2. amps-preamps
  3. 142193-89892

Thinking about upgrading, but wondering about diminishing returns

Hi folks,

I have mostly Conrad Johnson Gear-- LP260M SE mono blocks, with 8 kt120 tubes each.  These are SET amps that put out 270 wpc.  I have the Conrad Johnson  ET5 preamp, with a Telefunken 6922 tube, and a pair of EgglestonWorks Viginti speakers (their new take on the Andra's).  Phono stage is the Pass Labs XP-15.  For source material I have a Rega  RP10 with the Apheta2 cartridge, and the Oppo BDP105 (Modwright upgrades) CD player.  I have Audioquest Colorado interconnects (go easy here :) ) and Audioquest Oaks for speaker cable.  My listening room is 13 x 19, carpeted floor, drywall walls and ceiling (well insulated).  I set up with the equipment on the long wall, with me listening from the 13' side (with speakers in about 2 feet and about 8.5 feet apart).

I listen to a mix of vinyl and cd's; vinyl when I have several hours to listen quietly (and clean the records on the Clear Audio Matrix Pro Record Cleaning Machine).  I listen to CD's when I have less than an hour, and for when I work out.

I am thinking about upgrading a single component, probably my preamplifier, to a Conrad Johnson GAT2 or a Pass Labs XS preamp (solid state). My thought was that this will likely make the most improvement in soundstage, imaging and overall musicality.  A used GAT2 will be at least $14K and the Pass XS used is about $19K.   I am interested in hearing from those who have had experience with upgrades like this.  I am also wondering (as a middle class guy)  how close does this come to the law of diminishing returns?  Finally, is this the component you would upgrade, and if so, if you had a wide range of musical tastes-- mostly classical/full orchestra in vinyl and rock on CD's, which preamp would you select?

Please feel free to take a swipe at these questions, and also feel free to point out if you feel I should be asking different questions that will help increase my knowledge and advance the cause for others.

I am likely to go to an audio show sometime, but please don't suggest that I go and listen to the gear, as that's at least 200 - 400 miles, and I don't feel right about going to a brick and mortar store knowing that I will almost surely buy used.

Thanks in advance for whatever assistance you can provide.


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tomic601's avatar
tomic601
2,164 posts
 
@bainbmil. well that ks certainly well sorted, have yet to hear a system built around a Well Tempered that sounded terrible...you may be underating it in terms of influence...just my three cents, was one before inflation....
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
324 posts
 
Your biggest bang for the buck? It ain't no $15k component!

The biggest (no soldering required) audio bangs for the buck, in no particular order:
 
BDR Cones under everything.

BDR Pucks, Those Things, Shelf under everything.
 
Synergistic Research HFT, ECT, PHT throughout your room and system.

Cable elevators to get your speaker cables and all other wires up off the floor.

Anti-static spray. Pay through the nose audio prices or whatever you find at Safeway, either way just spray it.

XLO Calibration and Burn-In CD: play the demagnetizing tracks at least monthly.

Radio Shack bulk tape eraser. Works on things you'd never expect or be able to explain, like CD's.

Felt pen, Sharpie, or paint pen edges of CDs.

Scotch tape, dress interconnects.

Tape measure, framing square, laser level. Only takes a tiny speaker misalignment to undo even many thousands of dollars worth of components.

Radio Shack SPL meter. The cheaper analog one.

Best of all, unlike the mega-buck component you've been conditioned to want so bad now yet which will in no time be found wanting and traded off just like you're doing right now, pretty much all the above tweaks will work just as well with anything and everything, forever.





twoch
186 posts
 
did anyone answer the question you asked?
 i ran out of reading time
erik_squires
5,268 posts
 
If you haven't done room treatment yet, and you are going to spend that kind of money, call GIK and get professional advice. Their advice and gear is superb.
dmhopwood
1 posts
 
You have such an amazing system, so I imagine you could easily feel underwhelmed with the difference that a component upgrade might make. You mentioned you play a mix of CDs and vinyl but you did not mention streaming. Instead of replacing a component, have you thought about adding Roon and streaming from Tidal to the DAC in your Oppo...... if you don’t already do so? Roon is a fantastic user interface that encourages you to discover more new music and play wider selections of music in each listening session, therefore it could add another dimension to your listening experience. The sound quality I achieve with my Roon Nucleus streaming Tidal via a PS Audio Directstream DAC is as good I ever achieved with CDs or vinyl. I hope you like my suggestion. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
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