Enough is Enough

Man, that is pure insanity.

I’ve been a record store owner for a very long time, and have on again, off again, been an audio dealer, and we are currently making a strong play to get very heavy into Hi-Fi. 
 

I have VERY often told people the exact opposite. Get to know your system, and upgrade slowly. Then, each change you make will be just as impactful as swapping an entire rig out. 
 

You know that feeling you get when you get a new piece of kit and you get to rediscover your entire record collection all over again? 
 

Why wouldn’t you want to do that over and over again? Isn’t that part of the fun? 
 

Morrison @ Hardcore Hi-Fi
 

As stated by @rbstehno 

I will never ask a dealer for their recommendation because I know what they will say. You need to trust your own ears and audition a component in your system in your room.

Simply that.  If you must visit a dealer, look, listen, and then arrange an audition in your system.  Some dealers are knowledgeable and may share interesting observations but, at the end of the day, your opinion is the only one that counts. 

deep_333,

You can’t see my other sub, but I have two subs. The subs were set-up by the dealer using a mic/REW and several hours of listening,

@ricred1 , Well, considering where everything’s at with your 2 channel gear you are pretty much stuck there..

unless, you get a li’l more adventurous and get a BACCH processor from Theortica Applied Physics. You may never know what it feels like to get launched inside a recording until you have something like BACCH in the chain (for 2 channel audio, that is, multichannel’s a different story).

Otherwise, you could keep swapping dacs, amps, cables, etc forever... with no quantum leap, it is just another case of being stuck in the same watering hole comparing notes with the same ol’ guys who are stuck there as well...(thinking y’all heard this or that).

Further, If you need to know about the kind of room treatment that gets you notches further in a dedicated room like yours (something you could strive towards in the longer term), it isn’t cheap or easy to do...(a bit cheaper if you’re diy savvy though).

Here’s one if you’re NOT a diy kinda guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-ydC9IB0G8

Here’s another if you are a diy kinda guy.

https://youtu.be/tKWAI21G0bc?si=Q7GARnEkHvC26dJ7

Hope that helps.

I would recommend you listen to a Goldnote DS1000, which runs “only” $8k.  I have a DS10, and a good friend of mine had a DCS Bartok (not Apex).  We did head-to-head listening tests.  With the optional external power supply, I preferred my Goldnote to his DCS - more midrange magic, and at less than half the price.  There are a number of Goldnote dealers in Texas.  Another interesting choice is a Simaudio 681 at $12k; again, more flesh on bones than dcs imho.

You didnt mention your DAC model. You have Rowland 625s. I have the 925s with the Aeris DAC and Coherence II preamp. Couldnt be happier. I run it with a Rockna Dreamwave Server bypassing the Rockna DAC and a separate Roon Core. Couldnt be happier. Try and find a used Aeris if you can.