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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
perazzi28's avatar
perazzi28
231 posts
 
You will be well served to evaluate some new loudspeakers keeping in mind the amount of space that they will have to fill. 
It is really often underappreciated what your choice of preamplifier and amplifier(s) can have in a system. There can be a terrific synergy between them and your loudspeakers or often times not.  Spec's are a starting point only, so let your ears be the final judge. 
krelldreams
128 posts
 
Hi,
I'd suggest following the advice of hglaser above... emphasis on point number 1! That being said .. did an audio dealer let you walk out the door with a $4,000 turntable and a $400 pair of speakers? You've chosen good components, but at three different levels of performance. The best systems I've had, and heard, are well-matched.. not necessarily the most expensive. Just curious if someone tried to help you choose a good "system".
Jerry
corelli
977 posts
 
529proaudio
if you diligently search the web there is a  good amount of info on the tekton line.  read it all carefully.  the info that I gathered helped me to make a very informed decision.  Take the money you save and then upgrade your cartridge.  You just can't go wrong on the Double Impacts unless you have a very small room.  Love these speakers more all the time.  Single best purchase in my 40+ yrs of audio.
exile_ken
8 posts
 
I recommend auditioning PMC speakers if you can.  They are top notch and very efficient.  Depending on the model they should work well with a 40 Watt amp.  I had a pair of TB2i's I was happy with, but then "the bug" bit me and I upgraded to something I had heard at an audio show.  I have mixed feelings about it now.....
529proaudio OP
18 posts
 
Latest update(s)...again, thanks for all your collective wisdom and advice; much appreciated!

1. I bought a pair of used Devore Gibbon 9's today that should be here later this week.  Admittedly, I'm having a little buyer's remorse simply because I think I paid a bit more than they are worth...but I'm excited to hear them nonetheless.  Of course, not one hour after I sent funds I got some really good offers on a used pair of O/93s and a demo set of O/96s, but the 9's were already pushing the budget pretty hard so it is probably for the best.  Details to follow.  

2. I snagged a Moon 110LP phono stage that was discounted from $700 to $350 from a local dealer just to compare it to the Rega phono stage.  Upon listening to a few records through the Moon, it sounds significantly better than the phono stage in the Rega.  The Moon has considerably more depth, stereo field is much improved, tonality seems less harsh, etc...Oddly enough, I started getting some static through one of the speakers after a few hours that seems related to the Audioquest interconnect I bought to connect the Moon.  When I swapped terminals the static switched to the other speaker channel.  Will sort that out tomorrow, but I think the Moon is a keeper.  

3.   Close to pulling the trigger on a used Line Magnetic 518 to run with the Devores.  Line Magnetic seems to be the amp/brand that every Devore dealer recommends, so I have no doubt it is a good bet.  I would love the more powerful 508 model, but I will have to wait until I can find a used/demo...at $5k, that is more than I can spend right now.  Looking at around $3100 for the 518.      

4.  Will likely keep the ELACs for my upstairs system as they really are very impressive for their price.  Plan to take the Rega Brio back to the dealer this week.

In case you are wondering why I ignored the sage advice of demoing to all this stuff locally before making a decision, what I found is that many of the brands I was interested in do not have a dealer in Denver/Boulder, and even if they do, the store doesn't stock anything.  I also feel a bit disingenuous using a dealer to demo equipment that I have little to no intention of buying brand new when I can get it for half the price used...wish me luck :)   
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