System for Under US$10,000 MSRP

[Ron Resnick]

Luxman SQ-N150 integrated amplifier (tube) with built-in phono looks interesting for US$3,300. But only 10 watts.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Too bad the Devore O/93 is US$8,800.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Ron, I have not heard this equipment, and other than occasionally having been a customer I have no affiliation with Atelier 13 Audio in Nashville - below is a link to a $10K analogue system they have listed - it doesn't included cables

Featured $10,000 Analog Audio System - Atelier 13 Audio, Nashville

Looking to spend $10,000 on a High End turntable-based Audio in-home system ? We can recommend this one.

www.atelier13-usa.com

Interesting! Thank you.

Maybe someone has heard this system?

 

[Ron Resnick]

His current system I think is Reflector 3As, an Adcom integrated amplifier and a Dual turntable.

He listens primarily to classical music and jazz music.

 

[Ron Resnick]

I think he's a great candidate for DeVore O/96 and that Luxman SQ-N150 integrated amplifier with built-in phono, but the O/96 is way out of the price range.

 

[Argonaut]

I think he's a great candidate for DeVore O/96 and that Luxman SQ-N150 integrated amplifier with built-in phono, but the O/96 is way out of the price range.

Advise him to look down the back of the sofa … Work on a deal for the 0/96 ‘s and the Luxman , upgrade the turntable later when funds allow. In the end he will be set up for quite some considerable time .

 

[Ron Resnick]

Advise him to look down the back of the sofa

I am afraid I never understand your English-isms.

… Work on a deal for the 0/96 ‘s and the Luxman , upgrade the turntable later when funds allow. In the end he will be set up for quite some considerable time .

Even if he postpones a new turntable even the full US$10,000 budget does not get him O/96s.

 

[Rexp]

EAT C Major turntable with $500 moving magnet cartridge $3,500
Cambridge Audio Evo 150 integrated with phono stage $3,200
MFSL Sourcepoint 8 loudspeakers $3,000
Cables $300

I've demoed the Cambridge Evo 150, it's quite poor as an integrated but ok when used as a preamp. Not high-end though...

 

[JackD201]

His current system I think is Reflector 3As, an Adcom integrated amplifier and a Dual turntable.

He listens primarily to classical music and jazz music.

The Reflektor 3A remains an excellent speaker and I wouldn't change it. Old school SS however I would refresh. I would change from Rega to Technics 1200G with a base Ortofon Concorde cart with a replacement OM-40 stylus or OM Century stylus. The DD should improve percussive impact. The Luxman will have the resolution to fill out the ambience. Looks like there's room for a Rhythmik or SVS sub or 2.

 

[Ron Resnick]

EAT C Major turntable with $500 moving magnet cartridge $3,500
Cambridge Audio Evo 150 integrated with phono stage $3,200

Thank you for the suggestion, Lee.

MFSL Sourcepoint 8 loudspeakers $3,000

Why do you think these speakers would sound better than the Reflector 3As I think he has presently?

 

[JackD201]

Yes but if this forum knew that answer it would not have been WBF - this is the forum where you need to have a 100k turntable to get a reply on an analog thread.

Not true and you know it.

 

[Rexp]

The Reflektor 3A remains an excellent speaker and I wouldn't change it. Old school SS however I would refresh. I would change from Rega to Technics 1200G with a base Ortofon Concorde cart with a replacement OM-40 stylus or OM Century stylus. The DD should improve percussive impact. The Luxman will have the resolution to fill out the ambience. Looks like there's room for a Rhythmik or SVS sub or 2.

Agreed, all he needs is new turntable and amp.

 

[Republicoftexas69]

I am afraid I never understand your English-isms.


Even if he postpones a new turntable even the full US$10,000 budget does not get him O/96s.

Ron he is saying to look for loose change in the sofa.

 

[Holmz]

Very hard to resell based on a friend’s recent experience.

Also very hard to resell with posters like the one Ron is representing whom say they do not want to buy used gear.
if the Manhattan fellow or lady wants a system under $10K, then it seems worth a look.

they also will not likely abide room treatments, and that amp does an EQ in the room.

What made your friend decide to sell their’s?

 

[the sound of Tao]

His current system I think is Reflector 3As, an Adcom integrated amplifier and a Dual turntable.

He listens primarily to classical music and jazz music.

I suppose it’s possible just to outline a spend of the $10k without asking is that really the best thing to suggest to do. Ron is this real or is it a fixed hypothetical. If it’s hypothetical I’m not sure we should be suggesting that kind of budget is realistic for what’s being asked for from an audio and music perspective. Should we be promoting potentially insufficient systems because of what is perhaps an unrealistic expectation about what can be done currently. Is the aim to just get them something new or is it to get them something better?

Sometimes it might be better to just explain that this isn’t really a viable budget. I deal with clients often wanting the world for an unrealistic expectation on spend. I get that the project brief said a new system but isn’t the whole point of our being experienced and in giving our advice to people that we may need to be open to initially challenging the brief for them out of acting in their best interests?

Perhaps my first suggestion would be that the budget is probably unrealistic and they should maybe be looking at a contingency more in the $12 to $15k range as a starting point. If that’s not possible I’d suggest staging the spend or rethinking the brief.

Maybe working with that budget and attempting to replace the Reflector 3As with a new $4 or $5K speaker could just as easily be more of a sideways move.

It could possibly be suggested considering keeping the Reflectors and using $8 to $10k instead to concentrate on a real upgrade on the electronics and the front end which is where they could possibly get a real improvement.

If the brief is found to be an immovable object then that’s fine but then I’d always let them know if I felt little improvement in the whole project might realistically be the final outcome.

 

[cjfrbw]

Doesn't matter what he says about streaming, he will probably eventually try it and like it, so the capability may not be redundant as he thinks.

Yamaha R-N2000A receiver​

Has it all, including phono and excellent amp, https://www.crutchfield.com/S-JVwrB...yUFqxk8f55PF_wcK3sj51NOcVR9btJ2xoC7UEQAvD_BwE

Yamaha R-N2000A Integrated Amplifier Review

AVForums review of the Yamaha R-N2000A integrated amplifier which comes complete with VU meters and an HDMI ARC port

www.avforums.com

Magnepan 1.7 speakers

$3000 left over for one of the TT suggestions around here and MM cartridge and some cable perversion. He obviously wants something that is as simple and straight forward as possible, with nothing but a plug in cartridge swap when needed.

If he wants to avoid the turntable cables, he could just get the Yamaha MusicCast Turntable with the receiver.

MusicCast VINYL 500 Wi-Fi Turntable - Yamaha USA

MusicCast VINYL 500 Wi-Fi Turntable lets you play your records and stream your favorite music.

usa.yamaha.com

 

[Ron Resnick]

Ron he is saying to look for loose change in the sofa.

Thank you.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Yamaha R-N2000A receiver​

Has it all, including phono and excellent amp, https://www.crutchfield.com/S-JVwrB...yUFqxk8f55PF_wcK3sj51NOcVR9btJ2xoC7UEQAvD_BwE

Yamaha R-N2000A Integrated Amplifier Review

AVForums review of the Yamaha R-N2000A integrated amplifier which comes complete with VU meters and an HDMI ARC port

www.avforums.com

Magnepan 1.7 speakers

Thank you, but have you ever actually driven Magnepan speakers with a Japanese receiver and evaluated the sound?

 

[Ron Resnick]

Ron is this real or is it a fixed hypothetical. If it’s hypothetical I’m not sure we should be suggesting that kind of budget is realistic for what’s being asked for from an audio and music perspective.

"A dear friend of mine in Manhattan . . ."

Then I posted the advertisement by the music venue at which my friend performed.

Does this sound like a hypothetical to you?

 

[the sound of Tao]

"A dear friend of mine in Manhattan . . ."

Then I posted the advertisement by the music venue at which my friend performed.

Does this sound like a hypothetical to you?

Was just checking… thought you might have been building back story… not that it makes a difference I guess. That wasn’t the main thrust of what I was asking about at any rate.

All were genuine questions though… it’s easy to try to be a good pair of hands and give exactly what has been asked for by someone but sometimes it can be helpful if you have expertise in an area to question the list of objectives (the brief). Often clients/friends wanting advice may not be familiar with what questions to ask and not know how to analyse for other ways to approach responding to aims.

One of the subjects I teach is how to establish, negotiate and refine a client brief because reviewing and reflection on the initial brief is (along with preliminary functional analysis) one of the first steps in any good design process. Some briefs are quite fixed while many may just appear that way. Certainly not having a good clear brief is problematic as is having too fixed or too open a brief.

The other thing I didn’t mention in the previous post is while I might be more willing to take a chance on something perhaps less tried for myself in this circumstance I’d be uncomfortable to suggest any speaker amp combination I wasn’t reasonably familiar with for someone else… especially a dear friend… and a musician. On the other hand I would have thought also that maybe the 3A Reflektors (or if not then maybe Harbeth 30.2 as a new speaker) would be an fantastic matchup with something like a Line Magnetic LM805 integrated 48 watt SET amp…especially for a musician… all the right soulful vibes and proper tone. That amp is really exceptional at its price point and drives even the larger Harbeth 40.2s musically beautifully… would probably be even more at home with the 3A Reflektors…. and looks great as well.