Upgrade


Hello,
I own the below system and I am looking for an improvement by upgrading one of the components (budget $2000-3000).

-Graham Audio LS5/8 (large BBC studio monitor speakers)
-Analysis Plus Oval 9 speaker cables
-Mark Levinson ML 23.5 power amp (completely recapped by Madrigal technician)
-Audio Research LS 5 MKII preamp (restored and new tubes)
-VPI Prime turntable with -Dynavector 20x2 H cartridge
-Parasound JC3+ phonostage

Quite standard power cords and interconnects, no power conditioner.

What change would make a significant difference? Larger soundstage, more liquid, open sound without loosing the dynamic punch?

Thank you for your time and I would appreciate any ideas.
bms72
Thank you all!!
I will try different power cords, IC’s and isolators first, before changing any of the other components. Thanks again for all your suggestions
bms72, sorry that I am late to the game. You have a nice system. Power cords and isolators are not going to do much. But what will make a significant difference is a new tonearm. I believe you have a unipivot arm on that turntable. Unipivot arms have to many degrees of freedom, they are floppy and hard to keep perfectly aligned. Several cartridge manufacturers such as Lyra recommend against using them. They are particularly bad with medium to low compliance moving coil cartridges such as yours. Moving to an arm with fixed bearings will for certain improve bass and dynamics and may well improve other areas. Look at Origin Live, Kuzma, Reed and many others. VPI also now makes an arm with gimbal  pivots which might be a direct replacement. 
Thanks mijostin. I am certainly not an expert when it comes to tonarms... but I m actually pretty satisfied with the bass and dynamics in my system. My current MC cartridge is a Dynavector 20x2H (high output). 

I am looking for a larger more open soundstage, more liquid, but without loosing the punch. The ML 23.5 does pretty well with my Graham speakers, even though they only go down to 40hz. 
You have gotten alot of different opinions but this is where I would start.  First play with the placement of your speakers.  Sometimes if you find the perfect spot in your room the soundstage will open up and your speakers will deliver what you are looking for.  Next I would look at the platform you have your turntable on.  I have a top notch table but it really improved with a 3" maple platform underneath it.  Cost about $300.

Look at a $1,500 - $2,000 lomc.  That along with better vibration management of your VPI will maximize your front end and possibly astonish you.  

I know nothing about your cables but the attention to your source is where I would start.  



My experience was jaw dropping when I added a high quality platform system for my turntable.  The definition of bass, particularly on musical passages that had repetitive kick-drum beats, was a revelation.  Anything with impact became so much more well defined and audible.  My soundstage and imaging was always very good.  But with the new platform system it all became even wider and deeper.  I chose the Symposium Acoustics Segue ISO Platform combined with the Rollerblock Jr. and the upgraded balls of tungsten carbide.  While that type of upgrade may not be what you are seeking at this moment, trust, at some point if you make that upgrade to your system you will be amazed at the experience and very happy with the investment.  By that time I had already made numerous cable upgrades for signal and AC.  Each and every one of those upgrades made a difference so I do recommend doing so.  Adding the Segue ISO with the RBJRs was like having made an entirely new component upgrade to the system, and for a fraction of the price.  Retail is $550 to $650 for that setup, depending on which size of platform that your turntable would require.

Enjoy the fun.