Best 5K HiFi system for Cwlondon

used melos sha-gold reference pre - $1k used.

electrocompaniet aw60/aw75/aw100 amp - $800 used.

used oracle table/arm/cartridge $1k used.

used meret re speakers w/stands $800 used.

used acurus p10 fono-stage - $150 used.

used sansui tu-717 tuna - $150 used. used nad cd-changer/player - $200 used.

that leaves $900 left for cabling - find whatever ya like - used. or, get a wee-better tuna-or-cartridge-or-fono-stage-or? and have less for the cabling....

or, add a pair of vmps original subs, a used adcom amp, & a passive x-over for ~$900 & run rat-shack cabling, until ewe can afford a decent outboard electronic x-over & better cabling.

or???

Conrad-johnson premier 11a tube amp - $1600, magnepan 1.6's (1400), XA7ES (1100) oval 9 speaker cables (300), two harmonic tech rca truthlinks (300), adcom gfp-750 (750) (forgo if it's a cd only system. xa7 has variable outs), Dinner&wine at Olive Garden w/wife to convince her to allow magnepans in the house (30).
1600+1400+300+300+750+1100+30 ~=5000.

given cwlondon's description of his malady, which must have been brought on by years of self-denial--no, dammit, i'm a music lover, not an audiophile- here's what i'd suggest he do with his hypothetical $5,000 audio budget: (1) purchase a used airtangent reference airbearing tone arm (original MSRP $14,000- but i know where i can buy a mint used one for ~$5,000); (2) buy a tivoli audio henry kloss model one radio ($100); (3) listen to music only on the kloss radio, nightly, whilst scrutinizing the airtangent tonearm, unmounted, in its fitted aluminum flight case; (4) wait. in about a month or less, cw's audiophile instincts will take over, imagining the turntable that'll best mate with the sensuous tone arm, the perfect multi-tube phono to drive a koetsu onyx platinum, the speakers, the amps, the wire, the cable, the conditioner. and the quest will be on again. will it lead to bliss or skepticism? that's practically a cosmological question: will the expansion of the universe continue or will it slow down, collapse and end in a singularity? damned if i know. but i do know that cw suffers as an audiophile, a condition that won't allow one, if he has the means, to live long with a $5k system. course that's just my opinion, FWIW. -kelly

Don't know about CW, but what you so aptly say, Cornfed, would surely happen to me. You put a huge smile on my face. Thanks!

the source! the source!
digital: sony SACD 777-ES $1600 street price
amp: decware zen $600 or so
speakers: the "hornshoppe" speaker $700 (thehornshoppe.com)
spend the rest on CDs and SACDs
OR:
Rega Planar 25 w/decent cartridge ($1500+ total)
Audio Electronics PH1 phono amp $575 or $400 as a kit