I would try placing the speakers right against the wall to take advantage of boundary reinforcement. That is what my Snell Type A's use. Contrary to what above poster rickysnit claims I find no sonic differences between any cables. Including power cords. I have that NAD 1600 preamp in my collection. It and the 2200 amp are excellent! Yes, you can buy new gear for thousands of $$$$ more but sonic differences would be minimal! I'd consider getting a transport and DAC for what I assume is a nice CD collection. Regarding B&W speakers: they have been known for a long time as having particularly bright treble. Placed against the wall and firing straight out will help alleviate this.
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.