Remarkably better sound possible with just 1 system component change?


I could have posted this discussion to a few other categories but chose this one because discussions related to 2 of the 4 components in question belong here.

So it's been ~2.5 yrs since I purchased my current system. I did a lot of research at the time here on audiogon, but no auditioning, and put together a system that sounds very, very good to me.

While I have no complaints, the itch to upgrade has surfaced recently.

I am curious as to whether you guys think it will be possible for me to replace just 1 of my primary 4 components and obtain significantly better sound as a result. The more discernible and obvious the sound improvement, the better obviously. I am not looking for a marginal upgrade - I want dramatically better sound. And I am not looking to replace more than 1 component at this time. I am hoping to get a few ideas/candidates and then may decide to audition some of the recommendations before making a decision. Hopefully some of the upgrade paths are such no-brainers that I may even be able to take a leap of faith without auditioning. Note also that acoustic room treatments are not viable in my current listening location.
 
My current 4 part system:

1. Lumin D2 - 100% of my listening is streaming via Tidal
2. Mcintosh C2600 preamp
3. Mcintosh MC452 amp
4. Focal Kanta 2 speakers

Cables are Cardas Golden presence RCAs from the Lumin to C2600, Cardas Clear Cygnus XLRs from the C2600 to the MC452, and Kimber 8TC speaker cables to the Kantas.

Soundstaging, dynamics, imaging and overall clarity are all great. I have to say I love the Be tweeters. And the bass is punchy, tight, fast and certainly sufficient for my needs. Vocals and overall sound are warm, liquid smooth and analog-like, just the way I like it. (Forgive me if I've botched some of the characterizations - I'm no expert at this). The only thing I can think of that could use some improvement is the sound quality at lower volume levels, although that is not terribly important to me since most of my listening is in the 90+ Db range. Would be nice, though.

So while I do love the overall sound, surely dramatically better sound can be obtained via a 1 component swap? Budget is ~10k. Or will I need to spend more, or upgrade more than 1 component to achieve the desired result?

Thanks in advance for your time and thoughts.

chandybe
Sound treatments are cheap

If my understanding of room treatments is correct -- given how much area of a typical room needs treatment -- doing room treatments adequately is not at all cheap. This is not due to snake oil or overpriced panels, etc., but due to the physics of acoustics and the sheer area of wall, ceiling space that needs to be addressed. Remember, the OP is asking for a "remarkable" improvement in sound.
You have a great system as it stands for sure. If you want to stick to one component the I would consider two options in your price range.  One option would be changing your server to an innuos Statement. This option really would be like upgrading multiple details: Ethernet  reclock. Usb reclock. Quiet server that works perfectly with tidal. Isolated power for each.   The other option would be to find the nicest sound application power conditioner you can find (not so easy but with patience...). I found the latest generation sound application (before the current tt-7) to incrementally be the biggest improvement of every upgrade I have made with regards to holographic sound stage and taut bass in particular. Like Millercarbon says every detail counts.  These options both would be significant upgrades. All of your other equipment is great and will respond to both tactics!  Have fun. 
Audio nowadays is no more electronic enginering first but acoustical engineering first....

A good electronic design is easy to buy, an acoutically dedicated room not so.....

Ignoring this simple fact is throwing money to the street ....

Anyway the street need it also.....

But..............
I can't believe it no imbed or imbedding in this post this must be some kind of special occasion.
Audio nowadays is no more electronic enginering first but acoustical engineering first....

I think that is an accurate statement. It’s not hard to acquire really good gear that works well together these days at all. Streaming in particular makes it a breeze. Audiophiles tend to live in the past and make it all seem much more complicated than it need be these days.

However, getting things to sound best or even good in one’s room is almost always a challenge still and very much worth becoming educated about. Nothing new or different there. That should be about 90% of the battle I would say.  Maybe more if you are really on your game.   The rest is largely subjective and largely based on always widely-varying personal preferences

Maybe that’s why headphones are so popular? Portable and no room to deal with to boot. You will get some consensus there about which ones are good or not but still little consensus about which are truly the best.