Low To Mid Priced Systems

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bluegrassphile

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I thought it might be kinda interesting to put together your take on low to mid priced systems with low priced defined as up to $5000 and midpriced defined as up to $15,000. With this in mind what would your low and mid priced system entail? What components and what brands? Let's keep this simple and straight forward. You can use any music source/s. Headphones or no headphones.
 
Great idea for a thread. For the 5K system perhaps something like:

Naim Uniti Atom Music Player - $3290
Bowers & Wilkins 707 S2 Speakers - $742
Shunayta Venom Defender - $225
AQ Rocket 44 Speaker Cables - $580

App. $4837 + Tax before any discount …
 
And another option for the 5K and probably a better balance in the system (providing they already own a computer) would be:

Lumin M1 Integrated / streamer - 2000
B&W 703 S2 Speakers - 2000
Shunayta Venom Defender - $225
AQ Rocket 44 Speaker Cables - $580

App $4805 + tax before any discounts (which would be very small, but …)
 
At both of those price points speakers and room should be 30-50% of your budget. So spending upwards to 10-20% on 'wire' would be foolish.
 
I'll be putting together a secondary system some day and I'm taking a hard look at Naim and the Supernait 3 along with some of their other components. Maybe an all Naim system. Not sure about speakers. There are just so many great choices. But I would take a serious look at Fyne (Might be out of my budget?), B&W, and Focal. My budget would be $10,000 to $12,000. But there is a lot more out there that is serious audiophile gear for very reasonable prices. I would like to see several different combinations in this thread. It gives me ideas for low to medium budget, high quality systems.
 
Naim was a good suggestion.

One option would be the Halo integrated, Bluesound Node & remaining $2k or so for JBL 4312g or maybe a Kef R-series, not sure the pricing. If not open box the 4312g would take me over budget.

So many options for up to $15k, not sure where to start
 
With so many folks here with really expensive set ups I wonder how many of the guys recommending the $5k systems even heard the system that they are recommending.
I personally would not be able to name specific components. However I can share a few generic guidelines that I would follow if I was building a $5k system with MY money.
1. buy used components (that should double the purchasing power.
2. Go digital (you can’t beat digital in that price range)
3. Don’t invest in fancy (i.e., expensive) speaker cables, interconnects, power cords, or digital cables. A well-built cable will do.
4. Go streaming. Most streaming services already offer or will start offering CD-quality music. And while on the subject of streaming, there is no need to spend a thousand dollars on a streamer either! Anyone with basic computer skills can build a Raspberry Pi-based streamer for $100 bucks! (Folks will be surprised how many thousand-dollar streamers are based on a RPI computer that retail for $40).
5. Put the big bucks in the speakers and the Room (75%-80%). The amp/DAC/ streamer will take you to 98% (the amp gets the bulk of that) and you have 2% left for wires.

I don’t expect that this will work for everyone, but it certainly works for me even on systems with a much larger budget.
 
Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the listening chair. And, quite presumptuous of you I must say.

I can only speak for me, I have heard what I recommended and only recommend what I'm familiar with, unless specified. As you see in my sig I own a P6 and not listed is an older HCA-750. As a kid I had some really entry level stuff, getting my first receiver at 16, so I still remember those days. Plus, I get around. I'm not a dealer or looking to buy but have attended several audio shows for the pure love of the gear and audio. Not only the upper level gear are shown, you see brands like Emotiva, Schiit, Cambridge etc.

I marvel at those who hang out on audio forums/pages with a chip on their shoulder and have to rave cheap stuff is all one needs. If that was true nothing would have motivated me to progress beyond my first receiver.

nicoff said:
With so many folks here with really expensive set ups I wonder how many of the guys recommending the $5k systems even heard the system that they are recommending.
I personally would not be able to name specific components. However I can share a few generic guidelines that I would follow if I was building a $5k system with MY money.
1. buy used components (that should double the purchasing power.
2. Go digital (you can’t beat digital in that price range)
3. Don’t invest in fancy (i.e., expensive) speaker cables, interconnects, power cords, or digital cables. A well-built cable will do.

* Cables, tweaks can work and can be worth the expense. Like any component you keep within reason to what you have, or he rest of the system, a balance in performance and expense.

4. Go streaming. Most streaming services already offer or will start offering CD-quality music. And while on the subject of streaming, there is no need to spend a thousand dollars on a streamer either! Anyone with basic computer skills can build a Raspberry Pi-based streamer for $100 bucks! (Folks will be surprised how many thousand-dollar streamers are based on a RPI computer that retail for $40).

* Wrong. I've used a $349 HEOS and up, I know streamers absolutely have differences in performance.

5. Put the big bucks in the speakers and the Room (75%-80%). The amp/DAC/ streamer will take you to 98% (the amp gets the bulk of that) and you have 2% left for wires.

* Again, backwards. You cannot skimp on the source. Any information not retrieved at the source is just never going to be heard because nothing downstream will allow you to hear information not there. You need a balanced approach throughout he system, not lopsided one end or the other but a good source is a must

I don’t expect that this will work for everyone, but it certainly works for me even on systems with a much larger budget.
Click to expand...

Keep telling yourself that and enjoy. If it works for you then no need for the attempts to belittle those who want better.
 
nicoff said:
With so many folks here with really expensive set ups I wonder how many of the guys recommending the $5k systems even heard the system that they are recommending.
I personally would not be able to name specific components. However I can share a few generic guidelines that I would follow if I was building a $5k system with MY money.
1. buy used components (that should double the purchasing power.
2. Go digital (you can’t beat digital in that price range)
3. Don’t invest in fancy (i.e., expensive) speaker cables, interconnects, power cords, or digital cables. A well-built cable will do.
4. Go streaming. Most streaming services already offer or will start offering CD-quality music. And while on the subject of streaming, there is no need to spend a thousand dollars on a streamer either! Anyone with basic computer skills can build a Raspberry Pi-based streamer for $100 bucks! (Folks will be surprised how many thousand-dollar streamers are based on a RPI computer that retail for $40).
5. Put the big bucks in the speakers and the Room (75%-80%). The amp/DAC/ streamer will take you to 98% (the amp gets the bulk of that) and you have 2% left for wires.

I don’t expect that this will work for everyone, but it certainly works for me even on systems with a much larger budget.
Click to expand...

most level headed post of the thread !
 
A person can really influence their system choices by looking at the used market. Instead of throwing down huge sums of money at a new component, you can find some really nice gear in the used market. My system the only thing I purchased new many years ago was my speakers and streamer.
 
CPP said:
A person can really influence their system choices by looking at the used market. Instead of throwing down huge sums of money at a new component, you can find some really nice gear in the used market. My system the only thing I purchased new many years ago was my speakers and streamer.
Click to expand...

Agreed and if you don't feel comfortable buying used seek out the help of a friend with some knowledge.
 
In the under $5k category, I would suggest looking at the KEF LS50 Wireless (now in version II). If you are already a Roon user, you can simply connect them to your network and you are all set. If not, they have digital and analog inputs as well as native spotify and tidal apps. I have a pair for my second system that I really enjoy. Mine are version I and while I haven't heard version II yet, all reports are favorable.
 
The one thing I see over and over again is that your speakers should be 50% of your budget, your speakers should be 80% of your budget, etc., etc.

This may be true in many circumstances, but not all.

Example in point is the KEF speakers... I have read reviews for very high end components where the reviewer stated that he used his trusty LS50's when reviewing that $15k, $20k, etc. component.

I have also seen reviews where it is stated that for some speakers to truly come alive they require to be hooked up to quality power amps, many times the amplifier is more costly than the speakers.

It is really a matter of getting each component with your end results in mind. If one particular component cost more than another, oh well. It does not matter; if it functions as you need in your over all system configuration then it may very well be the perfect component for you.

In my view, which is admittedly a minority view on this forum, I do not feel I need incredibly high priced speakers. In fact my top headphones cost almost as much as both pairs of my speakers and subs combined :D. For my use I really love my two modest priced speakers and the reasonably priced, top notch subwoofers. I do not need to, nor desire to put oodles and gobs of money into huge fancy boxes which adds multiple times the price to speakers. In fact I very much prefer a small stand mount speaker or an open baffle design, both of which is much easier to live with in my room.
 
Randy, your last paragraph speaks volumes for the simple fact that your headphones are in themselves 'speakers' ! So, add them to the cost and I'll bet you're close to 50% ?
 
Hmmm, never figured that Dave... lets not count my secondary speakers (Magnepan's) and headphones (Audeze's) because I may sell either of these :)...

Actually it is more like 20% :)... including the secondary speakers and headphones and we are about 25% or so :).
 
Randy Myers said:
Hmmm, never figured that Dave... lets not count my secondary speakers (Magnepan's) and headphones (Audeze's) because I may sell either of these :)...

Actually it is more like 20% :)... including the secondary speakers and headphones and we are about 25% or so :).
Click to expand...

gotcha, but with both analog and digital sources that does stand to reason. Regardless, in the budgetary realm of this thread I would keep 30% as my minimum. Also, at the 5k level, myself I'd limit source to one domain, probably digital since it can be done to a higher level with a lower budget.
 
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