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New and searching

I’m a new entrant to the world of hi fidelity. Being new, I have quite a bit of ignorance on this subject, but I’ve been trying to educate myself by reading forums, articles, and seeking advice from others. There is so much to consider, and I am am perplexed on what to focus on to better my system and listening experience. I am seeking the crawl, walk, run approach to building my system building my system. I want to provide any upgrades over a period of time, so I can learn to enjoy them and find a true appreciation for the improvements they provide. It appears to me that this is a never ending pursuit and I am fine with that. I just need some advice on what are the next three or four things I should focus on next to best improve my sound quality and listening experience. Should I consider investment in speakers, amp, pre amp, cables, power cords, room treatment, sub(s), etc.?

i have a dedicated 14x14  listening area with an angled 8 ft ceiling in an open floor plan space (area opens to another area in the home), the listening area is carpeted. I listen to a variety of genres of music, classical, jazz, blues, some country;  but primarily Americana rock and classic rock. 

The current components in my system are:

McIntosch MA5200 integrated amplifier
Clearaudio Concept turntable with Satisfy tonearm
Rotel 1072 CD player
Audioquest speaker cables (lower end)
Definitive BP10 speakers

My budget for upgrades in the next year is $10K.

I appreciated the knowledge shared in these forums and any that could be imparted on me as to my best investments over the next year is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,


truetobluez
rockadanny
1,224 posts
 
Starting out can be overwhelming. While not sexy or fun, if your room has no treatments at all some basic treatments can provide a great return on your investment. I suggest contacting a company (such as GIK Acoustics, for example) and discuss your room with them. That way, however you improve your gear, at least you’ll be better able to enjoy and evaluate the gear you try out.

Also, a square room is not the best shape. You may wish to consider a near-field listening setup. While this may narrow your choice of gear, at least you can take some of the room’s poor shape out of the equation.

I won’t recommend any gear for you but will impart a few lessons I learned along my journey:
1. High price does not necessarily equal high value.
2. No gear is perfect, regardless of cost.
3. Everyone hears differently (unique ears and brain) and will have differing opinions on gear based on what aspects of the sound they value as important in the reproduction of music.
4. By far the best way to evaluate gear is in your own home.

Good luck. Don’t stress. Have fun.
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
Start by searching for a great speaker that you really love and go from there. I would be prepared devote up to your full budget on speakers. Deftech is great value but it is far from the last word in audiophile quality.
randy-11
1,913 posts
 
you got some great advice above

I have little to add, but:

1. read the Master Handbook of Acoustics
2. download REW and spend $80 on a USB measurement microphone
3. find the best releases of your favorite music
4. don't worry about a square room since you have an open floor plan
toddverrone's avatar
toddverrone
840 posts
 
wow.  looks like we're all into room acoustics all of a sudden!  i was going to suggest the same, but randy pretty much covered what i was going to say about that.

one thing not mentioned: component vibration mitigation.  there are many different methods: roller blocks, springs, cones, spikes.. do a bit of reading, there are some great threads on here. a simple and cheap method is to simply buy compression springs capable of supporting your component (weight of component/#springs = spring load needed) and stick them under the component. your turntable and disc player would benefit most from this, your amp less so since it's solid state.

dare i even mention this?: a decent power conditioner or powerblock and some good power cables can be helpful.  powercords are very easy to DIY..
inna
7,296 posts
 
I would first do two things: try to figure out what kind of sound you prefer, and replace all your cabling, including power cords, with something entry-level audiophile - your equipment might turn out to be considerably better than it seems.
After that, yes, choose new speakers and work your way from there.
$10k is a good amount, especially if you don't mind buying demo or used. My entire system costs close to it, and I have three sources.
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