Starting Over and I need your help
The more I read…….the more I become confused!…..Do I simply need to start over with more carefully selected components?
I currently own a Musical Paradise MP 301 III, Bluesound Node 2i, Omega 7 speakers, and a Rotel RCD 06 SE CD player. To me, this system sounds underwhelming, especially when streaming. I use Apple Music as a source but I am open to switching to another. I only play CDs and stream and do not see myself incorporating vinyl into the mix. Musical tastes are jazz and acoustic. The room size is smallish home office. By the way, I also own a Parasound Zamp that I currently don’t use because I do not have a preamp……should I sell or keep that?
I am willing to sell it all, if needed, to get better sound. If you were me, what would you change or keep? My total budget would be under $3000 and by buying some used I bet you guys can help me figure out what I should pursue within Audiogon to purchase.
Many thanks in advance for your expertise and opinions!
Andy
Raleigh NC
I never heard of the amp. Googling reveals a tube amp retailing for $300. I would have trouble believing that can drive anything. Get a decent integrated amp with at least 60 wpc. You might want to go solid state. I suspect your whole system will sound like it was infused with Viagra compared to your current set up |
I'm not familiar with your components except for the Node 2i. The sound of the Node can be improved with an aftermarket power supply kit. There are several choices available. I bought the LHY kit from Beatechnik which is in Singapore. I would recommend the bundle kit with the LHY outboard dc voltage supply (I got the 25 VA option). All of their pricing is in US dollars. There are You Tube videos about the kit done by one of the main guys at Beatechnik. Some amount of manual dexterity is needed to do the install but, it is rather simple to do. You will no longer use the C7 (figure 8) power cord but instead, will need to use a conventional audio power cord with the standard C15 IEC cord end which will greatly expand the choices of power cord to use in this case. PM me if you are interested in what I found to work very well with the LHY/Node setup. |
Your Omega 7 speakers are speakers you can build around. I maintain that they are the sleepers of the Omega line and I actually prefer them to the Alnico models. I would be surprised if your amp were not the piece letting you down. Even though the Omegas are higher efficiency and do not require tons of power, I just don't get that the amp is doing the Omegas justice. When I had the Omega 7's, I was using a Prima Luna integrated with them. Over the years, I have moved equipment around and am now using a Heaven 11 Billie hybrid amp to drive Zu Audio Omen monitors. Similar enough, but not quite the same as your set-up. It comes with its own DAC and phono input, so a good number of options. Lots of reviews out there, including YouTube. Rich
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Is your budget 3000.00 total or 3K + whatever you can sell your current components for ? @rar1 makes a good point. The Omega speakers are pretty good and probably don’t need replacing right away. As others have pointed out, your amp seems to be the weak link. I’d start there with the thought of adding an outboard DAC to the Node. Those two things should enhance your enjoyment significantly.
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If you go with an integrated or all-in-1 you don’t have to worry about messing around with components. THe performance and feature sets of integrated amps is excellent these days. I replaced $10K of separates (Audio Research and Bel Canto) with a $3000 all-in-one (Cambridge Evo 150 which uses very highly regarded Hypex amplification) a year or two back and have been most pleased. |
