System Plateau - Ideas?

It’s very hard to describe what you want from an upgrade when the margins are small.

i had a significant SQ up lift moving to SP5 Morrow Speaker cables and the cables i had previously were already pretty good. 

i believe that’s where you will get the best ROI.

If the bass in the room has not been “managed” then everything else is a mere compromise as it will smear upstream frequencies and you chase an elusive demon. 

@dotchaos
"edge". That wasn’t the right word at all. I think what I’m missing is the fullness/roundness of the Line Magnetic. The slightly "thinner" sound of the current set up leaves me wanting a bit.

@audition__audio do you have a preferred brand you’d recommend, for cables? I’m using ICs from an Etsy outfit called Amplifier Surgery, Blue Jean speaker cables. All very low-budget. Forgot to mention that I’ve been looking to upgrade the turntable, as well. Haven’t seen a clear next choice, there (many options).

@dotchao
Looking back over a few of your comments and others. A few touched on this already, and I’ll add a few comments in support of this angle.

Yes, "cables" and and interconnects specifically may very well be one area to re-focus on as a next step with the "current (J2) setup" as you referred to in your last update. Yes, your LM518ia with 845s in Triode mode will have a lush and more rounded off sound with more fullness. You can tone-tune the J2 setup a bit with different ICs, for sure.

To save $ and prevent costly do-overs, you could reach out to TheCableCo and take advantage of their cable Loaner Program. Or, find a helpful local dealer who’ll let you take home 3-4 pairs of different "well used" interconnects to try for a few weeks. Ask for warm IC cables...

FYI, I’ve re-sold multiple pairs of older legacy high end Cardas ICs to Nelson amp owners trying to smooth out or fill-out the sound a bit more due to the leanness you referred to in your current setup. Root cause can be speakers/matching, but you can cheat some by trying and rolling some different interconnects with your J2 (IF) you plan to stay with your current SS amp and speakers. Will say an 845/Triode amp is pretty unique and hard to duplicate compared to most SS amps, yet the J2 is the one I'd pick if I were doing lower power FirstWatt SS.  Good luck.

Hello,
I just auditioned the Puritan PSM156 Surge protector. I could not believe a surge protector could change the sound of my system so much. That’s the beauty. It helps your whole system. It costs $2300 for this model but you should try it. The best way I can describe it is like I had a thick blanket over my speakers. Once you plug in your components the thick blanket is removed without any harshness. They do have a less expensive model for $1600 which I will be trying next before deciding which one is best for me. If you cannot find a dealer in the US try Holmaudio.com. This is not a slight change like a power cord has on your system. It is like upgrading your integrated amp by $10,000 over your old amp. 

Upgrade all of your AC cables, and don't be a cheapskate about it.