A rookie with 10K, seeking advise


I'm new to the HiFi world. I listen to a lot of female vocal and classical music. I like both digital and vinyl. I am using a pair of Wharfedale Linton heritage and PS Audio Stellar Strata. 

I know this is too broad a question, but with 10K budget, where can I wisely spend my money? I don't mind tubes and I don't mind used either.

Any advise is greatly appreciated!

llid2

Sounds like you have a nice setup already... why do you feel the urge to "upgrade?"  

That said... perhaps a modest sub just to catch that last little bit of low bass, something like an SVS, which has customizable integration so it's all smooth.  

Otherwise, it's usually the speakers to look at first, if you're not satisfied.  And, tech has gotten so good that you don't need to spend the entire 10k... See if there's another type of speaker sound you like better: perhaps the new KLH 5 or the widely heralded Polk m700.  the Polk is about 2k, and likely has a different sound character than your Warfdales... like the KLH 5s also.  These are not outrageously expensive speakers, but are the sort of product that just might "finish" or at least tamp down that urge.  Or what about the 10k top level Warfdales, the Elysian?  If you wanna drop 10k, why not those... ?  But you can actually test drive those Polks or the KLH 5, if you buy 'em from Crutchfield.... they have a good return policy if you're not satisfied.  

Please whatever you do, don't blow that cash on fancy speaker wire or interconnects... you can do a lot better looking at the speakers themselves, first. 

How many records? If starting out, I'd be inclined to stick with digital streaming. Spreading the cost over two sources plus vinyl media is not efficient. 

@llid2 

From my experience, cables dedicated power supply and basically anything on that end of the system changes the listening experience drastically. I agree with David_ten. Power power and power followed by noise. Everything in a system is based on great power, and the endless task of getting rid of noise. Power and noise. Power and noise, end of story in my opinion for creating a good system. I am a professional violinist and can say that without a doubt that elimination of noise (crappy white sound) is what creates an acceptable and somewhat realistic listening experience. Otherwise its all just a non live musical experience. 

@llid2     Assuming your hi-fi isn't creating unacceptable noise (it shouldn't be), noise comes off the electricity supply, your house wiring and other electric stuff in the house and, for low output MC carts from radio intererence.  The amount and quaiity of noise is very variable between locations.

Don't imagine you've got excessive noise if you can't hear it.  Switch on your amps and turn the volume up slowly.  There will be some noise and it will increase in loudness as you turn it up.  But many of us find we can turn it up all the way and we don't find anything unacceptable or over loud even at that volume level.

For the rest, first put your hi-fi on dedicated line(s) taken directly off the incoming supply.  Then improve your house earth (ground) post.  Try listening again.  If you still have excessive noise, buy an active power conditioner.  Power cords are passive and will have nothing like the same effect on cleaning things up.

For $10k systems, don't spend much on power cords, active components must be improved first.

I concur that buying two front ends at this level is costly in sound quality.  Choosing between analogue and digital at this stage will leave a lot more to spend on speakers and amps.

@past says:

Listen to Open Baffle, Electrostatic/Planar, standard box speakers.

What I love about this answer is how practical it is. Others have emphasized the critical starting point of speakers and speaker-room synergy. This answer both presumes that and gives you a compass direction -- try basic types of speakers first and establish that preference. Then, look to brands of this speaker, then to amplification. That's very, very orienting advice.