looking for jaw dropping improvement

budget 5k

any ideas?

present system.......................

lp12/ittok/at09/slee era gold mk 5/elevator xp/lingo 2

cd72/sugden stemfoort pda 10 dac

Bel canto evo 4/audio research ls2

yamaha tuner with spider ariel draped across fire place.

trichord 500va power block

interconnects mostly MF nuvista

senhieser hd600/rega ear

jmlab 920 electras (nac5)

big wooden childproof chest

 

Lavardin IT.

 

russ andrews reveel.

 

so the IT comes in better than the evo4/ar ls 2 combination. you may well be right but the £££'s don't add up - list say 5K. btw wot's reveel

 

hi

thats a lot of cash!

I think you have some great stuff on paper.

If I was you with 5k burning a very big audio hole, I'd go and listen to loads of high end speakers.

If you're still in London you're spoiled for choice with dealers thats for sure.

Cheers
Chris

 

Yep - I'd go for speakers.... Quad ESL 988 or 989, or maybe Dali Helicon which impressed me at a show.

 

Swap the Ittok for an Aro.

Swap the Lingo for an Armageddon.

Buy lots of Mana.

 

I was wondering how long it would take you to suggest this

 

Buy something else and optimise what you have for a few hundred pounds.

 

i say have an adventure and build yourself some ipl's then get someone to fettle the crossovers within an inch of their lives and / or make then external. that'll cost you about 1.5k at the very most - most likely a lot less. then buy a grands worth of new music, go see some live music and go on holiday.
cheers


julian

 

If you have not done it, then dedicated mains power.

Cost you around £300-500 [plus decorating costs] for the much mentioned Roy K Riches solution.

I have dedicated Consumer Unit (I keep calling it a fuse box) and 6 spurs. Yes the difference, or should I say is improvement, is jaw dropping. Best value upgrade I ever made.

So you get a cheap upgrade, your music room redecorated, and still have 4 grand left for new stuff.

Which is your main source vinyl or CD ?

Graham

 

£3495 for an IT at Stone Audio.

Just a suggestion because I like em and jaw dropping is an often used adjective in reference to the IT!. Your amps may well be better who knows, it would be dramatically different though. If it was my money and my system I'd also look at the sources. I have always found front end improvements offer the best value. It's a knotty one.
My understanding is your LP12 is high spec but the cartridge might be improved upon, speakers you have are well regarded and you obviously like the sound, CD I know nothing about being a full on vinyl head, so seems to me that an amp change and cartridge could pay dividends. Also JM labs and Lavardin are supposed to be very synergistic.

Anyway just my tuppence worth.

 

Yo J

I don't think Quad ESLs would work in your room, ideally they need plenty of space behind them.

I'd look at the LP12. Either a nice new deck, or a better arm and cart, both would be easily achievable with £5K, and lots of change too. Armageddon doesn't do 45RPM so if you stick with the LP12 the Lingo is probably the best bet. Your speakers seemed fine to me, but changing speakers will probably give you the biggest single change. But recommending speakers is tough, so much depends on trying stuff in your room.

-- Ian

 

Make some Wilson Watt/Puppy looking speakers, with better drivers, for about 2K [including ~£1000 to pay a woodwork shop to build them].

 

having had the Arcam CD72, I have ended up with AS DaxDecade & modded Ncode transport. That was jaw dropping improvement: search on Dax on hififorsale for modded Meridian200 + DaxDecade.

having the Electra 905s and an itch in the poweramp region, I lust after your Evo4 and JMLab Electra 920 combo, and wonder.

where do you itch?

 

pl point me to relevant thread.

 

I thought maybe the LP12 aswell, but didnt want to mention it - I know that some people don't like to hear that it may be possible to improve upon.

If you'll look at that John, why not pop to Walrus?

 

Yes, it's fashionable to knock the LP12. Well done, keep it up, etc.

 

I see no knocking of the LP12 going on.

 

It would be lovely to improve upon the LP12. I've even heard a few decks whose owners think that they have.