Time to upgrade - need advice - budget $7,500

Sounds like you've answered your own question. Good luck...

Well.... not really.  I've got some idea but I was hoping for maybe another angle I hadn't considered from more experienced goners.

I would not buy an integrated with the streamer and DAC built in but that's me and you’ve stated the reasons for not doing it that way If you want your streamer and DAC to be all in one unit I would look at the Teac NT-505 and the Lumin D2 or T2. The Lumin’s will work only if you don’t need other digital inputs. I have owned the D2 and now own the Teac as it has to me the preferred AKM 4497 chipset and also has multiple digital inputs to function as a separate DAC as well as a streamer. It is built on the Lumin platform and uses the same app. Then find an integrated that fits in your budget for what is left. I own and like both the Kinki EX-M1 or M1+ if you need preamp outputs and the Audia Flight FL Three S. Luxman should also have a model that meets your power needs as well as Hegel. Not a fan of the Parasound sound but many others like them. Plenty of choices in integrated amps that will fit you needs once you decide on the streamer/DAC.

Personally ,  I would start with speakers.
For 3K these are impossible to beat IMO as well as many other peoples Opinion.
https://www.tektondesign.com/double-impact.html

@mattshere 

If you are happy with your speakers then just ignore the announcement from the acknowledged Tekton fanboy and concentrate on your stated goals. 

@jackd 

lol... I wondered about that.  Those Tekton's might look like good value but will look awful in my living room IMHO.  :)  

I would upgrade to this. call mark and see if he can add the orchid dac at a discount. my .02

https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/products/bundle-z10-integrated-amplifier-spatial-audio-m5-sapphire-s...

Elac has a highly regarded all in one dac pre MSRP $2500. Now you could buy separates that cost more, but as the tech improves sonically, they will plummet in value. Combined with their new amp, you’re golden. That said LSA has just introduced a possible game changer amp: The Voyager, the least expensive GaN based amp I know of. GaN is the tech people in the know are all excited about, but to date MSRP is 5 figures. I will have one soon to compare to my Ric Schultz EVS 1200, which has blown me away

As to the sub, I have 2 10 year old SVS subs and am not happy with them as the plate amps built in volume controls are crap. I could never get a seamless blend. Hopefully the DSP will solve that, BUT, consider upgrading your speakers.

Emerald Physics open baffle have won numerous awards. I have owned their KCIIs for a 3 years. They are fabulous at playing all kinds of music. Alas, the SVS subs did not do what I hoped. Now, I am expecting EP 2.8s this Saturday. Normally $9999, but on sale right now for $4999, dual 15" carbin fiber woofers + 12" carbon fiber concentric driver for mids and highs. That should give me all the bass I’ve been missing, while keeping my system ’simple’ lol

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0919/Blue_Note_Awards_2019/ELAC.htm
https://www.emeraldphysics.com/products/ep-28 (see Black Friday specials)

Luxman 505UXII integrated w/a NAD C658 streamer. Includes Dirac for room correction.

@mattshere  Keeping an open mind about your entire system, including your speakers is important...no matter what your final choices are. 

@grey9hound  was helping in that regard. You might be surprised how your "weighting" adjusts when you hear something that moves you. 

In terms of a DAC, I suggest focusing less on the "tech" and more on the sound quality. There are many reasonably priced DACs, including older ones that nail this. This will allow you to focus on a "pure" integrated.

The other option is to consider integrateds with Streaming / DAC  modules. This may address your 'future-proofing' concerns.

I agree with david_ten on "latest tech" of DACs.  MQA is really not a game changer.  It is just a way to encrypt standard hi-res audio (such as 24/96) so that it can be streamed over the internet.  It doesn't mean it's going to sound better.  I would rather listen to CDs on an extremely good DAC/audio stage than MQA on an average DAC. 

DSD, however, will elevate the sound quality over the same recording using PCM. (that is, if it was mastered or recorded as DSD and not just a PCM-to-DSD conversion).

@dweller @grey9hound @tweak1 @david_ten @jackd 

Wow, lots to think about.  Thank you for all your inputs, this was exactly why I posted here. There are options here I never considered and will definately take a look.  Cheers!

A few have suggested a speaker upgrade and I agree but at this time I'd like to spend more to invest in the pre/po side of things and then make a speaker upgrade as funds allow.  This will take a while longer but will give me some time with whatever pre/po I choose to help decide on a speaker selection and I will (hopefully) end up with a better system in the end.  I could see a speaker upgrade in the next 12-18 months. 

As a follow up, I went to my local Hegel dealer to listen to the H190 and Dynaudio Evoke 30 as this is a speaker I really like the look of and would fit in our living room.  The dealer was great, had them all setup when I got there but the session didn't last long as we couldn't get away from some shrill, compressed sounding treble.  The very top end wasn't terrible but cymbal crashes and higher vocal notes really took on a harsh quality that made for a short session.  The dealer admitted the Dynaudio's were taken out of the box yesterday and that it must have had something to do with them not being broken in.  

No problem.  He offered to move the Hegel to another area where he had a pair of Harbeth SHL5+ along with the Luxman L-507uXII and L-550AXII setup.  This was great as I had wanted to hear the Lux's after @luxmancl38's suggestion and reading some good reviews though i'm not totally in love with the looks.  

We first tried the 507uXII paired with Harbeth's and WOW...  What a beautiful sounding combo.  I was really impressed by the sound - clear highs but not overly harsh or in your face.  Smooth mids and bass with nice depth but still natural.  Never boomy or bloated.  Just a really nice presentation that I could listen to all day long with any type of music.  

We then moved to the 550AXII and then the Hegel H190.  The Hegel was good and definately provided more bass along with a slightly tighter sound and more focused sweet spot or sound stage.  It was still good but I much preferred the greater imaging of the 507uXII and what seemed like greater depth to the sweet spot in all directions.  It also had more air up top where the music seemed to float all around and filled the room.  We went back to to the 507uXII and it was clearly the winner for me.  Despite not loving the looks the sound was fantastic which is making the look grow on me.  Another big win for the Lux - the LOUDNESS button!!!  This is huge as I often listen after my wife and kids have gone to bed so this makes listening at lower volumes sound more dynamic and actually sounded really good in the demo.  Even listening at higher levels I could see this saving some poor recordings and is a nice option along with tone controls.  Apprarently it has a very capable phono stage as well which is nice.  

Deposit paid it should arrive in the next week or so.  Harbeth's are on the short list as well but I would like to hear the Evoke 20's again as I do prefer the smaller size and the cabinets are really nice.  It will be tough to beat those SHL5+ though.  Thanks for all your help and assistance!

If you buy a speaker solely on looks rather than the sound you enjoyed you will soon regret it. Harbeth and Luxman or LFD are a winning combo.

Hey guys,

In my wait for the 507 to arrive (Tuesday next week), i’m having some concerns over my decision. Primarily around the thought of the sources I will be using and whether the analog integrated is the right choice for me. I will be using digital sources for 95% of my listening and I’m starting to think maybe a good DAC/Pre like a Mytek Brooklyn and a power amp like the Luxman M-700u would be a better solution. Maybe I’m just overthinking it here but this is a route I hadn’t really considered before but might make more sense...

Would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks!

stay the course, you made a good choice....

I have a RME ADI2-DAC that goes through my Luxman CL38 tube preamp. Just smooths out the digital hash from the streaming. If you get the 507 Lux use the balanced inputs w/your Mytek. Killer sound.

UPDATE:

I picked up the Lux L-507uxii from the dealer on Saturday and he was kind enough to lend me their demo pair of Harbeth SHL5+ as I had heard the combo in the store when I bought the lux. I as pretty sure i was going to place an order if they sounded anywhere near as good in my room.

I brought it all home and first setup the 507 on top of the box in my living room so I could A/B between the old emotiva stuff using my Epos Elan 30’s. It took all of about 10 seconds to hear what a major improvement in sound quality the Lux was over the Emotiva. Absolutely blown away. Massive dynamics and bass notes that I didn’t think my speakers were capable of. The top end is wide open with air that filled the room but never harsh or brash. Just smooth and warm but also tight and controlled. We played about 15 tracks occasionally switching back to the Emotiva but it was laughable. I used to have some mid bass bloat and nasally mids that is gone as well. At this point I am shocked and relieved that my big investment has actually paid off. My wife was skeptical and even she could hear from upstairs just how much clarity and quality compared to the Emo. Really pleased at this point.

I removed all the Emo gear and moved the Lux into place hooking up another set of speaker cables into the B binding posts for hooking up the Harbeths. Setting them up next to the Epos in my room about 3’ from the side walls and about 2’ from the back wall (bay window) we played a few tracks going back and forth between the 2 sets. This was a much closer race as the Epos played lower and sounded fuller than the SHL5 with the latter being definitely more neutral and maybe faithful to the material. The Epos is more sensitive so we had to adjust the volume slightly between them but even with the 5’s turned up I couldn’t quite get want I wanted out of them. I tried moving them moving them closer, further, wider, narrow but it didn’t seem to matter. I found the soundstage wide but not as easy to locate the instruments just an overall bigger sound. The mids are sweet but they just didn’t have enough depth for me. Not enough impact. I will say these Epos (which until the Lux I had basically written off) have pleasantly surprised me. The imaging is now great with instruments coming out of the far left and right sides of the room when present and have new low end that I didn’t know existed. These are maybe not the most neutral or "audiophile" speaker but to me, in this room they bested the SHL5 and saved me spending $7,500 on a set of anniversaries. 3 out of 3 of us all agreed the Epos sounded better. We listened over a 5 hour period and all typed of material and while there were definitely some things the Harbeth did better but for me, as an everyday speaker I preferred the Epos. I really wanted to love the Harbeths and was prepared to drop the cash. I love the old school look and the natural wood finish but the sound just didn’t work for me.

Next upgrades are cables. Power, speaker & IC’s. My dealer sell Nordost so was thinking about maybe going with the Purple Haze all around. Also like the idea of some canadian boutiques like Take Five Audio who are selling Neotech but his have some silver/copper hybrid that i’m not sure I want in my system. Any thoughts or experience with this would be appreciated. Currently running some 15 year old Ultralink challenger 14/12 speaker, blue jeans IC’s and stock power cord.