If your whole system costs $40,000....

Hi Map,

Yes, still with the Mirage OMD-28. The thing that made the difference was changing to a solid state preamp, new balanced interconnects (tried several -amp to preamp) and magnet wire speaker cables and interconnect (not anticables). These changes brought in more bass, fullness, and clarity. I've been pursuing all three. I won't say my system sound has arrived. I'm still tweaking. Finally found some cables that made an appreciable difference.

For roughly 12-percent of $40,000, you can put together a music server that will rival CD playback systems costing as much as 50-percent of your $40,000 system ($20,000).
For less than $5,000, you can purchase a new comprehensive high-end music server (player/renderer, controller, server/source, WiFi router and cabling).

If digital music is your primary source for listening to music, your digital source is then a fundamental link in your system chain (not a place to skimp). Therefore, I think 10-percent, in your case, should be a minimum.

Hi Herman

I wasn't picking on you at all. If it came off like that and if I offended you I'm very sorry. I honestly didn't mean it. When I wrote my post above I was just thinking about how some members can be mean to others in the various threads I've read in the past. I really wasn't thinking about what was said in this thread. I had only glanced at some responses. I wasn't taking a swipe at you or anyone else who had posted previously on this thread. Again my apologies.

At this price point it is cheaper to house Symphony Orchestra in the living room - nothing beats real thing.

I think a puccinni is overkill but a K01 is dead on.