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Upgrade help needed

I have some $ to upgrade my audio systems but can't decide where to spend it. My current systems:

Home theater/2 channel audio: Triangle Titus monitors, Infinity IL120s sub, Sony SA 9000es dvd/sacd, Creek 5350SE, PS Audio Power Plant Premier, Schiit Bifrost DAC for the digital out of the cable box.

Office headphone system: RA HR-2 amp, Audinst HUD MX-1 (Dac only), UE-18 Pro, connected to a PC running Win XP and Foobar.

Home computer: Creative X-Fi Titanium HD, ATH-M50 (or UE-18 pro), Audioengine A2, connected to PC running Win 7 and Foobar.

I spend most of my waking hours at work so my first thought is to upgrade my office system. However, my company has the PCs locked down tight so there's no way I could install the drivers needed to support truly upscale DACs and could never ever install a nice soundcard. We also have an open floor plan so being that crazy guy with full-sized amplifiers on his desk or massive Stax headphones could be a poor career move.

At home, the headphone out from the Creek absolutely destroys the sound I get from my office system. The headphone out of the creek is pulled from the main amp stage with a large resistor in the path, so you get the full fidelity of one of the best $1500 amps ever made.

As for my home theater system, it's used maybe 75% tv/movies and 25% music. I have been unhappy with the sub/monitor integration for a long time, but am skeptical I have enough space for true full-range floorstanders to sound their best. I live in a Brooklyn brownstone which is long and narrow, with the speakers facing across the short side near the front windows. So, directly to the left of the tv/speakers are 3 angled bay windows and to the right is about 20+ feet of open space. Not ideal for hi-fi audio. Switching the system to aim the long way down the apt has been vetoed by my "better half" as it would require moving the couch into the middle of the room and the tv/speakers in front of the windows.

I'm unhappy with my home system because the monitor/sub integration never sounds right. The sub can fill in the truly low frequencies but if I turn the low pass filter up to where the triangles drop off it sounds a bit boomy and is distracting with low-pitched vocals and other effects not being located correctly. I'm unhappy with my office system because the headphone out of the creek just spanks it. Same with my home computer system. I haven't switched my creative sound card for a true audiophile one because I use my desktop mostly for gaming.

I'm rambling, but my brain has been going in circles for months and I can't decide what to do. I would spend up to $3k for the right components.

I have been thinking about upgrading my home speakers to PSB Imagine T towers, Monitor Audio RX6 or even Paradigm Studio 20 v.5, and ditching the sub (which will be +points with my better half) or buying Audeze LCD 2 Rev2 for my home system. The problem there is that these speakers that are great for home theater have reviews that say they can be be harsh in the high frequencies for audio. I'm pretty sure buying larger full-range floorstanders would get my kicked out of the house (not really). Then I start thinking about buying speakers for audio that aren't great for home theater even though the system is used mostly for tv. I could go on forever...

I've also thought about upgrading my Titanium HD to a ZXR. I've also thought about just spending serious $ on room treatments for my home theater system but the unbalanced space and wife disapproval factor makes me pause. I've also thought about upgrading my office system, but I don't want to bring gigantic headphones to work or keep a full-sized amp on my desk, and I can't install the drivers required for the truly hi-end DACs. I'm also skeptical that a headphone amp can match the fidelity I'm getting from my 5350SE. I don't want to spend any $ unless it will be a big upgrade.

I just don't know what to do. The only sound I'm truly happy with is the headphone out of the 5350SE, but that's what I listen to the least. The only sound my better half cares about is what comes out of the home theater system but that's what I care about the least. Every upgrade option is a compromise because I don't have the $ to upgrade them all. What would you do? Thanks!

tl;dr - Aaaarrrgggg.
mrip
5 responses Add your response
mrip OP
7 posts
 
Thanks all for the replies.

I couldn't resist a good deal on some used Spendor S8Es but the distance I needed to pull them out from the wall gave them a very low WAF and they were simply too close to my listening area to sound as they should. They also created some significant bass response spikes that I think would be hard to fix in a way that wouldn't get vetoed by my partner in crime.

I'm fairly convinced that my best option for the HT system would be to find some larger monitors (ProAc, Dynaudio, PSB, Revel?) and call it a day.

As for my office setup, I could fit a smaller dac under my desk but I don't have the space to bring in the full-width creek. I'm thinking that a one-box solution like the Musical Fidelity M1 HPA might be the best way to go. If I decided on a dac that needed drivers installed, that tablet looks like a great option.
zydo's avatar
zydo
242 posts
 
The ProAc is a good choice for speakers. We used to carry the line, and I still have them at home. Nothing wrong with the PSB line either. I still sell them. I don't find them bright or fatiguing in the highs. I know people say that, but, I think people assume a metal tweeter has to be "bright". That's not my opinion of them. I love them. They aren't ProAc's, but, there's a big difference in price. It's really tough to beat the PSB's for the money. In fact, if I had to go buy new speakers at retail, they would be on my short list.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
I wish I still had my 5350. I still haven't heard anything near that price that sounds as good. You'll be OK with the MA's. I had the 8's and they were a great match for the Creek. At the 6's price, MA does a very good job with the metal tweeter. I wouldn't worry about what the reviews say. The MA is very refined on top, just like the Creek. Also, you really don't need a sub if you go with the MA. If your building is pre war and has walls that are paper thin, a sub is nothing but problems; not only for you, but your neighbors. Another speaker alternative that works well in your kind of apartment is ProAc. Even though they are small speakers, they fill a room very well. They used to sell them at Stereo Exchange but I'm pretty sure they dropped the line. I know Audio Connection in NJ has them. Its not too far from the city but definately worth the drive. Very good store to deal with.
elevick
2,636 posts
 
I listen about 40 hours a week at work. Luckily, I can have that "absurd" office system. I will tell you that I use the USB out from my PC to a Musiland MD-10 DAC without any drivers needing to be installed. My sources are anything from CD to HiDef radio streaming to 32 gig flash drives with lossless audio.
Can you take the Schiit & creek to work to see if it helps? If it does, you could either buy a nice little dac with usb and headphone jack or even hide something like a peachtree under your desk-that's what I would do.
czarivey
5,946 posts
 
In the office you can use either tablet with desirable sound card, iPad, iPod or iPhone with lossless files. This way you don't have to download and install drivers on the company computer(bad career move!)
I have nearly same situation and most of the time I listen music through my iPhone and Fiio 17 amp-dac. I also have ThinkPad Tablet 2 that have all capabilities of the HD sound and video through HDMI and USB so i can use any DAC to stream my music from there. This tablet have GREAT sound and very QUIET. In fact it's my primary choice for digital source
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