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audiophiles who are just getting the itch to upgrade

Hello, I am reaching out to the community of those audiophiles who are looking at this unprecedented time in our history to upgrade their components. Why? because we are now spending so much more time with our gear and looking for ways to improve it, because we can :-) My questions is this; if there was one component you could upgrade in my system, what would it be and why?
  • Linn Sonedek  LP 12 with Hercules board, Ittok II tonearm and Koetsu Black Cartridge
  •  Fritz Carbon 7 SE Speakers - http://www.fritzspeakers.com/DreamWeaverFritzCarbon7Mk2SpecPage.asp
  • Audio Mirror Tubadour III NOS DAC with   Miflex KPUC caps(courtesy of Don Sachs) and the Z foil resistors
  • Cary Audio SL80- Signature 1 with VH audio Reference V-Cap CuTF output caps plus Cary volume IR upgrade and mains cap upgrades. Running Gold Lions KT88 matched tubes, Shuguang Treasure CV181Z - 6SN7 Pre-Driver/Phase Inverter tubes,  Sovtek NOS 6922 Input Buffer Preamp tubes and  WINGED "C" (SED) 5U4-G GREY PLATE tube
  • Manley Labs Chinook phono pre-amp
  • Cullen crossover series speaker cables and power cords
Well that's it and I know that are a lot of you in this community who have far more experience with matching systems and upgrades than I do. Thank you for your assistance and happy listening ! 
128x128phill55
b_limo's avatar
b_limo
2,271 posts
 
If you want to change direction, you might want to check out some Fritz Carrera BE’s.  They might be the upgrade you are looking for. 
phill55's avatar
phill55 OP
138 posts
 
So I pulled the trigger. Traded in my Linn for VPI CLASSIC 3. Kept the Koetsu black cartridge. Chazzy 007, made a mistake,  I have E88CC TUNGSRAM tubes not.6922 and winged C 54u-g Grey plates. Is it still weak link? As for the Fritz Carrera BE, Fritz was kind enough to ship.me pair to try but I found new beryllium tweeters a little too forward. I believe he had run out of the revelator tweeters for the pair he made..bit LOVE FRITZ speakers...case in point, I have over $13k in my system alone not including his speakers.  I could easily afford more expensive bookshelf speakers...but I just really enjoy the quality and natural sound of his speakers at a.price that no one has been able to match.
snatex's avatar
snatex
16 posts
 
Congrats. I am in a similar position and considering a table upgrade to the LP12 or VPI Classic. Please share your thoughts and comparisons on how your new VPI table compares to your old LP12. Also, if you don’t mind please share the details of the trade you worked out.
big_greg
6,554 posts
 
I scratched my upgrade itch recently and bought a used VPI Classic 2 with a Classic 3 arm.  I have no experience with the LP 12, but I'm very happy with the Classic 2.  It has a much fuller sound than any turntable I've owned and the isolation is excellent.  I've always had issues with vibration control with every other turntable as space limitations force my speakers and one subwoofer to be fairly close to my rack.  I can turn the volume up as loud as I can stand with the Classic 2 with no woofer pumping.  
phill55's avatar
phill55 OP
138 posts
 
Let me share a few quick thoughts and then I will reply back with more detail after I have listened to the VPI Classic a little longer. My first thoughts after listening to it last night. It presents a more detailed soundstage than the Linn. Some may say its to analytical, but in my system, the most noticeable difference is the speed and accuracy of the music and the details of the instruments themselves. The Linn may have what some call a romantic or musical sound..and it does. But when comparing sounds, the Linn is a little muddy in the mid range and lower bass wheras the VPI is not. But, to be fair a used Linn Sonedek LP12 can be bought for around $1,600-2,000 whereas this VPI Classic 3 is between $3,700-$4,500 depending on the arm (that is with an inexpensive but reliable cartridge included). This is also my 3rd turntable in the last 15 years, and depending on your budget there are some great TT's in the $1500-2K range that are new. But I am not the expert there, there are other more qualified people in this community and other threads as to the better TT's for the money. I did come awfully close to picking up a new Mobile Fidelity for $2K. Hope this helps
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