Wrong! The biggest upgrade would be to get better speakers/phono cartridges. These are transducers. They convert one form of energy to another form. Audio electronics have been a solved problem for decades.
Should I upgrade my preamp?
There are no decent Audio stores close to my home anymore. I used to travel 50 miles to Paragon Sound in Toledo, Ohio. I could select a piece of equipment new (floor model) or used and bring it home to plug into my system and try it before I’d buy. So, my question the group is, I’m thinking of up grading my preamp. I have always felt the preamp was the heart and soul of a system and the greatest change would come from changing the preamp. I’ve been watching used ARC preamps on eBay. Would an ARC LS28 be to much of a stretch for my current system? In the past I’ve enjoyed swapping out the single 6922 tube in the preamp and the change was always noticeable. Currently I’m running a Dutch Amperex 7308 and my favorite so far. From top to bottom a very musical tube. What are your thoughts?
Current system:
Denon DSD 1500 CD player
Audio Research LS2B MkII
Audio Research PH3SE
Aragon 8008BB
Vpi Aries gen1 turntable
Vpi Line Conditioner
Graham 2.2 tonearm
Benz Micro Ruby ZH
Thiel 3.6 speakers