2. misc-audio
  3. 193315-188445

What's the weakest link in my stereo set up? I live in a townhome, so limited on space.

90% of my time is used listening to records. The other 10% is used by my wife and I to just stream TIDAL or Spotify.

I live in a three story townhome. High ceilings. Not wide rooms, but long.

I would love to be able to use a room just for the stereo, but I cannot. I like staying married, which also means I cannot turn our guest bedroom into just a music-listening adventure room. So, the stereo is in my living room on the first floor. This also means I don’t have room for floor standing speakers.

Focal 906 bookshelf speakers

Technics SL-1210 Mk II (modded out by KAB USA)

Currently using a Nagaoka MP-150 cartridge

McIntosh MP100 phono amp

Cambridge EVO 150 stereo amplifier, entertainment hub, streamer, etc (my wife uses this a lot to stream Spotify while going about the house)

Topping A70Pro headphone amplifier

 

I’m going to assume people are going to say either my turntable or my speakers. Would it be wise to upgrade my Technics to one of the higher end models? I really love the ease of using this little beast of a player. I know it’s known as "the DJ turntable", but it wasn’t made to be one -- it just became that.

The Focals are nice too, and they were also bought new for less than a grand.

(Also, sorry if this is subjective as a question. I’m new to a lot of this. I hope something stands out as an obvious room to upgrade no matter what your tastes are.

Also, I’ve been selling some of the equipment that my late father had, and while doing so I’ve been getting interested in upgrading the system I cobbled together years ago. And no, for emotional and attachment reasons, I didn’t want to keep things that he owned.)

Budget ~$2K

vrikkian

Showing 3 responses by ghdprentice

ghdprentice
7,543 posts
 

Air Matrix, sounds about right. I trust these guys. Over twenty years ago I used to call up and talk to the founder. Since then he died and his brother took over (last I heard). I suspect the Air Matrix Cryo may be worth it... but I have not tried them. Just on the basis of my experience with them would I trust that the additional cost is worth it.

ghdprentice
7,543 posts
 

So, if are talking about  speaker cable, for instance, the Q-10 looks like a good choice.

In general, your Focal speakers are going to be a little hot on the top end, so you don’t want to get too fast and detailed. I’d stay in the middle to warm and natural to make sure you get the most musical / natural sound out of your system.

 

ghdprentice
7,543 posts
 

OP,

I recommend DHLabs interconnects and cables as a reasonable cost quality interconnect. I have these around a quality connectors when I get a new piece of equipment and want to spend the first six months with the new component, getting it broken in and getting to know the sound. 

Blue jeans are budget interconnects ... low end, often marginally better or not at all than consumer. I tried them to see just to see how they sounded. I have nearly fifty years of experience in high end audio. You can see my systems under my user ID. Everyone's system is different so the impact on the sound quality is highly variable. The difference in high end wires increases as the sensitivity of your system goes up. Typically the rule of thumb is think of spending 10% or so the value of your system. More or less can be appropriate. 

 

If you are reading cable threads that 90% of the time say it snake oil. You are reading the wrong threads. This is categorically wrong. 

 

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