Analog Upgrade - Where to start?


I am looking to upgrade my LP playback system.  My current system is a mixed bag of new and old: SME 20/2 turntable (from about 2005), Kuzma 4 point nine Tonearm and the SME Series V Tonearm, Dynavector MC DRT XV-1s (retipped by Soundsmith), PS Audio Stellar phono pre.  I am looking to introduce more dynamic sound, detail (without edge) and musicality.  The rest of my system supports this end.  Any suggestions on where might be the best place to start the upgrade?
chilli42

Showing 1 response by clearthinker

You have a great front end.  Check the arms and carts are still set up correctly.
The cart and the phono amp are the weaker areas but still quality pieces.

If your feeling that the system is missing dynamics is only recent, may I respectfully suggest you take a hearing test.  I don't know how old you are but many aspects of hearing quality and completeness start to become challenged as we get older.  If you're not hearing the top end of the frequency range so strongly or at all, you will certainly perceive this as a loss of dynamics.

I am 72 and am going through just that.  So I recently tested my HF hearing with a Hi-fi News Test CD.  It has a range of frequency tones, all recorded at the same level.   I found I could only just hear 8kH.
So my system doesn't sound so exciting.  But I find I'm listening more to the music than the system, so that's alright in a way.