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

Ok, Coffee in hand, 6:00am. Only 30 more minutes until the pills kick-in. 
     Yee ha!
   Hey pal, Don't feel sorry for me! I'm allowed 3 of those pills a day.
  Besides, I "did" get a visit from the settlement fairy. And I cannot , will not EVER tell you about it! Yeah that's right I signed the papers! That's the only way I could have bankrolled this! I had always, always said that someday I'm going to take the time and the money and become what is in my mind a real Card Totin, golden eared Audiophile. And all it took was an 'Traumatic Brain Injury". Besides, All my friends say I'm finally becoming myself again. Whilst beginning my mid-life crisis! About all I know is that this entire 3 month journey has well been worth it! And I've learned allot.
      Indeed for someone that thought that "Monster Cable" was just an audiophile thing and that those "special cables" that the average guy laughs about were only for those that really didn't know any better! And that they simply had too much time and money on their hands.
                        And now I am one with them.  "I make my own now", and am on my third set. Just having received my fourth type to experiment with yesterday.
                              Can you FEEL the LOVE people!
      I COULD sit here and keep writing except that I'm starting to try to be funny and that's generally a bad sign. 
               Oh well , The signs never bothered me, so,
Which brings me to this morning. As I laughed three months ago after probably showing the sorriest face I've ever put on. As the Martin Logans crumbled. I knew I was going to do this . And set myself a limit of $10,000.00. Which was gone in about a week and a half. with not really much to show for it. I started with the Rotels, Moved up to Onkyo Gran Integra's and found my speakers right in the middle. I will never forget it. It DID feel like a sort of epiphany. Having seen them in a magazine in 1984? While I was overseas with the service. I think it was playboy. The full, or was it half page add for the speakers. There they were, In all their glory. With a FOR SALE on top of the Ebay page. That was the day I called Magic Marksy! For those of you whom might not know who I am referring to "Although I believe from the conversations I read that at least a few of you do". He is a purveyor of vintage Infinity Speakers And as it turned out that MY "Holy Grail" are a set of RS-1b speakers heavily modded with the Monsoon driver upgrade. I was going to buy them....Until I found a set two weeks ago of the same speakers, "Marksies!" that were now even more heavily modded and upgraded with a newly rebuilt Crossover to boot!
       I am now the proud owner of a crapload of decent to great "IMHP" amps. And my first Onkyo M-509 shipped to me yesterday from Montana. My two M-508's are on their way and I have four m-504's split between Home and the shop. Those at home I'll take to the shop for servicing next week when I pick those up Along with my 5 channel Rotel RB1095 for my HT. My Rotel's which are now gathering dust are soon for ebay and Audiogon. The second Panamax 5400pm for the extra dedicated circuits being installed came yesterday of course, as did the Nakamichi Rx-202, "The nifty one that spins the cassette around". Last night I took some pics of the first 2" maple plinth I ever made for my Pro-ject turntable. And today my three VTI audio racks shall arrive from "Douglas Connection Cables", "Great Service!!! Two VTI, BL304's that will sit side by side and a BL 405 that will sit to the right of my Nifty Old Infinity RS-1b's That I just signed a contract to have delivered from Indiana to Maryland Just after midnight last night. They will FINALLY be here tomorrow!!!!!
                             So WHEW!   I've been a busy lad the last few days.                      There's more but I wont bore you.

    If you haven't heard of "USHIP", don't feel bad, Neither had I until Thursday, AND THEY they are awesome!
         Can you tell I'm excited?
                               Break!
     Audiogon can tell me to stop boring everyone any time now If they'd like to.
           But I just had to get all that off my chest!   
 Next I may actually add something to this thread that honors it's intent!
                                  OR, Maybe not!

I think that "I" need to digest what was just written by myself. And I have chores. but if no-one complains too much I'll continue and tell you what I think of this thread. And I think "Mike The Hunter Guy" has it closest. But I just HAVE to say, Speakers first!

Jolly,
Lol! What a well written story and that hook at the end just makes me want to hear more. I look forward to your next installment.

jollygreenaudiophile2 > Next I may actually add something to this thread that honors it's intent!

Blindjim > I can definitely relate.

In 2001 I was excited to have a Sony STV 444es 5.1 HT receiver, a pair of B&Ws, a sony 50 CD carosel, and a B&K amp and some Monster wires.
ASAP a krell KAV 250 evicted the B&K amp, the BWs were upgraded and more small BWs were added on, and an ancient Velodyne .10” sub joined the fray.
The Krell KAV pre arrived ASAP and the BWs were again upgraded.
It was 2003 – 2004 when I joined this site and its forums. Asking every stupid question known to mankind, and a few I mdae up which were not known. Well, on this planet anyhow...

Insanity loomed large and I began buying stuff I couldn’t afford with money I did not have to impress people I had not even met yet.

Older, wiser, and far more experienced with 3 reasonably nice systems constructed and then deconstructed, later, and some critical life experiences I was out of the mix, but for no very good reason, I’ve managed to pull myself right back in.

Or not. We’ll see soon enough..

It ain’t the way you walk, its where you stand.
It ain’t how you fly, its where you land.
It ain’t how you talk, its what you say.
It ain’t what you buy, its how you pay.
Watch you when you go by R.O.B. 2001 album of the same title

I haven't read all the threads but after owning a lot of high end gear I know what I'd likely do. I'd buy used and start with a Dartzeel CTH 8550 integrated amp with the great built in phono stage if you want turntable capability. If digital only a Bricasti M1 for preamp and dac plus a great amp driven by the M1. For speakers I don't think that you could exceed Revel Salon 2's. I like AQ cables a lot looking for Niagara used plus one of their really good copper speaker cables. I'd buy the Naim Uniti Core ripper/player and enjoy an immensely musical system. The amp for the Bricasti would be a Pass 250.8 or similar such as a used JRDG 62s2. I prefer the Dartzeel solution very much for the most flexibility. It's a special unit as is the M1. Just my opinion.