Just for fun — I’m interested to see how differently everyone would spend the money.
You’ve got £20,000 and absolutely no existing hi-fi equipment.
You need speakers, amplification, DAC/streamer and a Roon Core/Server if required.
Cables and accessories don’t count towards the £20k budget, and everything must be available to buy today — new or used.
Would you throw £12–15k at the speakers and keep the electronics relatively modest, or spread the money more evenly?
What exact system would you build — and why?
If we hit 100 replies, I’ll go through everyone’s choices and tally up the most popular speakers, amps and digital front ends. Then we’ll see what the Roon Community’s ultimate £20k system actually looks like.
I’d go completely used and put the biggest chunk of the budget into the speakers. I’d still want McIntosh driving the Amatis, and I’d rather buy this calibre of equipment second-hand than spend £20k on a completely new system.
are we limiting speakers to the what works in our current space, or are we assuming any speaker that works in a theoretical perfect room?
my current Roon system is probably close to $20k, although some of it is not made anymore. the speakers, Focal 1028be, might be end game, in the right room. in the real world where I live, they’re a compromise.
Meridian speakers have all the electronics built in so nothing else required. They are incredible value for money, used. And wonderfully musical loudspeakers
Good question. Let’s say it’s for your actual listening room, not a theoretical perfect one.
£20k total budget, used gear absolutely allowed, and you’re building the complete system from scratch. Spend it wherever you think matters most — speakers, amplification, source, etc.
Interested to see how different everyone’s priorities are.
I’m very happy with my current system but I’d love to go a step up from my Zu DWII speakers, I really want find out what a 300B based system sounds like, and I love vintage Tannoy speakers, so I’d use the money to feed those interests….
Core System:
Roon Server: GMKtec K15 AI Mini PC, Intel Ultra 5 125U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD - ~$600+Tax+shipping (new)
DAC: PS Audio PerfectWave DAC MkII; Bridge II - ~$1,400 + Tax + Shipping (second hand from tmraudio.com)
TT: Rega Planar 6 - ~$1049 + Tax + Shipping (second hand from TMR, No Cart)
Rega ND7 Cart ~$800+Tax+Shipping (new)
(I already own these but with the Exact rather than ND7 cart and wouldn’t change them)
Speakers: Zu Union 6 - $4,100 (new)
~$9,000 with tax and shipping
——— “Tube Curious” System:
Amp: Dennis Had Inspire 300B Tube Integrated Amplifier - ~$3300 + Tax + Shipping (second hand from TMR)
Speakers: Tannoy Berkeley Pair Of Speakers – Restored – ~ $3,999 + Tax + shipping probably a total of around ~$5,000
Amp: Pass Labs First Watt J2 Power Amplifier - ~$2,300+Tax+Shipping (second hand from US Audio Mart)
Pre-amp: SCHIIT Freya - ~$850 + Tax + Shipping (second hand from TMR)
Phono Pre-amp: Graham Slee Communicator phono preamp - ~$250+tax+shipping (new)
~ $9,000 with tax and shipping
———— Total: ~$26,500 make it $27,000 once I’ve bought cables (but I’d just re-use my old cables, not a cable believer).
As mentioned I already own the DAC, TT and Roon server and wouldn’t change those (except maybe the cartridge upgrade) and I’d sell the Rogue Sphinx III and DW II’s I already own, so I think that puts me under budget by about $4,000-5,000 which I’d put towards a second hand pair of Klipsch Cornwalls (which I am also very curious about).
If the Kii 3 were Roon Ready I’d probably just get them and be done. However, given the need for external devices and my reservations about putting all my eggs in one basket, I’d be more inclined to the following:
T&A DAC200 - £5500
ROCK NUC - £500
HQPe - £330
HQP PC - £750
RPi4 + RoPieee - £75
Room correction by HAF - £160
ATC SCM50ASL secondhand - c. £12.5k
If the speakers weren’t available at that price, I’d dial back the DAC to an RME DAC with AKM chipset, as I have currently, and manage volume digitally.
if I’m working with the room I have, but don’t have to worry about domestic acceptability, I’d spend the $20k on room treatments.
but I’d like to stay married.
I’d start with a pari of Spendor Classic 1/2. The stands are mandatory, so ~$11.5k new.
I’d buy the same amp I have now: Moonriver 404 reference. it’s simply the most natural, uncolored amp I’ve ever heard in my home. I’m sure there are better, bigger, more powerful options, but with the Spendors, in this room, this is end game. $6k new, but MusicDirect has an open box for $4k, which is about what I paid for mine. Let’s call it $5k, since that feels like the street price.
I’m extremely wary of spending big $$$ on a streamer/roon end point, since the tech is changing so quickly. Maybe an Arender A1000, or HiFi Rose 451, both ~$4k, and support all the major streaming services, connect services, and seem like they’ll be around for the long term.
edit: I’m very curious about the Zu Soul. I’d need to hear a pair fully broken in, in my room. but I love the philosophy behind them, and the way they look.
My end game system is impossible for 20k (snob alert) But if I had to buy something for this money from scratch I would buy a pair of dutch&dutch 8C, a Wiim Ultra and a four channel minidsp and three or four small rel subwoofers for distributed subs around the room.
You don’t have speakers in your setup, but you do have one of the best headphones on the planet. In May, I had the pleasure of listening to the Elite with a Niimbus US 5 in Bangkok. It was fantastic! That’s why I can completely understand why that’s your endgame setup. I feel the same way about my headphone setup.
Option A: Hi-Fi/Multichannel Audio
GRAND TOTAL
your still likely to be in the doghouse.