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Products you added to your system in 2021 that made most impact to your music enjoyment

As 2021 comes to an end, just thought it would be cool to share some of the most impactful audio upgrades in your system this year?
Here’s my top 5 list…

1. Pass Labs XP-12: Upgrade path was from Rogue RP-1 to Rogue RP-5 and then to Pass XP-12 that was the final touch. Huge improvements across the board. Mates well with my Rogue ST-100 tube amp.

2. Phono Cartridge: Goldring E3 MM to Hana EL MC. Clarity, presentation, dynamics in spades!

3. Phono Pre: From the built in phono pre in RP-1 and RP-5 to MoFi UltraPhono to Sutherland KC Vibe MkII. Lowered noise floor, increased resolution, dynamics. The KC Vibe MkII is almost double the cost of the MoFi and it’s the one of the few upgrades where an improvement was proportional to the cost difference. At least in my system. Records that seemed noisy become more listenable. A great little phono pre. 

4. Audience AU24sx speaker cables. These speaker cables are a clear window into a recording. Nothing hidden, nothing exaggerated. 

5. Power Cords: Acoustic Zen Gargantua for preamp and amp. Lower noise floor, increased resolution, natural sound, expanded soundstage

Honorable mentions:

1. Acoustic Zen Absolute Copper interconnects. In my opinion the AZ cables don’t get the respect they deserve on these forums anymore, overshadowed by some of the “flavor of the day” newcomers (without going into specifics on brands).

2. Puritan PSM156 power conditioner. 
3. Supra Cat8 Ethernet cable.

4. Lumin U1 Mini

5. MoFi LP#9 Stylus Cleaner. Better than the Onzo ZeroDust although I still use the Onzo between the sides. 

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hifiguy74
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hifiguy74
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henry53's avatar
henry53
280 posts
 

Built two very large bass traps and got rid of an awful bass resonance at 60Hz. They are massive however, 1.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 metres.

 

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oddiofyl
3,889 posts
 

2021 was a major revamp for me. 

 

 First was a pair of Klipsch Forte IV,  a great improvement over my Heresy III which I liked a lot.  The Forte are awesome 

I just replaced my preamp with a Zesto Leto and the improvement in sound quality was so pronounced that it sounded like I got new speakers .... it was not subtle 

Fantastic preamp !    Its unbelievable how good it sounds .  They build great stuff over at Zesto.  It is voiced PERFECTLY,  it sounds true to life.   

 

 

rmdmoore
163 posts
 

Big upgrade year for me on multiple counts: 

Went from Rogue RP-1 to and RP-7. The level of quiet this piece is and the musicality when it's making sound are incredible. Have changed to some NOS tubes that have made it even better too, currently running amperex bugle boys in the front with Mazdas in the rear.

Analog front end got a major upgrade from clearaudio performance DC with tracer tonearm and Hana 1200 (no slouch) to brinkmann bardo with 10.5 arm and ortofon cadenza black. Whoa. The detail retrieval, channel separation, and frequency response are nuts. 

Also on the analog side went from musical surroundings nova iii to a Rogers High Fidelity PA-2. Incredible Soundstage and clarity. The airy-ness is hard to beat. I feel like I cam hear the room things were recorded in. 

Additional tweaks that get some props are herbies audio lab tube dampers, tenderfeet, and supersonic stabilizers really quieted down the Rogers even more.

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