Great to have you here, what a cool thing you are doing! Pandora and such is a great way for hearing new music to purchase or to have music playing when I am doing something else. Even with the higher res option, you miss some music while being exposed to more artists. You can get a lot of music used, gently used vinyl and cds are not too dear and help you get going again!

I think either the NAD or Marantz would sound great. There are so many ways to stream and serve! I run Jriver through an old computer into my receiver and enjoy that a lot, but there are just so many options in this area you would do well to search around some more. The MMGs are killer speakers and you would enjoy them for decades!

Using the system you are talking about with 2 channel tv would be easy and a big upgrade from the tv speakers. I think a modest soundbar would sound quite modest compared to the speakers you are looking at, so I would play tv through the speakers. That is what I do.

So welcome, and you are headed the right way, and now hopefully some of our gear folks will give you lots more to think about! Just keep us posted.

Trey

Over the last year I sold most of my rig and am starting over, but this time I'm putting together a "budget" system to use as a baseline if I decide to get back into higher dollar components again.  I've also been doing a lot of research and experimentation with computer audio, while staying away from buying another CD / SACD player for now.  I did keep my Rega P3 turntable and NAD PP-2 phono pre from my old system.

I don't know whether there are any decent hi-fi dealers left in Austin, but everything within an hour or so of me is all  focused on "home theater" now, so I've been doing most of my shopping on-line.  Since there are no auditions when buying gear on-line, price-wise I've been doing my research and trying to purchase things that I'm confident that I can get my back out of if I don't like them.  If you're patient, you can find some excellent equipment for very reasonable prices on Audiogon (new, demo's and used) and Ebay (mostly used).  MusicDirect and AudioAdvisor also have solid deals on demo and open-box equipment.

So far I've spent half of what my last dedicated CD player cost and I'm VERY happy with the results (NAD C-372, NHT Absolute Tower Speakers, Music Hall dac15.2 and a pair of Rega RS-1's that I couldn't pass up).  In addition to spinning vinyl, I've been streaming audio from my Mac through an Airport Express to my DAC and have been very pleased with the results, however I've also been experimenting with a USB connection to the DAC as well.

Regarding the streaming services... for "music discovery", the quality is more than adequate, with some being better than others (the subscription plans from Pandora and MOG seem to deliver the highest streaming bit-rates).  Even the minute-and-a-half "preview" feature in the iTunes Store is pretty good for checking out new artists or rediscovering old ones.  If you find stuff that you actually want to "own", then you can order the CD and rip it yourself, buy it through iTunes or Amazon or if you find that the quality is worth the added expense, purchase "hi-rez" files from HDtracks.com, eClassical.com and others.

Good luck and have fun!

It depends a bit on your computer setup.  I've had good luck streaming over my home wi-fi network to an Airport Express ($30 used on eBay) which is connected to an external DAC using an optical cable.  This works great if you're already using iTunes, otherwise there is an app called Airfoil that will let you chose the source app that gets streamed to the AE.

Some of those choices you are considering are not bad, but I think I can point you in a different direction and help you get a better result.

First, there is one amplifier that is IMO way better than the NAD you were checking out; it is the Music Hall A15.2, which you can get for only $499 from Music Direct. This is an outstanding bargain. It competes with other integrateds that cost around $1000.

It has 70 watts per channel, really excellent sound quality, and even has a built-in phono stage, which will save you money down the road if you get a turntable.

For CD player, the OPPO BDP-93, is $599, and is better-sounding than any other CD player at a comparable price. It also plays SACDs and DVDs and Bluray. It also has a built-in network streaming function, so you don't need to buy a separate adapter to do that! There is an excellent on-screen interface for audio and video setup and control, and you can hook an HDMI cable to your TV and analog outputs direct to your amplifier for audio only listening. It is available from Amazon.

The Monitor Audio Bronze BX2 speakers would be a very good choice; they have enough bass to make good front speakers, and are very clean and musical. Another good one is the PSB Image B6. Both of those are available with a 30-day return privilege from Audio Advisor. The PSB Alphas have very limited bass response, and would have to used with a subwoofer IMO.

I suggest that you get the BX2 speakers and the A15.2 amplifier and go from there. I think you will have the best sound for the money, and be quite satisfied. Then you can proceed with further choices.

I have the Tech-craft HBL-60, which has my Mitsubishi 60" monitor on top and room for 6 pieces of gear below on the two shelves.

It is all steel and glass, but they also make many units that are wood with a "furniture" look. Tech-craft has some excellent prices.

I had dealers try to sell me units for for $300-500 which were garbage. I only paid $139 plus shipping for my HBL-60, and it is very well made and strong.

Amazon has the HBL-60 for $125 plus shipping and the SWP-60 for $300 plus.

They have units in all sizes, for various needs. I suggest that you consider getting one bigger than you may need now, so that you wan't have to replace it if you go to a bigger monitor later. That also gives more room for equipment down below.

P.S.- If you get the Hbl-60 or something similar, it really is better to have a second person to help you with assembly. I did it alone, but the heavy tempered glass shelves are a bit much for one person and only 2 hands...lol. The assembly is simple and requires few tools, but it is best to go slow and read carefully.

Well, I'm 68, so you got nothing on me...lol. I have been big into audio since I was in high school; older than dirt.

I just relocated to a smaller home a couple of years ago, and had to completely re-configure my audio and video systems into one and get smaller speakers etc.

I had a lot of really big speakers and cabinets and such at the old home that would not work here.

I'm glad i could be of some assistance; I like to share any information that might help.

The BDP-95 is what I have.

It is a bit better-sounding, for CD and SACD, than my $6000 Ayre C5xe/MP player. They are both listed as A+ in Recommended Components.

At $1000, I think that it is better-sounding  than ANY other CD player on the market (except MAYBE some units costing over $10K).

If you can afford it, it is worth 3 or 4 times its price in my opinion.

The BDP-93 is very very good for its price, but the BDP-95 is the incredible one.