What's the weakest link in my stereo set up? I live in a townhome, so limited on space.


90% of my time is used listening to records. The other 10% is used by my wife and I to just stream TIDAL or Spotify.

I live in a three story townhome. High ceilings. Not wide rooms, but long.

I would love to be able to use a room just for the stereo, but I cannot. I like staying married, which also means I cannot turn our guest bedroom into just a music-listening adventure room. So, the stereo is in my living room on the first floor. This also means I don’t have room for floor standing speakers.

Focal 906 bookshelf speakers

Technics SL-1210 Mk II (modded out by KAB USA)

Currently using a Nagaoka MP-150 cartridge

McIntosh MP100 phono amp

Cambridge EVO 150 stereo amplifier, entertainment hub, streamer, etc (my wife uses this a lot to stream Spotify while going about the house)

Topping A70Pro headphone amplifier

 

I’m going to assume people are going to say either my turntable or my speakers. Would it be wise to upgrade my Technics to one of the higher end models? I really love the ease of using this little beast of a player. I know it’s known as "the DJ turntable", but it wasn’t made to be one -- it just became that.

The Focals are nice too, and they were also bought new for less than a grand.

(Also, sorry if this is subjective as a question. I’m new to a lot of this. I hope something stands out as an obvious room to upgrade no matter what your tastes are.

Also, I’ve been selling some of the equipment that my late father had, and while doing so I’ve been getting interested in upgrading the system I cobbled together years ago. And no, for emotional and attachment reasons, I didn’t want to keep things that he owned.)

Budget ~$2K

128x128vrikkian

@immatthewj *L*  Been in a couple of versions of garages, instrument shops, and 
'pop-up' "chops" displays of varied talentry.....

Never got offered a donut...lots of other 'things', the occasional 'private session' to apply my drumstick.... but that's not stories for strangers than myself.... ;)

A damn shame, that....but, given the era and where Frank grew up in SoCA, understandable....as a '69 HS grad, got swept up in 'all dat'... ;) 

...an Escher-ist checkered past......

@vrikkian I have been following this thread for the week and am kind of surprised that a near field set up has not been suggested. There is a lot of info out there and Cardas has been documented having some set up perimeters, which more or less take the room out of the equation. Enjoy the music

I am not a Cambridge Audio fan. But if you wanted buy new /used speakers

https://speakerchoices.com/

And +1 for a cartridge upgrade