Products you added to your system in 2021 that made most impact to your music enjoyment

Busy year for me…Another TechDas AF premium with 2 SAT CF1(for my partner) the trade of my NHB-458 for a NHB-468, a Pathos Heritage, Tannoy Kensington and Avantgrade Duo MezzoXD speakers, Acoustic Signature Montana with 2 Kuzma 4Points, one with an Etsuro Gold and the other with a Koetsu Rosewood Platinum, PS audio P20.

I also got 2 Solid-Tec ROS racks but I do not like them at all, the crossbars are not well engineered so the racks flex.

LSA Voyager 350 GaN amp and Pangea Premier XL coax cable. And just a tick into January 2022 a Audiolab CDT 6000. All are amazing value

Weiss 501 DAC.

JBL L100 Classics in orange fully cooperating with my MC452. Live performances are now truly alive performances. 

Added Analysis Plus Oval 9 speaker cables and Crystal Oval interconnects.

First new cables in close to 25 years. Holy heck they had to make a difference. Hard not to.o

- Upgraded from Node 2i to Lumin T2:  Holy moly! the increase in resolution is just astounding.  Makes everything more realistic.  However, I do miss the Node's app which is superior.

- Removed preamp: Lumin's own Leedh volume processing really is a seamless transition for a streaming-only system.  Removes one more veil without noticeable loss of dynamics.  One less remote control too.  

- Furutech GTX-D NCF outlet: more detail, more presence, more 3D.  And this is AFTER upgrading power cords and conditioners.

A modified Sony CDP-XE500.

over 2020-2021 been experimenting with the DIY tweak called 'battery ground tweak' (attributed to 'uncle stu' over at audio asylum), adding it to nearly every thing - computer, dac, pre, power, speakers

transforms the system, totally. 

modding the super-cheap 6p1/6aq5 chinese amp's caps and resistors was a revelation.

one does not need to actually spend a lot on both the amp nor the caps or resistors to sound high end it seems. i wasted alot of money buying from online boutique capacitor sellers like hificollective uk (which i will post about soon, a different topic, once a great wonderful shop to deal with that morphed into a bunch of truly terrible people I want nothing to do with now)

power cords.

2021 definitely convinced me of their importance. i was skeptical before, but now consider them a critical part of any good system.

Just before the end of 2021, my new PS Audio PerfectWave SACD Transport (PST) arrived to replace the previous generation DirectStream Memory Player (DMP) and I must say, the improvement is more than I ever expected, especially for "regular" CDs.  The musical "tonality" is improved for both CDs and SACDs, and I've heard new sounds I'd never heard before on disks I've listened to many times.

I'm glad I made the upgrade.

Additions:

*Nobsound springs under everything, including my speakers

* I reinstalled my Marantz HDCD-1 to replace using my Oppo 105 as a transport for red book CDs

Subtractions: (these 2 paid HUGE sonic dividends)

* Removing Harbor Freight dollys from under my speakers

* 2 SVS powered subs: 10+ years old, never designed to compliment a hi-end system

So I had a hard decision to make this year, get my wife a new car or build a second hifi system, so I bought,

A pair KEF Reference 5’s

A Hegel H390

Several AQ, digital cables

A pair of AQ XLX cables

AQ speaker cables

some starter sound defusers

and last but not least, a Denafrips Pontus ll

Believe it or not, my wife still loves me… I think😆

Even though I would like to think of my system as finished, there were 4 notable changes to my system in 2021. First, I moved away from a MacBook Pro based hi-rez music environment and bought a Node, and with the purchase of the node I really started to explore what's available via Qobuz. I have discovered so much music in the few months since I bought the node- It is, along with other streamers, the ultimate tool for mining music. Next- a subwoofer. Let me state this clearly- I don't need a subwoofer, but how could I turn down a McIntosh PS112 subwoofer for free? I couldn't and now that it is dialed in just so, it only adds to the music's enjoyment. Third- phono cartridge- I had been using the same cartridge for about 20 years- don't really recall if it was 17 yrs, 18 yrs, or whatever, but close to 20 for sure. Still sounded OK, but tracking was becoming an issue. So- I bought a new cartridge, spending more than I thought I would, but it's a hell of a cartridge (Linn Kandid). Ok, so the Node was no surprise, the sub was a no brainer, and a new cartridge was a known eventuality. The surprise was #4- replaced my Linn Lingo 1 power supply with a Lingo 4 power supply. I was skeptical that a synchronous motor would benefit from being tach controlled, but I was intrigued about going from a 120 volt motor to a 12 volt motor. Turns out this was an excellent move-

You all are amazing!

Congrats on your mental acuity.

2021 was a blur for me.

I’m sure I picked up a few impressive things, but zero clue as to what it/they might have been.

@reubent i have been traveling for the holidays, so I’ve not tinkered as I’d hoped but I seemed to have stumbled into a solution on what I thought was a connectivity issue, but perhaps what a clock issue?

The last setting, deep into the app, is a clock-syncing setting.  Once disabled, the buffering/stutter has disappeared.

no conclusions as of yet on what effect this may have had (did I do something to the dac on my node side to accommodate something on my amp (peachtree nova 150, node plugged into coaxially)?  Will report when I know more.🎅🏻

So - in 2021, I purchased a Wolf AudioLuna R server, ripped all of my 1200 cd's o the hard drive, added an Eleven Audio Sagra DAC (R2R) and upgraded the pre to power interconnects to Shunyata Research Sigma V2.  Also added a Gold Note PH10 and PSU10 power supply for lp playback with exceptional results.  Now a truly reference system that has gone up several notches in performance.  

@dirgordoncole  - Hi Gordon. I hope you get your connectivity issues resolved with the Node. Lots of people love it. However, I've also read many accounts of people having networking issues via wifi. They typically say connecting via ethernet resolves the issue. Don't know if that is possible for you, even as a test. If it works, but you don't have the ability to connect via ethernet in your preferred location for the node, perhaps you can install a mesh network and connect the Node via ethernet to one of the mesh's nodes.

BTW, I'm streaming via a Raspberry Pi3 based DIY streamer and it works great. It's really inexpensive. If you get frustrated with the node, and want to investigate a mesh network, or a change of streamers to a DIY Raspberry Pi based unit, just let me know. Would be happy to discuss...

It has mostly been about different phono preamps. One is still on the way (I started this about 1 year ago).

Symposium shelves and footers were a great bang-for-buck addition but the Hegel H390 that I acquired a couple weeks ago has. without exaggeration, lifted my system to another level. 

Thanks @reubent —glad you enjoyed it.

in regard to the Blusound Node—I haven’t lived (tinkered) with it long enough to make any sort of honest, evaluative conclusion.  However, I am a bit ambivalent about it, but that may be on me for buying $600 box hoping it would fill-in all of my perceived gaps.

The pros—it’s easy enough for everyone in the house to use.  It presents with more  power and body than my iPad.  The included HD radio stations are pretty great!

The jury is out, however, in regards to playback.  (Confession #2–I am fairly certain Vinyl is my preferred source material (inner-ring distortion not withstanding))

At the moment, I am streaming Amazon HD and the buffering is untenable for me.  This is my biggest issue.  I don’t think I’ll be able to make a helpful comment on playback fidelity or musicality until this is sorted.  I’m not ready to lay this issue at the foot of the Node, Amazon HD, or some aspect of my internet connection.  But, I’ve never had the issue of buffering whilst streaming in the past.

it’s a smidgen annoying that Apple Music HD isn’t supported (as that is the preferred service for my family members).  I may re-up with Tidal and see how that runs, so watch this space.

@reubent do keep us abreast of your phono journey.

Any constructive help on optimizing my node is appreciated.

DirGordonCole

I’m a frugal ex-audiophile, now music lover (not mutually exclusive). This year I replaced my very serviceable Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit SB with a lowly Pioneer PLX1000 direct drive TT. I went from an Ortofon 2M Blue to a much less expensive DJ cartridge - Ortofon Concorde mkII MIX - that came on the Pioneer when I bought it. The difference in the presentation is amazing. The Pioneer has so much more drive. It might lack just a bit of air vs. the 2M Blue, but I prefer the Concorde.

Next "upgrade" is the cartridge. If the $99 Concorde DJ cartridge is this good, can’t wait to hear what a higher quality "audiophile" cartridge can do on this table. But I’ll keep the Concorde for records of questionable condition.

I put Isoacoustics Gaia II feet on my Marten Django speakers. The difference from stock feet is nothing short of mind blowing. My floor was picking up a lot of resonance and that is all gone now. The result is tighter bass and midrange or just the cleanest sound you can imagine. Next time you are thinking about upgrading your speakers get some of these first. You may be surprised what your speakers can really sound like. 

@dirgordoncole 

Hey Gordon, did you get the BlueSound Node yet? Just curious if you are enjoying it.

I enjoyed your post. And yes, "This is why we do it".

Happy Musical Holidays to you and your family...

Replaced Bowers and Wilkins 604 s2’swith Vandersteen 2wq sub with new Vandersteen Quatro CT’s. Incredible. New speaker cables, dual kinder kable 8tc’s help. But it’s the Vandys that sing.   Even to my wife. 

Cat 8 internet cable for bluesound node server.  I had cat 7 and thought I should remove the weakest link from my system.  I ordered cat 8 and was (and am) shocked over the difference.  Originally I purchased (2) Wireworld Starlight cat 8 cables years ago ($100 each).  This was before cat 8 was commercially available.  Imagine my surprise when I saw flat cat 8 cables for $8 apiece.  I was apprehensive until I hear them.  This was transformational.

2021 was good to me. I enjoyed the old Crown SL1 / PL1

Pre amp / power amp separates for over 40 years. A real testament to quality.

It was time to retire it as the sound was degrading a bit and 

I needed a change.  I looked for quite a while and fell in love with

The Primaluna EVO 100 integrated.  The sound was amazing on my 

DIY speakers. I complemented it with a Bluesound Node 2I, 

And an Innuos mini mk III. I could not be happier.

it goes back to 2020 but i must say that by far, by far, the most impactful change i made in my system is going to streamed music (tidal/qbz), and of course, the gear that enables it

completely changed my listening habits (cdp and record players gather dust now), and i am enjoying the music, the discovery, the ease, the whole experience, soooo much more than ever

technology has done many things to our world, much of it is awful in the way of unintended consequences to our society, our consciousness, our being - but streamed music is really wonderful

Magnepan LRS speakers driven by Starke AD4-320. The two best bargains in the business.

BlueSound Node: I listen to a lot more music because of its streaming capabilities from pay-music subscriptions like Tidal and Napster....plus internet radio, plus I now have the ability to play files from a hard drive

1. Made a pair of self designed open baffle speakers. I'm a convert.

2. Silversmith Audio Fidelium speaker cables. Brought out the sweetness and increased clarity of the OB's.

3. Synergistic Research purple fuses for my power plant, preamp and power amp. Only 30 hours on them so far but man, oh man!

4. Synergistic Research ECT's in DAC, preamp, power amp, phono stage, and receiver. How such tiny little things can do what they do. Amazing..

5. Separated my analog from SS computer based system. Bought a vintage Tandberg TR-2060 Receiver for the vintage Pioneer TT and analog has never sounded so good.

Cumulatively, WOW. I think I'm done.

In this the second year of the Coronavirus pandemic I decided to make only small tweaks to my system. I added a D-Link network switch and the ENO Ethernet Filter System Ag in front of my ROON Nucleus music server, and an Audiowise SRC.DX USB to coax converter with a single WAVE Storm BNC cable to take the streaming signal from the Nucleus to my Chord Hugo M Scaler. I also bought a couple pair of vintage NIB 6SN7 driver tubes for my Woo Audio WA22 headphone amplifier that were made in the 1950’s, which is pretty cool. 

I built the ANK DAC 5.1 this fall.

Sweet sound and I know how it works from the inside out.

2021: Musical Paradise Tube DAC

2020: Crites speakers(style B)
 

Oops!  Forgot, had my friend build a balanced to single ended transformer(s) for my COS Engineering D1 DAC.   Much improved sound.

2021-minor improvement to a very good system-using my Walker Talisman on the rear input panel and over all cables in my system.  Opened up sound significantly.  I've owned it for 15 years and my friend and I tried it and it works best there.   For ease of use I also purchased the Furutech Destat III for CDs and LPs.   2021-Holding the discs in my hand and zapping them provides 100% destatization (my friends Zerostat does virtually nothing and my 40 year old Nagaoka is very tired/weak now).   Eventually, my only component upgrade will be my speakers.

Myself I got a Eastern Electric minimax dac. Modified it. Installed a full gear of SR purple fuses. 

Simply a SMSL AO-200 integrated amplifier driving a pair of Magneplanar LRS and the result is stunning and unexpected. 80% as good as my Primaluna Prologue Premium integrated at 10% the price.

Two changes to my system this year that eclipsed many changes I had made in the past. These two items were purchased sight unseen, and not auditioned prior to purchase.

The first update was to my DAC I purchased the Denafrips Venus II DAC unheard. This is an amazing DAC that catapulted my system sonic's into otherworldly levels of sublime. I remain flabbergasted. The impact to tonality, timbre, dynamics channel separation, wow. While I wonder how the Terminator II would have sounded, it's hard to imagine how much better it could have sounded.The Venus II DAC just put's more "there there" ... .

The next upgrade item was to my Line level Preamp. My Sonic Frontiers SFL-1 was shelved in favor of the new PrimaLuna Evo 400 Line stage Preamp. The Evo is performing so well. Dead quiet, blacker blacks, more bandwidth, and better channel separation, musicality. The build quality is matched only by my Dialogue 7 mono-blocks. Synergy is a real thing,

Two admittedly big changes and I am enjoying music reproduction that is leaps and bounds of sonic improvement over the other. My system is now advanced into the modern era. I am very happy.

Magnepan 1.7i’s and an IFI iPhono 3 have made a nice impact for me in 2021.

I made several upgrades in 2021, the most significant has been going from a REL T-Zero III to the REL T9X 

Many cables swapped for better ones but the high fidelity reveal power and interconnects were an amazing Surprise about how the system improved! Very recommend, I don't see in my audiophile future not having s high fidelity cable somewhere in my system, it just add something that any other cables can do and I have tried quite few.

A solid +1 for Puritan PSM156 power conditioner in my system.

A pair of Quadratic diffusers, that's my big improvement this year. Room treatments that Agoners have been stating make a significant difference, they are correct, and I first hand know it now too.



@akgwhiz - next year I'll hopefully have my two shelf spring isolation shelves in my system. Burl Mesquite, and it's DIY too bro. I heard millercarbons Raven amplifier, very good.

Ortofon Red to Bronze on Project Debut Carbon.  First, Red was a big improvement over Blue but Bronze yielded some too.  TT prob limiting my upgrading from here.  Next year?

Migrated from Rogue Sphynx v3 to Raven Blackhawk Mk3.  Sphynx no slouch considering price but Blackhawk improves in most every aspect of SQ.

DIY 4 shelf, system unit of 1 1/2 butcherblock and 2x3 ash legs.  Beautiful with the Lee Taylor custom speaker cabinets.  Not sure of sonic improvements as it was deployed along with amp but it's a real looker!  Surprised myself.  

Sending my Orchid DAC for mods over holidays so we can revisit this topic next year.

Maybe I'm a sentient 'bot.  Nah.

Linear Tube Audio Z40 amplifier

Furman ELITE 15 PFi Linear  Filtering AC Power Conditioner

I Added two acoustic panels on the side wall and made a tremendous difference.

1. Replaced Simaudio Moon Neo 220i with a Musical Fidelity M6si.    
2. Replaced Cambridge Audio CXR200 AVR with a Anthem MRX520
3. Replaced Bluesound Node with a Lumin D1
4. Replaced Schiit Magni with a Auralic Taurus MK2
5. Replaced Hifiman HE400i with Sennheiser HD600
6. Replaced Schiit Modi with a Denafrips Ares II
7. Added Bonn N8 ethernet switch
8. Added two Rel T5's, one Rel T7i and SVS SB2000.
9. Added MiniDSP 2x4 audio processor
10. Added Isoacoustics Gaia III's
11. Added Nobsound springs
12. Changed room configuration 90 degrees

@tsushima1     

Be careful my friend.    

Furutech NCF receptacle + plate + cover