How to add depth for classical music


While listening to classical music, especially the orchestral pieces (e.g. Beethoven Piano/Violin Concertos, Symphonies), I find that my system is not giving me the depth, such as layers of instruments etc.   My listening environment is not ideal.  I have hard wood floor and tray ceiling.  On one side, I have windows and on the other side, I have a long corridor.  

Here's my system:
  • Parasound P5 & A23
  • Sonus Faber Venere 3.0
  • Bluesound Node2i
  • Chord Qutest

Would a new preamp/amp or integrated amp help?   I've auditioned Moon (SimAudio) 340iX and thought it's more opened than my Parasound.   But for some strange reason, I didn't really like the sound.   Maybe I need to audition again.  

Would room treatment help?  But my options are limited because of my room.

Love to hear your thoughts.
pc_audio
I can't listen to classical on any of my solid state gear. I'm surprised nobody has identified the weak link as the Parasound amps.  I crave detailed, liquid midrange with punch with ensemble music and classical.  Parasound solid state didn't get me there. Great amps for what they do, but not for that.

Have you considered mixing a tube amp or preamp to get the depth and layering you're looking for?  If it were me, I'd throw a shag rug down with a 1/2" felt rug pad underneath and see the improvement in sound that gets you before spending more money on treatments. This alone can work wonders, cheaply. 

After that, try a tube preamp before the parasound amps and see if that does it for you. If you're still not there, sell the parasounds and try a modern tube amplifier that can handle the 90db sensitivity of your speakers. 

The greatest improvement in sound I've ever experienced in my two channel setup coming from reference solid state gear, was adding a McGary SA-1 amplifier and a MicroZOTL preamp.  I stayed up until 3am my first two nights in a row because i could not believe the auditory bliss I was experiencing, it was addictive, and it made my Legacy speakers sound better than any of the demos I've heard at RMAF, Axpona, or CAF which I attend every year.  If those are out of your price range, you can look for a used Primaluna or Cayin amp.  Great value!

Full disclosure, I'm a dealer for both McGary and LTA (MicroZOTL amps/preamps).  But I only became one because I had never heard sound like that in my system before, and I wanted to provide demos in my area for audiophiles and forum members from here and AVS.  

Nothing from PS Audio, Rogue, Parasound, or any of the chi-fi tube amps got me there, but that's just part of this terrible affliction.  The search for the end game sound keeps us all on the mouse wheel!

If you're in southern California I will happily demo for you. Either way, I urge you to seek out a local dealer and audition wherever you are.  Online reviewers will usually lead you astray. Stay vigilant :)

-Alex

As good as the price-value relationship of Bluesound Node 2i is, upgrading to a Lumin U1 Mini made all the difference in my system. So many more layers, holographic soundstage, more details, extended bass.... Particularly appreciated with classical music. Honestly I did not expect this kind of improvement. I did experiment also with different, expensive amps but the increase in SQ was nowhere near the impact of upgrading to the Lumin. You already have an excellent DAC which will complement the Lumin. The return per Dollar of this investment would be much bigger as replacing your other components.

Good luck with your next step, its always a bit of an adventure.

Are you sure your classical recordings have "layered depth"?  If they weren't recorded for true stereo, then nothing you can do on the playback side can correct that.  Try some test recordings specifically made to test for depth reproduction.  There are several.