thanks for all the replies. my budget for the setup is about 500-700. and the as301 + airmotiv b1+ fits right in.
however, the recommendation to get better speakers like the polk r200 or elac dbr62 paired with the aiyima a07 for around 700+ really piqued my curiosity, though is a bit over my top-end budget but i can probably squeeze that in, if it's worth it.
then i saw a thread here in ASR saying that they prefer the jbl 530 over both dbr62 & r200, and it costs significantly lower at < 400/pair. if the jbl is on par with the dbr62 or r200, will pairing the jbl with the as301 be a great match at around the top end of my budget, or is the aiyima just as good a match?
which of these aforementioned combinations do you feel will be a good fit for a starter in this hobby and will likely keep me content in the foreseeable future without spending thousands more?