Were I starting out today fresh, I'd concentrate on investigating and auditioning U.S. built gear by well/semi-well established companies who sell only/mostly through the net and have lower overhead costs than blitzkrieg-advertised, mass-produced, over-priced, over-hyped products. I prefer companies like Van Alstine; Audio Concepts (ACI); Linkwitz Lab; Salk Sound; Zero Surge; Blue Jeans Cable; Ellis Audio; etc. I would pursue gear built by craftsmen who use quality parts and are personally involved in constantly improving their products because they love quality audio.
If I had $8K today to spend as I wish I would likely get the Orion speaker as a kit (partially assembled, amplifier included), a Van Alstine pre-amp, all of my cables from Blue Jeans Cable, and a Brick Wall (Zero Surge) audio surge protector.
If I had $8K today to spend as I wish I would likely get the Orion speaker as a kit (partially assembled, amplifier included), a Van Alstine pre-amp, all of my cables from Blue Jeans Cable, and a Brick Wall (Zero Surge) audio surge protector.