Many audiophiles have their own opinion on this subject but in my opinion, at the end of the day, the music comes out of the speakers. You can have all the best downstream sources and amp, but if your speakers can't produce the sound, you've hit a major limitation that you can't fix. I would look into buying better speakers, potentially ones that can grow with improvements to your audio system. I think the Vandersteen 2CE could be an excellent choice, where the sound quality would improve with incremental upgrades. Last word of advise, don't try to match the speakers to the amp. Try to find the speakers you like and match the amp to the speakers. Gook Luck!
Please Critique my Setup and Recommend Upgrade(s)
As a lifelong musician and former recording / pro audio engineer, this is my first foray into the world of HiFi and I could really use some advice and direction. Last week I bought the following setup for a dedicated listening room that is essentially a 13x13 square room on three sides with the area behind me extending back another 25 or so feet. There is a partial backwall about four feet wide but it is mostly open air behind me. Ceilings are 9' and I have GIK bass traps in all corners, early reflection points on the side walls, and panels overhead between speakers and listening position. Speakers are about 2 1/2 feet from back wall, 6 ft. apart, slightly toed in on cheap stands weighted down by cinder blocks.
1. 2017 VPI Scout Prime turntable with Ortofon Bronze
2. 2017 Rega Brio Integrated 50wpc Amp and Phono Stage
3. ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 Speakers
So far this setup certainly sounds good, but it isn't blowing me away either. At lower volumes the soundstage feels a little small and two-dimensional. At louder volumes the sound seems to fill the room more, thereby enhancing the soundstage and making the music feel more natural as opposed to coming from directly in front of me. The stereo imaging is okay, but I expected a little more stereo separation. Also, perhaps the speakers are still breaking in, but the ELACs don't seem to do the best job of presenting the music in a cohesive manner. It sounds like the frequency bands are a little disjointed.
Should I stick with the ELACs but consider a higher end integrated amp that can feed them a little more power like a Parasound Halo? Or should I nix the ELACs and invest in some more efficient and higher end loudspeakers,e.g. Devore, ATC, ProAc, etc...? Would I still get an audible improvement with these nicer and more efficient speakers if I stick with the Rega Brio, or do these high end speakers warrant a truly high end amp? I ask because I likely can't upgrade both speakers and amp at the same time.
I also considered the KEF LS50, but it seems like they are similar to the ELACs in that they are rather inefficient and need a powerful amp.
1. 2017 VPI Scout Prime turntable with Ortofon Bronze
2. 2017 Rega Brio Integrated 50wpc Amp and Phono Stage
3. ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 Speakers
So far this setup certainly sounds good, but it isn't blowing me away either. At lower volumes the soundstage feels a little small and two-dimensional. At louder volumes the sound seems to fill the room more, thereby enhancing the soundstage and making the music feel more natural as opposed to coming from directly in front of me. The stereo imaging is okay, but I expected a little more stereo separation. Also, perhaps the speakers are still breaking in, but the ELACs don't seem to do the best job of presenting the music in a cohesive manner. It sounds like the frequency bands are a little disjointed.
Should I stick with the ELACs but consider a higher end integrated amp that can feed them a little more power like a Parasound Halo? Or should I nix the ELACs and invest in some more efficient and higher end loudspeakers,e.g. Devore, ATC, ProAc, etc...? Would I still get an audible improvement with these nicer and more efficient speakers if I stick with the Rega Brio, or do these high end speakers warrant a truly high end amp? I ask because I likely can't upgrade both speakers and amp at the same time.
I also considered the KEF LS50, but it seems like they are similar to the ELACs in that they are rather inefficient and need a powerful amp.