Lost on next upgrade from SME 20/2 + IV.Vi arm ...

Dear Jfrech: First I would like to ask why do you want to make an up-grade? what do you don't like about the quality sound reproduction through your analog chain?
do you want to up-grade/change only for change or do you have precise subjects about?

Now, IMHO there are two areas/stages that could help you to an up-grade:
different tonearm/cartridge combination and a better Phonolinepreamp, no I don't think that a TT change or cable change could give you a higher quality improvement over the other two areas that I name it.

You own a very good TT that compete with any thing out there, your Skala is very good performer too but you can change it or try it in a different tonearm where it could find a better match ( ask about to JC ) and a change in your BAT line/phono electronics that as good they are the quality that you are hearing ( degraded ) is the cable and connectors between both units: a good and better ( design/performer ) integral Phonolinepreamp could help you.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear John: +++++ " My system is posted. I'll appreciate all thoughts and comments. " +++++ and then:
+++++ " is a little more soul and dynamics " ++++++.

Looking to your very nice audio system IMHO you can/could have two ( different ) " weak " links ( nothing is perfect ): your separate line and phono stage and your amps.
John I'm not saying that the BAT electronics are not good ones because they are, no I'm trying to help you in some serious way:

your Wilson 8 impedance curve tell us that goes below 4 Ohms and near 2 Ohms from 150 Hz and below that and that its electrical impedance curve goes from 2 Ohms to 10 Ohms ( a lot of swing ), this means that those speakers needs an amplifier with very low output impedance ( I can say no more than 0.1 Ohms ) for can match the speakers own impedance and play together " efortless " and colorless with the dynamic that you are missing today. Your amps has at 4 Ohm taps around 1.4 Ohms: too high for those Wilson, this is a severe mistmatch.
IMHO you have at least two options: change the amps is one of them and other one could be to add a pair of subwoofers ( in true stereo fashion ) that not only can/could give you all its inherent advantages ( clean-up your bass and mid bass response, better image/soundstage, deeper and tight low bass, better high frequency response, etc, etc, ) but that can/could liberate your today amps for that frequency range where the Wilsons goes too low ( impedance )and where your amps are in more serious trouble.

Now, you state +++++ " I listen to my vinyl set up 99% of the time... " ++++++

this means to me that your first step should/could be to get the best quality Phonolinepreamp out there, it does not matters what you do elsewhere your system if the cartridge signal is degraded through the Phonolinepreamp ( stay aways from additional cables/connectors, these devices are additional veils to the cartridge signal! ) that is where that delicate/critical/exposed low level signal " suffer " a heavy/hard process where could loose its integrity and true due to distortions/inaccuracies/colorations/noises/etc on the Phonolinepreamp, so this analog audio link is of paramount importance to achieve your music/sound reproduction goals in your very nice system.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear John: +++++ " my BAT phono stage is pretty darn good, I don't know what else to go for except maybe a Aesthetix Io. " +++++

well as good it is there are other better alternatives for this critical analog link.

The dynamics that you are missing ( between other things ) has to do/see ( between other things ) with that the cartridge signal in your today analog chain pass through many different stages before the amplifiers ( too many ):

three gain stages in the phonostage, two stages at the output of the phonostage ( male and female connectors ), one stage through the cable/wire ( IC ), two more stages at the line input stage ( male and female connector ) and finally one gain stage inside the linestage unit ( btw, the Aestethix don't do better. ), this means NINE stages/veils/filters/"infection" sources that the cartridge signal has to run and where in each one of those nine stages/steps the cartridge signal suffer a degradation ( different degradation levels and of different kind. ).

Now, do you think ( everything the same ) that if the cartridge signal instead to pass for nine stages/filters/steps/veils pass only for 3 to 4 stages ( like in a Phonolinepreamp: integrated unit. ) can you have a better quality performance?, well IMHO with less stages we can conserve the cartridge signal with less ( very low/lower ) alterations and nearer to the recording ( more truer music ) quality reproduction where less signal alterations/degradations means: lower distortion, low coloration, lower noise, more accurate, higher dynamics, more soul, more music, more emotions, more feelings, more and more and more and lower.. of what any music lover is looking for.

John please think about, there is no black magic here only simple facts.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Jfrech: +++++ " I don't know what else to go for except maybe a Aesthetix Io.... " +++++

with that unit the cartridge signal has to pass at least for TEN stages/steps!!!! before amps.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Dan_ed: The Lyra Scala is a very good quality performance MC cartridge even better that what the people think.

IMHO and as I see it a different cartridge could give John a different sound but not necessary what he is looking for. You have to think that in his today system the Scala signal has to pass for too many steps ( at least 9 before amps ) where not only is loosing original recording information ( that he can't recovery never again ) but in each step it is adding additional " wrong/bad information " that does not comes in the original recording.
IMHO what he or any one that cares about music sound reproduction ( and that invest high dollars in audio items ) is to take care ( extremely care ) to preserve in the best way the original cartridge signal because if not then what we are hearing?, certainly " sound " that is very far from what is in the recording because of loosed information and additional non-recording one.

That fact will be the same it does not matters which cartridge he is using, the real subject it is not on the Scala ( that I know he like it, who don't. ) but IMHO in the excessive cartridge signal manipulation.

Dan try to take/get a picture/photography with 9 veils in front of the " object " and you obtain an almost totally " cloudly " image that you can't say what it is, now take the same picture/object with only 3 veils: easy to understand!!, well that's all about ( other than the amp/speakers John's matching subject ). Of course this is only my opinion and advise about, the important subject is the opinion of John.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear friends: It is very rare that an audio system 100K+ heavy dollars owner ask for advice and accept that it is not totally ( 100% ) happy with it and not only that but that post: +++++ "My system is posted. I'll appreciate all thoughts and comments " +++++

These facts speaks a lot of John, first than all his humility to ask and his knowledge that he can improve the quality sound reproduction and that he knows where!

I made some questions to him for to know what he wants ( what he thinks is missing ) and he posted: dynamics. So I read what is his audio system, I read many things that he posted about his system ( virtual system site ) ( that btw from here I assume that he like the Scala. Other fact that let me to assume that was that at the thread he don't mention anything about a cartridge change. ) and I read what are writing about his single audio item links in his system ( manufacturer website, professional reviews, what other owners said, etc, etc ), I made all this work for I can have the wider possible stage ( due that we are giving advise at " long distance " with out hear the system. ) and can/could give the best honest advise based on my experiences and know-how ( very similar for what a doctor/physician made with a person who has an illness, don't you think?. Well not exactly but in some ways similar. ).

I never like to give an " aspirine " for a muscular pain with out investigate first the why/where/how comes that muscular pain, many people in this and other forums are of the " aspirine " kind, I respect that but I don't agree with that approach because IMHO I think that between our own knowledge we are here trying to learn and trying to help other ones like us...

I know that it is not an easy task to say : John change your whole electronics ( 40-50K ) but IMHO ( at least that is the way I'm. ) the best way to help to another Agon's fellow is to tell him exactly and why we give our advise ( it does not matters which it is and it does not matters if that system is on the 100-500K price range ).

The John's word Dynamics told me that I have to look where in his system are loosing it and in my knowledge/experience ( and virtual investigation ) that dynamics could " suffer " through the speaker/amps interaction ( maybe room too. ) and ( like I already posted ) on the Phonolinepreamp front end links, I explain to him the whys of each approach and give him my advise.

I'm not saying that my advise is the right one no maybe it is not but what I'm saying is that I'm doing my best to help John, not with an aspirine and I respect all those " aspirine " guys.

I would like to hear from John because what he thinks is what really matters at the end he is who is living with that system or with the one up-graded.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Jfrech: Yes the Maxx 2 will give you between other nice things: better dynamic over the 8's, congratulations!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.