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Weakest Link in my system... Power Supply, DAC, or...

Hello fantastic Audiogon Community,

 

I am wondering what you all think is the next highest impact upgrade to my system. I have spent the past 8 months upgrading my entire main system to the following:

 

  • SPEAKERS: Pure Audio Project Duet 15 Horn (Mundorf Silver Gold Oil Cap upgrade and high pass filter, Duelund 16 internal wiring and speaker cables to amp)
  • AMP: PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium HP Integrated (Gold Lion KT77 power tubes, Briar and Mullard NOS gain tubes)
  • DAC: HoloAudio Spring 2 Level 3 Kitsune edition
  • PHONO: Music Hall MMF-9 and McIntosh MP 100 Preamp (but I’m focusing on the digital for this thread)
  • INTERCONNECTS: Duelund 16 (Perfection interconnect)
  • STREAMER: Nagra Streamer (Nordost Blue Haven Coax)

 

I listen to Roon / Qubuz when streaming.

 

I was wondering what you all think would be my next upgrade with the biggest impact. Some thoughts:

  1. DAC: The Holo Audio is from 2019. I enjoy the sound, but haven’t compared with any other modern DAC’s in my system. I imagine DAC progress has been significant since the 2019 release of this DAC?
  2. POWER SUPPLY: I hear over and over that the power supply for the amp, DAC, and Streamer may matter quite a bit. I am curious about this…. Would this be the biggest gain of performance for my system? All power is stock presently.
  3. PRIMA LUNA UPGRADES: I hear a lot about capacitor and resistor upgrades to my amp.... 
  4. ROOM TREATMENT: Since my main system is in my living room, I am a little constrained on room treatment. It is about 12’ x 16’ with an 8’ ceiling, hardwood floors and rugs and sofas about. I could build book shelves for the corners of the room where speakers reside, but that is about the only thing I could add to this particular room at this time. (Bass traps are likely out of the question due to aesthetics)

 

Looking forward to your advice on my last big moves before I surrender my wallet to the joy of music.

 

Till next,

r.

whyrichard
audphile1's avatar
audphile1
5,689 posts
 

If you can’t articulate what improvements you’re looking for, leave it all as is. 
If you’re itching to do something to your set up run two dedicated lines, one for digital and one for analog. 

helomech
1,850 posts
 


DAC progress has been significant since the 2019 release of this DAC?

Nope!

 

dcmnto
8 posts
 

If you have not already, I would suggest buying a usb mic, taking measurements of the room, and then building room correction convolution filters to feed into roon.  Very cheap and highly effective.

Not a replacement for room treatment, but big impact for little money.  And fun to add room treatments and compare measurements.  

whyrichard OP
33 posts
 

I am humbled, grateful, and delighted by all of these insightful responses. Thank you!!!!

i do see room treatments as the main next step for me. I do have the ability to move the speakers easily (The PAP’s are on good feet and easily movable) and my listening chair also moves easily. When doing a proper listen I move my speakers out from the wall about 3-4’, with about 6.5’ between them, and my ears are about 6.5’ from them, forming a equilateral triangle. 

 

I am an architectural designer with a fair amount of design, cad, CNC, and fabrication chops, so am eager and have a lot to learn in terms of accoustical treatments to the room. It’s not that I can’t add acoustical treatements, it’s that i want them to look good and I want them to be integrated into the custom book shelves that I will soon design. 

 

I will be soon designing bookshelves for the two corners of my room where my speakers are closest to. Their dims can be 2’ deep, 4’ wide, and 8’ tall. (I would incorporate the equipment and a bit of vinyl into their design)

 

If I simply have shelves with those exterior dimensions, lined with books and vinyl, is that a close approximation of the ideal room treatment in this location behind the speakers in the corners of the room? Or is there more to do? (I will look at the resources you all mentioned soon).

 

If I have fabric panels in the ceiling (what percentage and location of the ceiling) is that a good approximation of “room treatment”? (I would consider incorporating the lighting into the panels)

 

Currently I have a thick blanket on the floor before the speakers, two largish cloth sofas, and a cloth chair, with little on the walls and ceiling. I think this warrants improvement as you all seem to suggest! 

 

Currently the system sounds absolutely amazing. Soon I’ll be adding a nagra streamer (as my Mac mini is currently the weak link) with a Accoustical Zen Silver MC2 coax cable. I do enjoy the music, every single minute of every single hour it plays, which is several hours a day. It’s stunning. 

I just always want to eke out a few drops more, potential is potential…. ! 

 

THANK YOU ALL! 

R. 

whyrichard OP
33 posts
 

Not sure if Dropbox links can be attached as images here, but here are links to photos of the front and back of my listening room. 

 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qr0z96ll6crnz7806pywa/IMG_6048.HEIC?rlkey=f8qfq1z6oadds8ex1x6iqe02u&st=raz6shsb&dl=0

 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ex5cd8awt26sgijmgqb7u/IMG_6050.HEIC?rlkey=4gqyl009b4i00gxj62jtio25r&st=7bj5f43o&dl=0

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