Trying to Help My Nephew With His First Venture Into High End Audio


Would appreciate some advice on how to proceed.

I am "gifting" my Nephew several components and a set of speakers, from my 2nd system. Most of this stuff is from 1995, but works well and still sounds very good. He listens to mostly Rock music on Vinyl.

Here is the base system we are starting with (digital only, no Vinyl):
Totem Model 1 Speakers (4Ohm and 98db)Meitner MTR-101 (MUSE-TEX) Mono Amps (100W into 8 Ohms, 200W into 4 Ohms)
Rotel Solid State Preamp, RC-970BX (No phono stage)
Marantz CD Player (CD-63SE)Opening price point interconnects and a set speaker cables
I would like to keep him focused on "separate components" versus an integrated option. I believe this will help him to learn about how each part of the system contributes to the sound, and if he chooses to change something, he can "perhaps" upgrade 1 component without changing the entire system.

Also, he is a bit hesitant about tubes. However, I would like to introduce tubes somewhere into the system (preamp or outboard phono perhaps) so he can learn about the benefits and shortcomings of tubes in Vinyl playback.
As you can see from the system I am gifting him, he will still need to buy:
A turntable/arm/cartridge.Either a tube preamp with phono section (if replacing the Rotel) or an outboard tube phono stage (if keeping the Rotel).
Also a SUT depending on what direction you suggest.

He has $5,000 to spend.

128x128labpro
I took a slightly different approach with my son. A bit more simple and easy to use, with an inexpensive cartridge to learn and break

Celestion A-1 speakers (88 db)
Pioneer SX-1080 receiver
Technics SL-1800 II
Ortofon 2M red cartridge
Bluetooth streaming device to plug into the back of the receiver for digital music from his phone

Thank you for all the great advice.

I read Michael Fremer’s April 2021 review of the little Haberman phono, and contacted Jim Haberman in Hawaii. Thank you tomic601! 

For $1K, I think we will try this. Great suggestions on the turntable/cartridge combination......need to do some demos. 

I will report back once things are finalized.
I built a Dyna70 and a Dyna PAS from kits when I was 14 so I don’t see why tubes would be inappropriate esp if he is geeky-oriented. Get him a kit to build: then he will really learn. 
I thought Fremer’s review of the Hagerman Trumpet was pretty tough. Basically it’s rolled off, lacking detail and colored with a warm glow! It would not be to my taste. Each to their own!