How would you prioirtize?


I have been following this forum for about a year now and it has definitely helped me improve the sound of my system without much expense.  I now find myself ready to step up and spend some money for the next few steps in my adventure.  I have come up with 4 areas that could help me rise to the next level.  I would like advice on which order you would take these steps.  I have ability to spend $2-$4k every 6-8 months.  
I currently love my system, but I can hear room for improvement.  With the right record, I can turn it up to around 100db and it blows me way.  Other records don't sound so great even at lower volumes.  I know that recordings differ, but the bass gets boomy and the details are lost far too often.  I can't help but feel that with improvements in my system all records would sound much better.  I want to widen that sweet-spot.  BTW I do clean my records, it's not pops, it's the richness, details and bass definition that is off on some recordings over others.

My system so far:
  • Turntable: Thorens TD:150 / original Kugel arm / DL 160 re-tipped by Sound Smith / on springs-maple board-springs.
  • Power: McIntosh MA 8900 / original power cable / orange fuse (it does make a difference)
  • Cable: Blue Jean 12
  • Speakers: Belle Klipsch / ALK Extreme Slope crossovers / Dynamat dampened / on Hardwood sprung floors away from side and back walls / toed-in.  My system has been build around these 70's era speakers.  I am emotionally attached to them, they have a great story.
  • Room:  25' x17' open space and lively / slanted ceilings / 3 windows on one long side / carpets and curtains.  Listening couch is 9' way from speakers, somewhat mid-room.
Below are the items on my list of improvements in no particular order:

  1. Source: a. Replace the arm on the current TT (AMG 9W2 is an easy swap I am told).  b. Replace the whole rig.  I have always wanted to have a Thorens TD-125 and I am in contact with Dave from Vinyl Nirvana.  Besides being the same vintage to my speakers it has a more easily swappable arm-board.  Arms on my list include Audiomod, Origin Live, Groovemaster, SME, Thomas Schick and a few others.  IMPORTANT:  I got ahead of myself and purchased a Sound Smith Zephyr MMIC that I would like to use on the next arm.  It was too good to pass up...
  2. Phono Pre:  I am most interested in Decware and Herron.  Decware would need a Step-up transformer for the Zephyr MMIC
  3. Isolation:  Solidsteel wall shelf for the TT.  Townsend speaker bars for the 18" x 29" base (I don't think they make podiums that big).  I was originally going to put them on Pavers, but I feel that I should go big after hearing reviews on the Townsend ability to isolate. (buy once buy well)
  4. Cables and other items:  Power cords, better speaker cable, other isolation, room treatment.
Thank you for your time and helping me wade through his information.

Eddie
128x128edgyhassle
Slow and steady, my kind of man. What you are talking about is pretty much what I have been doing off and on since like forever. But especially the last ten years or so. One or two great components a year and after a while.... https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 

You are already off to a great start. There really is no one next step or even set of next steps that are all that much better than any other. At least not that we can help you with. If there is something in your system you feel is relatively weaker, you are less happy with it or whatever, that would be the first to go. Other than that though, it is not like what some people think where you have to do speakers to hear anything else, or your amp is the weak link you won't hear anything until you fix that, this is all bunk. You already know it is bunk because you heard the fuse. Obviously your system and ears are good enough to appreciate that, they are good enough to appreciate everything else. 

Decware vs Herron is a tough call. I have Herron and love it, definitely a keeper. But it does use an op amp while the ZP3 is pure tubey magic. Hard to go wrong. I find that as more time goes by I am even more drawn to tubes and would lean Decware for that reason alone.  

I would for the same reason be looking to upgrade the Mac to Raven. But again if you are happy with your Mac then maybe save that for later. Besides, if you were to do the amp now you would probably go for a Blackhawk or Osprey. But if you were to wait for later after upgrading everything else you might well wind up like me setting your sights on a total end-game Raven Reflection.   

I would highly recommend Origin Live. Their arms just work, none of this BS worrying about compliance, cartridge matching, you can forget all that they just work and produce wonderful hard to believe an arm can make so much difference music.

But without knowing what you have that you feel is weak then the one step I can recommend that will be big value and work no matter what is what you already said, Townshend Podiums. And Pods. They also make a Platform, which is basically the damped shelf material similar to Podiums but with Pods underneath. They can make these to any size, just ask John Hannant he will hook you up. 

With those you probably want to start with the speakers, then turntable, then amp and other components. I am not big on wall racks for turntables but every situation is different. Whatever rack you use the Townshend will still work and be incredible. The stuff I was already using was very good, and some of it even cost more than Townshend, but Podiums and Pods are so much better it is hard to believe. 

Some of this stuff like Townshend you can get right away. Some like Decware you are looking at a couple months build time. Herron I think is about a month.  

Another thing I would do, in between the big components, add Synergistic HFT, ECT, PHT. The HFT will be a great improvement to the acoustics of your living space without making it look like a sound room the way acoustic panels do. You might not be able to do the full room treatment because of the layout but the speaker kits are impressive and work on all kinds of different speakers. PHT on a cartridge are almost like a whole cartridge upgrade. Townshend are of course like a whole new turntable!  

There is some other even better stuff, PM if you are interested in that I will hook you up. 

Couple years from now your system will be so much better it will be hard to comprehend. Exciting times!
I would look at room treatments first, given your open and lively room with an interesting shape and windows. If the addition of significant treatments is a problem, even some minor treatments would probably help.

After that, for better detail retrieval I'd probably upgrade the turntable and cartridge.

Also, hopefully you are normally listening to music around 75dB and not 100dB, to avoid permanent hearing damage.
Slow and steady, my kind of man.
I think that is a bit more than anyone cares to know....