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Best Way to Spend ~ $2000 for System Improvement

Hi fellow music lovers! I have about $2000 right now to improve my system. It can be for any component, but I'm thinking amplification first, power, pre, or integrated. SS or tube.

To begin, right now I have a Mccormack 0.5 Deluxe power amp with "A" revisions, an Eva 2 passive preamp, Metrum Octave v1 DAC, Dell laptop for music files. Sometimes I use a Teac H750 as a transport and GMA Pico Executive speakers. The room is small, about 14x18x10ft. I listen to about 50/50 rock and classical, mostly full orchestral. As far as just sound goes, I would like the bass to be "fast". No delay or overhang, not exaggerated, but detailed. Detail is important at any frequency, the more the better, but not at the expense of musicality. I realize at this price point, compromise is necessary, and treble would be the best place for that. No harshness allowed, but I'm in my later 50s now and don't hear treble like I once did.

I hope I've given enough info to get some good suggestions. I like the sound now, but think it could be better, maybe a slightly lower noise floor and a little more pace and rhythm while retaining it's sweetness and smoothness. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. BTW, if any existing question answers any part of this question, feel free to link it.
xrayz
almarg's avatar
almarg
9,670 posts
 
Good comments by the others. But a note of caution about the suitability of CJ line stage preamps for use in your system. Many of them have unusually high gain (e.g. 25 db), and your McCormack power amp also has higher than average gain (30 db). Coupled with the moderate sensitivity of your speakers, the fact that you are using digital sources, and your not very large room dimensions, that combination of gains would be likely to cause you to have to utilize the preamp’s volume control VERY close to the bottom of its range. Which in turn would considerably limit your ability to adjust volume in small increments, and depending on the design of the volume control mechanism may also result in channel imbalances.

Regards,
-- Al

srosenberg's avatar
srosenberg
209 posts
 
Some great advice has already been given - an active preamp or cabling are great ways to inject a little 'caffeine' into your system.  For the former, Atma-Sphere and Modwright are tops on my list.  For the later, perhaps some nice silver IC's might push you in the right direction - I have replaced cables costing multiples of their price with ClearDay.

Read Al's cautionary note on system gain twice (his posts are always worth reading a few times).  He makes a very good point - something I recently had to work through!
xrayz OP
105 posts
 
Wow, I had no idea I'd receive so much good advice! I must admit to being a little confused by all of it! So I must ask even more questions. Is there a general consensus that having a dedicated electric line would be more effective than an AC power conditioner? It seems that should be the case. If so, is clean electric power the most effective solution to the problem? 

I think I need someone smarter than me to rank in order which actions would have the biggest effect on the sound. If clean power is first on the list and an active pre is next, I would still welcome more suggestions on which pre? SS or tube, or does that matter? Most active pres I've had have been tube but it doesn't matter much to me. I had a Dodd which was so detailed all I heard was the sound. A Croft I had was the most musical, but I owned both of them a while ago. I would like to hear what anyone's favorite pre is.

I usually don't spend much on interconnects and cables. I've had Anti Cables, Cullens, Ultra Fis, that price range. I would really like to hear everyone's favorite power cords, too. Mine used to be Electraglide, before they became so expensive. I don't think they're in business anymore. As always, I want to thank everyone for your help!
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,418 posts
 
I believe you should start with dedicated AC lines; you want to isolate your system from all devices and appliances in your house. Since you are using digital files from a computer, you should have the electrician run two 20 amp lines. Your digital devices should be separate from your analogue since they can introduce noise thru a shared power line.

Then install quality AC receptacles; there is a ton of info in the archives and you will get recommendations here.

Depending on the quality of the power from the grid in your area, you may not need a power conditioner. Use your Monster power strip, and with high quality power cords, you will notice a much lower noise floor.
My advice is to address the power cables before upgrading your other cables. A great bang for your buck cable is Pangea Audio, available at Audio Advisor. The Audience PowerChord series is an affordable high-end cable and they are often for sale in the Agon classifieds.

devilboy
1,176 posts
 
Maybe sell your dac, preamp, amp, interconnects and one power cord and go with a Job INTegrated?
I have a Job amp and it's fast and "punchy" like you wanted. 
At $1,700, not only will you not need money but you'll possibly pocket a few bucks.
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