Any advice on next upgrade?

Long time listener, first time caller...I'm thinking about my next upgrade to my system and was looking for some advice. Currently it consists of a Harmon Kardon 3770, Rega P3 (with Sumiko Olympia that I'll probably upgrade to a Moonstone is another year or so), old, most likely refurbished Advent speakers and Cardas 101 speaker cables. Budget is realistically only going to allow for about $1000 or less. My goal is to really "warm up" (for lack of a better term) the sound and I'm not sure if my next step is improving the speakers or the amp. I like the idea of having a receiver built in to the amp, but I'd be wiling to explore the idea of just the amp running the turntable. I do have an old Sherwood S-7900A Stereo / Dynaquad in my garage that needs to get fixed. But not sure if that's quite upgrade from my HK that i'm looking for. Also, if it's speakers, I need something that can sit close to the wall, as that's the space the room allows for it. Appreciate anyone who reads this far and has the patience to answer offer a rookie some input!

 

Well, if you're looking to warm things up, I'd get the Sherwood serviced. It's a classic! If you get that unit in tip top shape, it would definitely give you a warmer sound. And a more noticeable difference than if you moved from Olympia to Moonstone. What model of Advents?

 

Start with the room. Basic acoustic treatments are in order, if you don't have any.

 

I've been trying to figure out what model the speakers are, but it just says "The Advent Loudspeaker" on the back. I also think I will do the Sherwood first. Seems like the most economical thing to start with! Just worried, because I've had it repaired a couple of times and something kept popping and burning. A fuse? I have a new guy I found locally to take it to and he also said it's a solid piece of equipment.

 

Room adjustments will be tough. It's our living room and not a dedicated listening room and there's no real easy way to place the speakers. We've thought of getting smaller speakers and possibly hanging them. Again, trying to sort out how that wiring would go without having it climbing walls like a vine! All that said, you're probably right, that if I had someone who knew what they were doing come in, they could probably show me something I don't see.

 

Of course you have to get your equipment sorted out first. No to the smaller speakers. Yes you'd need to look out for front-ported. speakers, but you'd still have to situate the front baffle 1 or 2¨ from the wall. Do the Advents sound harsh to you ? Don't try any Klipsch then

 

I actually had a pair of small Klipsch stolen from me about 15 years ago that were my college speakers from 15 years before that and I've missed them ever since. Had similar Klipsch replacements and they were not even close to being as good. They were replaced with a decent pair of Polks that I like on a different system. The Advents don't sound harsh, and the more I talk it out (thank you for indulging me!) I've been looking at Wharfdale Dentons, as I've read that English brands in general, tend to have that "warmer" sound and feel.

I think for now, I need to get that Sherwood serviced and see how the sound changes. The last time i used it, was with an old Technics SL23 that doesn't sound anywhere near as good as this Rega P3. I also think the Sherwood never had a proper repair, so hopefully, this new one will be the third times the charm! But i do look in envy at anything with a tube, even if i really don't understand any of it!

 

Those are great for laid back sound man; go for them ! Bet you'll love you restored Sherwood. Why buy new when you can restore something that sounds lovely for so much less money, right ? That's exactly my policy; am having my vintage Pioneer restored myself as I type. It's in the shop for a total overhaul. I'd love a modern one but can't afford the quality I'd want to, so restored vintage is the way to go. Never owned an amp newer than a 1982 model TBH.

 

Maybe a power amplifier, this is the upgrade that surprised me the most. Rega P3 is pure class as is so I wouldn't bother upgrading.

 

Yeah! No upgrade for the turntable for many years. Think I'm gonna get the Sherwood tidied up and then move up on the speakers. I've never had a straight amplifier so that will continue to intrigue me until I actually get one home. I know there's some good ones that won't require a lotto win, so I'm sniffing around those too.

 

Receivers are amps with a built-in tuner. A good-sounding win starts at well over 1000 bucks, so I'd keep your fully restored Sherwood. Bet it sounds better than an Outlaw.

 

I'd strongly suggest your next upgrade be the book Get Better Sound by Jim Smith. It's loaded with tips for optimizing your system, your room, your speaker placement, etc.

Not nearly as fun as buying new gear, but definitely recommended. I implemented many of Jim's tips - most of them free - and was surprised by the improvements.

 

Excellent! Thank you so much for that recommendation. I'll order that book pronto! I hope I do a better job reading that the other stack of books i have waiting for me!

 

Have you tried playing with your tone controls? That's what they are there for.

 

Plus one for the book. There's tons of great stuff in there.

 

Indeed I have. But I'm looking for that more analog sound, that I'm not sure my current HK is capable of.

 

What is an analog sound, in your opinion? Using the tone controls doesn't make your stuff less analog. Warmer sound is just a little off the treble or a little more bass for many. Easy peasy.

 

If you want to get out of the "consumer electronics" level of product (old, no less, which means issues, whether in the nature of refurbishment or not worth sinking money into), think in terms of components. I remember the Sherwoods- I sold them when I dropped out of college for a semester back in the early '70s. Yeah, they sounded good for transistorized electronics from the period, but is that really an upgrade or simply a different "color" on the sound and, at what expense? (If you could get it fully serviced on the cheap, why not, but my suspicion is, this will cost you money to get to 1972 sound quality).
I ran stacked Advents with a Phase Linear 700A back in 1973, so I'm familiar with the Advents. They were more involving than the comparable (and more expensive) speakers from AR and KLH at the time. But, they are dated in many ways.
Not that I'm against old fashioned sound. I have a vintage system, using Quad Loudspeakers (aka 57) using period amps (circa 1961) with good glass and similar high quality vintage equipment, some of which is expensive now, simply for collector/market value.
Do what audiophiles have done since the beginning of time. Upgrade gradually but go up a notch in gear quality to separates. As to speakers, there are so many choices today, I'd suggest doing a listening tour. At the end of the day, you may spend more than 1k dollars cumulatively but if spread out over time, with a decent path in mind for where you want to be, I think your money will be better spent.
I've come full circle and have a very special main system with a solid period vintage system that are both well assembled and maximize what the individual components deliver. This enables me to enjoy a vantage point where I don't have any agenda or need to fulfill in making recommendations to you (though I'll admit being partial to complex horn systems, SET and minimal electronics of the tube variety).
If you are young-ish and have the time to do this gradually, you'll buy components you can keep and use as a basis for an altogether improved system.
If you have little interest in the gear beyond getting something that works to your satisfaction, without spending money, you may be in a tight spot if refurbishing the old Sherwood is costly and still doesn't deliver.