2. misc-audio
  3. 1042594749

What should i upgrade next?

about a year ago i upgraded my speakers to the Thiel 6s (which i love). As soon as i got them though it was clear that i was going to have to upgrade my other equipment. At this point i can only get away with one piece per year (on the used market) so i'm now ready to make the plunge again. The rest of my existing system is:

Conrad Johnson 2300 amp
Conrad Johnson Pv12 Pre-amp
Meridian 506.20 Cd player
Linn Basik (not thinking of upgrading...don't listen to enough vinyl anymore)
Cardas Golden Cross cabling

I was thinking of going all Tube on the amp and so have been considering the Sonic Frontiers Power 3s but i'm curious if people think improving either the cd player or pre-amp would make a bigger difference in sound. In cd players i'd be considering the meridian 508.24 (i've also heard the Electrocompaniet which i also liked but probably can't afford though i would be interested in comparing it side by side to the Meridian). For my ears, the Meridians sound warm and "musical."

anyway, i've gotten great feedback to other questions (as well as purchasing both the Thiel 6s and the Conrad Johnson PV12 through Audiogon) so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

dkonstruction
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
You actually have a well balanced system as it is now. Have you tried upgrading the power cord on the CD player? The CJ gear does not have IEC's if memory serves.

I always felt the PV-12 was very slightly to the dry laid back side. You may not agree. Depends somewhat on the tubes. (I am referring to the CJ stock tubes in my comment.) You could try something a little livelier like a Blue Circle BC3, or a CJ Premier preamp.

A new preamp may require you to also get a separate phono preamp, depending on which one you choose.

You could also go for livelier cables like Siltech.

It is sometimes tough to change speakers. In many ways the system is built around the speakers, since they are the only component which lets you hear/judge your system.
pops
2,278 posts
 
First of all, you have a very nice system. What I would do is upgrade your preamp to a CJ premier 14 - a big jump from the pv 12, or the 17 or a gigantic jump to the 16. Next, I would start with cables and get MIT reference stuff, either 350 reference, evo, or oracles and begin with source to preamp and work down to eventually your speaker wire. Thiels and the oracle speaker cables are amazing together - you'll never hear bass like that until you hear that combination. I think once you get to your level you need reference quality wire to get the absolute most out of you electronics. You'll get many opinions and this is only mine, btw your source is excellent - consider a good after market cord right away if you don't have one - SR master coupler works nice on my Meridian. Good luck, you don't have far to go - you already have a great system.
subaruguru
1,376 posts
 
I found the Electrocompaniet EMC-1 to be less digital-sounding than the Meridian.
Contact me directly re it and especially very inexpensive DIY power cords and dedicated lines for a real, basic system upgrade before you start swapping out components!
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