Seeking ideas about how to improve my system


Hi all.  I recently purchased a pair of Hifiman Susvara headphones, and the experience of listening to them is absolutely sublime.  I particularly enjoyed the clarity of detail and the very realistic timbre of the instruments.  Tone, timing, and spatial representation were wonderful.   I listen primarily to jazz, classical, bluegrass, and, though much less than in the past, rock.  Favorite musicians include Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, Brad Mehldau, Mark Knopfler, Mark O’Connor, Joshua Bell, and many cellists.  
BUT, I would like my full system to produce that kind of experience too!  I’m looking for any and all feedback as to how to tweak or upgrade my system so that I can moved towards this type of experience.  I would expect to spend up to $20K, possibly more, over the long run (meaning years), so I am expecting a process and would also like feedback as to what to do first.  My room is about 20’ x 20’ x 9’ as a very rough estimate.

my components:
Sonus Faber Sonetto V’s
2 REL Ti7’s
Lyngdorf TDAI 2170
Manley Chinook phono amp
VPI Prime Scout with upgraded platter and tonearm, on a Townshend seismic platform
Ortofon Quintet black mc cart
Modwrighted Marantz SACD player and power source
Chord DAVE DAC/amp/preamp
Aurender N100C network streamer using Qobuz
Audioquest Rocket 88 speaker cables
Shunyata power cables (a mix)with Shunyata power distributor 
Shunyata, Nordost blue heaven, and Cardas clear interconnects

My analog end became downright unimpressive after I added the DAVE and the Aurender to my digital end, but the Susvara bests it all (in SQ, I realize it is just a headphone and not a full system).

Looking forward to responses.

  • — akajek






128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xjeankunin
   "...I recently purchased a pair of Hifiman Susvara headphones, and the experience of listening to them is absolutely sublime..."

I think most of us have had this experience. A good headphone will drive you to upgrade your loudspeaker system. No other choice, the headphones have shown your system is lacking and you will need a big upgrade to reach or surpass your headphone system. So I'd start with a big loudspeaker upgrade and then start thinking about an amp/preamp.  
MC I had snake leg soup just the other day.. They have um, there is just a shortage.. LOL

Gear heavy, I'm guilty of it too. Simple is better...

The room seems to have some dampening, but MC does have a point, I haven't got a clue what you added.  I'm pretty sure if I don't know what it is, I probably don't need it..

I'm using a phono stage in a C20 Mac with a V15 MM cart. It still sounds better then my Sony ES silver spinners. 

I just listened to a new release of Carlos, (the wifes favorite) She won't say what she spent. LOL (I'm cheap)

 Holy Moly... I though I had a whole new pair of ears. I'm not kidding, wow they did a good job. It had to be mastered from tape, it had to be, or some kind of hybrid thing.. THAT is a serious mix on vinyl..

I use to get vinyl for radio stations, that's what it sounded like.. I KNOW the wife knows the difference, she will spend, I won't.. I'll spend money on gear and room treatment and drapes and carpet, but the wife. EXPENSIVE records.. The Rolling Stones, she would mortgage the house..

One integrated Mac SS. One TD124 TT, 2 QSO808 speakers, cables and a router. The wife's set up.. You should hear it.. PERFECT...
35hz to 16K

She can hear better, but she will move a speaker on ya.. You have to be careful.. Pushing around 390 lb  speakers.. Toe rag...

Regards
It’s not that headphones necessarily show what your speakers are lacking it’s that phones take the room entirely out of the equation. Your gear seems fine I would work on your room if you want to improve things.
Speaking of confused.....
Give it a rest.
Good luck to you OP.
Can & speakers ARE different animals.
I truly appreciate the constructive responses.  I was wondering most myself about the quality of my speakers, as well as my speaker cables.  As for room treatment, I completely forgot about the ceiling.  Thank you! I will definitely  work on adding more dampening,  and on speaker placement further into the room.  Thanks tablejockey for the link.  MC I have learned tons from your many posts, look forward to them, and was hoping you’d have something valuable to say to me.  Too bad you had to sling crap at me instead, guess you still have something to prove.  I took you seriously about the Townshend podiums.  Wish you’d taken me seriously as having an important, to me, question that I apparently could have been clearer about.  GHDprentice, so many parallels between my gear and your previous gear and where we started with headphones,  thanks for spelling out where that took you in the development of your current system!  That was the process I was trying to understand, and was valuable to hear.  I’ll look those pieces up. Oldhvymec, I don’t think I got the points you were making, a bit more stream of consciousness than I could sort out, so an clarification is welcome.  Will also fiddle with my interconnects.  As for better speakers,  I’m thinking about higher end SF’s, Harbeths, maybe Focal high end some day.