Recommend upgrade for NAD C541


I currently have a system as follows:

NAD C541 CD Player
NAD C370 Integrated Amplifier
B&W DM602S3 Speakers
QED Silver Anniversary Bi-Wire with Airloc bananas
van den Hul D102HB III interconnects

I think I've got the setup right in my room, but I feel the sound could be more open, full, and exciting. Thus, I'm thinking of an upgrade of sorts. I had previously posted on Audiogon about upgrading the speakers, but was told the CD Player was the weakest link.

Could anyone please recommend a suitable upgrade for the C541 for what I'm looking for? Perhaps the Arcam CD72, Musical Fidelity A3CD or other unit?

Thanks for any help you can provide.
lennychen
Does the NAD C541 have a IEC power cord socket? If you are using the stock cord that came with the player, try something like a Blue Circle BC61 power cord ($83 shipped), before you spend more on another CD player.

This is a no brainer, because you will want a better power cord, even if you end up getting a CD player in the end.
A better cord for the amplifier would not hurt either.

I say all this because your system looks well balanced. While you will notice an improvement from a better CD player, you would probably also need a better amplifier to fully take advantage of the upgrade.

Try something simple before getting on the never ending upgrade roller coaster.
I like the NAD CD player for the money. I am not a fan of this integrated amp, which doesn't provide much detail to my ears. I think you would see more improvment with separate amp/pre-amp from another vendor than you would with a new CD player. If you are considering buying from a dealer, haul your CD player and integrated into them, and A/B your integrated against a separates setup in your price range.
I think you would have to spend a lot of money to get a significantly better cdp, and then you might not be able to appreciate the upgrade. Your speakers are your weakest link, not your cdp, and not your amp. Their bass through mid-midrange are affected by some coloration resulting from the material the woofer is made from. The tweeter and the woofer are not really well integrated off axis, either. If you don't play them real loud (harmonic distortion will increase with spls), you might experiment with their placement in your room and make sure you're listening on-axis.
I've spoken with a dealer handling both NAD and Arcam and she states the Arcam 62 for $100 is significantly better than the NAD. You can go from there.
Thanks for the advice so far...

First of all, the power cords are fixed on the C541 and the C370.

Second...I am open to a amp upgrade, if that is certainly the weakest link. Actually, I am open to upgrading any component (CDP, Amp, Speakers).

But in the spirit of not jumping on the never-ending upgrade wagon, how would you prioritize upgrades and could anyone recommend specific units for each (CDP, Amp, Speakers). I think I'd like to tackle them one at a time and spread them out (say, over a year...)

For example: CDP, Amp, then Speakers - 1) Arcam CD72, 2) Arcam A75, 3) B&W CDM1NT.

Thanks.