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Wife opened door to build my best ever system...ideas for what it should be?

Long ago investment that had languished for decades suddenly was transformed in value and is going to pay out. While the bulk of the money will help with our retirement, my wife suggested that this is the opportunity for me to "buy the system you always wanted but never had the chance to buy".....I am figuring on $10-20k to do this. I am presently fairly happy with my speakers (Ohm Walsh 2-100s, Kef R300s) and my sources (Sony SACD 5400ES, Marantz SA8006) but think my power sources have room for improvement (Acurus R11, McIntosh MC250, Marantz PM8005). Dont have a dedicated room though if we are able to buy a new house from this that is my BIG DREAM? For now, the 2 systems, which I would like to edit down to 1 with 1 set of power amps, are in my LR which is a bit cluttered but what I have. I listen to jazz, blues, rock, classical, acoustic music, Hawaiian slack key, bluegrass, female vocals...about 5000 CDs. There is no real shop locally, no techs, here in Hawaii but my in laws are in DE where I have been to Overture alot as well as a few other shops in PA, NJ. I expect it will probably be 6-9 months before I am in the place to spend the money and also hopefully to get off the rock and travel safely. So, its a good time for research and strategizing...especially under the pandemic. I think the amplification is focus one but maybe I need to think bigger and upgrade my speakers too? I cant get anything bigger than the Ohms and the room (12 deep by 18 wide by 9-14 feet high) will absorb only some much energy. I have never owned tubes and am intrigued although concerned about the heat during summer...I do have AC but also the US' most expensive power utility. My mind goes to things like McIntosh MC275 or MA7000, maybe Pass (never heard it), frankly never put a fantasy system together because I didnt see it happening...
Any and all suggestions are appreciated. I figure I will put a list together then down the road spend time on the Mnld and do lots of listening for system synergy...then hopefully be able to buy and ship and in a year have a new system....
joekapahulu
audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,986 posts
 
9-25-2020 7:24pmwe would welcome you to visit our store we have one of the largest collections of high end gear in the east coast we have 5 sound rooms and have loudspeakers from atc,legacy,kef,elac,cabasse,paradigm,alta,audio,dali,and afew more

we have elecctronics from t+A, krell,zesto,naim,electrocompaniet,anthem,coda,unison research,musical fidelity,rega,peachtree,hegeland more

digital:lumin, mytek,chord,ifi,T+A,naim, nad,bricastiaqua hifi,m2 tech and 432Evo servers

analog:rega,merrill williams ,nittingham,onk

we have a new speaker package tha should embarass most 40-60k speakers comming in the next two months

the package is a set of elegant self powered subwoofers which double as stands for the most unique monitors in the world which can sit on top

https://mjacoustics.co.uk/kensington/


these monitors are from a company called jern http://jernspeakers.com/when we say they are unique they are the only loudspeakers with a cast iron and graphite cabinet


tps://www.tonepublications.com/review/jern-14eh-speakers/

the jern is tiny 6inch deep 11 imhes heigh yet weighs an astonishing 25 lbs!

therere is simply no cabinet materiel which is as resonance free not at any price!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuPaobyfjLM

when you remove all cabinet resonances a dynamic
lodspeaker sounds like an electrostatic and the imaging is amazing these speakers totally disappear

the drivers include one of the worlds best
soft dome tweeters a hand made hippeon
http://www.audiodesignguide.com/TheMonitor2/Hiquphon.pdf

and a very fast scanspeak midrange woofer

hanks to high quality drivers from ScanSpeak, Mundorf’s best capacitors in the 6db/octave crossover and a high density, cast iron enclosure that redefines inert, these speakers threw a massive, three dimensional soundfield in our 15 x 25 foot listening room. With the JERNs only about 6 feet away from my listening chair in an equilateral triangle, there was no real interaction with the rear or side walls and it was easy to get them aligned to perfection.

this combination should outperform most of the big boys such as wilson or magicos yet cost 15k

the subs go down to 10 hz yet are incredibily fast and articulate

and with active subs you can adjust the bass output to match the room size and location

the monitors are incredibly transparent and holographic

dave and troy
audio intellect Nj
us importers 432 evo music servers,mj acoustics subwoofers and jern monitor
geof3
1,130 posts
 
Cool... a kettlebell speaker system!
asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
5,194 posts
 
I dunno geof3....there's something familiar about that shape....

(omg, they're casting Casper!)
yyzsantabarbara
5,568 posts
 
@ joekapahulu Congrats on the investment. I am also waiting on an 8 year investment to pop so I can get a "free" set of speakers. I am set on buying the Yamaha NS 5000 after hearing a ton of great systems. You should check them out or the much cheaper NS 3000. I think an NS 4000 in-between the 2 likely will also be released. Not sure if the NS 3000 is in the USA yet. It is a very technologically advanced speaker.

Surprisingly, this evening I got an email the CEO of a company I worked and invested in about 15 years ago. Seems they are going to cash out on Monday (2 days from now). I likely will get $100 from my stock investment there. with all the dilution, but it is going to be fun to see what happens next week. I do not even remember how much stock I own there. Maybe I get lucky and can get the NS 5000 early.

I did get all my new electronics for the future NS 5000 over the last 3 months.  I realized the stuff I liked the best was cheaper than my initial very very expensive choices. 

I just looked at the new Stereophile Recommended Components for 2020 and it seems the 3 new pieces I bought are all in the A+ category. I did not know this before hand but looking over the list today, I think they have some good guidance (and measurements).

https://www.stereophile.com/content/recommended-components-fall-2020-edition

joekapahulu OP
270 posts
 
Thanks for all the feedback. I think it will be even more challenging to do this after reading all these comments. I have historically preferred separates over integrated amps but probably mostly due to possibly out of date thinking that the integrateds were a compromise. The current Marantz integrated was a concession for a remote due to back injury that necessitated having a means to adjust my system without moving much during a 6 month recovery. It was also the first modern piece I had bought in at least 10 years other than CDPs. Got the Kef R300s at the same time for a very good price because I needed something which was quieter to use at night when I couldnt sleep and listened to music to relax. I like the open sound of the Ohm Walsh's and appreciate the fact they have a very wide sweet spot, wide soundstage and go pretty low in the bass. I also enjoy what they do with voices. I have enjoyed Spendors, Harbeths, Rogers, other Brit speakers. I have had limited exposure to all tube systems but the ones I have liked (Mac 275) had I guess an older style sound vs the Rogue Cronus Magnum which sounded more like solid state to me. Heard both at Overture on B & Ws, Magico and Sonus Fabers. Liked the B W the least, seemed a bit bright to me. I like my Kefs but I think the UniQ needs to be carefully paired. I heard the Kef Ref1s with Marantz KI gear a few years ago up in NJ (cant remember where) but that was an eye opener which took me to looking for Kefs. I was going to do the LS50s but heard them side by side up at Quest For Sound IN PA and felt the 300 had more bass, presence and WAF. 
Will have to do some more research on this....given Covid it is probably summer next year at the earliest when we will be traveling to the Mainland. So, I have the time.
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