Ideas on how to improve setup please


Hi guys -- it's been awhile since I last checked in here as I've been using the same setup for a few years now and was wondering what suggestions I could get for improving the overall sound quality on my system. I think my best options may be to get the Blue Ortofon and KT88s - but wanted to see if there are any more thoughts on this or my wires and/or anything else. All components of my setup listed below:

Totem Staaf speakers
PrimaLuna ProLogue Classic Integrated (w/EL34s)
Bluesound Node 2
Pro-Ject Carbon Espirit  (with Red Ortofon)
Cambridge Audio Azur 651P Moving Magnet MM Moving Coil MC Phono Preamp
Affinity™ Premium 12AWG Hi-Fi Speaker Cable with Solid Brass Interchangeable Terminals
Premium 2 RCA Plug/2 RCA Plug M/M 22AWG Cable

Any questions/clarifications please let me know -- thanks very much for your time!

Matt
mrmittens
Plenty of room for massive improvements with better wire. All of it. Your speaker "cable" is basically fancy hookup wire. Ditto your "interconnects"- yikes! Are you still using freebie rubber power cords?! ANYTHING will be a massive improvement. Over all of it. All that "awg" stuff is a waste. Real quality wire is every bit as important and every bit as worthy of serious investment as any other component in your system.

The latest bargain value may be something like Black Cat, but that's just based on some reliable guys here never tried em myself. But like I said, anything will be massively better. Not baby steps. Like every bit as big as going from some dirt cheap amp to your Prima Luna.  

Another big one, especially high value for money, is to get all your components especially the speakers and integrated on springs. The best are Townshend Pods. https://www.audiogon.com/products/townshend-audio-seismic-isolation-pods  Expensive but worth every penny. Another option still very good, not nearly as good as Pods but crazy good for the money are Nobsound springs. https://www.amazon.com/Nobsound-Aluminum-Speakers-Isolation-Amplifiers/dp/B07K9ZYP84/ref=pd_sim_1?pd... 

I have both in my system, and have tried a lot of other stuff over the years. Townshend is easily the best, while Nobsound is not that level but way better than you would ever expect for the price, and beats a lot of much more expensive footers.

Once you get quality cables then it will be worth using something like Cable Elevators to get them up off the floor. Probably hard to hear the difference now but after doing the stuff above your system will be so much more clear and detailed and natural sounding you won't believe it, and then the difference the Cable Elevators make will be obvious. People are amazed when they hear the difference in my system. Read Deborah's comments on my System page https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 

There's more great ideas on my system page- Synergistic Research PHT, ECT, HFT, all will make a huge improvement. Outlets, sand box for the turntable, acoustic panels for the room, check it out. Do all this stuff and you will not believe how good your system will sound!
Ok this is awesome — thank you so much for the response, I really struggled trying to figure out speaker cables/wires when I set this up and read a wirecutter article saying they weren’t worth investing too much in so thought I had it covered (this is the article: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-speaker-cable/amp/ ) ...Excuse my ignorance but could you give me an exact link for the speaker cable you would suggest for my setup? If Black Cat or some other brand have something on Amazon that would be great, otherwise any place will do. Thank you so much for the help here, I had a feeling my wires were not great — just no idea what to replace it with.

The pods sound awesome too — will definitely look to get something to support my speakers, thanks very much for the links there.

Really great stuff, may hold off on the blue ortofon and larger tubes until I get these other pieces you mention in place first.

Thanks!!

Matt