What do I upgrade next to soothe the soul?

Thanks enophile - I checked out the Apl on the web - looks great - wife would freak, at least until she heard it:)

Give Robert Taylor at Taylor House a call.He is about an hour west of Charlotte and is very helpfull.I've known him for 20 years and he won't steer you wrong.His # is 704-483-5730 and good luck.

Thanks Franklapdog I will call Robert

Nice response Sdcampbell. There was an interesting roundtable discussion in this months AS with Ivor of Linn and Dave of Wilson . Vhe viewpoints were polar for the most part but it was a fun read. I side with David though and feel a fresh speaker upgrade ususlly adds the most life to a system. Point taken and universally agreeded upon is that the weakest link is the culprit in a systems compromise and synergy is paramount in conceiving satisfaction.

It is a little over two years since I started this post, so just for fun I am updating. Since then I have upgraded my speakers to Von Schweikert VR4Sr's. That made a huge difference where I could really begin to hear the nuances of other changes. I upgraded my Transport and DAC to Northstar 192, my speaker cables and IC's to Guerilla, and my preamp from ss to tube - Audio Horizons TP2.0nB. So in two years the only thing that is the same is my amp. Plus I now seldom use the subwoofer.

Next to the speakers I think that the source (for clean detailed signal) and preamp (for inceased musicality) changes produced the best results. Half-hearted attempts at DYI room treatments did not seem to do much. In these two years I also purchased many new music CD's that were recommended here with delightful results in recording quality and exposure to new artists. I recently modded the DAC.

Each step added to enjoyment and I am now very satisfied and much more likely to listen. Whereas two years ago I might listen with full attention once every few weeks, for the last year I have been enjoying this type listening for a hour almost every night. Classical is particularly more satisfying than before the upgrades. All components chosen were recommended here and many audiogoners helped along the way. Thanks everyone for increasing my joy in music!