What to upgrade next.


This is my first foray into the forum other than reading other's post. I hope respondents will be kind! I am at the very low end of audiophile equipment and many of you may not think I am there yet when I list my equipment. The economy has become better for myself and I am looking to upgrade but not exactly sure where to go from here. I am sure I will receive many different suggestions so I plan on taking the one suggestion that I receive the most and employing it. My equipment is as follows: Denon AVRx 3500H as my integrated amp which is boosted by a Bob Carver Cinema Grand 5 which pushes 200wpc. This powers my Polk Audio RTiA7's which are my music floorstanders. When I started upgrading I chose the Polk's as they seem to punch above their weight. After months on this site I am unaware of many people who extol the virtues of the Polks so I am thinking this may receive the most as far as recommendations. I stream most of my music from my desktop and laptop. The desktop sounds like an airplane waiting to take off. I am not independently wealthy but am looking to spend between 2-3 thousand if necessary. The one thing that gives me the biggest headache at this point is music delivery as computers have glitches and my angina acts up when the music cuts out in the middle of Alex Lifeson shredding his axe. My music files range from bad copies of MP3s which are slowly being replaced to HD Audio files. Thank you for any suggestions.
dadork

Showing 17 responses by dadork

@flrun Also I have just discovered Amazon Music is 13 bucks a month if you are a Amazon Prime member and thats with Hi Res 192kHz/24 bit files.








h
@flrun Wouldn't Zone 2 setting be considered a pre-amp bypass? I am definitely committed now to getting the streamer as I think I am getting a clearer view of what it is and does. I should have mentioned in the OP that I am running 2.1 and 5.1 with my sub as another weak spot. It is an ABC Warehouse Klipsch 10" . Thanks for your help!
@hilde45 While the idea of addressing three or four issues with one fell swoop has it’s appeal I think in the long run I may be repeating the process again in the future if I divvy up the money in such a manner. I am willing to admit I might be wrong however! Does it make more sense to spend 2-3k on a single fairly good component or have three mediocre components that I will have to upgrade again in short order?
@mesch  I do not know if I like my speakers or not. I know for me they are the best I have owned but I know they aren't the greatest either. As with anything when you've had good and good isn't good enough anymore! The amplifier at this point I think I am happy with but willing to be taught if not as long as I can understand where I'm losing anything with the Carver. It is by all accounts a well reviewed and well performing. As far as my Denon I'm all ears as to why I should upgrade. If the Carver is supplying the juice when I am 2.1 or 5.1 then doesn't the Denon act as a pre amp and basically tell what to do what? I have but a child's understanding of these things. What would an upgrade in a pre-amp benefit me? I will definitely have to research the streamer recommendation. It is just out of my field of knowledge exactly what they are as I thought it was basically a computer program that allowed me to share to another device. If at this time I was going to spend the money on one component what would you suggest? Obviously getting the music supplied to the system in the best manner is of utmost importance but it sounds as though I wouldn't have to drop 2-3k to resolve that. Thanks!
@flrun I use it for both but and want to keep the ability to do both but I love music more and would sacrifice on the home theater side. I have two handicaps that I am willing to overcome with a little help from my friends. The first is this- While looking to break into audiophile class it is on a limited budget. Ultimately I'm hoping in the $10K range at the end system. I know from the used equipment sites and the forums this is barely floor level for a single component but alas! I am but a poor man! The second handicap and perhaps the most detrimental is I am a caveman when it comes to a lot of the newer technology. I am streaming using HEOS from my desktop and laptop, wireless. I am slowly replacing mp3s with downloaded FLAC files and when I can afford it I replace special albums with 192 kHz 24 bit albums which I also download.
Thanks @fuzztone. This seems to be the consensus as far as the streamer. This step will leave some meat on the bone as far as the money goes and I can wait a bit to get something much better in the pre-amp or speaker department which is what I think I am weak in right now. I suppose I should have mentioned in the OP that I am using a sub and it too I think a weak link. I am using a Klipsch 10" ABC Warehouse special.
@spenav Thanks! I know already that this pool might be a little deeper than I thought. I do however have to set my limits and I think landing around the $10K range is a system I can be happy with and know that I am hearing everything to be heard. I do plan on buying used equipment , especially on AG. Thanks for the advice.
@mesch I am committed to buying the Bluesound Node2i and getting the Tidal subscription. I think Tidal will relieve a lot of my headaches I have with my music files and give me a much better file to boot as far as Hi Fi or Hi Res. I think now I am getting a clearer picture too as why I need a pre amp as opposed to an integrated. Tell me if I'm on the right track. Seeing I have a power source for all 5 channels when in HT and of course in 2 channel for music I don't need the integrated because I am bypassing the amplification provided by the Denon integrated. If I understand the theory right I am running my music through something that muddies it up. If I just get a good pre amp that doesn't add the amplification it keeps my music files cleaner.Will it still have thew video processing or passthrough and all of the HT features that I currently enjoy?
 Tom @tom8999 I am sure now because of all of the comments that Source as you said is the biggest issue. I have committed to buying the Bluesound Node2i as my first priority. I have just enrolled in Tidal HiFi. For the time being I will stick to my Carver Sunfire Cinema for amp so I guess that leaves pre-amp integrated amp and speakers to upgrade. Thanks!
@mesch  You brought up room size and configuration. My living- listening room is 11'5" x 25'. It is an odd config as the only place to put the speakers ( On short wall)leaves my right channel open to the right into the dining room. The left channel is set next to the long wall which has an 8' long window. I have heavy drapes which I can close to block reflection but not sure what's best. I have run it through the Audyssey and I leave the Dynamic EQ off as well as the Dynamic Volume Control. I listen in 2.1, as I mentioned my sub is sub par. Listening now through the Tidal certainly improves things quite a bit. My wife thinks I'm obsessed, which I guess is true. I'm constantly moving by speakers by inches always keeping with the directives of similar placement ie. distance from back wall, side wall and toe in. My listening perch is a sound sucking, sound blocking overstuffed recliner placed 14 feet from front of speakers with the speakers having 10' between them. I have done the sub crawl and somebody might be laughing another sucker fell for it but so what. Right! I live in the far north boonies of Michigan before you cross into the wilderness of Da U P. This means places to audition higher end equipment is more than sparse. Reviews and advice are my best tools at present so I am more than willing to talk and learn. I don't know a lot about treatments but I do know of them. Not sure on specifics as far as placement.
@oopwah Since the world altering revelation for me of the music services out there and finally checking into it I had to weigh my options. The Tidal subscription is worth it to me as I'm getting access to FLAC files from any artist I can imagine. It also has the added benefit of suggesting artist I like but may not have recalled from the distant past. I think cost wise it's going to be a wash as opposed to downloading or buying CDs whether new or used and without the headache that goes with ripping and the associated cost of the equipment to do it good. If I like an artist I am of the type who generally will get everything they have. This gives me the ability to listen to whatever they have without buying it and then not really caring for it. I don't know how many times I've downloaded only to find a file has been tagged incorrectly and my server is populated by a jillion artist. If I ever have an aneurism this will be the likely cause.

















@richbutters My God Man! My wife would kill me! Six systems? She doesn't fight me hard but even I couldn't justify six systems. Unless of course I hit the Mega Million and we all know how likely that is to happen. Hopefully I can make some wise and lucky picks and arrive at my destination without so many steps.
@thosb Thanks for your response. Most insightful. I am as you may be able to tell, very new to the subscription music service business. The move to Tidal my first ever as a matter of fact. So a couple of questions about your response. If I have Tidal and it's running through a Node 2i and I have the Hi-Fi subscription what would be the purpose of also having Roon or any of the other services? I can look up any artist I can imagine and pretty much listen to anything they've ever recorded right? It's already in FLAC so are there services that offer even higher definition? I've got a very few albums from HDTracks in 24Bit/194?kHz. I'm enjoying the simplicity of grabbing my phone and dialing up whatever I want without getting out a CD or pulling it up on my Laptop. Sans possible internet interruptions right now I'm in heaven. I need to learn a lot more about DACs I think. I know what they are just not why some are better and so much more expensive than others. The Node 2i is supposed to have a good DAC but I don't know what that means nor what the metrics are that differentiate. My Denon has a 32 Bit DAC . The Node is supposed to be better but then I have people who say I need to add an even better external DAC to that. How would an audio processor make the bass more distinct and punchy as some claim? Almost as if it's adding watts? I go through adds for speakers on this site and others (used of course) then go online and read user reviews then the online mag reviews. I've read reviews for speakers that range up to 200K which just boggles the mind. I was very impressed with reviews for the Silverline Sonatinas. They sound like everything I'm looking for. Of course I have no idea at all if they'd fit in with my system! I am really trying to figure out if I need to do some rethinking on the pros and cons of floorstanders or really good bookshelfs. Fidelity is the most important consideration. As I stated in an earlier post I am in an 11.5 x25' room. I like to be able to feel it as well sometimes and can't quite imagine bookshelfs being able to deliver that. Thanks for any more input!
@oopwah Already loving the Tidal subscription and hoping to buy the streamer this weekend. Are there CDs that are better definition than FLAC? My Denon does have the pre outs for 5 channels which are all hooked to the Carver supplying 200wpc. When in Main Zone it is set for 5.1 but Zone 2 is 2.1. I will be doing a little experimenting  tomorrow going sub free. Not sure the Polks are up to the task but I do think they sound better by themselves handling the bass duties as well rather than my sub par sub.
@mesch Thanks for your inputs so far. I did buy the book you mentioned on ebay for a substantially reduced price and have read quite a bit of it. So many things to learn! Not being able to go to a lot of different dealers to hear the differences in amp configurations ie. tube v SS or the single diode low watt amps and such is a hindrance for sure so lots and lots of reading for me over the winter. Haven't done any room treatments yet but will be investigated and deploying in near future. I mentioned my odd room config the other day. I have the polks toed in and they do provide a very nice sound stage. The other day listening when I knew there would be no distractions I was near Nirvana , my walls and speakers disappeared and I was enveloped in a field of music. My appetite has been whetted to know there is better. I can see where this could be a very expensive hobby. I'm a house painting contractor and while I keep busy money is not unlimited so I have to set some realistic sights. All of the help I am getting here is really appreciated as I know it will save me grief and dollars. I have been somewhat surprised no one has mentioned sub woofers. Do most listen in 2 chan only? I guess if their speakers are of high caliber they wouldn't need a sub except perhaps in a HT scheme. With the Tidal my sound quality has improved quite a bit already and can only imagine what it will be when I get the Node 2, fingers crossed this week. Thanks once again.
@flrun The Tidal subscription is 20 bucks a month. With it comes CD quality files PLUS MQA Hi Res for many albums. When I bought one album from HD Tracks, the 96kHz/24 bit I would spend between 18 and 27 per album.  If I were to buy 4 or 5 CDs per month I would hit that cost easily and when I think of even a couple hundred albums plus the time to rip them it is definitely more cost effective IMO. Plus it has the benefit of providing thousands of artist and their whole discography, live albums, compilations and collaborations. It's all very new to me but compared to doing it the old fashioned way as I was is like going from black and white TV to Universal Color.
So an update on my quest and question. I have decided to go with basically a whole system approach and still be able to use what I have. My Denon AVRX3500 is okay for HT but it really wasn't quite there for music. I am adding a Parasound Hint 6 Integrated to handle music duties for my 2.2 system and drive the mains when in HT realm. My speakers are being upgraded from the Polk Audio RTiA7s to B&W 606 S-2s. These will handle the treble and mids and will be integrated with a pair of REL T7is handling the bass. Temporarily I will be switching the Polks and making them my surround rears. My Denon is a 7 channel with 5 pre-outs, The Cinema Grand is a 5 channel amp. By using the Hint 6 for mains it leaves my Denon and Sunfire to drive 5 channels giving me the ability to have 7.2 for HT. Music source will be streaming through Bluesound Node 2 with an external DAC at some point in the future.

Any thoughts? Does this sound like the right route?