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Recommendations for 5k upgrade

As winter approaches more time is spent listening so I have allocated this budget for system changes and/or improvement. Planned changes are marked between brackets.

Source:
PC based music server / SB Touch (ext. power supply upgrade, maybe Bolder?) fed into Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC with Dexa opamps. Alternative source: Sony DVP 9000ES CD/SACD via optical.

Amplification:
Conrad Johnson CT-5 with 6H30DR tubes, CJ LP140 mono blocks (tube rolling planned, which 6922?)

Speaker/sub:
Dunlavy SC-IV modded, Velodyne DD-12 or REL R305 (haven't decided which one to keep)

Power Conditioning:
Audience AdeptResponse 12 with e PowerChord (AU24e PC planned, dedicated 20A lines planned with the next room renovation)

Cabling:
IC: NordOst Valkyrja throughout (maybe Valhalla, looking for alternatives with better price/performance), NordOst Silver Shadow for S/PDIF
SC: NordOst Heimdall (probably the weakest link here, upgrade to Tyr2 ? Alternatives?)
PC: NordOst Vishnu to preamp and power amps, stock PCs on other devices (waiting for the final direction for PCs, not sure to stick to the loom theory, having all PCs of the same brand)

Isolation: mostly Black Diamond Racing cones/pucks and one BDR shelf under the preamp, some Stillpoints (planning to experiment with alternatives like Aurio, Symposium, etc, under the devices, maybe some for under the speakers)

Room treatment: just acoustic panels behind the speakers, need high WAF suggestions for my 21' x 30' room which has a half sloping cathedral ceiling and an open staircase. (looking for bass traps that can blend in with the interior for the corners)

I am not unhappy with the current setup but like to have more details without being too lean/bright.

What is my weakest link?

Of course YMMV but appreciate any suggestion to take this system to the next level without a second mortgage (or divorce) and/or improve the synergy between components. TIA!
polyglot

Showing 2 responses by fly_fish_nz

fly_fish_nz
70 posts
 
You might consider a DEQX unit, which offers speaker correction (frequency, group delay, phase), room correction, and sub integration with electronic crossovers of a wide variety. Mine has been my favorite upgrade in many years; a friend purchased and is happy with one after hearing mine; and another audiogoner purchased and is very happy with an Express unit I sold him when I upgraded to the HDP3.

One warning: the units are very flexible and the nomenclature and software layout can be quite confusing at first: there is a steep learning curve. Once you read through the install manual and run through a few trial runs, though, it becomes fairly easy.

I've noticed a few for sale recently, which may be because they didn't fit well in a some peoples's systems. I was not impressed with my first couple of run throughs, before I took time and effort to get the full benefit of the DEQX, so I suppose that may be a case for others as well.
fly_fish_nz
70 posts
 
I've owned a DSPeaker unit, and as Roscoeiii notes it is an inexpensive, and for many effective way to help tame bass problems below the Schroeder frequency in your room (approx. 200 hz in many rooms). The DEQX unit is functionally quite different from, and addresses several more issues than, the DSPeaker. Many users feel that the simulated anechoic speaker correction, correction of group delay, and linear phase electronic crossovers, for example, are as, or more important than the room correction of frequency response.

(side note: both the DEQX and DSPeaker units allow room correction at higher frequencies, but it seems room correction above say 200hz is not recommended by most experts)
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