Hey, You have really nice components. I would upgrade a couple of things like your speaker cables. I like Cardas, but try before you buy. Make sure your cartridge is setup correctly in the VPI. I would go with a tube preamp like a VAC or an Audio Research Ref 6se. Make sure it is SE version. It will work better with SS amp. You can use the amp in your Luxman integrated or go to the Luxman M10X amp. The most important thing before you swap any equipment in your new place is treat the room. Probably $20k or less. Acoustic Fields. This will make a Bluetooth speaker sound amazing. Maybe, just maybe the room treatments are all you need. I am not a fan of Mark Levinson preamps. They convert all to digital even the phono. Total of everything above is about $80k. Maybe you get a couple subs and have them setup properly in the room. The best thing about the system above is you can listen at very low volume with full dynamics. I have Ref 2se with a Luxman M10X and Revel Studio2 speakers and two JL Audio F110 subs with the external JL Audio CR1 crossover. I can listen to my system on volume 1 out of 100. At 5 out of 100 I have full range of sound. My speakers are not efficient. Maybe 86db at 3.78 ohms. Similar to your speakers. I hope this helps.
Help me spend $100,000 on a new system
I’ve recently been considering moving and downsizing my home. While exploring how much I might sell my house and land for, I was shocked that I might have an excess of $100,000 after selling and buying a smaller new home with less acreage. I’m 71 years old and can’t take it with me, so I’m trying to figure out how to spend that potential resource.
One possibility would be to purchase a new stereo system with all that cash. I would like to demo a system costing that much to see what sound quality you could get for a stupendous amount like that. But I don’t have any idea what brand/model components to look at. Perhaps you could suggest components you might consider if you were setting up a system at that price point. Also how would you budget the total amount per component including wiring.
I am not interested in adding streaming or anything else I might not already have to the system. I would be open to buying separates to replace any single component such as the integrated amplifier. Maybe a separate DAC, phono stage, preamp etc. Please tell me what you would do.
Following are the components I already have to upgrade. My system consists of Magico A3 speakers, a Luxman 507uX MK2 integrated amp, a Marantz Ruby KI CD/SACD player, A VPI Classic 2 turntable with a Fatboy tonearm and a Lyra Kleos cartridge. Wiring consists of Audioquest Rocket 88 speaker cables, and VPI house brand wires that connect to the tonearm. I forget the brands of the other wires and cables, but they are of similar quality to the above.
I also have a Shunyata Hydra Denali 4000 power conditioner with a Venom power cord (I think) that I will continue to use without upgrading.
I would welcome any of your suggestions and utilize them next time I go up to Washington DC to visit dealer showrooms for demos. Thank you much.
It does sound weird to consider spending that much on a system costing over three times what I paid for my first home, so I hope I’m not sounding uppity here.
Mike