Upgrade path direction

Upscale has the Lintons on sale with free stands right now. 

I am a big believer in having a really good Phonostage… but that predicates a great preamp. To me the heart of your system is the preamp… companies like Audio Research, Cary, and VAC make really musical high end preamps. I would start there. 
 

I typically begin an upgrade cycle with speakers (for a major system upgrade), preamp, amp. Then look at the analog and digital ends. 

I recently purchased  a Herron Line Stage, and the sound quality of my system took an enormous upswing. I found my phonostage was a lot better than I knew it was. Digital front end, too!

Regards,

Dan

What cartridge? 

Get rid of all your vinyl stuff and buy a decent streamer/DAC.  Almost unlimited selection on Qobuz, and better SQ.  The speakers really are in need of replacement, too.

The speakers are your weak link.  Work with the wife to replace those.

I’m with GHD, if you are going to stick to separates a great preamp is a must. But the speakers are what “speak” to you. If it were me, I would audition a few pairs of speakers with your current setup, then maybe a different pre. The Aleph is a nice amp, but not huge on the power side of things, so an efficient speaker is a must.

What is your budget? Maybe time for a full reset, update everything, maybe a great integrated and go from there? Might be easier to sell with a new set of speakers, simplifies everything. Less cables, etc.

Regarding the rest of the system, get the front end dialed then go from there.

I believe you will find Lintons (very) boring after Klipsch, PS I really don't like horn speakers especially Klipsch, the Omen Dirty Weekends are really not bad, I have heard them with PrimaLuna valves perform well, still a little bright for me, but if you like Klipsch you should be fine.

I don't have any turntable but I recently updated my integrated amp and my speakers. Both went from pretty cheap ($700 or so) to around $2k parts. The amp upgrade improved the sound the most so an amp or pre-amp can be very important for the sound quality.

A project debut is a pretty low rent turntable to be upping the phono stage on, which would indicate you’re intent on  taking vinyl seriously. Suggest you hear a few alternative decks. A bit hard to hide from the wife though.

Not a big Klipsch fan, so I would have pointed to speakers, BUT the FW limits your choices to high efficiency. So I’d think a good quality integrated, that then opens the door wider for a future speaker upgrade.

IF most of your listening is vinyl, AND this one upgrade is the last one for quite a while, I’d lean to replace the Pro-Ject deck with a better table/cartridge.

Well if you buy something  like  the Cary 98 it might  likely  sound worse as ot will not be a bottle neck and you will get to hear the horns in all there bright glory. A high end preamp is the heart of a high-end hi-fi. But remember  the problem with it is you are likely  not done spending  money.  Nothing more exciting  than lifting the value off a system that a mid or low level preamp puts on. The resolution will increase  big time. I auditioned that Cary years ago and it is a beauty.  

Regards

I am personally  a big believer  in a quality  preamplifier.  I started years ago with Rotella separates. Anyhow I bought a moon system  and for some reason the preamplifier  came in before  the amps. I switched out the Rotella preamplifier for the moon preamplifier  huge difference.  After the amps came in another huge difference  but the ore made a bigger difference  in resolution  than the amps  but the increase  in the amps was not small either. Along the upgrade path I decided  I should try a better preamp or hopefully  better than the p3 moon. I was at the dealer and in a week moment  there was an aragon  aurum  preamplifier  on the shelf I listened  to it and just bought ot and took it home. I could  hardly believe  how much better it was than the moon p3. Lol I bought the moon stuff ordered it in after calling moon and having  a big visit a couple times with the designer.  It was my pride and joy. Anyhow the real thing that switch  did for me was make me realize  how important  the preamplifier  was. After taking that used one home I decided  it was time to find a really good preamplifier.  That's when I auditioned the Cary and an Ayre k3. I liked them both but they were both a huge step up again  but I wanted a cross between the two. Awhile  later I was at the dealer and he showed me a two year old sure k1xe Ayre. I had him box it up and I took that home. A real step up once again not as big as in the past but I can  hardly  believe  how awful  the first Rotel I had was.  For a great system  the preamplifier  cannot be a bottle neck.  The Ayre  is dry sounding  compared to the Cary but the Ayre  is more detailed.  In my primary  system  I have solid state  with a tube based front end. Lol the Cary made me do that. I want some tube beauty. And in my second  system  I have a solid state front end and a tube power preamplifier.  

The best upgrade you can make for a basement system is buying a battery backup for your sump pump.

I can't recommend these but the articles I have read on the new JBL's and KLH are really interesting and thought provoking.  I want to audition them myself.

Which is priority, analog or digital? If analog I would replace the TT. Then the phonostage. I believe your digital components to be of relatively higher quality than your analog components. 

I believe the preamp and amp to be the best sound quality components within your system.

If you could get 'buy in" from the wife the other upgrade I would make (the1st one if analog is not a priority) is a change of speakers. The power of your amp will restrict your choice of speakers however.  Often a change in speakers begets a change in the amplifier.

djspinner, it was not a sump pump.

mesch, I think you're comment is spot on about my current situation.

Some good comments to chew on, as always I appreciate everyone's time and comments.