need an iPad mini to run the nice Lumin app. iPad mini with Retina display: under 400 Euro

Now let's reserve a couple of hundreds for decent cables and we have a really good set for less than 5000 Euro.
Now I am curious to hear about your budget high-end choices....

Hans

 

[NorthStar]

How much 5000 Euros is in Canadian and American dollars? ...$8,000-10,000 or so?

That's a bunch of cool toys you have there Hans.

 

[Glareskin]

5000 EUR is 6853 USD or 7290 CAD

What would you recommend for budget high-end Bob? I would appreciate your input.

 

[wisnon]

Richard from Aumacoustics.com does just that.

You could start with a BMC Pure Dac, couple that with the Baby Kefs LS50 , a a Job 2225 and you have a very compellimg system new for $1800+1500+1700 for $5K total. Throw on some signal LS cables and Blue Jean/Liberty Audio interconnects and you are ready to rumble. Maybe for a few hundred more you can spurge on Virtue audio cables or even MG audio speaker cables. Used and you can save a bundle.

 

[NorthStar]

5000 EUR is 6853 USD or 7290 CAD

What would you recommend for budget high-end Bob? I would appreciate your input.

Thx, I was just going to post it after I've just checked. ...$7,300 Cdn or $6,850 US.

* In several other audio forums a bunch of people suggested several great 'sound/value' combinations.
...From the very frugal ($2,000 US) to a bit more ($5,000 US).

Many of those suggestions (propositions) were mainly from several readings and reviews by the owners and some pro reviewers too; and some from first-hand experience but those were not the majority in most cases (at various audio fora).

Yours is a stereo hi-fi budget system (performance & value) of high end caliber (roughly $7,000 US). And it includes more too, because there is also music audio files storage drive (PC based). And that's what makes it more interesting, I think, as it is from this day and age of our audio life. ...Hi-res audio files downloading.

I don't have any personal experience with similar systems or with lesser inexpensive ones and even less with more expensive ones than few of them components I've read about here and there.

Some members here are true audio gear switchers; they test the various waters of this hobby, and aesthetics is also a factor (part of the equation). They are people who can afford and who share their findings with us all. That's one of the things I love about AudioShark; they have the right attitude in doing so. ...And I can learn in my own comfort's zone, totally stress-free and fearlessly. ...No presssure whatsoever.

I would have to take some contentment time in researching such a system. And I appreciate that you would appreciate my own input. ...I'll go with the feel, with my heart, as time and this thread's development will show me any inspirational direction.

_______________

* Active speakers I think is very nice to start with.
Simplicity is also an important factor, to me. ...And practicality and music accessibility; that's why I love your suggestions Hans.
...Performance (sound quality), numero uno, and smart designs too, of course.

 

[wisnon]

If trying to keep the budget really low, then just get 2 Peachtree Audio DeepBlues for $800 total and you take care of 2 rooms using your iDevice as source.

If you really want a positionable system, the a digital source plus a Vanatoo for $550 and you are golden. Vanatoos are powered speakers with a 24/96 Dac built in.

 

[Mortsnets]

Desktop or nearfield system:
Audience "The One" Speakers $1000 (U.S.)
And
NAD D 3020 $500
Or
Refurb Peachtree IDecco $500

 

[ohbythebay]

I tried to post here earlier but AS went belly up in the middle...anyway, never mind, carry on...LOL

 

[ohbythebay]

Monitor Audio Silver RS6 - $1100
Yamaha R-S700 - $500
Micromega MyDAC - $399 miracle
Add a faster drive to your laptop but you dont' need it - Any tablet or PC will do...IPad would be my last choices (sorry, I don't buy into the Apple hype). You can get a new Dell Venue 8 (8 inch table) for $199 with 32gb or the ASUS 10" for about $399 - 64 GB SSD

You could stop here at $2400 OR
Add a turntable
ClearAudio Concept or VPI Traveler with MC cart - $1600
Phono stage - variety - $600
Cables - $400

So for 5K, you have a killer system, DAC, a tablet, storage and a turntable

Sorry...not trying to one up...but with a 7K budget I could build 2 systems...LOL

 

[NorthStar]

I tried to post here earlier but AS went belly up in the middle...anyway, never mind, carry on...LOL

"Belly up" -

 

[Petro85]

Great thread but I could only make a budget system with used gear.
I thought my system was a great budget system , but compared to those prices of some of the gear mentioned. I guess not. Even my used system would probably come out to more than those mentioned .

 

[ohbythebay]

I guess that's the real question..what does one consider budget? My whole system is about 7k...and I consider that far from budget..LOL

Then again...you could go real hi end...it has everything !!! LOL

 

[Petro85]

That hitachi is cool!!!!! Any real system needs a good cassette deck

 

[NorthStar]

Cool perhaps but not in the same league as Han's system.

 

[Glareskin]

Richard from Aumacoustics.com does just that.

You could start with a BMC Pure Dac, couple that with the Baby Kefs LS50 , a a Job 2225 and you have a very compellimg system new for $1800+1500+1700 for $5K total. Throw on some signal LS cables and Blue Jean/Liberty Audio interconnects and you are ready to rumble. Maybe for a few hundred more you can spurge on Virtue audio cables or even MG audio speaker cables. Used and you can save a bundle.

Thanks Norman. I didn't know this site but yes, that is basically the idea. Nevertheless let's continue on this idea while I think it is great to see what are our choices. And let's visualize as much as possible. So your set would look like this:

I knew you would bring in the Job By the way, my friend has ordered his. But what about the source?

 

[Glareskin]

Thx, I was just going to post it after I've just checked. ...$7,300 Cdn or $6,850 US.

* In several other audio forums a bunch of people suggested several great 'sound/value' combinations.
...From the very frugal ($2,000 US) to a bit more ($5,000 US).

Thanks for pointing that out Bob. My calculation was just a bit too precise..
To add in the lowest budget let me tell you what I have installed at my son's room after he killed 2 pairs of JBL speakers with my old Sony 707 ES amplifier.
Again I looked in the professional audio corner as I think you get a lot more value for money here. For the speakers I chose the KRK Rokit 6. They can really do the boom boom he needs for his dub step music (I doubt it is music but that is another topic), sound pretty good and since it is a matched systems I don't think he will be able to destroy them.

For the control we have the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. It is a 24 bit /96kHz DAC / ADC with volume knob.

He just hooks it up with a USB cable to the computer.
Investment:
The set of KRK's: 2 x 189 = 378 Euro
The Focusrite: 119 Euro
Total set price = 497 Euro (680 USD or 725 Canadian dollars)
And the sound is really OK.

 

[wisnon]

source : any old laptop or idevice lying around

 

[Glareskin]

source : any old laptop or idevice lying around

Ah, like the set I have described above. Yes, works as well.

 

[Glareskin]

If trying to keep the budget really low, then just get 2 Peachtree Audio DeepBlues for $800 total and you take care of 2 rooms using your iDevice as source.

If you really want a [positibale system, the a digital source plus a Vanatoo for $550 and you are golden. Vanatoos are powered speakers with a 24/96 Dac built in.

The Vanatoos are very interesting. I like the glass of wine in the picture:eyebrow:
I know you will always find something special Norman!
The Peachtree is a bit too obvious like the Sonos, the B&W Zeppelin, the Bluesound systems, the Dynaudio Xeos, Raumfeld by Teufel etcetera. Very nice systems but our not so audiophile friends would get the recommendation for these in the audio/streaming shops you will find nowadays. The approach us for the not so obvious, right?

 

[Glareskin]

* Active speakers I think is very nice to start with.
Simplicity is also an important factor, to me. ...And practicality and music accessibility; that's why I love your suggestions Hans.
...Performance (sound quality), numero uno, and smart designs too, of course.

Yes I agree that active speakers are the way to go for quality and budget. And I found that especially in the corner of the 'professional' studio monitors you'll find a lot of choice.
When I took my son to the shop where they sell the professional equipment they had 3 studios for monitors. In the premium quality I found my Focals among some other nice products.
First choice either the Focal CMS 50 or the Neumann KH120A. The Neumann's also sound really good (around 1500 Euro a pair). Both Focal and Neumann have their own quality but where clearly better than the rest.

Neumann KH120A

The second wave (from a sound quality perspective and in my opinion of course):
The Genelec 8030BPM and the Adam speakers.