Luxman L-505UX11 to Rogue Audio Pharaoh.
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Built two very large bass traps and got rid of an awful bass resonance at 60Hz. They are massive however, 1.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 metres.
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2021 was a major revamp for me.
First was a pair of Klipsch Forte IV, a great improvement over my Heresy III which I liked a lot. The Forte are awesome
I just replaced my preamp with a Zesto Leto and the improvement in sound quality was so pronounced that it sounded like I got new speakers .... it was not subtle
Fantastic preamp ! Its unbelievable how good it sounds . They build great stuff over at Zesto. It is voiced PERFECTLY, it sounds true to life.
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Big upgrade year for me on multiple counts:
Went from Rogue RP-1 to and RP-7. The level of quiet this piece is and the musicality when it's making sound are incredible. Have changed to some NOS tubes that have made it even better too, currently running amperex bugle boys in the front with Mazdas in the rear.
Analog front end got a major upgrade from clearaudio performance DC with tracer tonearm and Hana 1200 (no slouch) to brinkmann bardo with 10.5 arm and ortofon cadenza black. Whoa. The detail retrieval, channel separation, and frequency response are nuts.
Also on the analog side went from musical surroundings nova iii to a Rogers High Fidelity PA-2. Incredible Soundstage and clarity. The airy-ness is hard to beat. I feel like I cam hear the room things were recorded in.
Additional tweaks that get some props are herbies audio lab tube dampers, tenderfeet, and supersonic stabilizers really quieted down the Rogers even more.
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This was the year of complete change from a system we thought was wonderful and had been in place for decades. We retired and sold the vintage Technics SL-120 with its Mayware-Polk Audio arm and Micro Accustics 2002 cartridge. No more LPs. We sold the HK Citation 11 that had been in our closet for 10 years. We replaced the 45 year-old Quad 405 amp and Parasound Zpre2 with an Audio Note Cobra integrated to run our Quad ESL-57s. We purchased a custom made-to-measure digital cable from the Jolida JD100 CD player so we can use the Cobra's MUCH better DAC. (We will replace the Jolida for a CD transport next year.) Then purchased custom made-to-measure Audio Note Lexus LS speaker cables with banana plugs. Finally, because of our unpredictable electric grid, we purchased a Dectet AC Power Conditioner and their hospital-grade electric outlet. The result? With every addition over this year, not just small increments, but dramatic improvements were experienced. We now have a system that is a total joy to listen to and will probably last us a few more decades. Who knew? The only thing we didn't replace was our 47 year-old Quad ESL-57s. For us and the music we listen to, there are no better speakers. This has been a VERY good year.
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Purchased 2 SVS subs. Great addition! Added sound absorbing panels to a wall. Another great addition! All learned from reading various threads on this site! I'm always learning and experimenting, even at 66 years old!
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I totally agree with the original poster acoustic Zen cables don't get the respect they deserve any more on here, and I don't know why you didn't try the acoustic Zen speaker cables cuz they're just as good as the audience but a lot cheaper single-crystal is single Crystal just some companies charge more for it but OCC single crystal wire is the best wire for audio and it's been proven for 40 years now
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Added a REL T7x to my system---much more depth and punch. Highly recommended.
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Modded Linn Sondek LP12. I had a Thorens 190 for the last few years and finally took the plunge on something decent back in January. The rest of 2021, I got reacquainted with all 600 of my LPs. The difference was stunning.
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Two major upgrades this year.
The first upgrade I moved from an Onkyo receiver to a Raven Nighthawk mk3 and that made a massive difference in everything. A more well rounded sound overall. Much more detail yet more lush at the same time.
the second upgrade I added a pair of Rythmik subwoofers and this also had a major impact. This upgrade allowed for a much more intimate listening experience at low volumes, but when cranked makes me feel like I am sitting front row of a live concert.
both upgrades well worth the money invested IMHO
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I bought a lot of gear in 2021 and I am done the system in my bedroom and office system. I have most of my living room system done except the speakers.
The best component from all of those was the Sonore OpticalRendu. The second best was the Musetec 005 DAC fed by a OpticalRendu.
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Sunvalley SV-EQ1616D phono stage. I upgraded mine with VCAP ODAM output caps Sparkos voltage regulators in the power supply. Vivid and energetic sound. Very captivating.
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Need to add:
Uptone Audio Etherregen- Cleans Ethernet signal-I think!
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Made immediate and noticeable difference:
Silversmith speaker cable
AGD Audion mono block.
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This is easy, I added a Synergistic Research Ethernet switch, transformed my all digital system.
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What a great thread!
1. Cube Audio Nenuphars 10’’ monitors + 12’’ sub. Widebanders at their best.
2. SoundKaos Vox3A speakers, the best compact speaker I know of
3. Enleum Amp23R amplifier … a worthy successor to the Bakooon Amp12R, in my book the best 20W SS around
4. Icon 4SE passive pre-amplifier… the king the rules them all, have configured mine wirh >40hz / <40hz filters for enhanced sub integration
5. Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC… take the best DAC your know and add an analogue character. My turntable has taken dust since its arrival.
6. Grimm MU1 streamer, the best companion to the Tambaqui I have found
7. Puritan PCM156 ac/dc purifier, lowers noise, increases dynamics whilst not coloring the signal in any way
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Request Audio Beast Server. It replaced an MSB Signature V DAC with Signature Transport.
The difference is unbelieveble
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Townshend Audio Seismic Podiums (for 2020 it was Townshend Allegri Reference), my two greatest upgrades !!! (see my system pics).
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Shunyata Cobra ztron power cable for the Triton to Audio Envy Mega 10th gen. power cable
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R2R DAC Rockna Wavedream XLR
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I was very fortunate to be able to upgrade from my original Holo Audio DAC to the May. I also took some time to work through the Master Set speaker placement process. I am very impressed with the results.
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Quiet year... Good albums and the pro-ject rs2 cd transport
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Quicksilver Mono 120s to join my QS pre and Spendor 1/2Es...finest and most enjoyable system I've ever had. They ain't going anywhere!
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(1) Klipsch Forte IV
(2) Luxman D-06u
(3) REL S/510
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I am currently building a professionally designed dedicated room in the basement which will be home to (ordered but not here yet) Rockport Avior ii, a Boulder 866 int. And Nordost PC, IC and SC. I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s upgrades!
Fun thread!
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I upgraded my Audio Research Ref 3 LE to a Ref 6. Nice improvement in soundstage and realism. Then traded my Boulder 866 and got a Audio Research Ref 160S. Significant improvements across the board. Then my new Wilson Audio Sabrina X arrived and I parted ways with my Wilson Sophia 3. Holy cow what a difference the Sabrina X made. So much more musical and relaxed sounding and I'd no clue you could get so much bass from such a small speaker :) I had a great system before, but this has all taken it up a couple notches. Weak point now is the DCS Bartok, which I'll look to upgrade sometime next year.
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I had been out of my hobby for 20 years! I finally got the bug and got back into it this year. Some new, some used, but all new to me and I am having the time of my life listening to music again.
Audio Research SP15 line stage, Audio Research VT100 MKIII tube amp, Tannoy XTF8 speakers, Project DS2 Tube Box phono pre, Clearaudio Concept with Satisfy arm, Hana SL Cartridge and a pair of REL T/7x subs. All balanced interconnects, Speaker cables bi-wire and power cords Transparent Audio Super.
Buying lots of vinyl and enjoying every minute of it!
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I upgraded my Yiggy from G1 to MiL. I love it!
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New to me:
Speakers: Mirage M760 --> Focal Kanta No2
Integrated amp: Denon AVR 3312CI --> McIntosh MA5200
Turntable: Rega RP1 with Ortofon 2M red --> Rega RP8 with Ortofon Cadenza blue and a Hegel V10 phonostage
CD player: Denon 2500BTC --> McIntosh MCD-7008
Streamer: old laptop --> NAD-C658 with MDC HDM-2
Bluray: Denon 2500BTC --> Panasonic DP-UB90001K
Just bought a new to me tube amp. Rogue M180 monoblocks
2021 was a great year. 2022 will be spent building around the Rogue monoblocks.
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Magnarisers with cyro jumpers for my Maggie 3.7 speakers. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but it was. Now my analog system outperforms anything digital. Cannot figure that out, but it is so.
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I'm going to cheat a little bit and go back two years since that particular upgrade was my best ever. In 2020 I bought Harbeth 40.2 speakers and realized, for me, focusing on the transducers is the most important part of the audio link. I am no longer fussing with amps, preamps, sources etc. since these speakers sound wonderful on any combination of audio components in my collection.
My biggest upgrade in the last year was to my office system. I had a blue sound player feeding a cheap Emotiva BasX preamp with internal DAC which feeds an NAD 275BEE amplifier connected to B&W 686S2 speakers. I replaced the Emotive preamp with a Topping D30pro. In both configurations I was not using the Bludsound DAC, but rather the Emotive DAC and now the Topping DAC. I realized a very noticeable sound improvement. If I remember the Emotiva preamp was about $300 two or three years ago. The Topping D30pro was $400 this year.
On a side note (FWIW), I can hear no difference between the Topping DAC or the much more expensive, older Bryston BDA-2 when swapped back-and-forth on my main system.
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Pair of copper infused socks so there are no more static shocks when touching my turntable.
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Made some significant upgrades in 21 after researching for over 1 year.
1) best upgrade was replacing Martin Logan Esl 15a with Wilson Alexia speakers.
2) 2nd best upgrade was replacing McIntosh Mc1.2kwh monoblocks with Audio Research Reference 160S Stereo amplifier and Reference 6 SE Pre amp.
3) Replaced mostly Audioquest cables with Transparent Generation 6 Reference speaker cables, power cords, XLR interconnects, and outlet filters. (May have been the best money spent)
4) replaced Martin Logan Force 210 subs with 2 Rel S812 subs.
5) replaced Lumin D2 streamer/dac with Lumin T2
6) added Pro-ject6 Perspex6 for my first foray into vinyl in over 30 years.
Each upgrade added a significant improvement to my listening experience.
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Shunyata Everest 8000 powered by the Sigma v2 XC and a loom of Alpha v2 NR's for everything else...then jaw hit floor!!!
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I felt I changed league this year.
Amp: from Arcam Alpha 5 to McIntosh C712 + MC7100
Speakers: from B&W V203 to Focal Sopra no.1
The speaker upgrade brought spectacular improvement, several order of magnitude more that the amp upgrade that remain extremely significant.
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Used Audio Research SP-6B pre-amp to replace the Luxman CL-32.
As usual, Audio Research is the best when talking pre-amps.
Also, reversed the 12/2 zip speaker wire so what was at the amp is now at the speaker. HUGE DIFFERENCE!
Cheers!
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Vpi tt prime scout upscale audio version package, Hana SL cartridge, acrylic dust covers for my SMe10 and Vpi I bought them from Gary , Schiit Freya plus preamp, tubes tennis ball 6sn7, and uk version, Tellurium phono Cables Black, Carda pc clear reflection, and new phone cable for my SME10, Lots of FIM cd label, and SACDs and vynils.
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@havocman
I did try Acoustic Zen Absolute Copper speaker cables. Unfortunately they didn’t work out for me in my current system.
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Replaced my Audio Research SP6B, in continuous use for 40 years, with a used Cary SLP05 with ultimate upgrade. Had no idea the improvement would be this great!
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Tone Poets, Blue Note Classic Series and Acoustic Sounds Series LP reissues.
Denafrips Pontus II DAC but I might be cheating if it was Dec'20.
Cheers,
Spencer
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Enjoy reading what others have done.
1. VTA Passive preamp with TungSol 12AU7 buffer tubes. Really nice sound. Tubes and horns are the way to go??
2. Springs under the subs and speakers. This was jawdropping. Cost $100 for all.
Reasonably priced tweeks really gave me the bug!! More plans for 22.
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Upgraded to Triangle Art M-100 Mono blocks , Triangle Art L200 Preamp, and Triangle Art P-200 phonostage .
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Two big upgrades for me this year. Added a Parasound JC5 in February and finally feel like I have the headroom and power my Revel F208s had been lacking. Also upgraded from a Bluesound Node 2i to a Aurender N100h in May and was pleasantly suprised by how much of an improvement it made on my streaming rig.
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Just like oddiofyl, 2021 was also a major revamp for me.
Things I kept:
1. Music Hall mmf5 table from the early 2000s, along with original Goldring MM cartridge
2. Vandersteen 2ce floor demos purchased in 1994 with stands
Replaced several pieces of equipment and bought a few new ones:
1. Audiolab 6000a for preamp
2. Audiolab 6000cdt for CD transport
3. 2-Audiolab DC Blocks (one for the preamp and one for the CD transport)
3. Music Hall PA15.3 phono preamp
4. Cambridge Audio DACMagic 200M
5. Blue Jeans coax interconnects and analog RCA interconnects
6. Sony BDP-S6700 blu-ray player (used as a poor man's flac server - currently digitizing my CDs)
7. 2-AudioSource Amp100VS amps for monoblocks
8. A bunch of Suwimut Acoustic Sound Diffuser Panels
9. A bunch of Hudson Hi-Fi 1.25" platinum silicone isolation feet
10. Hudson Hi-Fi 13 oz. BigBen table weight
11. Runsheng Disc Demagnetizer (from alibaba)
12. Southwire 12 awg solid thhn shielded copper wire for speakers (from Lowes)
13. Inexpensive banana plugs (from Lowes)
14. 4-Quiet-Line MkIII Power Filters
15. Several Shakti Air Stones and several Shakti On-Lines
Also purchased a Pioneer TX-530 am/fm tuner for $20 at a flea market. No great expectations here - it works.
Currently waiting on the following:
1. Viborg MBU1501 Power Cable, 16pcs Multiplex Copper IEC320 C13 Mains Cord with VM502+VF502 (1.5M)
2. iFi Low Noise DC power supply 9V
3. Wyred 4 Sound Remedy Reclocker (the 9V iFi power supply is for this)
4. Blue Jeans Toslink interconnect (could only afford one of the Remedy's, so the Toslink is needed for the transport and a coax will be used for the Sony blu-ray flac server (manually switch inputs as needed))
5. 2-C13 to C14 14/3 awg power cords (for the 2 DC Blocks)
Definitely a lot of (relatively) inexpensive purchases over a period of several months. (I haven't won the Lotto yet, and I'm on a fixed income now.)
If the Viborg cable helps the Audiolab DC Block for the preamp, then I'll get another one for the CD transport DC Block.
The DIY tweaks seem to have made an improvement, as far as I can hear. The shielded, solid copper wire sounds a lot better to me than the shielded, copper stranded wire. And the banana plugs seem to work out fine.
The Quiet-Line MkIIIs definitely made things sound better, too.
I realize that products from Shakti (and probably some of the other stuff that I bought) are like the red state/blue state stuff of audio forums, but I don't give a sh*t. They helped my low-fi system a lot, and that's all that I care about. Things will change for the better once I win the Lotto.
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Puritan 156 power conditioner
Silent Angel Bonn 8 network switch
SVS SB1000 Pro Subwoofers (pair)
Wilson Sasha 2's
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My new Hagerman Trumpet MC phono stage.
Best $2000 I never spent...because it costs about $1000 and sounds like $3000+.
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Custom made pure silver speaker wires for my Tannoy super tweeters on my Tannoy Churchill’s. Wow soundstage and clarity in spades.
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I forgot to include used KLH model 9 speakers.
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