Can’t believe anyone

Hi X. What do you feel your system is lacking in the first place as far as performance goes? I believe you really want to put as little responsibility on the salesman to help you decide which component should be upgraded next. I think the best thing to help you decide will be (in a rhyming fashion) "your ears and your gear". Unless you have something that really needs to be upgraded because of it's obvious performance shortcomings, I would really let my ears decide what piece I want to upgrade and then have the dealer help me by showing me different models of what I'm looking for. Your goal as a consumer is to educate yourself to the point that you basically turn the salesman into a showman. As you already know, there are tons of forums that will educate you and people who'll give you opinions on the net so your dealer is but one opinion who may or maynot have a stake in your sale but on line is where you'll find numerous but for the most part, honest opinions on gear. So tonight, listen to your gear. Is it really a cable change that's driving you to want to upgrade instead of that intergrated or CD player? How about some room treatment? Speaker placement maybe? Trust your ears and your gear!!

Good Luck

Unfortunately in this business you can't trust many.You really have to do your homework. Everyone is out to line there pockets at your expense.If you are going to buy new demand a home demo or move on to someone who will allow it. There are stil good people left in this business but they are much harder to find do to the direction this business is going. Good luck!

Maybe someone in the Chicago area could recommend a trustworthy dealer? (is that an oxymoron?)

Xmore. I think you have a nicely balanced system. If you are not happy with the sound, there are a couple of possibilities. You could try different cables or you might want to consider a different sound altogether. I think to do that, is not necessarily an upgrade. You could try tubes in you cd player or maybe an amp that would give a different sound, like a YBA Integre or Electrocompiniet. The problem here might be that your speakers need a lot of power. What kind of music do you listen to and how large is your listening room?
I think you might find that the upgrade of one piece will just be the beginning of a long search, and if as you say, you don't have time, you might find yourself more frustrated.

Angela100, good suggestion. If X will search through the "Digital" forum and look for the thread "SACD Dealers in Chicago" several fine suggestions will be found. I live near Chicago and have had experiences with most of the dealers listed and can honestly say that I do not feel that any of them are "bad dealers".

X, e-mail me if you need additional information.

As far as the system goes, I would think that both the amp and the cd are currently the weak links. So, in a way I guess that makes both dealers correct.....sort of. But, the gear is good. Take a hard look and listen to the room. If you are happy with the room, speaker placement and other such things then start working with the system. I would work on the cd player first. I think you should try to get the source and the speakers taken care of first then the amp. The speakers are good so concentrate on the cd, then probably the amp. Good Luck, Doug