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How do you decide what your next upgrade will be?

As "audiophiles" or "audio enthusiasts", I think most of us are constantly on the hunt for our next upgrade to take their system to the "next level". How do you prioritize what your next upgrade will be?

I typically focus on what my weakest link in my system at the time is and choose my next upgrade based on that. But I know some people may upgrade based on "best bang for buck" or maybe other ways. How do you decide?

I have found myself at a crossroads trying to figure out my next upgrade. Right now I believe my DAC is my weakest link (by a long shot). I currently stream from my computer through tidal into a dragonfly cobalt into a Raven nighthawk. My phono preamp is also lacking. I have a VPI scout Aries with a Soundsmith MIMC star going into a Vincent pho-701. I recently purchased two Rythmik f12se subwoofers and I have no speaker isolation at all (isolation could be a potential upgrade). I have also thought about how fun it would be to roll some tubes through my Raven Nighthawk. There are so many possibilities. 
 

With all the upgrades we have to choose from how do you decide what would be most beneficial to your system?

james1911
james1911 OP
18 posts
 

For fun, maybe post your most recent upgrade and why you decided to go the route you did. Thanks!

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,101 posts
 

In my experience most people cannot guess where is the weakest link without looking at the price of the component or about his reviews...

 

It is especially hard when all pieces of gear are on the same price scale...

It is even harder if they are not on the same price scale..

.Price scale , save for astronomical differences, does not say anything about POTENTIAL S.Q. of a piece of gear...

But the true reason is they never listened to their gear working at his best optimal potential...

We must decrease noise electrical floor of the house and decresasing the negative impact of vibrations and especially adapt the room acoustic settings to the specific speakers we use...

 

If no, how do we know what your system can do at his best? How can you decide and spot the weakest link without a look at their price instead of their real optimal working S.Q. ? A fact which is unbeknownst to us most of the times without the right embeddings controls especially in acoustic ...

 

Most people upgrade because they never do it the right way first and before...Myself included...

My "weakest link" is my costlier and a very good piece of gear : the Sansui AU 7700.. I am proud of it...

i will never had concluded that the Sansui is the weakest link now , before my embeddings controls installed in the last months...

I would had erroneously change my low cost marvellous dac instead of the Sansui... It would have been an error and a waste of money ....

 

 

Insatisfaction is not a good master...

Acoustic is the best master...In audio....

 

By the way i can live STILL with the Sansui...It is a more than good amplifier...

But if a rich donator give me the Berning ZOTL, it will improve my system very greatly ...I know why...

Thanks in advance....

 

😁😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😁

 

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

I believe that the room and the speakers are the biggest bang for buck areas.

If I have a speaker with 1% distortion, then contemplating moving from an amp with 0.01% THD+N to 0.001% THD+N is not going to be easily heard.

But usually I just get stuff that maximizes social signalling point scores.🙂

 

For fun, maybe post your most recent upgrade and why you decided to go the route you did. Thanks!

Lyngdorf MP-50.

Mostly so we can route TV/NetFlix, and the room correction might address a problem area.

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