In my experience at the level you now have, great improvements are unlikely. As to which I would upgrade it would be the pre amp or the DAC. The new PS audio DAC has some very nice reviews. Most of all do you really like your speakers? They make the biggest difference over any good component IMO. Happy hunting and listening.
How big a change would this upgrade make?
I'm considering some upgrades to my system, and I wanted to ask if it will make a really transformational difference, or if it will be only a marginal step up. Not that I am unhappy with the sound of my setup, but like so many of us, I'm always looking for more if I can get it.
Right now, I have Joseph Audio Pulsar speakers, with computer audio as my source.
Suppose I made these upgrades (my current components on the left, new ones on the right):
Preamp: Arc LS26 --> ARC Ref 5SE
Amp: Pass XA30.5 --> ARC Ref 75
DAC: PS Audio MKii --> PS Audio DirectStream
At the not-small cost of ~$11k, would this upgrade chain be like night-and-day relative to my current stuff, or something much smaller?
Maybe one more question: if you could only make one of these upgrades, which would it be?
Right now, I have Joseph Audio Pulsar speakers, with computer audio as my source.
Suppose I made these upgrades (my current components on the left, new ones on the right):
Preamp: Arc LS26 --> ARC Ref 5SE
Amp: Pass XA30.5 --> ARC Ref 75
DAC: PS Audio MKii --> PS Audio DirectStream
At the not-small cost of ~$11k, would this upgrade chain be like night-and-day relative to my current stuff, or something much smaller?
Maybe one more question: if you could only make one of these upgrades, which would it be?