Whats my weak link?


Classe ssp-25 pre amp, classr ca-150, musical fidelity a3.2cd, parasound z dac, mostly stock power cords.

I picked up some new speakers today (kef qx5's) and they sounded a good 15% better at his house than mine. He was running a modded rotel pre amp, bryston 3b-st, arcam transport, older parasound dac, upgraded power cords.

I have a feeling that it was his pre-amp mostly. His set-up had that certain sound that I'm looking for, hard to explain but it sounded sooo good. Any suggestions?
128x128b_limo
If it were me , I'd start with power cords . If you still feel the need to upgrade after that , you can use those new and improved cords on the new components .

Keep in mind it's not just the some of parts but the synergy between those parts .
Screams power cords to me, Acoustic Zen used by Classe owners I've known. Zu perhaps also. The MAC power cables sold on here are nice too.
If you try power cords, get some from somewhere with a good return policy or for a dealer thatets you audition them. Heck, good advice for most gear.

But the DAC is what came to my mind first.
It just might be his listening room .You could be spinning your wheels by replacing gear.Have him bring his gear over to your house and then you can determine what you need.