I'm using the new NAD C720 BEE 50 watt per channel receiver and this is unlike any other 50 watt per channel I've ever owned or heard. I'm also using a Hughes AK-500 Sound Retriever which is no longer made and makes a world of difference. I'm also using the Oppo Universal DVD Player which plays everything well. The speakers are the Athena LS 500B's 6.5" 2 way's along with the Athena AS-P4100 Subwoofer which for the price is a hard to beat combo. Round it up by using all Cobalt Cables with the exception of the Monster cable for the subwoofer. The retail is higher than what it can be purchased for and at my price of $1463 it sounds great and there's nothing that will come close in this price range!
I know the drill. Thing is I am worse than you. No good local shops here for Hi-Fi. so all I can do is search and then buy from overseas without ever hearing. I must admit that this has served me well though and I have only been slightly dissapointed once, and that was with a pair of interconnects.
Hope not to blemish my track record in buying good stuff!
Not bad at all!! I wish my first stab at a real system could be this good. I started out with a Hafler pre connected to a semi gutted (the transformer was replaced with an even cheaper one and some internal work was done on it) Pioneer A35, with some Bose Freestyles and cheapo wire all around. My source was a panasonic disc man circa 1996!!
Then got an upgrade to B&W 601 S1s, then got a downgrade in source to a sony changer, then an upgrade with a DAC and then to a portable cd player with digital out, then to Adcom power, which was a major upgrade. The next major upgrades were the cables and then a decent source, and then speakers.
But my journey was long and laborious and drawn out. All because I can't listen first.
The key to all systems though is your personal satisfaction! so once you are satisfied, then you are fine.
