critique my setup -- weak link? best way to improve?


I just put together my first turntable setup after many years of listening to CDs only. It sounds pretty good -- good enough that I'm curious how to make it better. (: What weak link(s) do you see in this system? Where is the best bang for the buck?

Between the two of us we listen to a wide range of styles (symphony, choral, folk, indie, dark wave, metal). The one constraint is that the speakers can't be larger than about 20" tall and need to stand on a wooden sideboard/console type thing.

The setup:

Pro-ject T1 with built in phono stage

Luminous Axiom passive preamp

Rotel RB-1070 power amp

Blue Jeans interconnects

Klipsch KG2.2 speakers

Amazon Basics 12Ga speaker wire, Monoprice banana connectors

matthijs

@OP Running the basic phono stage in the Project TT into a passive preamp is going to be a fairly major limitation, so that's certainly an area for attention.

Cables will not solve poor speaker placement or room issues. The least bang for the buck in my 40 years of this hobby. My advice, get your system properly set up especially speaker placement. Too often overlooked when applying system band aids like cables. The room is part of your system, like it or not. Then IMHO, speakers. In spite of other opinions, they are the reproducers of the sound. Yes, all links in the chain can have an influence. However, that’s your big ticket for improvement.

Your interconnects and speaker wire/connectors are fine! Spending more is a waste of money. 

You may consider a streamer/DAC like the BlueNode and a Tidal/Qobuz subscription.

A set of Magneplanar LRS or 1.7s would be pretty cheap and radically improve your sound. 

I agree that it is way too early in the process to worry too much about cables. Blue Jeans are a great place to start. I also agree that the onboard phono preamp and the passive preamp are a limitation. To keep it simple, and cost effective, I recommend a Schiit Saga 2 and a Schiit Mani. You could also shop for used versions of these, though they are both on version 2 now and it might be worth getting the latest.