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
A lot of suggestions offered. Unfortunately the bulk of them will NOT bring about a significant improvement. In fact unless the room acoustics are sorted the small but worth while potential of some of these suggestions will be lost in your room which leads people to refer to some as ’snake oil’
Many audio devices injustly qualified as"snake oil" are not working well because of the lack of controls in acoustic of the room....

No upgrade rival acoustical controls....

Electronic design upgrade dont lit a candle compared to acoustic controls in audio.....

But all magazines sell new "improved" electronic design not acoustic method....

At best they speak time to time about passive acoustic materials but passive treatment is NOT non electronic active controls, and these 2 are NOT electronic active controls either and must not be confused....The road is not a simple linear way....Ears reign supreme here, governing these correlations between passive treatment and the two kind of active controls; measuring device are only tool under ears supervision....

On my under 500 bucks system i can hear the vibraphone aural tone hues changing dynamic decay with each passing tone and the sound dont come from my speakers, why?

Not because my amplifier is a Sansui, not because my speakers are Mission Cyruss , not because of my Dac....They are only good products among many others....

Because acoustical controls are in place.... But it is VERY important dont forget mechanical and electrical controls.....Unbeknownst to most these 2 controls are on par in transforming power with acoustical controls.... All these controls i called audio system embeddings controls 😊

I only underline here the importance of the last post by lemonhaze....
«Noise of laughs are arrows or mirror»-Anonymus smith

«A laugh without context is a disease»- unknown doctor 
1st, your room is the " busiest " room I have ever seen, and I have seen / been in / listened in, all kinds of rooms. Given you are restricted / preferred to combining 2 channel with home theater in one room, and you are pretty much enjoying what you have, you need to ask yourself........What specifically, am I looking to improve ? Do I want more detail ? More dynamics ? Greater bass output and extension ? Greater ability to connect more with the musicians ( bingo, this is the most important )? Getting opinions by anyone, will not get you anywhere, as it is all up to you, and your wants and needs are very different than everyone else's. Most people are on a roller coaster, trying to find their " holy grail " of sound. I will tell you this. Once you realize that the recordings we listen to ( except for a handful ) are our weakest link in most of our listening, you will understand a very important lesson ( fact ), that " it " will never sound live. Purchase the cds or downloads of Tony Minasian ( of Tonian Labs ), and you will see how FANTASTIC your system really is. Enjoy and be well !