If you were building a 10k analog system...

To each her own, but if I were putting together a $10k analog system I'd put a lot more than $600 towards the source.

 

If we're talking new, I'd pick a TT from the $2000-2500 class. Around $1000 for the phonostage, and the rest on speakers. But speakers and amps I'd focus on what works for sound preferences and the room. Lots of options at that price point.

 

VPI Classic Signature with JMW 10-3D arm $3999
VPI Classic Signature with JMW 10-3D Tonearm

Spatial Audio M3 Turbo S $2995
M3 Turbo S — Spatial Audio

Audio by Van Alstine Transcendence 10RB preamp w/Vision phono circuits $1228
Transcendence 10 RB Preamplifier

Audio by Van Alstine Vision SWT 120 power amp $899
Vision SET 120 Power Amplifier

That leaves $879 for a cartridge. I don't know how much the Audio Note IQ3 sells for. If it's over budget then the IQ2.
https://www.audionote.co.uk/iq3

 

It would be interesting to look at an analysis of a few manufacturers who make all relevant components, and see if there is a consistency amongst classes.

For example Rega P3 + Elyse + Brio+ RX1s, then so on and so for several manufacturers in the same manner.

Not staying that this is definitive, but at least interesting. Not so interesting as to do the research and analysis myself though.

 

Cartridge $350 (AT VM740ML)
Phono Stage $550 (iPhono2)
Turntable $1800 (Technics 1200GR)
Integrated $1500 (Peachtree Nova150)
Speakers $5000 (GoldenEar Triton1.r)
Streamer$500 (Bluesound Node2i)
Cables $300 (BJC)

I went a bit disproportionately high on the table as I think the GR is one that one can live with for a very long time. The phono stage in the Nova 150 is more than. serviceable, but I think a $500ish preamp can easily better it. Can't say the same about the DAC, it is very good.

I only included components as my favorite examples in the ranges given. If you can squeeze some extra to add a DAC or can live with the DAC in the Node2i, you could squeeze a basic tube integrated like the Prologue Classic. I include it because I truly think that an Analog ONLY system is crazy. Just way too much great music would be written off.

I give half for the speakers though I got my Triton1.r's for a good bit less than $5k, but I have no reserves putting them in for half the total as they are absolutely amazing for that price range.

 

Schiit Aegir Amps (2 mono) $1,598
Schiit Freya $699
Parasound JC3 Jr. $1,495
Meadowlark Audio Blue Heron $3000 (used)
Schiit Sol $699
Unknown Cartridge $699
Nordost Heimdall cables (used)

Eventual upgrade: another Sol arm for another Unknown Cartridge.

 

Magnepan 1.7i -$2200
Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum 3 - $2995
Manley Chinook - $2400
Clearaudio Concept - $1800
Cables - $600

You could sub in the Cronus 2, save some cash, put it toward a better cartridge.

 

So I'm thinking

Table/arm 2.5k
cart 1k
phono 1.5k
amp/cables 2k
speakers 3k

All lightly used from trusted sources to get the best bang for your buck

 

In monetary terms:
Speakers - 4k
Amp/phono - 2.5k
Table/cart - 2.3k (bear in mind a cartridge isn't a one-off investment like the others, you can multiply that to a degree over the life of the system. Wouldn't over-spend on that unless it's something you can maintain)
Cables - 0.2k

 

$5K on TT / cartridge and phono stage. $2K on speakers. Remaining $3K on preamp / amplifier .

Add $500 for cables.

I've taken this to higher extremes in my own set up.

TT £3000. Arm £1800, Cartridge £600, Phono Stage £800 = £6200 (at current prices approx).

Preamp / buffer £400, Power amps £2500 (paid half used) = £2900.

Speakers and sub £450.

Cables £500 approx.

Total £10,050.

 

Been there with my system which recently has become a work in progress with the addition of a turntable, cartridge and a phono preamp and I'm tentatively looking at a new CD player ($1100.00) and interconnects ($210-$400) and power cords ($600.00).
I'm currently using interconnects and speaker cables I've had for years.
amplifier - $1700 = 17%
speakers - $2000 = 20%
turntable/cartridge - $4300 = 43%
phono pre - $1500 = 15%

 

Funny to me that in this day, so many seem to want to allocate 40-50%(or more) of their system budget to the turntable/cartridge/preamp and so much less to speakers. I think that speaks to how absurd the cost of new turntables is today. Historically speakers have been at least 40% of system budgets for most folks and while source is important, nothing has more effect on a system sound than speakers.

 

I wouldn't disagree at all about what effect speakers have but it doesn't relate to price. I'm saying you can get very good speakers for relatively little expenditure (if you can resist buying on size). They will easily improve when driven by a capable amp and reveal the quality of any turntable. Turntables I can see were the costs go in engineering but I can't see how the cost of some DACs are justified.

 

I would start from what I consider the most important part of the system, a pair of 3-way speakers capable to reproduce all types of music as accurate as speakers can. I don't believe small speakers can do that so they have to be of an adequate size. I would give half of the budget for a pair of new active speakers, the rest would go for the sources and the preamp (they can be second hand). A small amount for cables, no fancy rack.

 

Sure, but there is $1,500 or so in the digital source...so 20%+ or $2,100 really in sources under my proposal.

 

They won't do accurate music if the source is not up to the job. Garbage in, Garbage out. 3 way speakers can be pricey and difficult to get right. Cheap ones just use multiple cheap drivers to impress.

 

They will do a really nice job revealing what's wrong with the rest of the system.

I upgraded my speakers only when I had everything else ready to take advantage of them. I've heard what I knew were great speakers on a mediocre system, and they sounded just mediocre. Kind of a shame to see money wasted that way when it could have been done so much better.

A quarter or a third of budget for speakers is more than adequate.

 

Tend to agree. I've heard plenty of systems with a great TT, modest amp, and modest (read, 'small') speakers. They've tended to sound great.

Yes, they could generally have used a sub, but still, great SQ. Few complaints.

Which isn't to say I'm dissing speakers at all. I had some very mid-fi Infinity speakers for a long time initially, and because of them my system could get only so good. They very definitely bottlenecked me once my source got really good.

But still, the source pretty clearly made the biggest impact overall, no contest.

What I would've dreaded would've been hooking up my earlier, pretty crappy mid-fi TT to the very nice speakers I eventually graduated to. IME, that very likely would've sucked.

But for some reason, we don't see those kinds of combos too often, now do we? Crap TT + so-so amp + super-awesome speakers. Hardly anyone does that. For a reason, I guess.

But you do see the opposite kind of system all the time, esp. in small listening spaces.. But

 

I think it speaks more to the competition in the speaker market. I would counter that the same could be said for the analog side. I know many folks that are happy with their LP120. This can be the case throughout the chain. I've heard great speakers that were very affordable, but that scales as with any other component. It's all about personal preference.

 

5000 speakers are not cheap.

I agree about the quality of the sources, still the speakers are much more important than an average source, IMO. I don't suggest using 128k MP3's but if given the choice I prefer an average CDP than average speakers. Also, these days you can listen music with high resolution files through a good soundcard that saves tons of money from the overpriced audiophile sources.

 

Weakest link in my estimation. When my Lamm amps went out for service, I used a pair of loaner amps (not to be named) for a few days. The sound was horrible.
Changes in front end- big difference. I changed one phono stage for another- both somewhat comparable in price. Big difference in sonic outcome.
Different cartridge-- something I'm fooling around with now. Dramatic.
Cables- sure.
It's all part of a system that depends on the other pieces, and requires some matching, to get it to gel.
I don't think you can approach this in an abstract way.
PS: the hardest part, in my estimation, is hearing the results of the combination(s); on paper, or based on reviews or "best in class", etc. something may seem great in isolation. The mix and match part is difficult--there are some known synergies among components but any given piece--even a great one that everybody agrees is top tier--is likely to have strengths (and weaknesses) that play well (or not) in the context of the rest of the system. I don't think there's a simple solution to this other than to hear the combination-- and that's why this process can be challenging, since getting a loan of a phono cartridge or a set of speakers won't be that easy. (leaving aside the room and set up).

 

I see that the OP wanted all analog so I am revising my proposal:

ELAC Adante Towers $5K
ELAC - Adante AF-61 Tower Speakers (Pair)

Rogue Cronus Magnum $3K
Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III Integrated Amp

EAT B Sharp $1,600
E.A.T. B-Sharp turntable | EuropeanAudioTeam.com

Spend $400 on used cables and a 2x4 cube Kallax shelf to put the equipment on and store around 800 LPs.

 

Exactly! It pays to try many good but affordable carts (preferably mm) because if you find one that clicks with you, you will be saving lots of money in the future. A 1+k mc cart may sound very nice, but your listening pleasure may suffer knowing that it will lose almost its entire value in a mere year or so of playing records.

 

Here's another great system making the most of the speaker side of the budget:

Harbeth 30.2 40th Anniversary $6.5
Schiit Saga $350
Schiit Vidar $700
Mobile Fidelity Studio Phono $300
EAT B Sharp Table $1,600

$550 for cables or include a cartridge upgrade on the EAT.

P.S. I am using the Saga/Vidar on $12K Wilson TuneTots to great effect.

 

That seems slightly extreme. A typical cart lasts, what, 1000 hours? More? You'd have to play it 3 hours a day to wear it out in a year.

.