- Attached to the TV is an NAD D7050 digital amp driving a pair of Audio Physic Sparks, the original two-way floor standers, that were part of my daughter's graduation gift.
She now has the Audio Physic Virgo IIs that were my #1 for many years.
- In my wife's studio she has a Marantz All-in-one with a pair of Dynaudio two way stand mount Focus 160s. That speaker is discontinued unfortunately. It is a superb performer, I remember reading a Stereophile review where the reviewer said, paraphrasing, "Perhaps nobody should pay more - or less for a speaker". But at $2,900 they probably did not seem like a good value (unless you listened and appreciated the quality of the sound.)
I did an experiment a few years ago and attached them to my #1 system (replacing the Atria IIs - (at less than 8% of the current Atria cost!) and they held their own. The detail and sense of space and air were not quite there but tonally no complaints.
I enjoy my 4 box Harbeth "Kitchen" system (it is almost always on from when I start to cook until I finish eating) but it does not have quite the same "you are there" factor as the "big rig" 12 box Rockport based one, even if I do sit in the sweet spot with a glass of wine.
So often, I'll go to my living room with a book, select some works on the Aurender, and discover an hour later that I haven't opened the book!
Many years ago now (1995 perhaps) I heard what was then state of the art. All top of the line Audio Note (Kondo) electronics and JM-Labs Grande Utopias. Something over $500,000 msrp. That was a truly amazing experience - as close to the absolute sound as I can imagine.
I do agree about "buy once, buy good" but budgetary and spatial constraints can be lessened over time. I am an amateur furniture maker and still use the hand tools, the workbench, and the bandsaw, that I bought 45 years ago. However, when I retired to the country with a 1,500 sq ft basement space, I had room for new table saw and jointer-planer with exponentially better performance. Similarly I had space for the Virgos but now I have a room suitable for the Atrias - and I do find the music even more emotionally involving. And DAC performance is unrecognizable.
I am not a "tweaker"; I remember, in about 2007 I think, when my CD transport died and I went to Sound by Singer my salesman said he was wondering if I had moved away because I had bought nothing in 6 years!
I listen to what is referred to as "classical" music, though I listen a lot to the romantics, from mid/late Beethoven through Prokofiev, but also to some 20th century - Shostakovich e.g. - so feeling the emotion and passion of the performance is critical to my involvement. I have often wondered what e.g. Gregorian Chant, a Beethoven symphony, and a Shostakovich quartet have in common that reaches my soul. I guess I am looking for the best connection with the performer(s).
I apologize for wandering off topic, but much of what you said resonated with me, and made me think about why I am, perhaps, searching for the unreachable!