@theflattire I use a 2-channel system to augment video having music a priority. From your OP I gather you do the same so you use streaming, a TT and the TV as sources.
One question: Is the $3000 budget only for upgrading the receiver?
Bottleneck / Upgrade Recommendations - Yamaha RVX-475 Receiver, Pro-Ject Phono Box MM
Hey all, first post here. Apologies if I’m not following standards.
I have the upgrade itch but not sure where to start. Here’s an overview of my current setup:
Speakers:
Polk RTI A1 Bookshelf on Sanus Natural Foundations speaker stands
AV Receiver:
Yamaha RX-V475 AV Receiver
Turntable and Pre-Amp:
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO with Sumiko Rainier cartridge and acrylic platter
Pro-Ject Phonobox MM Preamp
Other:
Sony PS5 for media streaming
Samsung PN60F5300 Plasma TV
Hifman Edition XS Headphones
FiiO Q15 Headphone Amp/DAC
Room Layout:
Apartment living room in a mostly open floor plan on the first floor. Living room area with my gear has hardwood floors with a rug covering like 90% of the space. 9ft ceiling
Uses:
Moslty used to stream music and play records. I also game and watch movies with this setup but music is the focus.
Overall I’m fairly happy with my set up but would like to revamp it. I’m leaning towards replacing the receiver first with something like the Marantz STEREO 70s. I don’t see myself getting surround sound anytime soon and like the option to transmit bluetooth audio to my DAC. Also looking to get something that supports 4k so I can eventually replace my ancient plasma. Would you recommend I replace the receiver first? I’m not opposed to getting a modular setup either. I was thinking if I ever do get a dedicated speaker amp(s) I could still use a receiver as a preamp. Budget isn’t a huge concern. Trying to keep costs under $3k or so. I’d love to demo gear in person but there aren’t really any shops around me that I’m aware of besides big box stores.
I’ve also considered upgrading my turntable styles to the Sumiko Moonstone though I’m not sure how big of an improvement that would be. Audio is more of a priority for me so I’d also be ok hanging on to my receiver for a while if a new preamp or stylus would be the biggest improvement. I guess I don’t really know what I’m missing.
EDIT: To clarify what I’m asking, what seems to be the weakest link in this setup? Where would I see the biggest improvement by upgrading? I’d love a subwoofer but don’t want to drive my neighbors crazy.
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@hifidan26 @theflattire Sorry on pain meds at the moment. Need to slow down. |
To give additional background I got the turntable, preamp, headphones and headphone amp/DAC all within the last year. Really impressed with the Edition XS and FiiO Q15 for the price. Now they have me feeling like my stereo setup is lacking. I think what blew my mind the most was the imaging (I think that and not soundstage, not really clear on the difference still) @soix im definitely experimenting with speaker placement this weekend. Thank you for the advice. @theflattire in hindsight I wish I didn’t cheap out on the turntable preamp. I have a buddy with the same turntable and speakers as me. We compared my Pro-ject Phono Box with his Fosi Audio Box X2 which is about the same price. From what I remember, it made the Phono Box sound a bit “hollow” for lack of a better word. since I got the turntable I do most of my listening with it and maybe stream Spotify like 25% of the time. @mesch I’m trying to keep any/all upgrades under $3000 total but not super firm on that. |
@hifidan26 Are you considering an integrated amplifier, a DAC and a phonostage? Would you consider used gear? Optical from the TV would have to be run to a DAC. Integrated amplifiers can be purchased with a DAC and phonostage onboard. I prefer to keep digital components separate from analog ones.
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@mesch I’m leaning towards an integrated amp to start. If I upgrade piecemeal I’m thinking of doing it in this order:
I generally like to use things that do one thing and do it well, but if I have ~$3k to spend, does it make sense to start with an integrated amp that has a passable phono preamp and DAC and get dedicated ones later? I’m not opposed to buying used gear as well. The Leak Stereo 130 looks like it would meet my needs. So does the Outlaw Audio RR2160. Thank you @yogiboy for the suggestion. @soix I don’t think I quite understand how ht bypass works. If I had surround sound, would I keep the rear and center speakers wired to the receiver and the front speakers wired to an integrated amp? After that is where I get a little lost. How do you connect the front speakers to the receiver? Is it RCA preout from the receiver to an input on the integrated amp? I don’t think my receiver would work for this if it doesn’t have pre outs for the front channels, right? Would some sort of amp switcher/selector also work? E.g. I could have the front speakers wired to both the integrated amp and the receiver and switch between them with that. I’m not too concerned with surround sound, so I don’t think this is something I need at this time. |
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