What stands out to me is the relationship between speakers and your unusually high ceilings. The proper synergy here will do more for your overall presentation goal than any electronics choices you may be considering.
I would seek a professional suggestion as to possible speaker directions. At the very least go to speaker specific forums and clearly describe your room. Give your budget as twice what your willing to spend and consider those suggestions on the used market.
What your looking for is a more specific type of speaker such as, high efficiency, horn, open baffle, panel, etc.. Don't leave out your using a subwoofer. A clear direction here will determine any future electronics upgrades.
I just heard Kipod server/streamer feeding a Direct Stream DAC and it left me thinking that Hi-Rez media clearly isn't the total digital solution. Getting the most from ones collection of 16/41 recordings is far more important than rebuying a library into Hi-Rez.
I'm not a digital vs analog user, I'm into the music. So if it's not on an LP, no worries, the selection of affordable and listenable digital sources continues to grow. Source selection, digital or analog, is a very personal consideration. IMO, Ted Smith's work on the Digital Stream is as dramatic as Gordon Rankin's was on USB. Fortunately for me, my LP collection is much larger than my digital.
If you're considering LP playback, advancements in cartridge setup, especially in rake angle and azimuth adjustments can be more important than the money spent on the hardware. Complete tonearm adjustability is very important.
I would seek a professional suggestion as to possible speaker directions. At the very least go to speaker specific forums and clearly describe your room. Give your budget as twice what your willing to spend and consider those suggestions on the used market.
What your looking for is a more specific type of speaker such as, high efficiency, horn, open baffle, panel, etc.. Don't leave out your using a subwoofer. A clear direction here will determine any future electronics upgrades.
I just heard Kipod server/streamer feeding a Direct Stream DAC and it left me thinking that Hi-Rez media clearly isn't the total digital solution. Getting the most from ones collection of 16/41 recordings is far more important than rebuying a library into Hi-Rez.
I'm not a digital vs analog user, I'm into the music. So if it's not on an LP, no worries, the selection of affordable and listenable digital sources continues to grow. Source selection, digital or analog, is a very personal consideration. IMO, Ted Smith's work on the Digital Stream is as dramatic as Gordon Rankin's was on USB. Fortunately for me, my LP collection is much larger than my digital.
If you're considering LP playback, advancements in cartridge setup, especially in rake angle and azimuth adjustments can be more important than the money spent on the hardware. Complete tonearm adjustability is very important.