If you haven't done room treatment yet, and you are going to spend that kind of money, call GIK and get professional advice. Their advice and gear is superb.
Thinking about upgrading, but wondering about diminishing returns
Hi folks,
I have mostly Conrad Johnson Gear-- LP260M SE mono blocks, with 8 kt120 tubes each. These are SET amps that put out 270 wpc. I have the Conrad Johnson ET5 preamp, with a Telefunken 6922 tube, and a pair of EgglestonWorks Viginti speakers (their new take on the Andra's). Phono stage is the Pass Labs XP-15. For source material I have a Rega RP10 with the Apheta2 cartridge, and the Oppo BDP105 (Modwright upgrades) CD player. I have Audioquest Colorado interconnects (go easy here :) ) and Audioquest Oaks for speaker cable. My listening room is 13 x 19, carpeted floor, drywall walls and ceiling (well insulated). I set up with the equipment on the long wall, with me listening from the 13' side (with speakers in about 2 feet and about 8.5 feet apart).
I listen to a mix of vinyl and cd's; vinyl when I have several hours to listen quietly (and clean the records on the Clear Audio Matrix Pro Record Cleaning Machine). I listen to CD's when I have less than an hour, and for when I work out.
I am thinking about upgrading a single component, probably my preamplifier, to a Conrad Johnson GAT2 or a Pass Labs XS preamp (solid state). My thought was that this will likely make the most improvement in soundstage, imaging and overall musicality. A used GAT2 will be at least $14K and the Pass XS used is about $19K. I am interested in hearing from those who have had experience with upgrades like this. I am also wondering (as a middle class guy) how close does this come to the law of diminishing returns? Finally, is this the component you would upgrade, and if so, if you had a wide range of musical tastes-- mostly classical/full orchestra in vinyl and rock on CD's, which preamp would you select?
Please feel free to take a swipe at these questions, and also feel free to point out if you feel I should be asking different questions that will help increase my knowledge and advance the cause for others.
I am likely to go to an audio show sometime, but please don't suggest that I go and listen to the gear, as that's at least 200 - 400 miles, and I don't feel right about going to a brick and mortar store knowing that I will almost surely buy used.
Thanks in advance for whatever assistance you can provide.
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- 73 posts total
You have such an amazing system, so I imagine you could easily feel underwhelmed with the difference that a component upgrade might make. You mentioned you play a mix of CDs and vinyl but you did not mention streaming. Instead of replacing a component, have you thought about adding Roon and streaming from Tidal to the DAC in your Oppo...... if you don’t already do so? Roon is a fantastic user interface that encourages you to discover more new music and play wider selections of music in each listening session, therefore it could add another dimension to your listening experience. The sound quality I achieve with my Roon Nucleus streaming Tidal via a PS Audio Directstream DAC is as good I ever achieved with CDs or vinyl. I hope you like my suggestion. Good luck with whatever you decide to do! |
My recommendation may well be ignored. I know I certainly ignored this recommendation for many years unfortunately. But after 40+ years into this hobby, or I should say lifestyle and at age 71, I finally acquiesced when my dealer brought me some used Transparent Audio Opus power cords and power conditioner from another of his customers who was upgrading to the next level of Transparent cords. (Transparent Audio has a very liberal upgrade program.) Of all of the equipment changes, upgrades, acoustic treatments, I have made over the years changing out stock power cords for high end power cords and a high end power conditioner has made the biggest difference. If I were starting over, it would be one of the first upgrades if not the first I would start with. You may not need to make the upgrades you think you do when you hear the clarity, the soundstage, the separation of instruments in the soundstage this will bring. It also reveals more easily the upgrade you might want to make later. I have a high end system but not a super high end. Dynaudio C4 speakers,2 Rel G1 subwoofers, Simaudio Evolution 860 power amp and 740 preamp, T+A 8 DAC, NAD M50.2 Digital Music Player, Exposure 13 phono stage, Clearaudio Performance DC turntable with Satisfy tonearm and Dynavector XX2 cartridge, Transparent Audio speaker cables and interconnects, GIK absorbers and diffusors for acoustic treatments, IsoAcoustics GAIA III speaker feet and GAIA I feet for the turntable will soon be added. |
I agree with those who suggest that you look into up grading your cabling. AS an overall guide towards an investment strategy to achieving your goals of improving your soundstage, imaging and overall musicality - Text Book - one should invest about 25-30% of the total budget into cabling/power delivery. Power is the most important foundation of your system. I would say that the MRSP of what you have is upwards of $70K, which means that an investment of about $20k MRSP should have gone to towards that end of the budget. By using the used market, you can definitely shave that $20K down substantially and probably fall into the budget you have for investing in an upgraded preamp. Ultimately getting a much better return on your investment. As far as Diminishing Returns - I believe that is purely based upon your personal goals. If your goal is purely financial then this is the wrong hobby for you. If you enjoy music and are looking to enrich your life with the artistry associated with audiophilia the better the return. As a fellow middle class guy I would say take your time, educate yourself on the products that are out there. Stay true to your goals and remember there is no one way to achieve them. Most of all be patience especially in dealing with a used market. AND ENJOY!!! Check out: Thales Cables - best signal/speaker cables for the $$$ period. Also great Turntables. http://www.tonarm.ch/en/products/accessoires http://www.aaudioimports.com/ShowBrand.asp?hBrand=30 https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649309042-thales-precision-interconnect-cables-rca-to-rca-15-met... HB Cable Design http://www.hb-cable-design.com/1_english/ps_2.html High Fidelity Cables http://www.highfidelitycables.com/products/power/ct1u/ https://www.audiogon.com/brands/high-fidelity-cables Stage 3 Concepts - Power Chords are their strong suit. http://www.stage3concepts.com/PRODUCTS_main_page.htm Analysis Plus https://www.analysis-plus.com/ Oyaide MTB 4 or 6 R1 Power Distributor http://www.oyaide.com/ENGLISH/index.html Audience http://audience-av.com/conditioners/ar6/ https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649484119-audience-ar6t-power-conditioner-wo-power-cord/ |
There are lots of ideas here. Maybe, buried in all these suggestions, is the one that will transform your system as if by magic. But how will you know? Not mentioned is how your room is treated. The room is the most important component. If you haven't treated it, then start there before you change the gear at all. I promise you will hear the difference. |
- 73 posts total