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Please Critique my Setup and Recommend Upgrade(s)

As a lifelong musician and former recording / pro audio engineer, this is my first foray into the world of HiFi and I could really use some advice and direction.  Last week I bought the following setup for a dedicated listening room that is essentially a 13x13 square room on three sides with the area behind me extending back another 25 or so feet.  There is a partial backwall about four feet wide but it is mostly open air behind me.  Ceilings are 9' and I have GIK bass traps in all corners, early reflection points on the side walls, and panels overhead between speakers and listening position.  Speakers are about 2 1/2 feet from back wall, 6 ft. apart, slightly toed in on cheap stands weighted down by cinder blocks.

1. 2017 VPI Scout Prime turntable with Ortofon Bronze
2. 2017 Rega Brio Integrated 50wpc Amp and Phono Stage
3. ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 Speakers

So far this setup certainly sounds good, but it isn't blowing me away either.  At lower volumes the soundstage feels a little small and two-dimensional.  At louder volumes the sound seems to fill the room more, thereby enhancing the soundstage and making the music feel more natural as opposed to coming from directly in front of me.  The stereo imaging is okay, but I expected a little more stereo separation.  Also, perhaps the speakers are still breaking in, but the ELACs don't seem to do the best job of presenting the music in a cohesive manner.  It sounds like the frequency bands are a little disjointed.    

Should I stick with the ELACs but consider a higher end integrated amp that can feed them a little more power like a Parasound Halo?  Or should I nix the ELACs and invest in some more efficient and higher end loudspeakers,e.g. Devore, ATC, ProAc, etc...?  Would I still get an audible improvement with these nicer and more efficient speakers if I stick with the Rega Brio, or do these high end speakers warrant a truly high end amp?  I ask because I likely can't upgrade both speakers and amp at the same time.    

I also considered the KEF LS50, but it seems like they are similar to the ELACs in that they are rather inefficient and need a powerful amp.  

   
529proaudio
gregkohanmim
153 posts
 
529proaudio - I was just looking at the specs for your speakers and amp and here are a couple of thoughts. The Elacs are not all that efficient at 85db/1w and being 4ohm are somewhat hard to drive for their size. Your amp is rated at 50WPC at 8ohm and 73WPC at 4ohm which tells me that it’s not a very high current amp which would be a better match for the Elacs. The Elacs are also rated at 40-140WPC so you’re already kind of at the low end.

The other possible consideration is that the speakers are fairly small considering the size of the room.

Have you tried moving the speakers closer to each other and your seating position closer as a test?

Also (and I’m guessing you know this) based on the design of the tweeter and midrange drivers sharing the same physical space, I would imagine that you’d want these drivers pointed directly at your primary listening position (right at your nose in other words).

Greg
jl35
4,004 posts
 
both the Rega and the Elac are great values, but the VPI can do much better...depends what you want
529proaudio OP
18 posts
 
Hi Greg, I agree about the Rega being somewhat underpowered for the inefficiency of the ELACs. Given the choice, would you upgrade the speakers to something better and more efficient or keep the ELACs and upgrade to a more powerful amp? I'm leaning towards upgrading the speakers, particularly since the Rega is also my phono stage and headphone amp. 

As for speakers, any favorites (new or used) in the $3k range?  
gregkohanmim
153 posts
 
529proaudio - I think that for the size of room that you have, if you can get full frequency floor standers, you'd be happier in the long run.  As a general rule, all new systems should probably start with speaker selection.

Sure, I have my favorite speakers but it's such a personal choice, what I like (Bowers and Wilkins), you may hate.  

I suggest listening to as many as you can and see what sounds great to you.  Once you've arrived at a speaker set that you really like is to think about your amp next.

All part of the fun :)

Greg


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