First "audiophile" system, now what? Suggestions for best "bang for the buck" upgrade?


After being beguiled with mp3s and the TV AVR, I finally realized I missed having a dedicated stereo system. With a budget of $2400, here is what I put together:
  ProJect Carbon 1 w/TizoAcrylic platter and Ortofon Red cartridge,
  Hagerman Bugle2 preamp,
  Vincent V-60 tube amp,
  Martin Logan 12 speakers.
 No special wires or cables. My room is 14x19 that is open to the kitchen. Compared to what I had been hearing, this system sounds fabulous. But now I want more fabulous. So I am writing to seek help on making short term/long term plans to upgrade. Short term means the biggest improvement in sound that costs $500 or less. The long term plan could cost maybe $2-3k or more. I have read that going from Ortofon Red to Blue might be a an inexpensive but very noticeable improvement? If speakers are my weak link, then maybe Martin Logan electrostatics would be good (when my ship comes in)?
I welcome any suggestions.
128x128etwilley

Showing 2 responses by douglas_schroeder

Nice to have you on board the good ship Audiophile! 

Your solution is contained in your post. You seem to dismiss cables as efficacious elements of a high end rig. I have had the pleasure of changing the opinions of industry members (read manufacturers - well known ones) and 4 or 5 engineers who mocked cables, but now pursue aftermarket cables for their purposes. 

I suggest you put your $500 to work on procuring a set/loom of cables for the rig. It will collectively be as important sonically as the addition of a new component. It is one of the easiest and most effective steps a person can make to obtain better sound. 

If you disagree, I'm not interested in debating the subject.  :) 
With your current equipment and if you have good ears you should easily be able to hear differences in cables now. It is not necessary to have ultra-high end gear to hear cabling changes. My systems when I first delved into cables about 30 years ago were by no means high end, and yet in every one cables were obviously noticeable. This is to encourage you that you do not need to put off that decision, if you wish, due to perception that your gear needs to be much higher performance. It is wrong to presume that one needs to have much higher performance gear to hear the effects of cable swapping.