1. Home
  2. misc-audio
  3. 196082-209122

Upgrade path

I’m very new to the hobby. In the past I’ve had home theater dedicated speakers, Sonos, various Bluetooth speakers, AirPods. This past summer I stopped by a hifi shop out of curiosity and the step up from what I was familiar with was huge. Here is what I ended up with: ProAc D2Rs (arriving soon - using borrowed Totem Signature One’s in the meantime), Naim Uniti Star, Technics SL-1210GR2, Rega Fono MM Mk 5, Audio-Technica VM540ML. The room is 15” x 20”, 9” ceilings. 

The temptation to start swapping stuff out is already strong, but I’m wary of tinkering without some long term plan (that’s already the second phono stage). So, what do people think is the most impactful change I could make? Add subs? A more powerful amp? Floorstanders? Have I already entered the world of small incremental improvements? 
 

 

rskey
paradisecom
504 posts
 

That’s a nice system as it is, for sure. The biggest improvement at this point would be to add a sub or a pair of subs.  If you go with the pair of subs, they can be challenging to set up properly and since you’re new to the hobby, I’d suggest having your local dealer set them up for you to make life much easier. 

sls883
1,058 posts
 

Do you plan to listen to vinyl much?  I really don't, but if you do, a better cartridge and phono preamp would make a noticeable difference. I haven't heard your cartridge or phono preamp, but I had a mm cartridge and phono stage that was probably equal to yours, or better, and went to a Hana ML moving coil cartridge and a Sutherland TZ Vibe phono stage. The difference was big.  Kinda of a waste because I don't play records much. Lol

Your Naim has most everything built-in, so if it all sounds good, I think a pair of good subs would be very beneficial.  I use a pair with full range speakers.  It's not all about playing lots of low bass. 

What did you get for speaker cables?

Your room is pretty big. How are the acoustics?  Are you on a wood floor or concrete?  Do you have carpet and padded furniture?  

rskey OP
5 posts
 

I take the point about integrating subs as a newb. I also bought gear for another, more acoustically challenging room (Super Lintons and a NAD C 3050). The built-in Dirac functionality was dead simple to implement. But I didn’t want to be wedded to Class D amps. The room with Naim et al. is carpeted and furnished with a big sectional.  Speaker cables are NAC A5 (Naim). 

More to discover