Realism in instruments how to achieve it?

@zlone I'm using a Roon/HQPlayer on mac mini as my server, your observation is correct, I have been upgrading the equipment and feel maybe upgrading the speakers in the future is the correct path. DAC will upgrade hopefully next few months.

I just placed an order yesterday for SVS 3000 Micro sub to upgrade the Elac1010 that was a long overdue upgrade and return policy is great so no worries if it doesn't work.

@einsteindisguised Thanks for the kind words! I consider the BAT one of the best purchases I ever made, I didn’t also get why people use xlr but now I want to use it on every equipment. I tube rolled the JJ that came with it to NOS soviet 6N23P and 6V6 to 6P6s and I got why tube rolling is a thing it’s a knob tweak that you can use to tailor the sound to your liking. Now, regarding the tube power amp this is the first thing I considered and almost got a Cary Audio CAD 808 for great pricing but knew it was a bad decision at the moment as my room is small and even though the preamp doesn’t emit a ton of heat I hear music over 8-10 hours a day. In the future hopefully first thing to get in a bigger room a SET amp, I’m sold on all tube system frankly. I went for a subwoofer upgrade at the moment SVS 3000 Micro, hopefull it delivers.

@dogearedaudio I know what you mean by vintage amps, I own a Sansui 4000 receiver and until one of the channels went bazoka it sounded like nothing else, best mids I ever heard and was so powerful, on my list to restore it in the future and use it in a second system.

@sheri2022 I keep reading wonderful things about that Sansui.  IMO the answer to a more realistic-sounding system, in terms of a truly enjoyable presentation of music (as opposed to reproducing concert-hall levels, of course) is not about chasing power or size, but choosing components designed by people who understand what real music should sound like.  I enjoyed this podcast from 2023.  I think Justin Weber has a very good take on power vs. musical pleasure:

https://pt.audio/2023/03/13/5-things-to-consider-when-buying-a-tube-amplifier/?amp

I especially got a kick out of his comments about single-ended amplification.  I think he hits the nail on the head. 

I had mid-7th row seats at the Houston Symphony for 15 years and my sister is a concert organist whom I've recorded many times.  I've been to too many concerts and events, large and small, to count, and I can tell you it doesn't require huge bucks to get the sound of an instrument or ensemble into your listening space.  That is, provided you take care of it and appreciate its essence.  That doesn't mean you can recreate the actual instrument or ensemble in your space.  You can't.  No one can.  But you can still get the weight of an orchestra or the wood of a cello into your house.  It requires foresight and a willingness to find the right price point.  It also takes time.  I've had BAT stuff and it's great.  I've built my own gear and it is too.  My open baffle speakers were lights out, but the KEF floorstanders I have now are clean and revealing and don't cost megabucks.  A lot of this brouhaha is hype.  Really good equipment is out there, you can get a sense of the instruments in your own place, and it's fun to get there.  As an afterthought, don't minimize the importance of cleaning up your powerline.  That, and pay attention to manufacturers who've been responsible for decades.  Like I said, it's fun.  Don't make it into some sort of competition.