General Asylum General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories.

---

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ General Asylum ]

---

[ Alert Moderator ]

---

RE: High end system for $5000

Posted by stehno (M) on May 24, 2015 at 20:08:51

In Reply to: High end system for $5000 posted by ruxtonvet on May 23, 2015 at 13:02:22:

For under $5k new or used, you could have a musical system most others couldn't begin to compete with. If you do your homework. For example:

- Wyred 4 Sound SX-1000 575 wpc mono block amps. New $2400 pair - Used $1400
- OPPO BDP-105D universal CD/DVD/Blue Ray/Hi-rez player New $1300 - Used or new $900
(the oppo has a built-in volume attenuator so no need for preamp)
- VMPS full-range speakers - Only available used for $800 - $2500
- 1 pair of Cabledyne silver ic's and 1 pair of silver speaker cables (both cryo-treated) New $1000

That's roughly $4500 and with this simple 2-channel 2-component system AS-IS, your system's level of musicality would be competing performance-wise with systems retailing for many times this $4500 price.

But that's just the beginning. As time goes on there are things you can do to dramatically improve this simple system's performance.

Oh, and it just so happens that last year at this time, I sold my cdp, int. amp, and speakers that retailed new for $25k and purchased this exact configuration with new components, except for the VMPS speakers. Had the speakers been new the these 3 components would have retailed for $10k. But since I got the fabulously musical VMPS' for a song I actually paid maybe $6k for ell 3. More importantly, in each case the replacement component was significantly more musical than its predecessor. We're talking Esoteric CDP $9k, BMC int. amp $8k, and Legacy speakers $8k.

So for under $5k, you could have an extremely musical system like this one below. Bear in mind I still have about $14k in ancillaries like line conditioners, racks, cables, etc. to really cause this otherwise humble-but-well-thought-out-system's performance to soar. But that's another story.

BTW, here's a few ancillary benefits that translate into some real performance gains choosing a route like this:

1. Some will poo-poo the OPPO's preamp claiming a passive pre lacks dynamics. Well, yes and no. If you're talking an electronics' induced dynamics then that is true. If you're talking more of a natural, not-in-your-face dynamics, then no. Because of the 575wpc mono amps, you should still have one of the most dynamic systems you've ever heard. But because of OPPO's passive volume attenuator, all the dynamics remain on the soundstage where they belong with the rest of the music. Not in your face while seated in the audience.

2. OPPO's passive volume attenuator should also provide a much more pristine, delicate, detailed, and overall more musical presentation simply because of the lowered noise floor of a non-amplified gain stage.

3. Less components imply potential sonic benefits since that's one less power supply affected by the noisy/dirty AC coming in from the street.

4. Less components imply potential sonic benefits since that's one less power supply inducing internal vibrations that will significantly degrade the sonics.

5. Less components imply potential sonic benefits since that's at least one less component chassis capturing and trapping air-borne and internally-generated vibrations that are left to fully resonate within.

In other words, the less is more philosophy translates into very real performance gains. Oh, and you'll save money on components, cabling, line conditioners, racking system shelves, and your system won't look cluttered and taking up precious real estate space in your room.

And while others are loading up and spending way more on other components striving to improve their systems with the more is more philosophy, you choosing to keep things simple not only saves you much money, but allows you performance opportunities others could never begin to explore.

This is the system you'd be looking at for under $5k.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

VH Audio

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---