2. amps-preamps
  3. 163474-87708

Remarkably better sound possible with just 1 system component change?

I could have posted this discussion to a few other categories but chose this one because discussions related to 2 of the 4 components in question belong here.

So it's been ~2.5 yrs since I purchased my current system. I did a lot of research at the time here on audiogon, but no auditioning, and put together a system that sounds very, very good to me.

While I have no complaints, the itch to upgrade has surfaced recently.

I am curious as to whether you guys think it will be possible for me to replace just 1 of my primary 4 components and obtain significantly better sound as a result. The more discernible and obvious the sound improvement, the better obviously. I am not looking for a marginal upgrade - I want dramatically better sound. And I am not looking to replace more than 1 component at this time. I am hoping to get a few ideas/candidates and then may decide to audition some of the recommendations before making a decision. Hopefully some of the upgrade paths are such no-brainers that I may even be able to take a leap of faith without auditioning. Note also that acoustic room treatments are not viable in my current listening location.
 
My current 4 part system:

1. Lumin D2 - 100% of my listening is streaming via Tidal
2. Mcintosh C2600 preamp
3. Mcintosh MC452 amp
4. Focal Kanta 2 speakers

Cables are Cardas Golden presence RCAs from the Lumin to C2600, Cardas Clear Cygnus XLRs from the C2600 to the MC452, and Kimber 8TC speaker cables to the Kantas.

Soundstaging, dynamics, imaging and overall clarity are all great. I have to say I love the Be tweeters. And the bass is punchy, tight, fast and certainly sufficient for my needs. Vocals and overall sound are warm, liquid smooth and analog-like, just the way I like it. (Forgive me if I've botched some of the characterizations - I'm no expert at this). The only thing I can think of that could use some improvement is the sound quality at lower volume levels, although that is not terribly important to me since most of my listening is in the 90+ Db range. Would be nice, though.

So while I do love the overall sound, surely dramatically better sound can be obtained via a 1 component swap? Budget is ~10k. Or will I need to spend more, or upgrade more than 1 component to achieve the desired result?

Thanks in advance for your time and thoughts.

chandybe
cakids
166 posts
 
If you love your sound, except at low volume, you need to correct for unnatural frequency response due to Fletcher-Munson effect. I.e., you need loudness compensation or equalization. Try a Schiit Loki. It will improve low volume greatly, when tuned to your listening preferences. Bypass the Loki at normal volumes.
For component upgrade, I would replace the Lumin first, then speaker cables, and add Audioquest or Shunyata power conditioning. All of these changes have worked for me.
bobspets1
28 posts
 
Anybody have a link for American made Schumann generators?
geof3
1,129 posts
 
As mentioned, you room is a tough one. We ALL have room issues unless able to build and dedicate a listening room as strictly a listening room. When a room has dual, or multi purpose, there are concessions made. There has to be. With your room, all of your wall hangings are going to cause issues. You’ve basically created a 4 walled mirror. About as bad as it gets for reflection, slap echo, etc. Essentially your room just bounces frequencies around like crazy. Adding a sub or subs to that will be a nightmare. Maybe contact GIK Acoustics.They can make sound panels to pretty much any pattern, picture etc. if your wall hangings are simply decoration without value or sentiment, you could perhaps replace some of them with acoustic treatments that look the same, but benefit the room. Ceiling additions could help tremendously with such a low reflection point. There are ways to get your room acoustically better without drastically changing what you have created. Just need to think a little out of the box. That would be money well spent. 
chandybe OP
30 posts
 
Hey guys, I took all your feedback right to the heart of my tympanum and spent all weekend converting my mancave into an anechoic listening room. Luckily I was able to repurpose all my posters/art by first painting them with acousti-coat sound and radiation absorbent paint and then wrapping the pieces in DMD acoustic fabric to create acoustic panels. I credit dave-b's post for sparking this inflection point and my transition to a true audiophile. See below for a picture of my new Man-echoic cave.

http://imgur.com/a/hSHVUHo

Many thanks to dave_b for helping me realize the error and folly of my hitherto non audiophile ways. I used to pretend that I was an audiophile, but that was just fake news and nothing could have been further from the truth. I also lied about loving the sound of my system. Truth be told, I had created the perfect echo chamber, so much so that no matter the source or music I played, all I would hear is this.

https://youtu.be/sJlpoQnlrw0

PS: I punctured all the soccer balls, strategically placed them around the manechoic cave and am now using the hollowed out acoustically treated cores as bass traps. Dave-b gets credit for that too
dbtom2
382 posts
 
Well played, @chandybe.

At the very least, let us know what you decide to do.

T.
More to discover