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Is the grass greener on the other side?

Hi all,
I'm relatively new to the serious audiophile world for speakers. I've been into audio since I was a kid (getting nice car stereos and headphones etc), but I just recently got my first house so decided to try getting a nice 2.1 system for my living room. I've been blown away by how much more I can enjoy the music as opposed to headphones (even with very nice headphones like my Audezee LCD-3's and Woo amp). But now I have fallen into the trap that many have. I am constantly wondering what I can tweek or change out to make the sound even *better*. So I'd like to solicit thoughts from the community on two questions:

1. How do you deal with the temptation to wonder how much better things could get? 

2. Help feed my addiction ;) What should I *fix* next. (Gear list below)

Source: TIDAL -> Roon
Roon Core: Gaming PC in another room
Roon Endpoint: Surface Book Laptop (tuned to make sure the fan stays off)
Surface is connected via Transparent USB Performance cable to Anthem STR Integrated (my newest toy)
Anthem STR is running ARC
I use Transparent Wave Speaker Cable to connect from the STR to my B&W 704 S2's
I use the Tuneful Audio Cables for jumping between the two posts on the P&W's instead of the brackets they provide.
For power I use a APC H10 and connect everything to it. 
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mattlathrop OP
26 posts
 
@blueranger thanks for the analogy! Pretty insightful. I completly agree on the process of finding the right system. If only there was a magical store you could go to and try all the different gear and hear exactly how it would sound in your room! 
blueranger's avatar
blueranger
719 posts
 
Thanks. Your welcome. I might bring a used speaker into the flock  one day. One that doesn't cost too much just for a different presentation to change tbings up. Rotate in and out now and then. But nothing too expensive.

erik_squires
16,072 posts
 
Room acoustics. Talk to GIK.

That makes everything better, and your room more speaker friendly.

My experience is that if you get good room treatment you may change everything else, but the room acoustics will stay. I have 5 panels plus two bass traps that move with me to every new apartment.
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
You asked:
"1. How do you deal with the temptation to wonder how much better things could get?

2. Help feed my addiction ;) What should I *fix* next. (Gear list below)"

Question 1: Ah, the "slippery slope." I’ve been on it seriously since 1971, off and on and in a dedicated manner since 1997. One thing I have learned along the way is that you do not have to spend a ton to get satisfying results. But the key is to find the speakers you really like for the long haul and augment your system around them. If you are happy with your B&Ws then perhaps try room treatment as suggested above. The room is one half of the sound in my opinion.

Question 2: I don’t see anything amiss. Do you listen to CDs at all? Are you curious about vinyl? What do you wish you had more of, less of?
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mattlathrop OP
26 posts
 
@erik_squires Do you think the “natural” room fixes will improve the sound over the ARC? I’m just worried that I’m going to get the Gik stuff, re-run ARC and it sound the same just with less correction. 

@stevecham Honestly i can’t be bothered to walk across the room and change a CD/Record. I also can’t stand to finish a song. I bounce from song to song so streaming is for me! Mellinieal through and through! 
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