Most beneficial change .


I am seeking opinions about what to change first , my speakers or my amplification .

I have a Primaluna Prologue 2 integrated feeding Reference 3a Decapo i speakers from a Granite Audio 657 CDP using the tubed side most of the time . I have rolled the input tubes on the integrated to warm things up some which helped nicely . The system is in a small 10'X11' room on the diagonal with some room treatments . The room is carpeted and my chair is overstuffed leather with a matching foot stool .

I get good tone , extension , details , resolution and PRaT but it is kind of boring ! It all sounds pretty good but I don't want to tap my toes ,bob my head or play the air guitar ! I can listen for long periods of time with ease but just don't want to . Easy to fall asleep ! I guess that I would like to increase the dynamics and musicality . I prefer tubes .

Suggestions ?

Thank you for your input .
saki70
If I had a small room the only speakers I would use would be Quads, they are amazing in a small space where you don't need to generate huge SPL's.
I didn't audition PrimaLuna, but I had that feeling when I had CJ preamp. The sound had good extension, very smooth, excellent midrange, but it was boring and I could fall asleep while listening. I take it as different people looking for different qualities in component. Some people prefer laid back smooth sound, and others prefer live and dynamic sound. It's a matter of preference, not one is better than the other. VTL preamp that I'm currently using is at the opposite end of the spectrum, alive, dynamic, with toe tapping quality. You might consider switching your amplification.
B 4 I made any major move, and the sound you have now is good, I'd go back and re-examine the tube selection in the Int.

I've found a mix of tubes whose properties are dissimilar in the preamp section, and/or amp section makes a great diff in the involvment of the sound.

Perhaps in de-detailing or smoothing off the rough spots as you alluded too with previous tube rolling, you went a touch too far... or didn't get the combo of tubes just right, and settled.

ON my tube preamp I have smooth NOS RCA on the input (rectifier) side, and and dynamic NOS Amperex Bugle Boys on the output.... on my tube monos I keep the detailed dynamic thing going with NOS Tungsol input tubes, but go to Winged C EL34 on the output sides.

Try some Amperex whites, Tungsols, Sylvania, or some other snappy dynamic tubes in there somewhere but not in place of those which eased up the presentation and see what happens.

Then... look to amps or speakers.... it's easier and cheaper to do tubes first
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First off , I want to thank everyone that has taken the time to offer up their suggestions , please keep them coming .

It seems pretty even between new speakers , new amplification and more room treatments .

I have looked at Coincident Partial Eclipse speakers with the side firing woofers and the Quad 57 rebuilds . I don't want to try , again , to integrate a subwoofer though .

I have also looked at a Cary Cad 300 SE LX20 , Jadis DA's , VAC Renaissance and KR Audio VA-340 integrateds .

I have spoken to other members using my CDP and they don't suffer my problem . I have changed the IC's to au/au 24's with good results . My present room treatments are from Eighth Nerve placed as per their recommendation in the wall corners , wall ceiling junctures and wall ceiling corners . I don't know anything about bass traps though .
Any good primers on the use and placement of bass traps ?

I am no longer able to get out and audition equipment as I used to . I have heard my speakers with four different amplification setups . CJ PV-10 pre with a CJ SS amp containing a tubed buffer , bright and ipodish . Then with a Cayin A88-T , I bought this int. with the speakers . I also heard them with a Cary sli-80 which was very close to the Cayin . All of these auditions were done with the exact same setup , only the amplification was changed . I was unable to bias the Cayin and sold it in favor of the PL as it is self biasing , as are the others that I am looking at . By rolling the input tubes I was able to get the warmth of the Cayin while retaining the greater extension of the PL .

I am still using the stock KT-88 tubes that came with the PL2 . The input tubes were changed to Mullard CV4004 P for the 12AX7's and Radiotechnique vintage 1956's for the 12AU7 driver tubes , these all were per Upscale Audio's recommendation for a warmer sound .

I have dedicated 20A lines with isolated grounds , seperate circuits for analog and digital equipment .

Interesting that Sbank associates PRaT with the toe tapping . I always assumed it related to the tempo of the music reproduction . I have had a CDP that played the music at a different speed than what I was accustomed to hearing and that is what I was refering to as good PRaT . Maybe I am using the term incorrectly .

Blindjim ; can you elaborate on the tube rolling selection for dynamics please ?

Thank you .