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What is the weak point in my system?

Help!  My system is 4 years old.  I have a BluesSound Vault 2 streamer (with all of my CD quality music) into a Chord Quetest D/A converter.  My amplifier is a Parasound A21+ driving Vandersteen Treo CTs.  All my cords and cabling cabling are  AudioQuest.  Then there's the preamp.

My Rogue RP-7 had an upper midrange glare so I swapped out the 4 tubes for warmer NOS Mullards.  That solved the problem.

Then I upgraded it to an RP-7 V2.  Even with the Mullards, the midrange glare was back and with a tilted up frequency response thinning it out robbing voices of any chest.  But, it was much more dynamic with greater 3-D imaging and transparency.  

So I bought a used Audio Research LS27 line stage (from 2010).  The midrange glare is gone (except at high volume levels) and the frequency response is much more neutral.  But compared to the RP-7 V2, it's a little foggy without the transparent 3-D or dynamics.

Posters here say there is not much difference in the sound of streamers, so what do you think is happening?

 

allstar
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
6,049 posts
 

+1 @kofibaffour  If you don't troubleshoot your room first, you may be on a long, expensive, fruitless journey.

zlone
1,397 posts
 

There might be other issues, but I will focus on the digital side. How are you connecting the Vault to the Qutest? Have you ever tried a different DAC? Streamers do matter, but it might not be the first thing I would try.

ricred1
2,148 posts
 

"Posters here say there is not much difference in the sound of streamers, so what do you think is happening."

Based on listening to several DACs and music servers/streamers in my system, that hasn't been my experience. Try listening to components in your own system and let your own ears decide.

fastfreight
1,303 posts
 

The streamer absolutely matters.

bassbuyer's avatar
bassbuyer
918 posts
 

Agree that the streamer matters.  I upgraded from a Blusound Node N130 to an Innuos Zen MK3 and the sound difference in my DAC was noticeable.  The source is second in importance after the speakers in my experience.  

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