Advice on going from mid level to high end

Wow, I really appreciate all the advice.

Speakers and room treatments are high on my list of future upgrades. When I started this thread I was also hoping for some more general "philosophical advice" about making the jump from mid-level to high-end audio.

In that spirit, I think the posts so far suggest the following more general advice:

1. recognize up front that the improvements you make with larger investments may be smaller and more incremental than you expect,

2. be sure to optimize your current system before making changes, for example, with speaker placement,

3. know exactly what you want to improve with future upgrades,

4. hear as many systems as you can, for example, at a national audio show, and

5. build your system around the speakers.

All of your advice definitely resonates with me. I'd love to hear some additional perspectives from others who've gone down this path before me, though.

thanks again.
e

I second Rja. Upgrade the DNA-1 at SmC Audio. Steve McC will take it from a diamond in the rough to the real thing!

That VPI Scoutmaster certainly needs no upgrade. Since garbage in equals garbage out, I would start with a new CD player, and work my way down the chain.

I've read both your posts, & I still have no idea, of what's bugging you about your current system, or what you're trying to improve, or change to a diff. sound, or any new components you're interested in???? It can take a lot of research & buying/selling just to upgrade 1 component successfully, let alone a whole system.

If you asked "what should I upgrade in this system", or upgrading this pre-amp, or speaker, you'd get more responses. Unless it's more of a "theoretical" question.....?

Steve,

Sorry I wasn't clearer in my original post.

As you suggested, I'm asking a more theoretical question. Before I buy a new component I always do a fair bit of research and will spend time auditioning different manufacturers that make my short list. I'm not terribly unhappy with my current system or looking to upgrade any particular component right now but there are things that I'd like to improve on. For example, I think my current speakers a bit lacking in the lower frequencies and overall I'd like to have a bit more resolution of low-level details since I listen to a lot of jazz and classical. As I move ahead, those will be some of the things that I'll be looking to improve.

Maybe I can make my question clearer with an analogy to shopping for a car. I have a pretty good sense of what to consider when I'm buying a sedan to commute back and forth to work in. I've never bought a high-end sports car, though, and don't really have a sense of what to look for in shopping for a car like that. I'd want it to "go fast" and "handle well" but beyond those huge generalities I really wouldn't know how to go about making a smart buying decision. I also don't have unlimited financial resources either, so I'd want to proceed more deliberately in making what for me would be a big purchase.

So my question is a more philosophical one, what general advice would you give to an early-stage audiophile who's gearing up to go shopping for higher-end audio equipment?

thanks again for your thoughts so far--and to everyone else.
e