Most eye-opening upgrade and what you learned

Definitely the most eye opening experience I've had in this hobby was upgrading to my first quality analog rig (Goldmund Studio, Graham tonearm, Koetsu cartridge) from an old Audio Technica. It was as if I had found the music, not just the notes.

Going from ss to valves

Welcome to the 'Gon Judit. I had the same experience as Nilthepill. I picked up a pair of Mirage MRM-1 Reference Monitors and tried them all over my listening room. Then I finally read the owner's manual after about a month of experimenting. The factory suggested "rule of thirds" put them in a near field listening position. All the room anomalies dissappeared. Soundstage went deep and wide. I now describe my listening experience as "headphone-like." Honestly, my system has never sounded better than in near field. Good luck. Erik

Kelly what a small world...
I'm about to embark upon the same ear-opening experience that you have already journeyed through years ago, that being analog upgrade. Recall my recent email reply to you (about being side-tracked) when I spotted & jumped upon a good turntable deal, which I'm still working on. I've had an older directdrive linear arm TT for years but I always knew something was amiss with the setup because the CD player sounds much better. Well I'm now doing something about that situation & this analog rig could well have belonged to you in the past? Yes it's the VPI HW19MK4 with a Grado Signature arm & the "analog survival kit" platter mat & arm wrap. It came with an older Grado cart. but I just ordered a Grado Statement Reference (the low output wood body model) & an Arcici Airhead platform. Also coming is a DB protractor, HFNRR test record, R.R.L. LP9, etc. I can't wait to get this rig going & hear some real analog at long last. Of course, any hints, tips, or experiences that you may wish to share will be most welcome & appreciated.

There are innumerable, outrageously expensive tweaks and cables available to choose from. In my experience, none are the panacea that some would suggest. The first step is to experiment with placement of your speakers, as this simple adjustment can make an incredible impact on the sound. Make sure your speakers are on a solid footing, preferrably with spikes. Energy expended by the speaker drivers is wasted as distortion of the sound. Make sure your electronics are on a stable platform that is not subject to movement or excessive vibration. This doesn't mean that you have to spend thousands of dollars on a rack made of exotic materials and specialized isolation tweaks. As for power conditioning, having an electrician install a dedicated circuit (20 amp, 10 gauge romex with a hospital grade outlet) for your audio equipment for a few hundred dollars is better than any exotic power cord or line conditioner. Clean the contacts on your cables with Kontak or Radio Shack electronic contact cleaner. Use some decent, preferrably shielded interconnects and power cables, but don't go overboard, as an upgrade of your source component is money better spent. After you have sorted out the basic setup and you component preferences, spend your extra money on tweaks.