How good can it get, really? - my stereo sounds amazing!


I really love my stereo currently. I keep thinking I should be looking for the next piece to upgrade - phono stage, stereo subs, etc., but honestly not sure what to change or why I’d potentially spend more money to achieve a result that’s lesser or equal to my current sound quality. I sorta feel clueless as to how to proceed without screwing up what I have. I know it can get better but honestly I’m at a place when I just don’t know how it can. Hmmmmm.... not a bad problem I guess. Open to suggestions for sure. Thx.
paulgardner
I can definitively answer the question. I simply choose not to. You obviously do not know the answer. Really.
I suggest you do nothing.  Doing nothing changes nothing, impacts nothing, and doesn't cause regrets.
Lots of laughs. Doing nothing is the Government’s fall-back Plan. And the thing they often do. Let me guess. You work for the Government.
I can definitively answer the question. I simply choose not to. You obviously do not know the answer. Really.


The proof I really don’t know is pretty overwhelming, starting with my admission of same. The proof of your knowing, is, uhhh, based kinda sorta solely on your word....which is...well...your word, nothing more, nothing less.

Me myself I’m still thinking you’re blowing smoke....for fun probably, but still blowing smoke...

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"When in doubt do nothing". Somebody important once said that but I don't remember who.  Also Albert Einstein said " the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result". 
 Now I don't know what either of these has to do with anything here but they sounded pretty impressive to me. I think that at some point you just have to be happy with what you've got. If I won a lotto I'd keep my current stereo system and start shopping for a new BMW M3. With cars there's a significant demonstrable difference between a new civic(which I own) and the aforementioned Bimmer. With stereo amplifiers, not so much.

hombre
”When in doubt do nothing". Somebody important once said that but I don’t remember who. Also Albert Einstein said " the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result".

>>>>Exactly!! That’s why you should do something different this time. Stop listening to the same voices that got you to your present status.

If the rule you followed brought you to this place then what good was your rule?
@sgordon1 I was neighbors with the Coen Brothers. Grew up in St. Louis Park. God they make great films!
it was the rule that I followed which was listening to different and varied voices that finally brought me to my present status and the place where I want to be.

If we could live our lives over again we wouldn't make the same mistakes again. We'd make different ones. 
paulgardner  - You mentioned St louis Park earlier . Is that in Mn ? If it is do you currently live in mn ? Would love to hear your setup and get advice on mine as well .
My system sounds truly great.  It has sounded better.  I am happy with my system. I would be happier if it sounded like it used to, before I destroyed it by trying to make a small repair and shorted everything out.  Most of my Audire equipment has been repaired  (Amp Preamp, Head Amp), as has my CD player. The rest is temporarily replaced with Bryston (Amp, Preamp;  yes I need two complete systems to run it properly).  Boo f'ing Hoo!  I am lucky anything was able to be fixed.  I am still amazed that 24 big Motorola outputs. powered by 4 500 watt trannies, which nearly deafened me when they tried to torch my big B&W's (due to 120 volts going through all the inputs), did not damage the speakers.  Yeah!  B&W.  I am truly impressed!

Hello Paul. 

The room acoustics overlays and imprints your audio experience.  Some "upgrades" that a person can hear are merely an effect that penetrates the acoustic noise floor.  Some upgrades are real and you'd love them if only you could hear them, but they lie buried below the room acoustic noise floor. As I read your list of equipment I didn't see the acoustic compliment you are running.  

A good system performance experience is to download and listen to the ASC MATT test (musical articulation test tones).  https://www.acousticsciences.com/matt

Listen first over headphones, kinda boring, then listen to your system play the test track. 

The test will speak for itself.

Sincerely,  Art Noxon

ASC

Just upgraded to the Herron VTPH2-A Phono stage. I was wrong. It does get better! All I can say is WOW just wow! This thing is stunning! Good god! Everything is better. Beautiful midrange and fast bass without any loss of detail. Gorgeous tight transients too. I’ve only had it in my system for an hour now but already I love love love it! 

Prior to adding the Herron I’d been having what seems to be RF interference. Fast intermittent clicks and pops. It’s much louder with the Herron. I’ve ordered some clip on ferrite magnets for my power, speaker cables and interconnects to see if that helps. Any other suggestions I might try?
I have enjoyed this thread and agree with much that has been written, but I can not believe that expensive power cords make an audible difference.  At my rural home the current runs about 750 feet through aluminum cable from the last transformer to my service panel then another fifty or sixty feet through copper Romex cable from the service panel to the wall outlets for the stereo.  A six foot power cord is at most .75 per cent of the total cable supplying power to the stereo.  How can six feet of expensive power cord correct problems created the other 99.25 per cent of wire.  I just don't buy it.  That being said I am careful to use good quality power cords , usually the cords supplied by the manufacturer of the equipment.
You get points for being "careful!"

Thanks for sharing, and demonstrating
that "limiting beliefs" are indeed very powerful.

Why not spend some time reading other
threads on this very subject? 

Suggestion: Don't ever listen to music through
anything other than stock power cords.

Then you will never hear what you are missing.
True.
"Then you never know what you are missing."
And isn't that a contradiction? Not using just 'any old cord.'
I'm very careful to use the cord supplied

Some additions are illogical.
The 0.75% should not make a noticeable difference. But it does.

They don’t need to be overly expensive either. Mine were $230.
I’m sure there are very reasonably priced used power cords around.