Major life moment: first true Hifi system

[MKR]

I also strongly recommend you hit some of the bigger audio shows, not just dealer showrooms. A very good way to see a lot of gear (including the uber expensive flagship stuff) all in one place. No, not the best way to audition and make a final decison, but a very good way to narrow down you short list.

 

[bodhi]

If I had his budget I would have the room designed first. Then I would start with three 8381A as LCR

The room is also hardest to upgrade later on... My experience is that you can only do so much in small/medium sized listening room. The smaller the room the less it makes sense to buy more stuff inside it.

 

[Esprit]

If I had the money, I would have a hifi room completely designed and built.
Size? From 50m2 up...

 

[OJAUSSIE]

If I had the money, I would have a hifi room completely designed and built.
Size? From 50m2 up...

Crikey. My modest sound room is only 20m2 and it seems to work (for me).

 

[Esprit]

Having money, which I don't have, I would like to have a large stage to reproduce an orchestra as best as possible.

 

[Galliardist]

Having money, which I don't have, I would like to have a large stage to reproduce an orchestra as best as possible.

Reproduce? With enough money you could have the orchestra!

 

[Descartes]

Here are a few rooms

Studio

TRPTK • Recording the extraordinary. High-resolution, immersive recordings of contemporary artists in classical music and jazz. Buy hi-res downloads up to DXD 32bit, Dolby Atmos TrueHD, DTS:X, Auro-3D, Hybrid SACDs, and vinyl.

trptk.com

And

Genelec ‘The Ones’ power Morten Lindberg’s stunning immersive studio - Genelec.com

In the world of immersive music recording, no-one has done more than Grammy-winning sound engineer and music producer Morten Lindberg to set the gold standard for what can be achieved in this field. To raise the bar of sonic excellence even further, Lindberg has recently upgraded the monitoring...

www.genelec.com

Spend your money wisely!

 

[Sal1950]

Crikey. My modest sound room is only 20m2 and it seems to work (for me).

Amen, I got a 5.2.4 surround system in a 18x12 space of an open floor pan 900 sqft modular home.
Far from an ideal space but using a couple hundred dollars in room treatment to build some acoustic
panel things have worked out nicely.
Not all of us have the luxury of deep pockets and unlimited space but you can still make the best of it.

 

[Sal1950]

Here are a few rooms

Right up there with Morten is Steven Wilson.
A couple years back he turned his garage/barn into the space where
he creates much of the best original immersive recordings and remasters of classic rock done
in the last decade.

Steven Wilson - Recording Studio — Sound Zero

The birth of our unique Grid Diffuser in this futuristic barn conversion-come-recording studio.

sound-zero.com

 

[Ze Frog]

Hello lovely Audiophiles, happy to join these forums and finally be in a position to participate in this amazing world!

I am about to purchase my first high end Hifi and home theater systems, this is a big life moment for me and has been in the works for the last 35 years.

A bit about me, I had always been interested in quality audio, my first memories of fascination with Hifi where when I was 14 visiting a stereo store in town, listening to music on the different equiement.

I could not bring myself to invest serious money up to this point in this world, I started working straight out of high school and earned my college and masters degrees while working a full time job, my priority was always family, my 4 children specifically. Them having everything they could want was more important than music and a high end Hifi.

Fast forward to today, kids are out of college and the youngest just got employed, I had decided to retire early at 55, we will be moving to a smaller home in a nicer neighborhood and I will be helping my wife persue her life dream of opening up and operating a small Cafe and bakery. She really does make the best muffins and cookies.

On to the fun part, as part of my retirement plan I had decided to finally reward myself with everything I ever wanted, I will be building a den with a cigar room, hifi, home theater, and attached display garage. A classic Chevy to be restored by me over the coming years. Can't wait.

As for the HT, I had decided on the Bang & Olufsen system, with the Beosound Theater as the center and two Beosound 50s as front sides, Beosound 18s as back surround speakers.

As far as the Hifi, the part that gets me the most excited about my retirement project, I had contemplated a few options. My original budget for both HT and Hifi where about USD 250k, that left about 150 for the Hifi, I could swing the classic combo of Bowers & Wilkins speakers powered by McInosh hardware, something that most audio enthusiasts seem to gravitate towards when they are ready to invest this type of cash, but after reviewing a few more options I am leaning towards Focal Utopia Evos powered by Accuphase hardware. Focal seems to be more of a technology forward company than B&W, and I just like the look of the Accuphase equipment more so than the McInosh.

I have a few questions I was hoping the more experienced in these forums would be able to help out with.

1- I was advised by a number of people in the industry to ditch the separate hifi and upgrade the Beosound 50s to the 90s. The claim here is that the Beosound 90s are far more advanced and deliver a better experience compared to traditional hifi speakers, even those several times more expensive. A disruptive product in the audio industry as it where. I would like to hear responses from experienced Audiophiles regarding that claim.

2- If I do go with my original plan of second to top B&O home theater plus Hifi, I would appreciate confirmation that the equiepment I had selected for the Hifi are optimal in terms of synergy and desired experience.

I hope I can explain this right. What I am looking for is a home music experience that takes my breath away, an audio system that transports me to the stage by being accurate and realistic, that gives me a high level of insight on the music by reflecting every detail, if the conducted turns a page I want to hear it, I would like to hear the reverberations of the strings well after the note has been played, I want the vocals to be so detailed it feels the musician is singing in front of me. Bass or effect itself is not important in it's self, as much as it is about adding accuracy to the projection.

With that in mind:

Focal Maestro Utopia Evo ( I could upgrade to the Stella's if the difference is substantial, no chance of affording the Grande Utopias)

Accuphase A300 amplifiers ( I assume I will need 2? ). The reason I chose the A300 is that I was told class A provides a more musical detailed experience, while class AB (P7500) would be more powerfull. So two A 300s would be the best choice?

C3900 Pre Amp. I did not have a chance to do A/B testing of many systems, but what I was able to do included a comparison with this and other premium preamps. I am convinced this is the finest preamp ever built. I wonder if in combination with the rest of this proposed system it will deliver the experience I am looking for.

DC1000 DAC. Did not have a chance to demo this, but I understand it is one of the finest DACs ever made. I will mostely be listening to records and streaming lossless through a wired connection, this is for the latter.

DG 68 Equalizer.

Power supply had not been finalized yet. Most likely the PS1250.

Brinkmann Oasis turntable ( most likely)

Cables and rack not decided on yet.

3- Room layout and design for the HT and Hifi. I am starting with a green field, can do any shape rooms and finish to whatever is best. Overall size is about 9x10 meters. I was thinking of having a couch facing the 85inch TV on one side with a listening and reading chair to its back facing the Hifi. Or I could go for two smaller rooms. This might need a dedicated thread to get input before moving forward?

I do apologize for the lengthy post. Once more, huge life moment here, thank you for being part of it and contributing to my retirement project.

Wow, that's some budget to play with. It's very likely having joined here you will likely be able to not spend near that amount and still get the absolute best, as money doesn't equal quality like it used to. Which is a great thing for those willing to research components etc.

 

[Talisman]

- DON'T get those McIntosh amps because they don't perform very well objectively. Of course, getting them for their aesthetics, build quality, sexy glowing tubes, and pride of ownership is a valid reason to get them, but most people on ASR are dispassionate about things like looks and only focus on performance. You can get better performance by spending less, for example getting an amp like the Benchmark AHB2.

In a post full of correct notions, this bizarre statement stands out.
Sometimes I can't help but notice that even in a scientific environment, urban legends form. McIntosh tend to have performances measured from very good to exceptional and often have power parameters that no i twgra to can even come close to. Furthermore, they are systems of absolute reliability. No sense in not advising them to those who can afford them

 

[fredoamigo]

In a post full of correct notions, this bizarre statement stands out.
Sometimes I can't help but notice that even in a scientific environment, urban legends form. McIntosh tend to have performances measured from very good to exceptional and often have power parameters that no i twgra to can even come close to. Furthermore, they are systems of absolute reliability. No sense in not advising them to those who can afford them

The biggest advantage of the McIntosh is their value on the day you resell them. But apart from their superb looks and good build quality, it's not the amplification that will make the difference, as long as it's well dimensioned and correctly built.
From there, yes, a pair of AHB2s (among others) would be a wiser investment.
But I can conceive/accept that satisfying an old audiophile dream of owning an audiophile icon from our teenage years may be important.