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What's the weak link in my system?

     I've pieced together the best budget system I could afford over the years but I'm just not thrilled with the sound I'm getting. Can anyone help me identify the weakest link (s) in my system so I can upgrade? I only have the budget to upgrade one piece at this time. I'm most interested in listening to vinyl.
Currently Configured:

Pro-ject Genie 1.3 Turntable w/ Sumiko Pearl Cartridge
Bellari VP 130 Phono Pre w/ Tung-Sol Tube & Replaced Power Supply  
Marantz CD 6006 CD Player
Parasound P3 Stereo Preamp
Parasound A23 Power Amp
PSB T6 Platinum Speakers
Bluesound Node
AKG K702 Headphones
Audioquest Daimondback Interconnects
Audioquest Rocket 33 Speaker Wire

Also Have:
NAD C235BEE Integrated AMP
Monitor Silver RS6 Speakers
Marantz SA8260 SACD Player (Used to sound great but doesn't work consistently - not sure if worth having repaired)
Musical Fidelity V Can Headphone Amp


So.... I think I have put together the best possible system configuration using what I have. What would be the weakest link / first to upgrade? Turntable? Phono Pre? Pre-Amp? Suggestions of products to upgrade to without breaking the bank? I've accumulated a bunch of stuff but I'm really a novice so any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated!   

jdm11
2channel8
756 posts
 
I’m an audiophoole on a tight budget. After experimenting with speaker placement and carpet/furniture alternatives, here’s how I’d approach it; just my 2 cents.

I’d focus on vinyl first. A phono pre upgrade would not have to be very expensive. A Schiit Mani or Emotiva XPS-1. The XPS-1 is an especially good bargain and will let you play with cartridge loading. Experiment with different platter mat materials. Cork/rubber, acrylic, none, Teac Washi. Experiment with VTA. This is important: Phono cables should be designed to be phono cables! Any old RCA IC will not do. Usually 22-24 awg silver coated copper with the lowest capacitance possible. They don’t have to cost an arm and a leg. https://store.wireworldcable.com/collections/interconnects/products/luna-7-audio-interconnect-cable?... All this is intended to help you not give up on your TT unless absolutely necessary, because as pointed out, that will run into real money. Try a cartridge upgrade as a last resort; but before you spend that kind of dough, make sure it is also a good match for your dream TT/arm. None of the above would be wasted if you have to bite the bullet and get a new table.

Try to change one thing at a time. The experience may lead you to a common solution for CDs. I wish you well!

Jim
krell_fan1's avatar
krell_fan1
97 posts
 
Current  consensus among most audio gurus is that the most important part of a system is the first 6 feet out from the wall to eliminate noise coming from your power provider. Some deliver as much as 3% THD. I get on average 1,5% from APS here in Phoenix. After cleaning it up I enjoy less than 0.1%. 

Next, I’d consider getting the PS Audio DirectStream DAC, a Mac Mini to serve as your dedicated music streamer that will connect via USB to your DAC. Rip your CD’s to your Mac and LOSE CD player. At the same time, download the Pure Music player which overrides iTunes but attaches to iTunes and takes over as your music player. I have a 7.5K Krell CD Player and never listen to it as a bit perfect copy of a CD streamed from my Mac sounds BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL CD!  Make sure you get a Mac with a flash hard drive so there is no spinning /noise and use a good external HD to serve as your storage device for all of your music.  This confog will, 100%, sou d better than any vinyl and de,overs a virtual transcendent analog type experience since your files are converted to DSD in your DAC before output via analog to your preamp or receiver. 
willemj
1,036 posts
 
Guru's are, of course, just that.
willemj
1,036 posts
 
i.e. frauds.
auxinput
2,920 posts
 

@willemj - I can see that you are definitely a person who is completely reliant on specs and you seem to have the traditional old school opinion that cables do not matter at all. That is perfectly fine. You are perfectly okay to disagree on certain points, but please do not drop down to name calling or insulting people because you do not agree with their points of view. This creates a situation where there is no objective discussion and the thread degrades into a flame war.

Please always try to approach things with an open mind. The traditional engineering approach that states "since a fact is written down as a fact, it is therefore always a fact" is not always correct. We are always discovering new things. Also, the engineer who believes that something is fact may not be able to hear the differences that certain audiophiles can hear.

I took a quick look at your ODAC. I would not say the specs are that great (for a DAC chip). The (now aging) ESS 9018 beats the specs of the ODAC. The ODAC states lowest THD at 0.0015% and DR of >112db. The ESS 9018 THD is 0.0001% (-120db) and DR of 129/135 db. However, this does not necessary mean that the ESS DAC will sound and be superior over your ODAC. There is a lot of missing stuff here such as I/V and LPF audio stages, which will work on further shaping the waveform that is just flat DC voltage injections from the DAC chip. We haven’t even talked about power supply (such as high capacitance, linear power supply filter, cable material, etc.). The ODAC is powered from USB cable, which is a bottleneck and, in most cases, will have a switching power supply from the transport (definitely switching if it is from a common computer).

The ODAC is also designed by NwAvGuy. I’m sure the design is fine, but I have read NwAvGuy’s posting on op amps and I don’t necessarily agree with all his points, especially his statement on the "MYTH" most op amps sound different. I have tested many different op amps in a highly ideal analog circuit. This means a high capacitance (2 x 10,000uf) linear power supply with R-Core transformer, fully discrete Class-A based voltage regulators, very high end electrolytic capacitors with minimal electrical resonance, OCC solid-core chassis wire for power cable, film-on-foil feedback capacitors, etc. etc. In all cases, I can definitely hear differences between op amps. And the specs on an op amp do not necessarily mean they will sound good. You can disagree here if you wish. However, for those of us who can sit down and hear the differences, this is a fact for us that there are differences in different elements.

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