I upgraded every single piece of my system in 2017, though it bled into this year. The most satisfying plays, in descending order of impact, were:
- Phono stage upgrade from Rogue Ares Magnum to VAC Renaissance SE. This was the last major change I made, and it was HUGE. There is a chance that all my other upgrades were somewhat bottlenecked previously, and then unleashed at once with this last piece.
- Speakers upgrade from Tannoy Canterbury SE to Canterbury GR. This was the 1st upgrade I did. Speakers are always critical!
- From a crappy Lovan rack and maple Platform to a Critical Mass Systems Maxxum! It holds my turntable, Phono, and preamp. No more worries about tipping over if leaned on or bumped against, and some significant feedback issues to the turntable have been completely mitigated. I think it’s also helped very much with noise floor and 3D soundstage. Turntable was upgraded at same time so maybe these are intertwined. It’s so satisfying to look at my rack, too, and know it’s taking great care of my gear.
- All the other upgrades together have combined for great effect. But I can’t say I noticed a huge leap forward as they each went in individually. Amp, preamp, power conditioner, cables, etc.