Has your system evolved in the past 10 years?


Compared to 10 years ago, how has your system evolved if at all? The only piece I now have which I also had 10 years ago is my turntable, albeit my table isn’t what it was 10 years back- 

Of course my zerostat soldiers along since the 1980’s

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Circa 2012:  Naim UnitiServe server, Decware ZLC DAC, Manley Jumbo Shrimp preamp, Mahi Mahi mono blocks, Decware Silver Stix speaker cable, Decware ICs, Merlin monitors on Sound Organization 24” massed stands.  All equipment on Quadraspire SVT stand.  Appropriate PCs and power conditioning upgrades.

Circa 2022:  Naim Core server, Weiss 501 DAC/preamp, Nordost Valhalla 1 digital cable, Wireworld Eclipse 8 Silver IC to ATC 40As with Gaia footers, equipment all on Quadraspire Reference X stand, Decware power conditioner.

You decide.

 

Only preference for SET amps and high efficiency speakers has remained over the long term. Not much remains of my system from 10 years ago, some IC's, power conditioner, dedicated listening room and AC lines. Sometimes I wish I could time travel, compare my system from all those years ago directly to present system.

 

I have long kept audio journal, looking back at entries up until around seven years ago I see I was one frustrated audiophile, revolving more than evolving. Still, all that circling round was learning experience, couldn't have arrived here without those experiences.

The majority of my audiophile journey has been in the last ten years.  I still have almost all of my original gear (speakers, SACD player, subwoofer, and home theater receiver), but have had several stereo amplifiers along the way with my current Pathos being the keeper.  In the last year I've fallen down the black hole of tube rolling and cable upgrades (e.g. power cords and interconnects).

10 years ago, I had a Jolida tube integrated (EL34) and Jolida tube CDP, with Silverline SR17.5 monitors. 

I upgraded the integrated to  SS Wells Majestic and replaced the CDP with a Sim 260D transport feeding an Aqua LaVoce S2 DAC.

Last spring, I put components on Symposium Svelte+ shelves and Rollerblock Jr's. Last fall, I upgraded my integrated to a Hegel H390. The latter was a huge step up in resolution and bass control. The Wells made the lower mids sound veiled and that veil is gone, now. The Hegel enabled the Silverlines to show, for the first time, just how good they are. It was as if I got a free speaker upgrade when I bought the Hegel. That took me completely by surprise. I don't see ever replacing the Hegel.

There have been cable upgrades along the way, as well.

My next anticipated upgrade will be replacing the Sim transport with a Jay's.

I am constrained by not having a dedicated room but all in all, I'm very satisfied with the steady improvement of the system. 

At some point, I'd like to demo some higher-tier DACs but I can't afford to do so anytime soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Among my challenges for the past 10 years has been a love of home theater as well as stereo and little money to do either well.

Ten years ago I had a Theta Casanova, I went through trying an Onkyo and Emotiva to upgrade/replace it but both were fails.  I finally settled on an Oppo 7.1 out BD player with a Parasound stack.  P7 + A21 and miniDSP for the center and subwoofer.

That led me to experimenting with Class D monoblocks which I really liked, but to make a long story short, I'm now running a Luxman integrated right next to an Anthem MRX 540 receiver, along with a Mytek DAC.  I couldn't be happier.