Help me upgrade my beginner system!

Looking over your system, looks like you did a good job of choosing… looks well thought out. I also think you are correct the DAC probably has the biggest opportunity for improvement.  I recommend looking at a Schiit Yggdrasil. This is in your price range and is comparable to DACs at higher prices.

Spend time working with speaker placement and room treatments. They can be less expensive by using carpets or real purpose built acoustic treatments.

If you added a Yggdrasil, then all your components would be performing at roughly the same level and the next move, should you want to would be raising the whole system to the next level which would be 1. Speakers, 2. Integrated amp, 3. Streamer, 4. Power conditioner. My rule of thumb for this “level uping” is each new component should be no less that 2x an investment 3x is better. While this would could be one component at a time. The resultant system would be very substantially better.

@yogiboy and @elliottbnewcombjr, I actually sent away to have my stylus analyzed under a high-powered microscope. The result was that it’s like new (<100 hours on it)!!

look at a unison research due integrated amp. with dac

it is a 180 watt hybrid amp it sounds amazing with the brx we used to sell the brxs we are a Peachtre dealeras well

Dave and Troy

Audio intellect nj

peachtree and unison dealers

previou golden esr dealers

Mahler123 said:

"...I wouldn’t blow any of it on a Power Conditioner. That is a frill component that if it does anything will enhance the last .05% of performance from a mega bucks system. I would look at the speakers as the biggest bang for the Buck"

Bearing in mind most on here have forgotten more than I’ll ever know about high end audio, I agree with the above said.

A. I have what I consider an old mid-level system. Adjusted for inflation, everything would run you about 17 grand nowadays. With such a system I’m not much of a believer in a power conditioner. BUT... I am a FIRM believer in using a battery backup/surge protector. APC Back-UPS to be precise. The exact model you want will depend on how much power everything draws. This protects against power surges, power drops and power outages. All of that prolongs the life of just about anything plugged into it. Examples: My 22 year old cathode ray TV still works like brand new. It gets watched every weekend. All of my 33 year old stereo equipment still all works  too. Yes, a few capacitors have been replaced but not much you can do to avoid that.

B. Speakers. Yeah, get the best you can afford. That and a clean amp/preamp will do you the most good.

I don't know your budget, but you will be very happy with, if not forever, with a Sugden class A and a pair of Tannoys...yes, I'm a broken record.