looking for upgrade suggestions - 12,000 to spend


I am looking to upgrade my current system. I have $12,000 to spend BUT don't know what the most substatial/practical upgrade would be for the $$$.

Rowland model 10 amp
Rowland synergy I pre-amp
Levinson #39 cd player
Dunlavy SC-IV speakers
synergistic des. ref and FIM cables/power cords
2 ASC 16" tube traps - in the corners behind speakers
room size 12.5 ft wide X 18 feet long X 8.5 ft tall

I was thinking new speakers (Avalon, eggleston, kharma,talon,dunlavy)OR using the #39 as a trasnport and getting a DAC??

Can anybody make some suggestions OR point me in the right direction??
Thanks - Chris
Ag insider logo xs@2xcmh2129

Showing 1 response by sdcampbell

Hi, Chris. You already have a very fine system that many would envy, so any changes to equipment will be primarily, I suspect, a matter of taste (for example, you might find you like the sound of Burmester products better than Rowland, or prefer tubes to solid state). At the level of your investment, buying more expensive gear may simply prove to be a matter of gilding the lily. My best suggestion is to give further thought to your listening area. Although you have some tube traps, you may, for example, want to try a digital room correction process, such as that offered by the TacT RCS. The listening room / environment is so often overlooked, and improving the acoustics or correcting for room variations can make as much or more difference than buying more expensive gear. With your budget, spend $1000 and hire a good -- read independent and objective -- audio consultant with expertise in room design and get their opinion before you start on the upgrade path. Think of your room as a major component in your system, and invest accordingly. I've sold high-end audio equipment and listened to many fine systems, and my experience tells me that improvements to your room will probably yield benefits that far exceed buying ever-more expensive equipment.