What equipment should I invest in next?


I think I have a really good setup for my needs (see below). What should I get next to go with my setup for best sound bang for the buck? Am thinking of a PS Audio power regenerator or Townshend seismic platform for my speakers. Anything else o should consider? 
If it helps, I listen exclusively to classical and jazz. I’m a classical violinist, so I hear a bit differently. I want to hear the individual instruments, their separation, clarity and transparency of sound (no coloring of the recorded audio) and the details of the imaging.

Thanks!

Tannoy Kensington GR speakers
First Watt J2 amp
Pass xp 30 preamp
PS Audio Perfect wave DAC and SACD transport
Lumin T2 streamer
Clear audio concept turntable
EAR 834p phono stage
Morrow Audio speaker cables and interconnects

ssmaudio

Showing 3 responses by millercarbon

Note that I’m not well versed in this area.

Understatement of the week. But that's not the dig. No one is. That's the dig.

Yes a better conditioner, power cords, outlets, etc etc will be better.
Another good one, in addition to Townshend Podiums, since you have both digital and analog try some TA-102 fO.q tape. Find it on eBay for the best price. I got this from another guy here who uses it all over his turntable. Most vibration damping materials lower the noise floor but tend to suck the life and dynamics out of the instruments. This tape does not rob any dynamics but does remove a layer of detail obscuring grunge that has the counter-intuitive result of improving presence. The improvement with strings and wind instruments is impressive!  

Using this tape is a little more labor intensive because the stuff has to be cut to fit but it is super effective. I started with a piece just 1" by about 1/4" on my tone arm and even that small amount was noticeable. 

Study my system pics you will see I ran a strip along the underside of the arm tube, and underneath the arm base. Basically I keep it discrete yet effective. You would never see it in person unless you really go looking for it. The best is remove the cartridge and apply the tape to the head shell. Has to be cut and trimmed to fit. But when done holy smokes! Groove noise vanishes! Details pop out everywhere! From 1" of tape!  

Can also be used inside your DAC, transport, phono stage. Great around tubes. $50 for tape seems expensive until you use it all and hear how much improvement it makes, then it seems cheap for what you get.
Based on what you said, Townshend Podiums. I've used all kinds of power conditioners, power cords and cables. Good ones will definitely make a big improvement. But you know from first hand experience the unique timbre and tone of live instruments. What you are hearing right now, I'm sure it sounds very good but let's face it, you would never confuse it with a real live instrument in the room. Even my Moabs as dynamic as they are, we just don't get there.

But then even if we had the incredible dynamics of the real thing, we would still have the problem of the real thing starts and stops. The overtones and resonances we hear with a real instrument are produced by the instrument itself. The musician holds the instrument perfectly uncoupled from the floor. Piano and string bass, some drums, are among the few that couple to and excite the floor- and more and more pianists are discovering the improved sound of putting the piano on Pods! Search YouTube, watch the videos! 

Speakers on Podiums will do something for your music no conditioner can: restore truth of timbre! I have no doubt you will hear this immediately, and probably be surprised at how much instrumental uniqueness was hidden in those colorations.