2. analog
  3. 170559-143787

Forum admiration and requested guidance

My day starts by reading the top post on this site while drinking my morning coffee. I have been a audio enthusiast since the early 1970’s, with my mother playing Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Supremes on vinyl every Saturday morning while growing up.

I’ve always had an analog system to play, and cherish my vinyl collection. It started with my first purchase in 1975 with Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy and expanded over the years.
Advance 47 years later and I’m finally in a point of my life to splurge. My wife and I put three children thru college and she has given the approval to spend a little money for my love of the audio hobby.

Today I have the following system and looking for advice on going up the ladder of sound quality improvement.

- VPI Scout with JMW 9” arm and Hana SL cartridge 
- Elac PPA-2 phono preamp
- Vincent SA-32 preamp
- Parasound A23
- Q Aqoustics 3050i

some of the biggest improvements since building this system have been in the interconnects. I went with the Mogami 2549 interconnects and Canare 4S11 speaker cables. These really opened up the soundstage and appealed to my ears.

My music room is modest at 10 x 18 with 9 foot ceilings. Please don’t advise to enjoy and buy more vinyl. I truly look up to your advise and suggestions on next steps to improve. My budget today is $10k, with an additional $10k in mid 2022.

Thank in advance to feedback from this outstanding group.

128x128vette5451
vette5451's avatar
vette5451 OP
65 posts
 
@rsf507 

I am intrigued with the streaming direction, but not sure where to start. Any suggestions on that path?


tablejockey
3,915 posts
 
Your "music room" isn't defined-living space with a stereo or a dedicated room that's been treated

If it's the former, you haven't heard your gear in their best light. That's your baseline.

Once the room is figured out, I'd get much nicer  phonostage and minimum 2 subs. Blow as much money you can tolerate on the BIGGEST set of floorstanders you can cram in the room.

Upgrade the rest as itch/funds dictate.

I'd avoid.... uh, never mind. 
vette5451's avatar
vette5451 OP
65 posts
 
tablejockey it’s an office that is dedicated to 2 channel listening. I meant to add that I do have one Rel subwoofer in the room.
jjss49's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
@vette5451

nice to read your original post

i am basically with @ghdprentice on his thought to spend most of the budget on better speakers

my one add to that main thought is leave aside $1500 of it on a bluesound node and a modest, good sounding standalone dac to start streaming (and a tidal or qobuz subscription) -- there is so much joy in having all the world’s music at your instant beck and call...
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Being used to vinyl and being in a dedicated room I have a hard time seeing you as anything but disappointed in streaming. It simply will not hold your attention. We had a group here sit rapt for 2 hours listening to vinyl, almost all walked out the minute we switched to digital. Way better digital than anything you will find streaming.  

I’ve always had an analog system to play, and cherish my vinyl collection. 

Your words, and yet people tell you to buy a streamer. Go figure. 

A room your size, a guy in love with vinyl, you can have an absolutely mesmerizing system. Budget it out for a new Origin Live table and arm, put your Hana on it, run it though a Decware ZP3. Replace your speakers with Tekton Perfect SET, use the Decware integrated, you will have hugely upgraded like you won't believe and after selling what you have now still be way under budget. Use the rest for cables and to tweak everything with Townshend Podiums and Pods, Synergistic PHT on the cartridge and HFT on speakers and walls.  

I have heard Tekton run on SET. Pure magic. This will be the kind of system you lose yourself in the music, and forget all the usual audiophile stuff simply because it sounds so freaking involving and fun.
More to discover