What to upgrade if at all

thank you, everyone for the suggestions.
I will keep a lookout for Lyra Delos/Kleos on the resale market.

Dear Lleall: There are a lot of land to make improvements in your audio system that can fulfil in a better way your music/sound priorities and you said that the kind of music you like to enjoy is rock/pop that in many ways has high demands from an audio system.

You can change your cartridge for a better one and then you could have a better quality sound but the cartridge signal will be reproduced as good as how that cartridge signal was/is surrounded. IMHO for you really can appreciate in full what any cartridge has to shows you need first rate audio links over your audio system. So, I don't recomend to go to a cartridge change but before improve some links in your audio chanin.

You like rock and even that your speakers are really good are limited on its frequency range and you mated it with tube electronic amplifier that IMHO is not the best way to go. No, I don't want that you change your amp but something that could help a lot to those very good speakers and to your amp too.

If I was you my first move will be to add in full stereo fashion a pair of active subwoofers crossed to 80hz to liberate the speakers/amp from 80hz and down. This sole move will improve the main speakers/amp quality performance level in many ways ( you will be surprised on the kind of improvement. ) and in the other side now you will have a full range audio system with the best bass management you can get and IMHO is in the bass management where reside the foundation on any home audio system. As better that system bass management as better the whole audio system quality performance level.

Here you can read something about:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1117893153&openflup&27&4#27

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1117893153&openflup&31&4#31

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1117893153&openflup&84&4#84

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Lyra Delos cartridge!

Hello, everyone and thanks again for the responses.

Rauliruegas, I did consider subwoofers to add full range, but my listening room is quite small and I find the ART speakers have enough bass to pretty much satisfy me. The solid state power amp I have drives the ART very well.
I have been looking at the SVC subwoofers though(direct sales) and would arrange to audition in home. I was thinking of buying one but I gather 2 subwoofers are better.
The only problem is that my listening room is quite small and I wonder if I even need subwoofers or is it one of those if you don't try, you don't know what you are missing?

I also saw that Trenner & Friedl have been working on a version of their diamond tweeters that would be more affordable. I emailed the very nice Peter Trenner and he says they are still working on modifications and are not yet ready to bring to market.

Another thought I have is just to keep saving $$ to upgrade to an Avid Sequel SP, keep my SME IV arm and upgrade my cartridge at the same time.

Dear Lleall: As you said you have to try, a small room is not an obstacle: don't be worried because of that.

The main advantage to add two active subwoofers on true stereo fashion is that your main speakers will performs with higher quality performance because through them will pass frequencies from 80hz an up and this lower " severly " the IMD and THD and you will hear it. In the other side the subs will give you the best music foundation you can get and that no passive speaker can do it .

Anyway, you have the idea.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.