I am looking to upgrade - looking for advice
So I am the guy who recently asked if a Rotel 1572 preamp would work with a Parasound A21+ amp. So I was asking because I was thinking of upgrading my current amp which is a Rotel 1552. The rest of my system is Yamaha CD player and project turntable (both approx $400 each), Bluesound Node, and B&W 705 S2 speakers. Right now I primarily stream my music through the node. So I was interested in the next step to improvement and I thought it would be what the amplifier. After reading some of the posts on my original question (would the A21 work well with my Rotel preamp I am now thinking that I need to look at both the preamp and amp. Of course that is you agree with my assessment. Here are a few of the amps I was looking at: A21, Vincent SP-332, and Bryson 3b3. The preamps that were suggested all look outstanding: Benchmark LA4, Backert Labs Rhumba 1.3 and the Audionet Pre 1 G3. It looks like with these I would need to also get a DAC, not sure about the phono stage. Any advice is appreciated. I am knee to this.
I am not sure why you are mixing the brands if you plan to upgrade both. Why wouldn't you stick with e.g. Parasound? Or Bryston. Etc. You will likely not struck out with 2 different "random" brands for a pre and power amp to find a perfect match. I would pick one component to upgrade to make the jump and try a number of models. Then I would upgrade the other components. Patience is your best friend :) |
It depends on where you want to go… how far. Most of us have upgraded our systems over years.
I have a couple rules of thumb. 1. Never upgrade less than 2x or more in investment. This makes it very probable you are going to hear a really big improvement from the upgrade of each component. 2. Each electronic component (function) should be invested at approximately the same level (but you must choose the very best and compatible with your tastes). So, amp = preamp = DAC= phonostage = streamer. At this is point the full upgrade cycle is over… even if it takes couple years or more. So, if you really want a big upgrade by the time you are done… then shoot for $1K to $1.5 K per function. In your price category I would not shy away from used. When done, your next step would be speakers, effectively starting the cycle over… or ending the cycle… depending what you want to do.
So, step one would be a great preamp. If you have the money, you could do an amp at the same time (or an integrated). Then, spend a lot of time with them… at least a couple hundred hours of listening… then go for a DAC and then a Streamer. I don’t know how invested you are in vinyl… but I would leave that behind. Lots of cost that could better be invested in your core system and streaming. A format with nearly infinite music with almost no cost. Every component counts… the greater the investment the better it sounds (assuming you do your research). |
@ghdprentice @grislybutter are spot on. It’s a chain that works together, and the weakest link is what you’ll hear once once the clarity reaches a high level. Patience, synergy, research, and lots of listening when you make changes is your best bet IMO. It’s also good to optimize what you have by isolation and preventing vibration and resonances as much as is feasible, suitable cables and wires, etc. I don’t buy enough expensive equipment to make any specific recommendations, but I trust the advice above. It’s always subjective and personal, but IMO this is a good time to at least consider taking a step towards tubes to get a taste, and set yourself up for possible future upgrades in that direction if you happen to become enamored like many do. |
I like Bryston - currently for bass in my listening room (4BSST) and 5-channel for HT (9BSST). Bulletproof with service and warrantee to match, smooth elegant sound, not the last word in clarity, but then, not the last word in price either. Owned B off and on since 2004. Works well with bass, Magnepan, and even ESL. |
