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Best upgradable system components for under $6K

Hello All,

I plan on upgrading my system with components that I can live with in the short term and the long term (hopefully so I don't have to keep upgrading components as I upgrade my speakers).

I currently have an NAD 356BEE integrated and while it is entry level I must admit it sounds very nice. My room is 14'8" by 20'4" and I currently have a pair of Legacy Classics (not Classic HD). My goal is to make my next big purchase on components in the $6k or less range but I would like to make it a once and for all purchase. In other words I'm looking for something I can live with for 15-20 years without worrying about upgrading.

I would prefer to stay solid state and don't mind having an integrated or pairing separates. New or used also doesn't matter as long as it is a great bang for the bucks. My ultimate goal is to one day be driving a pair of Acoustic Zen Crescendo or Vandersteen Quattro speakers. A 200wpc + consideration would be preferred but I’m flexible on that too lol.

Finally my music selection is a bit diverse. I like jazz, soft rock and new age. Some of my favorites are Dave Matthews, John Mayer, the Wallflowers and John Tesh. I value your opinions highly and would love the community's input on the best component upgrades for my $6k budget.
xerotrace

Showing 3 responses by rlwainwright

rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
If your $6k is exclusive of speakers, I would substitute the Oppo BDP-105 player at $1200 for the BDP-103. The 105 has a terrific DAC in it and can actually be used as your preamp as well.

I don't think I would change the amps, those XPA-1Ls are very good amps indeed. If you simply must spend more money, go with the Emotiva XPR-2 amp, a true reference class monster. $1799.

I now see that Emo has a new amp, the Stealth SA-250. This looks to be a very fine piece indeed. $1399.

Jack the Oppo directly into the amps and you would have a world class digital playback system (no analog, however) worthy of the very finest speakers...
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
I hear you, Al, about the Ayre preamps. However, their lowest priced preamp, from what I could see on their website, is right at his stated budget, leaving no money for an amplifier. But I may be wrong about the pricing, please educate me if I am.

Maybe a modded Oppo BDP-105 (usually around $2500) mated to a $3,500 amp gets him where he needs to be....

-RW-
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
If I had $6k to spend on a 2 channel system, Emotiva XSP Balanced preamp mated to some Emotiva XPA1L Class A/AB monoblocks. They have *plenty* of power for almost any speaker and deliver the 1st 30 watts in pure Class A mode.

The pre is $999 and each amp would be $599. The total is $2200. The preamp is a very nice piece indeed with plenty of connection options and fully balanced cirsuitry. These products have a 30 day in-home trial and 5 year warranties. And they are built to last several decades, one of your priorities.

This leaves you about $4k for speakers, a source, and cables. Expect to spend about $3000 on the speakers and the rest on your source and cabling.

The obvious source choice is the Oppo BDP-103, an excellent CD/DVD/Bluray/File playback/Streaming universal player. The Oppo products are VERY well built and Oppo has some of the best customer service in the world. The BPD-103 is $499

Speakers are far too personal for anyone but you to decide what sounds best. And they MUST be mated properly to your room.

The Vandersteen 2CE Signatures are about $2700, a good fit for your budget. I've also read very good things about the GoldenEar Triton 2s at $1499 ea.

I would strongly recommend you get out and audition speakers and see which ones "speak" to you. But if you assemble a system using the components I suggested I believe you will be VERY happy for many years to come...

-RW-
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