Newbie looking for system suggestions

There are a lot of good points on this thread...I cannot make any judgments about the Bryston stuff becasue I have never had any of their equiptment. I do however think that floorstand speakers are the way to go for your room. With the types of music that you listen to I wouldn't really worry about geting a "2.1" system. The woofers of your speakers will more than cover the bass for your music.

Personally, I have had the most enjoyment with B&W speakers and JM Labs. The higher end b&w's have a little brighter sound than the JM Labs, primarily because of the tweeters they use and the cross-overs. You would be ill advised if you were to choose a speaker without ever hearing something simmilar, so do as much listening as you can before actually making a purchase.

Now, if I had $6000 to spend, here is what I would probably purchase.

JM Labs floorstand speakers...Either the electra or utopia, depending on what I could find used from the wonderful people on this site.

Reasonable solid state amp...Nothing too spendy...Maybe a 100 watt classe or krell...Most of the JM Labs require less energy to drive well.

A good cd/pre, especially if you listen to CD's only. Something like the Musical Fidelity CD Pre, or Theta Digital makes one I think...

Cable to tie it all together...Some people think that cables are just snake oil...Some of them are, but a lot of them are not. I really like the entrance level Nordost cables. MIT are also nice, but for the same price levels, nordost is hard to beat.

Best of luck to you, and be sure to keep us posted on where you go from here!

Ben

Hi you pick a number right in the middle of good and a noch down. but understand with 8 grand you will be have a class B system. so lets go with the old formula of 50% of budget on speakers. (B&W 804S) or (B&W 805S with ASW825 subwofer)for the rest of your system Sony top of the line ES is a good way to go for new equip. But me I would rather own a used McIntosh, than anything new. Good Luck

Take it up a notch from mid fi,just cause for not much more cash you will get way better sound.This is what i have bought used to give a idea,Sonographe sa250 Arcam cd33 Legacy studio monitors,,Atoll pre pr200,various wires etc,total for all used give or take a couple bucks is 2250,,worth every penny

Yes, Steve, you've stumbled into a scary website. My suggestion is to find a store that specializes in hi-end audio and begin listening to just speaker/sub combos in the 4,000 range. Decide what speaker/sub combo you think sounds best and then match them up with electronics. (Speakers by far determine the overall sound of a system, and the majority of your budget should go towards them.) Remember to ask yourself one question when determining what to buy: Do the speakers I'm listening to REALLY want to make me continue listening? If the answer is no, keep looking. Good luck.

If you're just starting out I'd target good-named used equipment you can turnover with little loss of investment. That way you can get your feet wet, see what you like and dislike, and adjust from there. Understand that listening to equipment at a dealer's place is just a first-brush sorting exercise as things will sound different once you get home. You won't really know where you stand with a system until you live with it for a while.

Off the top of my head:
>Tube Audio Design 150 Signature preamp ($650-750 used & not much more new)
>McCormack 225 amp ($1400-1700 used)
>Vandersteen 3a Signatures (maybe $2200-2500 used)
>source & cabling of your choice

Do some a-gon research on any of these pieces. You'll be hard-pressed to find anything less than positive comments.