2. analog
  3. 1364597588

What to upgrade if at all

I have a TT system and a budget of $2000 cdn available for upgrades. I like 60s, 70s and 80s rock and pop. I listen to mainly vocal, male and female pop and rock. I also listen to digital: computer, SACD, CD using a Modwright Oppo 95 through my current system and am happy to make no changes to digital system:

I don't have any complaints about the analogue setup but just wonder if I can get more of a 'wow' factor by....upgrading TT, tonearm cable, tonearm, phono,power cords, room treatment? For a 2000 budget, where would you suggest I start?

Avid Diva II SP TT
Nordost Tyr tonearm Cable
SME IV arm with a Benz Micro ACE S cartridge
Allnic 1201 Phono
Modwright LS 100 preamp
Modwright KWI 150SE power amp
Trenner & Friedl ART speakers on
Custom Design FS 104 stands
Usher component rack
JPS Aluminata RCA IC from phono to preamp
Antipodes Reference cable between preamp and power amp
Antipodes Reference speaker cable with Bybee speaker bullets
PS Audio P5 regenerator on Nordost titanium kones
Power cables: JPS Analogue, Power AC, Kaptovator x2 and Black Sand Violet MKIIx2

Thanks in advance for the suggestions,
Happy Listening
lleall
manitunc
795 posts
 
Lyra Delos or kleos. Great cartridges within your budget
mosin
410 posts
 
Roscoeiii said,
"IIRC, that Allnic phono stage has the Allnic SUTs internally already. Just read a great review of it at Dagogo."

Great! He's halfway there. It would be a shame not to try that combination.
lleall OP
17 posts
 
thank you, everyone for the suggestions.
I will keep a lookout for Lyra Delos/Kleos on the resale market.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas
12,760 posts
 
Dear Lleall: There are a lot of land to make improvements in your audio system that can fulfil in a better way your music/sound priorities and you said that the kind of music you like to enjoy is rock/pop that in many ways has high demands from an audio system.

You can change your cartridge for a better one and then you could have a better quality sound but the cartridge signal will be reproduced as good as how that cartridge signal was/is surrounded. IMHO for you really can appreciate in full what any cartridge has to shows you need first rate audio links over your audio system. So, I don't recomend to go to a cartridge change but before improve some links in your audio chanin.

You like rock and even that your speakers are really good are limited on its frequency range and you mated it with tube electronic amplifier that IMHO is not the best way to go. No, I don't want that you change your amp but something that could help a lot to those very good speakers and to your amp too.

If I was you my first move will be to add in full stereo fashion a pair of active subwoofers crossed to 80hz to liberate the speakers/amp from 80hz and down. This sole move will improve the main speakers/amp quality performance level in many ways ( you will be surprised on the kind of improvement. ) and in the other side now you will have a full range audio system with the best bass management you can get and IMHO is in the bass management where reside the foundation on any home audio system. As better that system bass management as better the whole audio system quality performance level.

Here you can read something about:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1117893153&openflup&27&4#27

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1117893153&openflup&31&4#31

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1117893153&openflup&84&4#84

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.
will_herrera
40 posts
 
Lyra Delos cartridge!
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