I replaced a sold state preamp with a tube preamp and it really made a huge difference (Parasound P3 to Schiit Audio Freya Plus) The bass and soundstage opened up and the sound is more organic. Whatever tube amp you decide upon (if you do) make sure you have the ability to add a subwoofer. In fact if you were to decide upon a unit like the Freya, It would leave you plenty of cash to add a sub or even try new speakers. There are may choices in the $1K to $2K price range that would be killer. Zu, Tekton Design, KLH, Klipsch, Vandersteen come to mind. I added new speakers to a second audio system, Tekton Double Impact SE and they knock my socks off with 28 watts per side.
Changes to older system
My system is the following, electronics and speakers bought from the store where I worked through college and grad school in the late 80s and early 90s:
- Cambridge Audio CXN v1
- NAD 1600 preamp
- NAD 2200PE amp
- B&W Matrix 3 Series 2 speakers
- Monster Cable interconnects and speaker cable
Overall I still enjoy the sound, but I’ve always thought it was bright and bass shy.
Where should I start to upgrade this rig?
- First and most obvious choice is cabling, but what?
- Second, Quirk Audio can upgrade the amp and preamp, but is it better to do that or buy new?
I’d like to stay in the $2k range per component - used or new.