Help me spend 150k

[Altair]

I am retiring after 35 years of work at the same company and moving to a smaller home in a nicer neighborhood now that the kids have moved out, and I plan on finally rewarding myself with a dream den I had in mind for many years. A cigar lounge, home theater, espresso bar, attached to a two car display garage. I have everything mapped out except the audio portion.

My budget is around 150k, can be increased a bit, I have no idea what to get in terms of components and room treatment, I do know I have an affinity for B&W cabinet speakers, the current 801 signatures look wonderfully, and MCINTOSH was always a brand I respected. I leave it to you to take it from here. What would you do?

 

[Messiah]

Where are you based?

 

[Altair]

I wasn't boasting, I was sharing the joy of reaching the end of a 35 year journey.

I would think a group of enthusiasts would have liked to share their vision of a dream retirement system, and help someone move along the right lines, but at least we established this forum is occupied by petty a holes. Time to move on

 

[Altair]

https://www.reddit.com/r/hifiaudio/s/SOp2ocpURI

Guess that's the difference between a British and American audience!

 

[davidf]

Personal preference is too big to ignore, so spending a day at a dealer or two to find out what you like is required.

 

[matthewpianist]

If you're serious, the only way ahead is to find a respected high-end dealer and work with them to put together a system which will give you everything you want.

TBH, if I had £150k I wouldn't spend more than 10 percent of that on hi-fi. Unless you have the perfect room, it's really not worth it, but it's your money and your choice.

 

[podknocker]

If you're serious, the only way ahead is to find a respected high-end dealer and work with them to put together a system which will give you everything you want.

TBH, if I had £150k I wouldn't spend more than 10 percent of that on hi-fi. Unless you have the perfect room, it's really not worth it, but it's your money and your choice.

I agree. If you have a perfect room, perhaps with aircon and no windows, sound proofed and no chance of bass boom, then a custom install would be required. Acoustic measurements, using a microphone and ideal placement of speakers etc. I also agree there is no need to spend $150k on a system. The law of diminishing returns kicks in much earlier than this. If I had infinite funds, I don't think I'd spend more than £30k, as anything more would just be paying for exclusivity and superficial enhancements etc. Gold knobs and switches won't give you better sound quality. I've said this before, but human hearing has limits and does not improve by spending a fortune on fancy electronics. Also, electronic components have limits and their tolerances are determined by the laws of physics and humans can't change these. HIFI isn't like Star Trek. HIFI is voltages across circuits, the movement of current and movement of air in your listening room. Billions of possibilities, but nobody will ever experience the perfect system. It's like chasing a ghost and all you end up with is frustration and disappointment. I've accepted the sound of my £2k system, in my very modest living room and I just enjoy my tunes. I'm done with chasing this 'audio nirvana' mentioned in another thread. I love music, but life really is too short to obsess about electronics.

 

[daveh75]

If you get a streamer you'll restrict yourself to about 12 miles from land, if you're lucky. Get a something else instead. Then you can sail away from this God forsaken Island.

Not with local/network storage full of rips!

Streaming isn't restricted to using commercial streaming providers...

 

[podknocker]

I'd count asking for help from forum members as doing your own research. I gave up on random google searches 3 years ago and joined this forum, hoping to find sensible people with useful answers. There are so many idiots on the web talking absolute balls and it's a waste of time asking for help from these people.

 

[podknocker]

I've worked in IT for 25 years and do regard myself as fairly technical and I'd like to think I could fix anything IT related. I know a lot about HIFI and loved this stuff from being in my late teens, but there's always room for improvement and I've learned so much from this forum. I wish I knew more and could dispense my advice to the people new to this field. I'm certainly going to help people avoid the expensive C word and F word traps. I think it's irresponsible and unfair to steer the unwary towards expensive nonsense. Some people on this site are like excited puppies and can't wait to tell you about their latest expensive mistake and I don't want anyone to fall for this stuff. I was open to some scandalous suggestions back in the day and I reckon this forum and others like it, have saved me a fortune. The OP has $150k? and was willing to allocate this to a HIFI purchase. I really don't think this would be money well spent and I certainly wouldn't consider this amount. It's crackers.

 

[davidf]

The OP has $150k? and was willing to allocate this to a HIFI purchase. I really don't think this would be money well spent and I certainly wouldn't consider this amount. It's crackers.

I guess if you don’t have $150k to allocate to hi-fi, it might well be, but if you have…

If you add up the ridiculous amounts of money people spend over their lifetime chopping and changing, it may well not be far off that figure anyway! Especially those who never take the time to go and listen to stuff nowadays and just chance things with an online purchase.

 

[podknocker]

I guess if you don’t have $150k to allocate to hi-fi, it might well be, but if you have…

If you add up the ridiculous amounts of money people spend over their lifetime chopping and changing, it may well not be far off that figure anyway! Especially those who never take the time to go and listen to stuff nowadays and just chance things with an online purchase.

Haha! You're right there. I've spent a fortune, but you don't think of saving up to buy something in 35 years. Hindsight is marvellous.

 

[DCarmi]

I would recommend, if spending $150k on hifi, you put the cigar lounge as far away from the auditorium as possible. 😮‍💨

 

[WayneKerr]

Sensibly answers are you crazy this is the internet

I trust this forum far more than any covertly paid YouTube reviewer, and some dealers I've sought advice from.

 

[davidf]

I trust this forum far more than any covertly paid YouTube reviewer, and some dealers I've sought advice from.

Some dealers are worse than paid YouTube reviewers…

 

[manicm]

Even at 150k we shouldn't be judgemental.

Some dealers are worse than paid YouTube reviewers…

Some dealers may be worse than unpaid YouTube reviewers full stop.

 

[manicm]

Some of you, including the moderators , will not like what I'm going to say.

With regards to the OP, your responses have been trite and or infantile and or petty. Just as I occasionally cannot take WHF seriously (see my link below, clearly written by someone with little hifi experience or knowledge - if you read his last paragraph, and sometimes reviews like the CD5 which omit missing functionality).

If someone has 150k $ or Pounds to spend it's his prerogative, not your judgement to call. And going by you lot, then the more serious hifi rags like Hifi News, Choice etc etc should not have the right to exist because you lot think no-one should spend that kind of money on hifi.

But it's NOT for you to make that call. Otherwise just admit that WHF is a casual rag, maybe should be renamed What Tech or What Home.

In $ or Quid, for those who have that kind of disposable budget, 150k is not really that extravagant. It would get you maybe the flagship Linn active speaker and a streamer, maybe a turntable too.

If you decide that 10k is the limit for hifi, then you need to reconsider the remit of WHF.

Not that I would spend anywhere near 150k even if I could. But if someone is serious, then don't be flippant.

Loewe's new amp turns your hi-fi and home cinema package into a multi-room Sonos-rival

This stereo amp turns any speakers smart

www.whathifi.com

 

[twinkletoes]

Some of you, including the moderators , will not like what I'm going to say.

With regards to the OP, your responses have been trite and or infantile and or petty. Just as I occasionally cannot take WHF seriously (see my link below, clearly written by someone with little hifi experience or knowledge - if you read his last paragraph, and sometimes reviews like the CD5 which omit missing functionality).

If someone has 150k $ or Pounds to spend it's his prerogative, not your judgement to call. And going by you lot, then the more serious hifi rags like Hifi News, Choice etc etc should not have the right to exist because you lot think no-one should spend that kind of money on hifi.

But it's NOT for you to make that call. Otherwise just admit that WHF is a casual rag, maybe should be renamed What Tech or What Home.

In $ or Quid, for those who have that kind of disposable budget, 150k is not really that extravagant. It would get you maybe the flagship Linn active speaker and a streamer, maybe a turntable too.

If you decide that 10k is the limit for hifi, then you need to reconsider the remit of WHF.

Not that I would spend anywhere near 150k even if I could. But if someone is serious, then don't be flippant.

Loewe's new amp turns your hi-fi and home cinema package into a multi-room Sonos-rival

This stereo amp turns any speakers smart

www.whathifi.com

Im glad someone said it.....

trite and or infantile and or petty

How about plain Fing rude!

 

[12th Monkey]

Back on topic please - if people have suggestions or guidance please feel free to share, but commenting on the responses so far is off topic. Thanks.

 

[Witterings]

With regards to the OP, your responses have been trite and or infantile and or petty.

If someone has 150k $ or Pounds to spend it's his prerogative

I think the issues is a headline that seems incredibly boastful that people didn't like as it seems to be promoting he has a lot of money and almost rubbing people's noses in it ... hence why it might have had a few negative respones.

If the title was ... I've recently received some good fortune and have a healthy budget to by a decent system ... what can people reccomend .... the response may have been totally different and the fact that he mentions McIntosh and B&W 801's says he has some in depth HiFi knowledge ... but his question was very vague but with a headline grabbing title.

It was also an opening post ... which I've got to be honest, I was shocked that moderation has chosen to chastise commentators as opposed to looking at how genuine the OP's post was and if it was just trolling / phishing.

Anyway ... to keep it on topic McIntosh Amps and B&W 801's are meant to be great.

 

[gasolin]

Dali Epikore 11 or KEF REFERENCE 5 META

Hegel or Michi amp

 

[Stuart83]

I think the issues is a headline that seems incredibly boastful that people didn't like as it seems to be promoting he has a lot of money and almost rubbing people's noses in it ... hence why it might have had a few negative respones.

If the title was ... I've recently rd some good fortune and have a healthy budget to by a decent system ... what can people reccomend .... the response may have been totally different and the fact that he mentions McIntosh and B&W 801's says he has some in depth HiFi knowledge ... but his question was very vague but with a headline grabbing title.

It was also an opening post ... which I've got to be honest, I was shocked that moderation has chosen to chastise commentators as opposed to looking at how genuine the OP's post was and if it was just trolling / phishing.

Anyway ... to keep it on topic McIntosh Amps and B&W 801's are meant to be great.

I agree.

 

[12th Monkey]

Stick to the OP's question please. Though he hasn't been back since day one, so I suspect it's moot.

 

[Jasonovich]

I am retiring after 35 years of work at the same company and moving to a smaller home in a nicer neighborhood now that the kids have moved out, and I plan on finally rewarding myself with a dream den I had in mind for many years. A cigar lounge, home theater, espresso bar, attached to a two car display garage. I have everything mapped out except the audio portion.

My budget is around 150k, can be increased a bit, I have no idea what to get in terms of components and room treatment, I do know I have an affinity for B&W cabinet speakers, the current 801 signatures look wonderfully, and MCINTOSH was always a brand I respected. I leave it to you to take it from here. What would you do?

I wish you a happy retirement and wow what an amazing achievement, I've been with the Council since April 1990, started off as admin and now an accountant for the Energy portfolio. It reminds me of that Eagle's song you can check in but not out!
There's a couple of guys on this forum who run dealerships, have a chat with them

 

[Jasonovich]

I would recommend, if spending $150k on hifi, you put the cigar lounge as far away from the auditorium as possible. 😮‍💨

If it was me, I would spend most of the money on an apartment or cottage in Tuscany, see through the rest of my days. Perhaps a small proportion of it on HiFi and a wine cellar.