Looking for $20k system for Mahler No 6

Sigh. We're kidding ourselves. I too have a $20K system (mostly used prices) and I thought my sound was damn good but then this past weekend I heard the Scaena loudspeakers (smaller $44k+ version) with a Nova Physics Memory Player; amp was a ARS Emitter. When I got home and turned my system on I got very depressed. What's mine you ask?

FULLY BALANCED: Raysonic 168 with cryoed NOS Russians, Herbies Tube Dampeners siting on a sandwhich of large ER Audio Harmonizers with Machina Dynamic Springs. PC is a Morrow Audio MA 2.

Speakers are Magnepan 3.5Rs biamped with Wyred4Sound SX 500s and PS Audio GCC 250 (Level 2 Underwood HiFi mod) on the ribbons & a 500 wpc powered SVS sub. All running through an active XO. Speaker cables are Shotgun Clear Day Solid Core Silver. Interconnects a mix of DH Labs Revelation, and PS Audio Transcendent Silver. Electric is 20 amp dedicated line and PS Audio Premier Power Plant.

Alas, it might as well have been a table-top transistor radio. The good news is that a couple days later, it sounded good again, that is after I repositioned both the 3.5s and the sub- but still...

Hi Tweak1

I know what you said and I feel for you. Let me tell you my story a little bit if that makes you happier.

I have been in this hobby for about 25 years and about 5-7 years ago when I got a decent new job, I started spending buckets of money on audios. After using all-Krell all-Mark all-blahblah-$$$ systems, I wasn't still happy.

One day, while my audios were singing I went to the bathroom with door open (yes I was the only resident in my place), alas the music sounded like music, no more a spectrum of sound. I heard music.

What I realized was that there will be no end to this audiophile hobby as long as I remain anal and seek for best sound. There simply is no answer - I realized.

After that, I now even enjoy music from Bose wave system. I finally became a music lover.

But I sometimes want to try different types of speakers (I do not care much about electronics any more), so I have planar, bookshelf, single-driver, etc.

I gave up large-scale music like Mahler 6th, and enjoyed those with headphones. Soundstaging and body trembling air pressure are missing, but headphones do very good at large scale musci since there are simply no standing waves and intereference of sounds.

Now I purchased new home, with bunch of place I can use as listening space (yes I am still the only resident in my place), I will set different types of speakers for different types of music and will enjoy the differences.

The only thing I want to achieve is though to play Mahler 6th. I will set up some room tunes and acoustic treatment for that.

Hope I can accomplish this, but even I fail, I now enjoy life out of audios, so it's fine. I still have music.

DH

Since you already have a system,maybe different speakers are in order.Possibly the Zingali 215-high efficiency horn with dual 15"s.Fiddling with other system parameters as needed.

I love large-scale classical (and the Mahler 6). Here's a basic system that should give you everything you desire (including natural timbres from top to bottom):

Marantz SA11-S2 SACD/CD ~$3500 new (may be hard to find used right now)

Cary SLP-05 preamp (~$4500 used)

Cary CAD-211 monoblocks (~$8000 used)

Vandersteen Quattro speakers (~$4500 used)

Run everything balanced (oops - didn't include cables in cost).

I have this set-up except I have Vandy 3A Sigs - the Quattro's are too big for my small room).

DH, Ok, you've done your test; go get your dream system! :)