Confused: Should I Upgrade Cables or Amp first?

I’m with Jmcgrogan2, the system seems well put together. I think $2500 is too much for cables for this system. One idea is to sell the speakers, add the $2500 to the proceeds, and buy a 2nd hand speaker at the next level up in performance. The source and the speakers are usually the most important. If you are happy with your CD player, and the Jolida amp sounds good, perhaps a larger Silverline speaker that has more range such as this one https://www.audiogon.com/listings/full-range-silverline-audio-sonatina-mk-iv-demo-2016-05-10-speaker... is a worthy thought.

Another thought is to focus on the source. You might consider selling the CD player, rip your CDs, go file based and invest in a top quality modern DAC.

$2500 is also a nice budget to get into vinyl. You can spend $2k on hardware and $500 on records and see where that takes you!

i think the cable upgrade idea or the amp upgrade are both worthy ideas, but I think you will get more changes in the source or the speakers. If you do go cables, I would lower the budget and save some cash for the next upgrade down the road. On the amp side, I would probably spend the entire budget, plus the proceeds from selling the Joloda integrated, and look at something like this: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/tube-balanced-audio-technology-bat-vk300x-se-2016-05-08-integrated...

Good luck!
Hope my 2 cents are worth more than just $0.02!!

91 dB sensitivity is quite efficient, so if your room is not huge and you listen at moderate volume levels, the Jolida 50 watt should be fine. If you have a largish room and want to be the memorex guy in the chair, you will probably need more power.

ripping CDs is really easy. If you did just 10 per evening and a few extras on the weekends (which is barely any effort at all), you'd burn through a good sized collection in a month.  Once you set up your settings and get the software doing its job, really all you do is put the disc in and press go.  Walk away, and when you remember to check in on it, the rip is done and you swap the disc.

You can add a DAC, but better to free up CD player funds and get either a better DAC with those additional dollars, or recycle some of that gear budget.

I can't tell you how liberated I felt when I sold my CDs to the used record store!  You can't beat your collection on a hard drive, plus a subscription to Tidal hifi, which streams 4 million albums at full cd quality, all tied together with a good music app like Roon, played through a high quality DAC.  

I really think that digital change or an upgrade in speakers will add the most bump to your system.  Or, perhaps not changing the speakers, but adding a high quality subwoofer to give you a fuller range experience, also possible to do very well with your budget.

This post is getting more and more interesting!  From cables to amp to speakers to DAC to subwoofer!  You have a stack of cash set aside for a considerable upgrade, and all of the options and opinions on this thread hold water.  Very tough to decide indeed.

This is a very exciting position to be in for a music enthusiast, especially as you say that you want to avoid the merry go round.  Now more than ever when reading the posts of my fellow audiogon members, I am wracking my brain, what would I do if I were in his shoes right now? What if I had to decide at this very moment?

As I re-read the post, I would eliminate a cable upgrade at this point. As you want the most significant change for the dollar, I think you will be better served in another department at this point.

A subwoofer will no doubt make a large difference in the sound. My previous speakers were monitors, and I added a sub to accompany them, with excellent results.  I dialed it in so that I could barely notice it was there, until I powered it off, and the difference was subtle but dramatic, if that makes sense despite the contradiction in terms.  I used a Wisdom SCS sub, which is thin, can be placed in unconventional locations, and is within your budget (the dealer I traded it to may still have it if you're interested).

DAC technology changes fast, and I don't see that changing anytime soon! Imagine when the iPhone will stop being upgraded on an annual basis... Probably never!  That said, you seem reluctant to upgrade your digital, and seem pleased with your CD player.

Unless your room is large or you play your music very loud, I'm not sure an amp upgrade will make a considerable difference in your listening experience with your speakers.  Of course there will be a change and of course it will be different, but the speakers don't have huge bass drivers and are pretty sensitive so the tube power you do have probably sounds pretty darned nice.

Whats left for that big upgrade?!  Speakers, being the end of the chain probably make the most difference, speakers and the source.  I would see what your monitors are worth, add that to the stack of cash, and evaluate what that sum can purchase in the used market.  See if there is a 3-way speaker with high-ish sensitivity of exceptional quality, at or above the quality of your monitors, and, one that fits in your space.  This research will allow you to decide if the speakers are the correct path.

if not, and the subwoofer idea is not exciting you, that eliminates quite a bit!  But, we left something out.  You mentioned CDs, but did not talk about any other sources.  One of the biggest things I have added to my system of late was a subscription to Tidal hifi.  4 million albums at uncompressed cd quality. It is unreal.  I can read music reviews and then immediately listen to all of the new music in the world as if I had all of the CDs!  It is very significant.  Perhaps you will consider adding a component such as the blue sound node 2 for $500, and getting a subscription to Tidal hifi.  That will be a very Very noticeable change!  It has an on board DAC for now and the ability to use an outboard DAC should you go that way.  You can still play your CDs on the Jolida and play Tidal on the node.  If you adore the experience, you may upgrade to a stand alone DAC in the future, and you will still have funds set aside to do so, perhaps even a tube DAC.

If you have any vinyl aspirations, $2500 is a fine entry, and I can tell you that I love spinning my vinyl more than my digital.  I love the experience and the sound - the analog in my system sounds better than digital. 

So, to sum up, I would be looking at a speaker upgrade, adding a sub, or adding Tidal via Bluesound Node 2 (or similar).  You should be able to add a sub and Bluesound / Tidal.  If you have any vinyl  thoughts, I'd be happy to lend my two cents there, as I believe an addition of an analog rig would also add a lot of addional musical enjoyment!

stuartk, have you tried experimenting with the streaming services yet?

You can get a Bluesound Node 2 from Best Buy and you get 2 weeks of no questions asked returns for a full refund.  I recommend buying one to try it out for free, and you will likely want to keep it.

If you haven't tried this yet, hook up a node 2, get the trial of Tidal HiFi for $15 per month, hook up the node to your amp, and control the node with your smartphone.  

Super super cool.  If you like it, when you eventually rip your CDs, you put them on a network hard drive, and they stream to the node.  It has a built in DAC as I mentioned, but you can also use a higher end DAC.  I have a similar setup, but I am using a mac mini computer, external hard drive connected to my DAC. 

Stuart,

So in order to take advantage of one of the music streaming services, and there are several of them, you need a way to get the music streaming to your integrated amplifier.  One way is to have a computer hooked up to a DAC, and connect that to the amplifier.  The newer way, which is less complicated than using an entire computer, is to use what they are calling a streamer.  A streamer is a small component that connects to your internet at home and to the amplifier or preamplifier. It then connects to your online account with the source of the streaming music (I use Tidal HiFi, but there are others).

The "Node 2" is a model name of one of these streamers from a company called Bluesound.  There are others on the market as well, from fancy companies like Naim for thousands of dollars, and newer companies such as Auralic, which has entry level all the way on up.

I like the idea of the Bluesound Node 2.  It seems easy to use.  You can connect it to an external DAC or use the onboard DAC.  It is reasonably priced.  You control the thing with a smart phone or a tablet.

So for $500 you get a very interesting product that connects you to 4 million full cd quality albums on Tidal HiFi.  It may be a little leap of faith if you are not up to speed on the latest digital stuff, but talk about making a change in your system!  

Too often we are always talking about squeezing an extra droplet of performance from our already good sounding systems, and often for big money.  A move like this gets you nearly all of the music you could ever want.  Imagine going to a huge CD store and think, ah yes, I already have 90% of these CDs!

Precisely since you are not fully into all of the contemporary digital developments, I highly recommend this to you.  Purchase a Bluesound Node 2 from a place like Best Buy or Crutchfiled, a store that will give you a long trial period with a full refund possible.  Spend that $500, and let the other $2K sit idle for the moment.  Get a trial account for Tidal HiFi (the $15 per month one that gives you fully uncompressed CD quality music).  Plug the Node 2 into your amplifier, and connect it to your home internet.  Link it to your Tidal HiFI account, grab your smart phone and sit in the sweet spot.  Prepare to be amazed.

If you don't like it, send it back, and call it a free learning experience.  If you do like it, sit back and play music, and then decide the next move.  That next move could be a subwoofer, or whatever.  You may like this so much that you rip your CD collection, and play them through the Node as well, selling the CD player and getting a great DAC.  Who knows?

I am super curious to see what you do.  Even if you upgrade the amp, I think this is a great experiment to try...