What would you upgrade?

Hi Mesch.

Thanks for the reply.

You touch on point worthy of discussion. How we listen.

The way I listen is primarily the 'background music' way, with my stereo in the background while I'm doing something else. No dedicated listening room with one chair in the middle. Nothing wrong with that at all, just nothing right about it for me.

Most of the time I'm not listening super critically. Just looking for a fuller range of sound then what I currently have speaker wise, as well as higher quality components then the ones that I'm having some trouble with at the moment. I'm planning on going to demo a pair of 1027be tomorrow if possible as I'm not ruling out the Focal sound all together. They might get 75% of the way there if all goes well.

Regarding formats, perhaps "on life support" is a better way to put it, Cerrot.

That's not to say their sound quality is not more enjoyable, as I know vinyl to sometimes be. Which is why I've considered adding a turntable in the first place.

Still, 25-40% of the budget would be overkill for an item that would be used less then 25% of the time, in my opinion. I'd sooner take that money and invest more in a DAC to max my return on digital playback.

" 320kbs MP3 through Spotify "

This is the weak link in my opinion. Try HDTracks.com and spend about $20 on a download you love. See if you notice a distinct difference.

If you do, spend the $5k on speakers, preferably very slightly used....upgrade one thing at a time, and make it a big deal.....don't spread it around too thin.

I wish you the best of luck!!!!

Thanks, Paul.

I'm noticing a trend here. Everyone is very emphatic about the source. Perhaps I will give HDtracks another go. Maybe my system with turn into something completely different then I've been used to. Only drawback is there is significantly less content available at this point.

I do like the "buy the best you can afford" idea instead do spreading thin, though. Maybe 1 major upgrade every 3-5 years.

I would fix the music while you look at the components. Mp3s dont sound good in any system.

What stands out to me is the relationship between speakers and your unusually high ceilings. The proper synergy here will do more for your overall presentation goal than any electronics choices you may be considering.

I would seek a professional suggestion as to possible speaker directions. At the very least go to speaker specific forums and clearly describe your room. Give your budget as twice what your willing to spend and consider those suggestions on the used market.

What your looking for is a more specific type of speaker such as, high efficiency, horn, open baffle, panel, etc.. Don't leave out your using a subwoofer. A clear direction here will determine any future electronics upgrades.

I just heard Kipod server/streamer feeding a Direct Stream DAC and it left me thinking that Hi-Rez media clearly isn't the total digital solution. Getting the most from ones collection of 16/41 recordings is far more important than rebuying a library into Hi-Rez.

I'm not a digital vs analog user, I'm into the music. So if it's not on an LP, no worries, the selection of affordable and listenable digital sources continues to grow. Source selection, digital or analog, is a very personal consideration. IMO, Ted Smith's work on the Digital Stream is as dramatic as Gordon Rankin's was on USB. Fortunately for me, my LP collection is much larger than my digital.

If you're considering LP playback, advancements in cartridge setup, especially in rake angle and azimuth adjustments can be more important than the money spent on the hardware. Complete tonearm adjustability is very important.