Quote Originally Posted by Rudy Gireyev
Thanks to all that have replied so far, and that are going to reply.

02audionoob Thanks for the impartial suggestions. If I may I have some follow up questions regarding your choices.
1. What made you select these components over others that you have auditioned?
2. Why did you select these particular speakers? Were they the best just before the point of diminishing returns began to be crossed, or was there another reason? Were they good with any amp or this particular amp? What are their characteristics warm, natural, bassy .... etc?
3. What are the characteristics of the amp warm, natural, bassy .... etc? What made it stand out when compared to other amps you auditioned?
4. Any other insight you may be willing to offer.
I think my answers to questions 1, 2 and 3 are very similar...so I’ll try all in one.

Beginning with early adult life my point of reference was my Marantz 2325 receiver and 6300 turntable with JBL speakers. It was a solid system for its time. Little did I know at the time, it's almost the stereotypical (no pun intended) mid-fi system of the 1970's. I later acquired my Kenwood Basic components and a Pioneer CD player. The performance of the Pioneer was very good for its time. The quality of the Basic series still holds up. It has developed a cult following...again, little did I know at the time.

In recent years I decided to start experimenting. First up was Adcom. Good reputation. Affordable. I matched the GFA-535, the GFA-545II and the GFA-555II amps with the GFP-555, the GFP-565, the SLC-505 preamps and GCD-575 CD. These were bought used and now only the GFP-555II and GCD-575 remain. The speakers I used with them were first the JBL S-series and then an upgrade to the Focal Cobalt series by JM Lab. The optimum for me seemed to be the GFA-545II and GFP-565, so I still have them...but the Adcom system has been demoted to the bedroom and the GFP-565 is up for sale locally.

And then came the current system you'll see in my profile - the Audio Research CA50, Music Hall CD-25, PS Audio DLIII, ProAc Tri-Tower, etc. I suspect my beginnings with the Marantz equipment still affect my preferences. The Focal speakers have been replaced in my main system mostly because they are bright for my taste, although they seem less so when paired with the Marantz or the Audio Research than with the Adcom. In fact, I suspect for many the Focal bookshelf speakers would be a nice fit with the 50-watt tube amp. They're efficient and detailed. The brightness would likely be easily tamed by most tube amps, but maybe my room is a little too live or my Audio Research amp has a bit of a sharp edge as compared to other tube amps. I don't really know. I was able to solve it with my ProAc floorstanders and got a very nice upgrade in soundstage and midrange with the deal. You would think I'd be getting better bass now with the floorstanders, but I'm not so sure. I still sometimes supplement them with a sub. These are designed as home theater speakers, so they’re tall and thin. The bass drivers in the Tri-Tower are smaller than in the D1, but there are more of them. I sometimes think I'd like the D1 better.

So after those past and present experiences I learned I have a preference for smooth presentation and precise soundstage. I can live without big power. My music tastes have begun to lean heavily toward jazz, classical and solo vocals...especially female...so that's a bias that affects my thinking. Now I search for detail and warmth on a budget. I wouldn’t dream of auditioning anything without my Wynton Marsalis CDs. My budget has increased in recent years, mostly just due to the increased value I've begun to place on the quality of sound. After doing some of what you're doing...searching forums, posting threads, reading reviews, etc...I came to some decisions on what type sound I wanted to pursue and what types of components that could provide it. I even auditioned more Focal speakers but their presentation of female voices seemed to recede when I want it more forward. I’m on a mission to reduce sibilance, too. I think I’m there on the digital side, but I still find myself attracted to the Rega Saturn. The vinyl ssetup can sstill annoy me a little ssometimes.

The components I chose for my ideal system meet the criteria I've come to at this point, based on the travels described above. They're in a budget I could deal with. They produce the mids and highs in a detailed and slightly warm way that I've learned I like. They produce enough bass to support the overall sound but not distract. Similar equipment could be had for half of retail on the used market, so that could also be a track I’d follow in putting together my ideal system. After all, if I decide I can spend $10k on a setup, I could potentially get $10k worth of used equipment for $5k or $6k. At that point maybe I’d add a turntable.