Seeking help finding the weak link(s) in my system and offering suggestions please.


Hi! I recently paid a visit to a local audio salon and listened to a system that was so good I was "moved". However, I could never afford the price of entry to realize this kind of sound reproduction. I have spent the last couple of years assembling a system I could afford, focusing on components I felt were the best bang for the buck. I'm not trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, however with your help I am hoping to find where I may have a weak link or two. My budget makes this a challenge as I have only about 1K to invest. Thank you to all those in advance for your suggestions, my system is listed below. One more item, about 90% of my listening is Qobuz streaming.

System:
Dedicated/Isolated 20Amp AC source with PS Audio outlet.
Furman AC power conditioning.
Nordost Magus Power cords for source equipment and Kimber PK10 for Amp.
Ethernet cables all CAT7.
Kimber Silver Streak both balanced and SE throughout.
Speaker cables are Blue-Jeans 10AWG White - two 15' pair.
USB cable from PC to streamer is Audio Adviser Pangea SE 2 meter.
Canare/Have digital 1.5M coax from transport to Streamer.
Krell Vanguard Integrated Amp.
Cambridge Audio AZURE 851N Streamer/DAC.
Sonus Faber Electa monitors.
Sunfire HRS series subwoofer.
Sony SCD2000ES Transport/SACD player.
Luxman T117 Tuner (Best sounding component)?

Again, I appreciate your kind assistance, I am really looking forward to responses!

GRM

grm
Another question-
What were the components of the system you liked?
And, where are you located?
Bob
Great system!  Get off the merry-go-round and just enjoy the music for a while.
Very nice system with carefully selected elements.  If I were to choose a weak spot that would truly affect the musicality (cleanness, clarity, detail) would be the Blue Jeans White speaker cables.  Perhaps you could look on the used market for a pair of 15 foot cables constructed with higher quality conductors.  In years of trials including purchasing cables that disappointed me, the conclusion I reached is that conductor Quality really makes the difference in speaker cables.  Shoot for ultra pure copper or even better, silver if you can score a super deal.  Good luck!
That's it? That's everything? Nothing up your sleeve??

Okay so its pretty easy then. You've simply made the same mistake as almost everyone else, and put all your money in big-box components, none in tweaks. Spend your $1k on as much Synergistic Research as you can.

Two HFT Speaker Kits and one set of HFT for the walls will run you right at $1k. You mention being "moved" that is just what you'll get. Your system and speakers will disappear, far more than with any of the other things you've done, and they won't change your overall sound character except to make what you have deeper, wider, more extended and detailed yet with a slightly more relaxed melt into it vibe in spite of the increased presence and dynamics. Search around for the threads you'll see guys like me and Pritchard and some others, everyone who has this stuff raves about it.

Or if for some reason you don't want to try those, then ECT yield very similar results only instead of the walls these go directly on the components. I started with PHT (phono) and ECT, and found they work amazingly well on everything from tube amp to turntable to phono stage to even the laptop I watch movies on. One ECT improves video about equivalent to going from 180i to 4K. Yeah and the sound gets better at the same time too.

Yet right away guys like Pritchard were after me telling everyone to start with HFT. Honestly hard to say it really matters, they are all the same only different. And they are all additive. More and more only gets better and better. I've got two sets on the walls, set on each speaker, Wide Angle HFT, HFTX, three sets of ECT, set of PHT, Blue Quantum Fuse in everything, and plan on upgrading to Orange soon.

You want to be moved, just do it. Huge, huge value for the money.
Hello to all,

The demo system I listened to was top-of-the-line McIntosh and B&W speakers all wired up with AQ IC's and Speaker cables. In terms of what I heard that moved me, it was like the artists were right there in the same room with me, each in their respective places with absolutely no veil over the sound as I have this problem in my system. The SQ out of the demo system raised the hairs on the back of my neck, I have never heard sound produced like this before, it actually touched me at an emotional level.
All of the above suggestions are excellent - thank you! I do think I set my budget to low on the speaker cables, problem is the good ones are quite expensive. DSP room correction I have heard does some amazing things to your system, but I have no idea who makes such devices, can anyone help with this? As far as Synergistic Research goes, I'll check into it. Thanks again everybody. Please keep this going!