A lot of time went into planning my dream stereo, which is to say that I spent a good deal of time researching in the vortex of WhatHiFi?, Reddit, and Stereophile. In the end, I was able to source most of the components refurbished or open-box b-stock for just under 2k.
“2000 for a stereo?” you might be asking me in you mind? Well, I had just come into some money by winning the NYC apartment lottery (AKA getting a buy out on my place) and figured I would treat myself to the sound system I always dreamed of.
Yes, it has been worth it. For the past year, any day I’m at home, this stereo is quietly or not so quietly playing in the background. It has proven to be one of my most favorite things.
Marantz PM6005 Integrated Amplifier
At first, it was their appearance that struck me. Marantz integrated amplifiers are pretty. Yes, thats right, I saw them and thought, ‘oh, that looks so nice’. The curves, the blue lights, the symmetrical design. Thankfully, my search through reviews revealed Marantz entry level audiophile gear was top rated for quality.
Before I realized I could find a PM6005 refurbished for the same price, I had been looking to buy a new PM5005. The PM6005 won due to the digital input options that the PM5005 lack, which means I could use the PM6005 as a DAC for my AppleTV.
The PM6005 also features a discreet headphone amp, which, since I planned to get rather power hungry headphones (the HD600s), I wanted the amp to be able to power them directly.
Marantz CD6005 Digital Audio Player
Yes, its a CD player, and yes, I play CDs all the time and love love it. In addition to CDs I leave my old iPhone plugged into the USB port to access my AppleMusic library. I got this model because it matches the PM6005 amp.
KEF Q300 Speakers
The KEF Q series caught my eye because of their coaxial speaker design where the tweeter is placed inside the woofer. I was seriously looking at the smaller Q100 speakers, but didn’t want to deal with a subwoofer in order avoid creating potential stereo sound stage issues so I went with the larger bassier Q300s.
Rega RP1 Turntable
Honestly, I don’t entirely remember why I decided the RP1 was the turntable for me. It was a bit of an impulse buy. I do know I liked that it was an English company to go with my KEF speakers and that it is upgradable.
Sennheiser HD600 Headphones
They aren’t really considered beautiful to most, but I love the retro 90’s look of these headphones. They are ultra comfortable, very neutral, and super detailed. The catch is that these headphones need quite some power to drive them to their best. They aren’t made to work with an iPhone on the move, but are made for critical listening, or, in my case, relaxing time listening when I really want to sink into the music.