Forum admiration and requested guidance

I have built my own acoustic wall panels (24”x36”) on three walls and add curtains for the windows on fourth wall. I have also added an area rug for the hardwood floor.

Congratulations for getting to this point in life. Honestly, great time to splurge on something you love. I’m a bit older… but I upgraded a few years before retiring so I could really enjoy it. I did! Then I was really lucky to be able to make a couple big jumps after I retirement.



Looking at your system. The strong points are your TT, cartridge and amp.

I think, given your budget. I would blow this years budget on speakers… all of it. The $10K budget puts you into a whole new category. Look at slightly used. That will be a huge jump. I remember I went from $5K speakers to Sonus Faber Olympica 3 ($12K)… wow.

Then year two a used preamp and Phonostage ~$5K each, Audio Research, CJ… an audiophile unit. Will make a huge improvement. This could net you a preamp and phono stage of original cost of $7,500 to $10K each.

These changes would move you many steps up the ladder.

You could reverse the years. I think your amp is good.

I have been slowly upgrading my system since 1973. Things really started to get good when I purchased a VPI Aries, and various Audio Research Phono Stages and preamps. My current systems are shown under my UserID. Now retired I have a wonderful system to spend three or four hours a day. 

@vette5451 have you considered getting into streaming via a good all in one unit? I'm big into vinyl but over the last few years have gone this route and have discovered a lot of wonderful new music.

@ghdprentice 

Thank you for your suggestion on the speakers. I’ve known for a while, the Q Acoustics would be a constraint on my evolution for improvement.

@vette5451- I guess I’d ask what you are looking for-- what do you think your present system lacks and what do you want to accomplish by upgrading and improving it?
In this post-Covid world, it may not be as easy to get seat time, but unless you’ve heard what really good systems are capable of reproducing, you have no reference (other than real music, but that’s been in short supply until recently for the same reason). If you aren’t in a city which is rich in audio at retail, that puts you into the realm of travel, and I gather air travel these days is suboptimal.
My point is to get your ears around some systems- usually the best way is other people’s homes where somebody has taken the time and care to put together a very good system. There are some known usual suspects here who are usually glad to accommodate.
There is a balance in working with a dealer- since they can range from awful to superb, but there’s a lot to be said for a dealer that delivers service, making the experience fun and not frustrating (providing loaners, helping troubleshoot, etc.).
It’s kind of hard to describe the sonic experience in words without sounding either overly simplistic or too effusive. The real deal is you in the room, listening to recordings-- as many different kinds as possible and not just audiophile spectaculars.
The other part of the equation is the room. Room treatment is often put into the same category as cables and other tweaks- not saying it isn’t necessary (I use bass traps in strategic places in my room), but you can get oversold on so many things. I’d start with the basic system and worry less about acoustic treatments and more about getting the system situated in the room to optimize performance, something that is part science and part art.
It took me some years to dial in my current system (core was revamped 2006-7 with upgrades along the way) but when I moved states (and in a different room and house), I was able to dial it in faster because I knew what the core system could and should do.
This is a fun thing. I would not get caught up in brand name battles right now-- the key, in my estimation, is exposure. Hear what some top dynamic speaker systems can do with big power; I use horns and SET amps which is a totally different path; and dipoles or planars are also a way to your goal.
I think one tends to focus on speaker first and that’s fine- as long as you are matching with appropriate amp that "synergizes" with the speaker. I’m in a place where if I upgrade at this point, I want to keep the amps I’ve been using in place and they are relatively low power (18watt) pieces, so I’m constrained to a degree by that--
Take your time and leave your wallet at home. Online sales are great, as is the ability to buy direct, but that puts you in the driver’s seat in terms of choices-- so long as you have the ability to return for a refund (possibly less a repack fee, but in any event from a reputable dealer).
I’ll stop now. :)