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Post by audiobill on Jan 8, 2021 18:48:04 GMT -5
What do you think a great 2 channel system costs (source, dac, turntable, cartridge, preamp, power amp, speakers?
Not “good for the money”, but great in absolute terms for high quality equipment that should hold value?
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Jan 8, 2021 19:01:43 GMT -5
In my opinion it costs whatever it costs according to each person's personal taste.  "All audio is a compromise. The goal is to discover what compromises you are happy to live with." |
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Post by vcautokid on Jan 8, 2021 20:23:41 GMT -5
I stopped years ago worrying about the pinnacle and paragon of audio. I look at how the gear and music moves the experience for me. Sometimes it is time to shut off the gear speak and turn on the music and just go. Up to you where that point is.
Case and point. The late great Les Paul had a reference recording studio to die for, and it sounded wonderful, but his great joy? An AM/FM Cassette Combination by Panasonic in his Kitchen just for listening. Lesson here? You figure it out.
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Post by routlaw on Jan 8, 2021 20:31:37 GMT -5
Far too many variables, perceptions, and taste to put an absolute value on this. Some people would never be satisfied with less than $100K or more and others who know their way around gear could do this for $10K maybe even less. Effectively there is no absolute answer to this question in my opinion.
And then there is the philosophy which I subscribe to, price does not even enter into the equation of of well any product will perform within the audio system.
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Post by chicagorspec on Jan 8, 2021 20:48:52 GMT -5
I know it costs a helluva lot less used. I’m listening on a brilliant-sounding pair of two-ways that were about $6000 new. I spoke with the builder at AXPONA in 2019 and told him I’d acquired these and loved them. He asked me what his stuff was fetching used and I told him I paid $1450. One word response, starting with the letter F.
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Post by ttocs on Jan 8, 2021 21:00:02 GMT -5
I was elated with my JBL L110 speakers and Sansui integrated amp for 32 years. Most of that time with a Philips turntable, and later a Denon DCD-1520 CD player. This setup was great in smaller rooms.
These days, again for smaller spaces, I'd be very happy with Amphion speakers and a Bryston amp (they match up really well), and keep the Emotiva processor because I really like the DACs. So maybe $20k all in.
In a slightly larger space I'd love a pair of Alta Audio Alec speakers and go with Krell amps. That's what I heard the Alecs powered with and loved the sound! So, what, maybe $32K ish?
I'm easy to please with transports. I don't have much experience with lots of DACs, so, as long as I'm happy with what I know - XMC-2 - and I don't feel lacking in any way, I'm happy.
In my current room I can't imagine anything better and more appropriate for the room than what I now have. $22k ish. The sound is so real.
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Post by monkumonku on Jan 8, 2021 21:04:26 GMT -5
Now matter how "great" a system may be, I think the majority of "audiophiles" will still find they have a hankering to see if they can't just do something to make it even better. In fact that might be what is perverted about the hobby, some people are never happy unless they are unhappy which gives them an excuse to keep replacing things.
So the cost of a great system has to include not only that system itself (if it even exists) plus the cost of all the equipment that came before it to get to that point, and I suppose the cost of all the future stuff in this quest, too.
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Post by garbulky on Jan 8, 2021 21:24:53 GMT -5
About $2000 to $2500 not considering the source.
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Post by Cogito on Jan 8, 2021 21:35:43 GMT -5
What do you think a great 2 channel system costs (source, dac, turntable, cartridge, preamp, power amp, speakers? Not “good for the money”, but great in absolute terms for high quality equipment that should hold value? Turntable? Cartridge? How quaint...  |
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Post by audiobill on Jan 8, 2021 21:50:45 GMT -5
Try a really good one lately? After all, the goal of ever higher sampling rates is to become analog again...,,😊
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Post by Jean Genie on Jan 8, 2021 22:06:41 GMT -5
2011 -12, bought Emo XPA-2 & USP-1, SVS SB12NSD, a pair of Maggies and an Oppo 103.
Haven't felt any need/desire to change since.🙉
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Jan 8, 2021 22:37:15 GMT -5
About $2000 to $2500 not considering the source. You just can’t make a blanket statement like that as it is just not true. My DAC costs more than that. |
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Post by Ex_Vintage on Jan 8, 2021 23:29:46 GMT -5
Incremental gain in "quality" of sound is ever decreasing with increasing costs. Virtually everyone on this forum are in the top 2-3% of home audio quality (maybe 1%). So the overall incremental gain of a system for $100K vs $10K is sub-splitting hairs. The world lives off of Alexa and ear buds for MP3 music (if they listen at all).
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Lsc
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Post by Lsc on Jan 8, 2021 23:43:15 GMT -5
What’s great for one person is not necessarily great for someone else. But, I feel like I have a great 2 channel system but I don’t listen to records.
So speakers, amp and XMC2. Retail $16k. Price paid less than retail (of course).
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Post by knucklehead on Jan 9, 2021 0:26:40 GMT -5
Retail price of my speakers (including shipping) today would be in the neighborhood of $2700-2800 depending on finish. My tube integrated amp was $1400 including tax. I'd say the $4-5000 mark might be where the diminishing returns start, IMO. Others may disagree and that's fine, I'd rather listen to music than discus it. Currently playing: Diana Krall. In triode mode. Can't do that with SS. Yeah, I know all the arguments about tubes vs SS. Tubes are outdated, etc etc, but so am I! I like em both, and use them both, but not at the same time. And there is nothing better than to spin up some old vinyl once in a while. I like it!
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Post by richtx6 on Jan 9, 2021 0:44:46 GMT -5
Retail price of my speakers (including shipping) today would be in the neighborhood of $2700-2800 depending on finish. My tube integrated amp was $1400 including tax. I'd say the $4-5000 mark might be where the diminishing returns start, IMO. Others may disagree and that's fine, I'd rather listen to music than discus it. Currently playing: Diana Krall. In triode mode. Can't do that with SS. Yeah, I know all the arguments about tubes vs SS. Tubes are outdated, etc etc, but so am I! I like em both, and use them both, but not at the same time. And there is nothing better than to spin up some old vinyl once in a while. I like it! I would have to agree with you until it comes to speaker. I'm listing to a pair of Regnar rebuilt Dahquist DQ 10's that still sound amazing plus 10 other pairs of speakers. Check out some of the old high end speakers that you can rebuild and have some cool stuff. Old Mag's, Dahlquist's, Even a set of the 1969-73 Advents that still sound great if taken care of and repfoamed . ;' |
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Post by richtx6 on Jan 9, 2021 0:47:59 GMT -5
What do you think a great 2 channel system costs (source, dac, turntable, cartridge, preamp, power amp, speakers? Not “good for the money”, but great in absolute terms for high quality equipment that should hold value? My new Technic SL1500C cost 1200$ and I have 10 cartrides, 6 MC and 4 MM. one of which is a mono. So all in all I have 6000$ in a table and cartridges |
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Post by knucklehead on Jan 9, 2021 1:45:06 GMT -5
Retail price of my speakers (including shipping) today would be in the neighborhood of $2700-2800 depending on finish. My tube integrated amp was $1400 including tax. I'd say the $4-5000 mark might be where the diminishing returns start, IMO. Others may disagree and that's fine, I'd rather listen to music than discus it. Currently playing: Diana Krall. In triode mode. Can't do that with SS. Yeah, I know all the arguments about tubes vs SS. Tubes are outdated, etc etc, but so am I! I like em both, and use them both, but not at the same time. And there is nothing better than to spin up some old vinyl once in a while. I like it! I would have to agree with you until it comes to speaker. I'm listing to a pair of Regnar rebuilt Dahquist DQ 10's that still sound amazing plus 10 other pairs of speakers. Check out some of the old high end speakers that you can rebuild and have some cool stuff. Old Mag's, Dahlquist's, Even a set of the 1969-73 Advents that still sound great if taken care of and repfoamed . ;' When I was young some of those were current speakers, and some were still an idea in their designers' heads. I have an old pair of Acoustic Research AR2ax circa 1969 that sound pretty good. I refurbed them, put in new caps and took out the old fiberglass stuffings and put new inside. Resealed the drivers, cleaned up the original rheostats, put them back together and they sound great. The veneer is in pretty good shape other than one that looks like it was placed on a gravel road and ground into the road for a few turns. But that's on the bottom so no big deal IMO. The only thing missing are the two badges, but they sound good regardless. The original grills are in very good condition, and haven't yellowed like so many have over the years. I've had my share of old speakers, but these days I tend to gravitate to things that don't require work. I've had 5-6 sets of speakers at a time, new and old and I could have had more but my home is rather small. I like what I have right now, and have no intention of changing anything out. |
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Post by 405x5 on Jan 9, 2021 8:37:19 GMT -5
What do you think a great 2 channel system costs (source, dac, turntable, cartridge, preamp, power amp, speakers? Not “good for the money”, but great in absolute terms for high quality equipment that should hold value? Beauty is in the EAR 👂 of the beholder |
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Post by ottaone on Jan 9, 2021 8:47:07 GMT -5
At current prices?
At least 1.5 BTC, 50 TSLA, but max at 1 BRK-A.
:-)
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