Where should I Go Next?
I have built what I believe to be a decent system for the amount I can afford. Here's the list:
Luxman L-509Z Integrated Amp
VPI Prime Turntable with a Hana Umami Blue Cartridge.
Focal Aria Evo X No. 2 speakers
Sutherland 20/20 phono preamp
Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Streamer
Furman Elite-15 PFi Linear Filtering Power Supply
A mix of SKW and Viborg power cables
Blue Jeans speaker cables with Canare 4S11 cable
WBC pro Quad Balanced XLR cable for the streamer
WBC Gotham GAC-4/1 with Amphenol RCA connectors for the turntable and phono preamp
I'm a little concerned about diminishing returns on the cabling...
I'm quite happy with the system, however I'm wondering if upgrading my cabling would make a noticeable difference.
I don't stream much at all. I listen to vinyl 90% of the time. Occasionally I listen to CDs. I have a Panasonic DP-UB9000P1K for that. I just upgraded the speakers from a set of Q-Acoustic bookshelf' speakers. The Focals sound amazing with the Luxman and I can't afford anything more expensive for some time. |
You have a great system--mine is very similar to yours. I'm in the process of 'tweaking' my system as well. I agree with @thriftyaudio with regards to separating the streamer with a separate DAC. I've seen some good results with my system with some upgrades in various cables. BTW, how's the Furman Elite? I'm actually looking into different power conditioners. |
Note that sometimes more drivers are not the best solution so don’t avoid two driver speakers. Quality over quantity. After you’re done sorting out the speakers, move to a tube phono amp. Sutherland amps are fine–detailed yet two dimensional and lacking soul–but next level musicality will come from tubes. Look at the new Manley Labs Oasis or used Chinooks, ModWright, Hagerman, as a starting point. |
