Weak Link in chain as I upgrade from mid-fi?

Of the components you list, the Marantz is probably last in line for an upgrade if only being used as a transport.  Head of the line would probably be a stand-alone DAC as an addition, or complete replacement of the Arcam.  Have you considered a Hegel integrated or the Parasound HINT?

op

your system is reasonably well balanced as it is, good job (and good job on asking for advice in a way that is informative to us who can provide it!)

i would say in your case, getting a rel sub to couple with the sf’s would be the biggest single move, then second move would be a better dac - maybe a schiit gumby, mhdt tube dac or chord 2qute/qutest (depending on whether you want more transparency or warmth in your improved sound), third move would be to get a better integrated like a hegel, but the sonic impact would only be felt in this move only if the first two moves were done

good luck, have fun

@twoleftears I liked the Hint but I felt for >2x more money than the Arcam it was mostly just more power, with some additional edge. I preferred the smoother sound of the arcam...knowing that id rather do a more measurable upgrade a couple steps down the line. For that im considering Denafrips Pontus II with Luxman 505uXII, maybe a one box solution if a get a deal on a mid-tier/larger Moon or Hegel. The Luxman I just found a tier above them all.

Personally I found the Arcam a very well done integrated in its price range and really for the purposes of my current speakers everything the SA-30 offers in terms of sound, sans some of the digital convenience features. I do like Hegels but I didn’t really prefer them until the H390 which would be a ’future’ upgrade anyway. The Luxman/DF-P combo was a really special one that rang to me as a ’proper’ step up, and better than the H390 personally after testing on various SF/paradigm/Totem at a local shop. Unfortunately have only heard Moon int’s at another shop that doesn’t sell SF, so on Dynaudio (generally like a lot as well, my second choice of brand behind SF)

EDIT to the above: I realize I may come off as stubborn about the Arcam. Maybe a tad but I sort of saw it as the best ’musical’ sounding all in one int until I spend in the range of 4k+...which I do expect to do, just wanted room to grow. The main thing is I found the parasound really beneficial for forward sounding speakers but I don’t always want to be leaning forward on the edge of my seat which I felt the Hint6 would be like. Hegels less so for sure, and the wonderfully black BG is a huge benefit for sure with them. Once I have floor standings I feel that lvl of readiness to manage low end bass is gonna come in handy

@jjss49 Thanks for that feedback! I wanted to be thorough but also I won't lie...even though I know how modest my setup is, im still a little proud of it the way I was when I got my HD650's and first headphone amp (some fiio or something haha) and wanted to share it with the community. Excited for what I hear and learn as my ear and tastes grow. 

Yeah I actually started loving Paradigm prestige 85fs as the first 'starter' speaker 'wow' moment in a store, and then the founder 100fs...but realized the more I listened the sonetto can have an organic quality that I connect with. I sort of built my system to lean into that and, for now at least, see my future as just refining that sound more and more with better pieces. What you say about starting with sub, THEN amp upgrade like Hegel makes a lot of sense to me. It just didn't seem worth getting 190+ unless they would play more of a role in the bass department. Looking at starting with a REL T/5x for now.

@czarivey Headphone stuff:

Senn 650’s
DCA A2 Noire
Focal Utopia (v1)
CA Andromeda 2020 (these get some unfair hate, imo!)
Grado GS-1000

Desk Amp: Schiit Jot 1 w/dac...hopefully will upgrade this to a smoother Burson sometime soon
Living Room Amp: Bottlehead Mainline1.1

what is the best solution to getting some controlled but blended oomph in the lower octaves?

Good question and kinda where I was going. Possibly the most impactful and immediate improvement you could make would be to add a pair of good subs — yes, definitely a pair as it improves performance markedly and makes it easier to deal with room issues. I’d suggest a pair of SVS SB1000 Pro subs you can get for $1150, and they offer a truly risk-free, 45-day trial (including shipping both ways) so if they don’t completely rock your world — but they totally will — just return them. The SB1000 Pro is a pretty small sub so won’t dominate your room, gets you down to an honest 20Hz that basically gives you a true full-range system, come with their own integration software that makes seamlessly dialing them in much easier, and SVS provides excellent customer support if you ever need help/suggestions. What many don’t realize about subs is that they not only greatly improve bass, but you’ll find when properly set up your entire soundstage will expand in all directions, imagining will improve, and even your mids and treble will sound better. And as a bonus, as you’ve got a combined system the subs will transform watching TV/movies into a completely different and much more involving experience. Frankly, and especially since you seem to like your sound already, adding a couple subs is so impactful it might cause you to forget the itch to upgrade for a while.

When you do decide to upgrade I’d start with both the integrated and speakers together as they need to play well together, and at 90Wpc your Arcam will struggle to drive most better speakers sufficiently or get the best out of them. Anyway, hope this helps somewhat, and best of luck.

I would like to spin what @drbond said.

You have lots of opportunities to improve the sound incrementally and then a big bump when you get to the end of the next upgrade cycle.

‘’It looks like all your components are very roughly of the same caliber… great.

So, it appears you like Sonus Faber sound… I do to (see my systems). I am on my third set, upgrading from old used to new higher level. Each provided a great bump up in performance. I would start there.

So, the question would be how big a jump? I upgrade to a new level about every seven years and take about a year or two to make the transition.

You want to put in no less than 2x the cost in each component… less is likely to be disappointing.

For the first upgrade, I would recommend speakers…. Wait ~ six months… then DAC. Then wait ~ six months upgrade integrated (preamp and amp only… no other stuff). Then streamer.

Unless, you have some compelling reason to add analog I would not… this just dilutes your investment in the core stuff.

Even if you cannot have a dedicated audio room… keep the 2-channel audio separate from the home theater (get a sound bar for the TV). Otherwise your 2-channel is going to be tremendously compromised… or you’ll need to spend 3x on the whole thing or more and still have a compromised 2-channel system..

Get the best speakers you can. Olympica are fantastic… I had a pair for nearly 10 years.

Think roughly about 35% on speakers, 35% on integrated, 15% DAC, and 15% on streamer. Worry about cables and cords after you have landed on your ideal components.

Recommended brands:

Speakers: Sonus Faber

Integrated: used, Audio Research or Pass

Streamer: Aurender used N100… new N150

DAC: Schiit - Yggdrasil

If you are able to pull off the above upgrades over whatever time frame… you are going to have an system performing at levels above what you have now. Each step should provide great satisfaction. Get to know each new piece as you get them and save for the next.

Then you can get into interconnects, cables and subwoofers.