Schiit Vidar Outlaw RR2160

Rich ( @rar1  ) makes a great suggestion / option.

I normally advise front end first (actually power first, but that's best left for another day). In your case, if you can push your budget slightly and move the money saved on the preamp Rich's recommendation to put it towards speakers is a very good one.

Since you are looking at Tekton for the Lores, make sure you check their website right away because there are a few Black Friday / Cyber Monday offers.

If you can push your budget slightly, I'd jump on the Tekton Impact Monitors without any hesitation. They are 250 off their regular asking price. The trial offer is liberal and you will not be out much to reship should they not work for you.

Just some thoughts from one interested in your quest:

Given that the Outlaw has phonostage and DAC I would not consider the purchase of either as a stand alone until I spent time with the respective internal ones. 

The Bluesound Node 2 is a solid recommendation and I would consider one myself if looking for streaming Tidal and MQA. I believe it has an internal DAC which would be redundant (possibly better?) to that in the receiver.  A computer can be configured as a streaming device however don't know about use for MQA. 

I generally don't position myself to recommend speakers due to not having the opportunity to listen to many and the subjectivity issue. I will say that I believe matching speakers to the room, and tuning the room via treatments is vital to getting the most from any system. After that your amp must be compatible with t the speakers. If you are settled on the Outlaw you could purchase one and use it to demo speakers at local dealers or from online dealers that allow returns. I would encourage you to do your best to audition as many speakers as possible prior to making a choice. Consider the size of your room, brightness of room, ability to add room treatments, loudness levels required, when auditioning. One approach I have taken was to purchase a used pair of speakers at a budget lower than I was willing to spend on a final pair, selected ones that would mate well with my room, experimented with room treatments using these used speakers, and enjoyed my music while in search for an upgrade pair. The process took a year, and I sold the used speakers for what I paid for them once a new pair arrived. If you like the Totems, maybe you could find a used pair. 

The Audioquest King Cobra interconnects and Rocket 33 speaker cables are good choices. They can be had highly discounted. I have bought these off Ebay, and from Music Direct. I also like Kimber Kable. I currently use both brands across my 3 systems.  That said, one could purchase the appropriate length of Canare 4S11 speaker cable for about $1.50 a foot and use them unterminated. Maybe look for a used pair of Audioquest Sidewinder or Copperhead interconnect cables. You could allocate more money elsewhere in your system.  

Good luck in your quest. Please keep us informed as to your system.  

Wow, what great thoughtful advise.  Here or (hear) is a confession.  Shopping for speakers is really frustrating for me.  My sound memory is short.  Show me a few speakers and they all sound great.  So I rely heavily on forums and share the music I listen to.  I haven't mentioned it yet however many time I enjoy turning the volume up, just as if I was at an actual concert.  Not sure if that comment is relevant to the speaker choices suggested already but wanted to add it.  

So I will sell my Kenwood KA701 and matching receiver, get the Outlaw and then sell the JBL 110's.  Thank you all for your gracious contributions to this thread.  I really enjoy the feedback. 

I should add that the impetus to getting back into vinyl was at the June Los Angeles audio show. They had a room that was dedicated to budget-friendly audio gear. This is where I first head the Tektons and the Magnepan .7's along with Schiit audio components. 

Your last comment has me second guessing my earlier recommendation...if you’ve already heard a system with the speakers you’re considering paired with the schiit pre/amp combo you’re considering and you loved it, then it seems reasonable to ignore any other advice and duplicate what you already heard and know you loved from the show...not that any of the prior advice is bad, but we can never account for the subjectivity of your own personal taste. 

Option 1 (show setup):
schiit pre, schiit amp, tektons

Option 2 (my original recommendation): 
node 2, outlaw, tektons

Option 3 (common other recommendation): 
outlaw, any of several speakers at ~$1500


If you go with option 1 or 3, for $35 you can stream with a chromecast audio...it won’t give you MQA or Roon compatibility, but it at least opens the door to streaming at 24/96 res. (provided you turn on “high dynamic range” in the settings). Definitely depends how much you expect streaming to factor into your future listening if it is good enough, but even if you upgrade later you’re only out $35 and it’s a tiny device for finding a place to stash it. 

With option 1, you’ve heard it and know you like it...if you like certainty, this is a solid choice. Option 2 is the best if you expect to do a lot of streaming and/or are really excited or curious about MQA/Roon since it gets you a really solid streamer within the current budget. Option 3 has the most upside for sound quality since speakers factor in more than any other component...but also the most uncertainty since you’d have to audition several new options or take a shot on something without hearing it...if you’re a gambler or enjoy trying various speakers, this is the one to go with. Frankly, any of the above can be a solid system and you wouldn’t be wrong choosing any of those paths.

good luck and look forward to hearing back from you as you put it together. 

Tektons all the way. They are amazing.Fact.