$35K to spend, how will you build a system?

If someone approached me about helping them build the best system for them for 35k (about what I have into my own), I would want to know several things. What is the room size? What kind of music do you listen to? Do you want to play vinyl, vinyl and cds, or will you be streaming high resolution files through a DAC? 
If a small room

Vinyl will eat up 10k or more of the budget. If I had it to do over, I don't think I would've gone the vinyl route. I would spend the money on better speakers and electronics. 

I would travel to a major metropolitan area and audition speaker-amp combinations. I would like to hear a SET amp with a high sensitivity speaker (e.g., Shindo or Line Magnetic amp, Devore speakers). I would want to hear an OTL system (e.g., Atma-sphere or David Berning) paired with a higher sensitivity speaker. Also, a dipole speaker (e.g., Magnepan 3.7i, Martin Logan 13A with built in room correction), paired with a high quality SS amp (e.g., PASS Labs 250.8, Constellation Inspiration). If I went the latter route, I would probably still go with a used Audio Research Reference preamp. 

Ayre cx-7emp CD player for disc playback and transport. $1,700. (Used)
Audioquest Earth Interconnects balanced $1000.
Audioquest Diamond Digital cable $1000.
Ayre qx-5 for streaming and HI-Rez $8900.
Audioquest Earth interconnects - balanced $1,000.
Anthem STR Integrated $5,000. ( on-board room correction and phono)
Audioquest Oak - 2 runs for biwire $6,000
Paradigm Persona 3F $10,000.
Total $34,600 without tax.
N

Dcevans > I would travel to a major metropolitan area and audition speaker-amp combinations.

Blindjim > my preffs and room have been outlined above. we’re on the same wavelength on a few accounts. It seems a necessity to travel at least some. Or find those dealers that will allow for an in home demo. Spkrs by nature will be the problem children and why one has to accumulate air miles.


Nutty > Total $34,600 without tax.

Blindjim > Super!! That was very thoughtful. Very nice. My preffs and exp remove Ayre as a candidate though. For someone else? Sure not bad at all. I’m very interested in how those new Para spkrs work. I’m also surprised on how many tend to declare AQ as the cable solution du jour. Thanks.

Hello all, bows to Blindjim. I couldn't sleep. And a few hours ago I got up, bored I logged on and joined Audiogon. and somehow, This is the first thread that caught my eye. I'm not sure really how to begin other than to give you all an "I'll be as brief as possible" short preface. Of why me finding and reading this thread tonight/morning is just so ironic.   Five years ago my world stopped turning with a sudden blow to the head. And it's taken me about four and a half years to get my world to start turning again. Now it feel like it's all happening too fast.
      About four months ago I was allot like most. but I have been something of an audiophile since I was 15 and acquired my first pioneer 8 track combo receiver with upgraded kenwood speakers, "I paid $15 extra for those!" and they changed my life. But soon I entered the rat race and lost focus on what was my first love, music. Fast forward to several months ago.
    Like many I had resigned my fate to having an Pioneer elite sc-77 and a pair of martin logan "source" speakers. Using my dvd player as my trusty transport I was awed about once a month for about two hours, "the time allotted me with no one home" at how amazing my system sounded. And of course I was the envy of most of my friends as most of them have really nothing at all except the $150 Black Friday box of 5.1 tiny, "Wife approved" speakers 10" sub and with luck a $200 AVR. 
   LO and Behold, I was awakened by a Mighty Din! As the Martin Logans melted and the Pioneer "Elite" popped and fizzled, I laughed, I really did.
  Not too insanely though, The Jonese's might hear.
         What was I to do? I couldn't justify just running out and replacing it all. And that Monster Cable speaker wire had been in my family for generations! I should at least save that right???
    I'll skip ahead a few weeks now. You don't need to hear about me finding the gospel at Best Buy's and their price matching. My seemingly endless journey through that price match maze of AVR's All with their own proprietary technologies that only THEY had that didn't mean Didly Squat at the end. Because at that end was Indeed the mighty Marantz!
      And Indeed, as I worked my way up through their Integrated AVR inventory "sometimes daily". I caught my self peeking at the "Separates".      Soon I was actually even talking out loud about them in the stores!!!!!!
Amplifiers and Preamplifiers Audioquest cables.
     At this point I realize that I'll never stop getting x-mas cards and such from Best Buy's. I made those guys millennium! But enough was enough and I stopped! For an entire 3 days I did not ONCE peruse the adds from anything that I knew was garbage. now realise, my house is at this time chock full of speakers I couldn't return, Klipsch's and Polk's and pioneer's! "Oh My". I finally took the big leap on ebay about 3? months ago? ?Yeah, my short term memory is the last thing that wont heal" Anyway
I purchased my first real amp, a rotel RB1080 which I adored. for about two months. Then I bought another to Bi-amp the Klipsch f-20 synergies that were so awesome. Deeeep bass I thought for a week, with Highs that would curdle frozen milk! But I knew I needed speakers. I needed to find a pair that I could both afford. And be able to look myself in the mirror about. And maybe something vintage. Hmmmm. And I knew this because I had just auditioned some b&w 800's. The new top of the line one's. And although I could not afford those, at least couldn't bear to afford them. I knew in a very literal 5 seconds or less I had to have something decent. What even a REAL audiophile would have.
                           Here we have to take a break. Well I need a break.
     I can hear the pain pills calling me.
   And oh yeah, I have kinda left a little thing out. Haven't I told you about the settlement fairy? I didn't?        BRB