What Does 80 Grand Get You Nowadays?

It's all so subjective. Assuming the listening room is right there is a vast difference (to my ears) between the "Cool kids" brands and some "unpopular" ones. 

For example: I went to Audio Advisors in Palm Beach and the place was empty. It was just me and the salesman Rudy. I auditioned a pair of Sonus Stradivari- absolutely beautiful furniture and so finely made- but dull. I was heartbroken. I really wanted a pair 'till I heard them.

Then I auditioned a $500,000 system- Wilson Alexx V driven by a massive Burmester dorm room fridge and one of their preamps which was as nicely a made piece as I've ever seen. The detail and quality were stunning. But the sound was ice cold. (Aurender front end, playing Sade Paradise and the like).  The Wilsons were holographic- and stunning. However to my ear low on soul. Kind of Like a super hot chick that just has no sex appeal for some unidentifiable reason. 

Then came the shocker. Watt Puppy 50th Anniversary (apparently no really cool kids like these- they "try too hard" as one magazine wonk said) driven by some large Mac MC901s (sorry, I'm biased against MAC)  and I think an ARC Ref 6 preamp- Aurender front end and Sade Paradise again. It was warm like mom's hug. It was detailed. It was BIG. Mostly it was FUN to listen to.  And a bargain at  80K!  (ahem)

Some may chuckle and some may get offended- but this is an honest summary of my experience shopping for a dream system and how some products surprise to the downside and to the upside. 

@yesiam_a_pirate 

Experiences like that are precious, not only because they unexpectedly shine a light on the emperor's new clothes but also because they may reveal greatness in places and gear pairings where we wouldn't have necessarily expected it.

In a related vein, I believe that the first step to successful system building is to take an honest inventory of one's musical tastes and listening habits. I say "honest", because there are still pontificating buffoons out there who call themselves audiophiles who disparage others' tastes as they relate to the "lesser" musical genres.

You know the type: classical music is the bees' knees; soporific chanteuses like Diane Krall are bliss incarnate; small-ensemble jazz comes next; and rock, well, rock is déplorable but they tolerate classic rock because that's easier than going up against the tastes of tens of millions of ageing boomers. 

As the result of this jackboot orthodoxy, some folks, particularly new folks, are browbeaten into keeping their true tastes to themselves for fear of Audiophile judgment.

Why is that important? Because folks should always audition gear with the very music they're going to play on it, at the sound level at which they're going to play it.

But if you're intimidated by the thought of blasting your industrial and sludge metal and Japanese noise tracks at the hifi shop, then you'll never know how that system that's so suavely and wonderfully playing Adele at 60 dB will sound playing the Melvins at 105 dB.

In short: know yourself, your musical tastes, and your listening habits (how loud do you really like it?) and proudly embrace them.

This isn't being discussed so often, yet it's huge; it is the very foundation upon which a person successfully builds a system for themselves.

Devin:

331 CI, pump-friendly 9.5:1 CR
K&N 14"x4" air filter, Corvette drop base and lid
Holley 600 dp, choke horn milled and blended, Primary - 69, Secondary – 74, Squirters - 21
1/2" Aluminum open spacer port matched to manifold, exterior polished
Edelbrock Performer RPM intake manifold, port matched, exterior polished with all extraneous castings and lettering removed
Homemade lifter valley splash shield to keep hot oil off manifold bottom

Manifold heat riser crossover blocked
Camel hump 1.94/1.50 heads hogged out to 2.02/1.60, pocket ported, port matched, pump-friendly hardened seats, 3-angle valve job

All porting and port matching performed by Juan Mendoza of Flow Technology (famous for doing teh LA Street Racer crowd)
Cylinder bores clearanced to unshroud the valves
Comp Cams 1.52:1 roller-tip rockers
Crane Cam Vintage Muscle 327/350 hp cam, 222 degrees @ 0.05, 0.447" lift (with 1.50 rockers)
Doug Thorley headers, dechromed and ceramic-coated
2.5" mandral-bent exhaust (including tips), 2" cross-over just before rear axle

DynoMax stainless Ultra Flow mufflers
Millerspeed 1-1/2” Gilmer under drive belt drive system

Mallory Hyfire IV CD ignition box triggered off Accel points
Mallory high voltage chrome coil
Mallory spiral-wound coil wire
Mallory solid copper plug wires, ends soldered to wires
Champion plugs
37 degrees total ignition advance
Carter high volume fuel pump
Melling high volume oil pump
Open breathers
Polished aluminum high flow water pump

160-degree thermostat
Flex fan with polished aluminum spacer
Polished aluminum one-wire 100 amp alternator

Header Power Bracket
Keisler TKO600 5-Speed (0.64:1 OD)
Hurst shifter
3.70:1 positraction with Big Block yokes

Dick Guldstrand Grand Touring Suspension, one coil removed on front springs, 2” longer spring bolts in rear/Dick Guldstrand Rear End Locating Kit

Tokico Performance Shocks

Adjustable front sway bar

Vette Brakes and Produces Control Arms
225/60/15 Firestone Firehawk SZ50s on 7”-wide Western 30-spoke Turbine Wheels

toddalin

Terrific spec. She's a beauty! 

Wonder what the hifi equivalent of her would be?

@devinplombier 

Please post your system so we can see what the room looks like.