How much do you have to spend?

Fritzenheimer

After $10,000 to $15,000, it is all diminishing returns until the room is treated.....IMO. The room is easily the equivalent to going next tier on: preamp, amp, DAC, transport, and cables.

I was NEVER a room treatment believer until about 2 years ago, when I took my current gear over to my friend Patrick's house after he had just had his room treated with GIK solutions. Similar size room, similar power upgrades, only difference was a well though out treated room.

My gear I used at the time was about a $19,000 set (preamp, amp, DAC, Streamer, Speakers), but in the several days of  listening in Patrick's treated room and playing with speaker placement; I would have thought it was a completely new system......maybe $35,000.

That taught me enough, that I  embarked on my own project. I am finishing my basement by adding an extra bedroom, bathroom, and completely from scratch dedicated audio room......should be completed and ready to install gear by beginning of June. Giddy up!

I had nine years of music lessons - played in orchestras, concert bands, jazz bands and rock bands.  So I think I'm at or close to golden ears.  My system is; 

Magnepan 3.7i's with Magna Risers stands (highly recommended)

Conrad Johnson MF2500 solid state power amp 

Paramount Halo P5 pre-mp

Technics SL-1500C turnBtable 

Marantz UD7007 SACD/Blu-Ray player 

I dont understand how people can think that the gear pieces choice matter more than basic acoustics knowledge.

The right question is not how much are you willing to spend for which brand named gear...

It is how much time it will takes to learn mechanical,electrical,acoustical ,DSP optimization process... Knowledge of acoustics being the most important with basic concepts and their real time perception in a room .

@mattw73 +1

I would even argue that the speakers have to be "just" good enough. With the right space, and components and impeccable source, a decent speaker with a sub will sing way better than an expensive one in a poorly matched system/no synergy. A lot of speakers for under 2K used will do this very well.

Transducers matter…. Ymmv squared 

you can isolate much of the room by listening to a near field reconfiguration of your current system BEFORE embarking on overdamping the room ( somewhat in jest ) … the best thing you can do is understand node effects AT your listening chair and or work the baseline signal to noise of your room…

carry on 

btw I view the DAC as a transducer but behind the cartridge and speakers….