Tell me about your next upgrade?

Hello folks

That's right i have gone through the components in an audio system but now you can tell me what you plan to do as far as your system goes.

By all means talk about anything & yes Computer Audio fans talk about your plans.

Please respect each other opinions & if we could avoid "wally" responses that would be appreciated.

Speak from the heart & don't be too thrown buy what some jorno has said (sorry if this upsets anyone who has coloured their CDs with a felt pen!)

 

Emotiva XMC-1

 

I might get me a new external PSU for my Project Tube Box DS phonostage. Problem is it's not out yet!!

 

Geek out 450 USB DAC/Amp for cleaning up vinyl rips....was using the "high definition" one in the laptop, lousy to say the least.

USB Gen 2 card for my Bifrost DAC at work....I can then downsize the tower PC into a ultra slim model.

Going to try a MSB Powerbase power supply I have for my Alchemy Vac-In-The-Box phono preamp I use at work. Seems like it will work just fine!

Also working out where and when to send my Fisher 400 for refurbishing. Contemplating a couple local options and kits (from Ebay) for it.

 

I recently set up my Thorens Td-124/Schick tonearm for mono only. I already have the Miyajima Zero cartridge but a Miyajima mono SUT and a Tektron mono phone pre should be in my hands within the next week or so. Can't wait!

 

Have I missed the 'Tell me about Equalisers, Power Conditioning, Cables, Racks, Isolation Gear, Room Treatment, Soup...... threads?

I'm working on isolation at the moment. I've decided on feet (Symposium Rollerblock Juniors) and will be checking out Symposium Svelte Shelves under speakers and gear.

 

Always good to have a roadmap.

I'm trying to decide between two routes:

1. Adding SimAudio Moon 320s power supply for my phone stage, then a power regenerator, then new power cables. I almost pulled the trigger on the 320s yesterday, but decided to think a little longer about option 2.
2. Getting a KLAudio ultrasonic record cleaner. This seems like an absolute "nice-to-have" since I already have a NittyGritty. However, my new Lyra Delos is a lot more revealing including surface noise. I've had a few demos of the KLAudio and it's pretty awesome. Took a "clean" record from my Nitty Gritty, listened to it. Then listened again after running it through the KLAudio. It was noticeably better. Maybe more importantly, sometimes I'm just too lazy to clean records.

The price point of the KLAudio is what gives me pause. It's selling for $3,500 these days and I can do ALL of my #1 for that price. Plus, if I go the first route, I can add each in stages. Hard for me to justify the KLAudio price tag to myself right now, but I'm going to save up for now and think about it later.

 

New cartridge Clearaudio Stradivari, don't know when, because I spend a lot on new records

 

New cartridge, either a Nagaoka 500 or Grado Sonata. Funds have been a little tight as of late though.

 

Waiting on better tubes for my phono stage right now.

As I go along I'll be replacing near all resistors and some of the caps in the PS also, I also still need to replace the cheap gold plated brass input sockets and speaker binding posts in my main amp.

Beyond that, power regulation and better power cords will be addressed. I would have room treatment at the near the top of this, but being a renter in share, I would be taking over the living room too much so I,m stuck on that part

 

I always hope that my previous upgrade was the last one and that there'll be no next upgrade whatsoever.

I know I'm only fooling myself. There will be a next upgrade as sure as there is tomorrow - maybe even surer. But I'm most certainly not planning anything at the moment.

 

Thinking about a Rega TT PSU or Groovetracer subplatter for my P5 to see what those are all about. Probably the Groovetracer first of the two.

But, also thinking about converting the dedicated CX race bike to more of a gravel grinder race/ride machine, so might be ditching the 1x10 setup and going to more traditional 2x10 gearing, probably running a CX 36/46. So I'll need a new left hand SRAM shifter and a new crankset/bottom bracket (pickup up a Force FD off eBay for $25 a while ago). That might come first.

 

Everytime I have a few bucks to spare I purchase an NOS vacuum tube mostly 12ax7.
Im pretty happy but im stuck on what to get (component wise) without selling my house. I bought many Shunyata power cables and time to get another HC cable and/or Shunyata Defender Conditioner.
Amplifier/Pre Amp, Speakers, these are ones I might want to get WITHOUT getting rid of what I have 'cause they are great. The previous sentence informs me that I might be done unless I come into money and thats doubtful.

P.S. I was kicked off the website and when I got back on typing my password my reply was still intact. Your website is excellent as I knew but this convienent. John M.

 

Amp - a decware to the line magnetic 518ia
Phonostage - jolida jd9 to something not sure yet
Cartridge - Grado to EMT tsd15 or Dynavector
Cables - to auditorium 23
Hopefully I'll be close to done with my system that I can live with for the next fifteen to twenty years, with the exception of replacing tubes and stylus and etc. This stuff is expensive.

 

Just bought an integrated amp so I'm in saving mode, but in doesn't hurt to have a plan:

• New cartridge. I'd like a Denon 103 but that means buying a SUT and I'm not sure if the arms on my Music Hall MMF7 or Empire 598 are well matched to it. Maybe an Audio Note IQ-1.
• OR a whole new turntable with arm and cartridge like a Rega RP6 with Exact 2.
• OR upgrade my cd player, I really like the modified Sony Playstation but it is ugly. The Line Magnetic LM-215CD looks interesting.
• OR a DAC for my Rega Planet - a Rega or MHDT.
• OR Sony HAP-Z1ES digital file player.
• OR upgrade my USB DACs (Audioquest Dragonfly and a Schiit Modi) to a Halide HD or since I do have some DSD files an iFi iDSD Nano or a Mytek or a Concero.
• OR an upgraded power supply for my TPA3110 and TPA3118 amps.
• OR desktop spkrs: Audioengine or Vanatoo or Fujitsu TD-M1 or Audience The One.
• OR new interconnects and speaker wire.
• OR I've always wanted a tube preamp and a vintage tube tuner.
• OR I'm curious about other speakers like AN-Ks and Tonian TL-D1s and WGA Ikonoklasts.

There I've got a plan, unless I see something else.

 

Clearaudio Concept turntable with Ortofon Black cart. That leaves my Technics MKII turntable and my Shure M97xe/JICO SAS stylus and Ortofon Bronze on the Technics and a much higher end table and cart to play with my brand new 180 g records

 

Down the road a used Linn Lingo.

 

I have a lot of 45 RPM LPs so the PSU has been pretty useful

 

More records.

 

I just read your equipment profile. Fair enough you have done it.

 

I'm definitely upgrading to a new amp, preamp (possibly with DAC and phono, if not then a separate phono preamp) cables (speakers, between amp + preamp, and digital cable) and possibly a new turntable.

 

Thanks. There's always a bigger, better, richer, faster, nicer looking..... I'm having such a good time listening to crazy UK psych records from the late 60's right now, it's worth every dollar spent on gear. Yeah, things don't always work as expected, you gotta do a little tweaking or troubleshooting sometimes, stuff improves forcing upgrades (or just wears out, like phono cartridges) , but once you get your gear sorted to whatever level you are good with, it's nice not to obsess over the gear and just crank the thing up and enjoy what you've spent so much time, energy and money on. I'm listening to this self-titled Patto album right now, it is just insanely fun.

 

basic analog upgrade-
a phono stage with tubes - jolida or pro-ject DS
turntable- either rega rp3 or music hall mf 5.1 or vintage thorens
cartrige either dynavector 10x5 or ortofon bronze
my Christamas present.

 

Actually, my next upgrade is most definitely going to be my biggest ever... Very good chance I'll be upgrading my entire house.

We're thinking of getting out of San Francisco so we can get a real house. Looking at relocating to Portland or Seattle since our dollars will go a lot further, but we may end up somewhere else in the Bay Area. Number one criteria is at least one suitable listening room. I'm immediately passing on anything that looks like an acoustic nightmare.

 

Likely pre-amp related and it's going to hurt. Started with a speaker upgrade and away we went....madness. MADNESS!!!!

D.D.