Ok so base on my research and experience, if you had $5000 dollar, taking into account diminishing returns, this would be how one should allocate budget for a streaming based mid-fi system:

Speakers: 2000 (40%) Power Amp: 1000 (20%) Pre Amp with room correction capabilities: 1000 (20%) (or allocate to physical room treatment things. Everything else (20%) DAC： 500 Streamer: 200 Cables and interconnects : 200 (not much audible difference so long as not use the shittiest ones) Stands: 100

This is based on that

Speaker matters the most, then suitable amp = room acoustics/speaker placement, then perhaps quality of the DAC’s photo stage pair with a decent DAC chip, then everythig else is probably less than 5%.

I mean, we can argue all day on whether cables are snake oil, but I think for most people it is just about the most efficient resources allocation giving a budget constrain.

  • SarcoZQ@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    5k. And you want a seperate dac with proper phono stage an streamer?

    I have this feeling that the biggest mystery to /r/audiophile users is that amps and preamps can already contain a very good DAC and phono stage. I’d focus on that, before going budget seperates.

    Go with an Arcam SA30, Marantz Model 40n, Nad m10 (and probably many more) and you have an AMP, preamp, decent streamer, decent dac, great phono stage (atleast the model 40). Less clutter, less complicated operation, less failure points.

    Sure, you wont get to list a million brands and products on the ASR forum threads but there you are with one remote just enjoying tunes.

    • Royal-Patient-2978@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      11 months ago

      Fair point. I guess the question here is for the same money so you get better sound out of 2 budget separates or 1 integrated system (whatever stage that is). I assume it’s the letter because the integrated system is engineered to work well together. Then i guess at what price point do the deltas worth having separates, and can I hear them.

      It’s like my FOMO side fighting my value hunting side (less about affordability I just hate the idea of overpaying or buyjng into snake oil hype)