>I am NOT going to even try listen to those $100,000 set.
It ruins my ear's appetite.<
The funny part is, my ear's appetite doesn't get ruined. It's like wine (which I LOVE). I have tasted the Great Ones. '82 Pichon-Lalande. '88 Guigal "La Turque". The otherworldly '90 Hermitage "La Chapelle". And yet, I'm still happy slurping a stem glass of Gallo Classic Burgundy.
I've listened to Great Systems at some local shops. Yessss, they are very nice. But maybe my ears are kinda wacky, but the increment keeps becoming smaller. The diff between a $1000 system and a $10000 system I can hear ... but I won't walk away from the $1000 system if it's playing some music I really like.
The diff between a $10000 and $100k system ... I can't guarantee that I'll hear it. Overall goodness of components thoroughly competes with "character or flavor" of presentation. Tube gear, for example, tends to be "rolled off" at the highest and lowwest frequencies, and that doesn't sit right with me. I have the same problem with LPs. They present more seamless music than CD ... but there's a "vignetted" quality that comes from a narrowish frequency window. Digital sound makes me pretty happy ... but current gear is hard up against the noise floor. I am really looking forward to the 24/96 standard (24 bit words, 96kHz sampling rate) that should finally push the noise floor solidly below audibility.
OK let's talk budget. Rega Planet - $800. Krell KAV-300i - $2200. Maggie 3.6r, pair - $4000. Decent cables (biwire set) and interconnect - you can do this for $400.
So far we've spent $8 grand after tax, if you buy locally.
The "gravy" - either buy lots of your favorite music, or here's a real nice idea. Buy the Grado RS-1 headphones ($800) and a Creek ($400) or McCormack ($800) headphone amp and drive it either with the Rega or your current CD player. (In fact, this amp/phone setup can be used to critically audition source components!)
We are inside $10K and you have TWO systems - an open one and a private one. I cannot say enough to recommend a really good set of headphones. It's very pleasant to listen to the music at realistic levels while Spouse is in the other room watching "Charmed" and Toddler is grabbing some Zs.
I plan to get a McCormack headphone amp this Christmas. Then I'll either repair my Marantz CD player or look around for an "indulgence" grade source component. I'd really like a Meridian 508-24, that is if I can hear the $3k diff worth between it and the Planet. I want to put this system on a shelf by the bed, so I can totally relax and absorb music. Tough life, huh? :-)
My favorite music is late Romantic into say the middle of the century. Right now I'm on a huge Stravinsky kick. Ravel, Debussy, Prokofiev, ... Shostakovich ... I love those crazy melancholy Russians. I also really like jazz from the 50s and 60s. Wife's tastes are all different ... we tend to play the speakers when the other is out of the house. She likes 70s and 80s rock (Abba not metal) and I like the really chewy classical stuff. I'm trying to like Mozart ... but so far no go. It's all just to syrupy for me. :-( |
