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Should I upgrade DAC, speaker cables, ICs, or PCs?

I'm asking for your help in making up my mind of where to go next. I've asked this in the past and upgraded speakers first, later the amp, and lately preamp, and while the suggestions are never unanimous (nor should they be expected to be) they have been VERY helpful and I've been very happy with my upgrades.

Here's my current system:
- Rotel RCD1072 preamp
- Lamm LL2 pre
- McIntosh MC275 IV amp
- B&W 804S speakers
- dedicated power lines, and hospital grade outlets
- stock power cords throughout
- Nordost IC, the cheapest flatline ones (maybe Black Nights? not sold anymore)
- heavy gauge magnet wire for bi-wired speaker cables, an attemp to replicate Anti Cables
- room treatments: 2 16" dia DIY tube traps plus some panels.

Room treatment has brought great improvements and I'm still working on it with significant time spent there.

The weak ares to me are PCs, ICs, speaker cables and CD player, yet I don't have a budget to upgrade all of them in the near future. Maybe I can spend $1500, and used stuff is fine.

I know I'll be keeping the speakers and amp and pre for a good while, so upgrading speaker cables and pre to amp IC would be safe moves. On the other hand, if something is lost from the signal upstream, then it cannot be recovered, making the case for starting upstream...

I'm looking for opinions from more experienced "upgraders" who have gone through more iterations and have a better handle on how big an impact one or another upgrade MIGHT have. What would be the best next move, in your opinion?

Thank you!!
lewinskih01

Showing 1 response by philjolet

philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
I never really liked my Nordost Blue Heaven, they were a bit closed in and did not flow with the music. I would consider shopping around a bit and try different cables (if you have not done so already).

fwiw I recently tried the White Lightning cables talked about here in a 6Moons review: http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/whitelightning/moonshine.html

It is a very good speaker wire that I paid $7 for. I never thought DIY could be so good but it really is.

Or you could try the Audioquest mentioned by several on AA:
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=AQT4B

I am not trying to rock the boat and think the DAC ideas are the next thing I would do as well.

good luck
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