I think I'm about 80% of the way to achieving my dream system. I've been a music & hi-fi system lover since the late 1970s.
Living in England, I spent far too much money that I couldn't afford on my first system before I had even found a decent place to live.
My passion for music and audio has never gone away although in the 1980's marriage initially severely curtailed my system upgrading plans.
These days I try to listen to my system every day (not always possible as my wife is not remotely interested in audio).
I listen to digital and vinyl in equal proportions in my 25 x 15 x 8 (l x w x h in feet) room - it depends on my mood which I play.
The main thrust of my more recent upgrades has been the eradication of mid range hardness and glare at higher volume levels, particularly with digital. I think my hearing must be very sensitive in this region.
Up until the mid 1990's all my amplification was solid state.
However, a friend of mine had been urging me to investigate valve (tube) amps, in an effort to tame the mid range glare in my system.
Things took a turn for the better with the penultimate series of upgrades to my system. I changed my Nakamichi CA-7 preamp for a Cary SLP 2002 and I bought a pair of pre-owned ProAC Response 3's.
I was very pleased with both components. The ProAcs had good bass control and precision in the mid range and treble. The Cary was very good tonally giving a nice weight to the music. The downside was that I felt the trebled was rolled off and lacking space and air.
I lived with the system as it now was for a year. Then out of the blue opportunities arose to purchase a preowned pair of Sonus Faber Amati Homage speakers and also a Conrad Johnson Premier 16LS tube preamp.
Well both components are amazing. The CJ Premier 16 is so natural and has so much space and air between instruments all the way up to the highest frequencies and the Amatis are beautifully detailed right through the frequency spectrum.
I now feel the whole system is moving in the right direction and my next purchase is going to be a Conrad Johnson Premier 350 power amp.
Spare a thought for us poor English. While you guys agonize about shelling out $8,000 for a Premier 350 in the states, it will cost me $15,000 here in England. C'est la vie! as they say.
I would be interested in anybody's comments and once I've got the Premier 350 into the system, I will lookk at cabling and supports.
Back in the 1980's I had a Rega 3 and then CD happened. I sold the Rega and didn't play vinyl for 10 years. (Big mistake!)
Then about four years ago I decided I needed to play vinyl again so I got a Rega 25 and a Denon DL 304 mc cartridge.
I really enjoyed this set up feeding into a Nakamichi CA 7 preamp. It was musical and detailed.
Then last year I found a Rega 9 on eBay and I had fancied a Koetsu Urushi for a long time so I took the plunge. I also changed the CA 7 for a Cary tube preamp (line only) and an EAR 834 tube phono stage.
I am very hapy with the result. The major difference between the Rega 25 and the Rega 9 is stability. Using the Urushi with the 9 gives you CD like security.
Playing LP's that are in good condition, the Rega 9/ Urushi combination is unflappable. I gave up trying to analyse the treble or the bass or anything. What you get is music that just sounds great from bass right through to high treble.
I could go on and on but in my opinion, the Rega 9 is well worth moving up to.
System edited: Forgot to add this to my system. Whest Audio DAP 10 analog processor. It fits between DAC and pre amp. Hard to put finger on what it does to midrange or treble but it definitely improves the bass. Music has a much improved 'boogie' factor.
