Hi!
I've been browsing the articles and lurking the forums on Stereophile for over a year now, but this is my first time posting here. So first of all, thanks for all the great content! My audio setup is definitely entry level, and I'm looking for some advise on what a good next step would be for starting an upgrade path. My current setup is diagrammed below:
My original setup was the TT → Onkyo amp → B&W 303s. I had planned on upgrading the amp next, but a move into a small city apartment required that I integrate my stereo and video setups into the same system, which lead to the setup you see above. Based on my ear the Marantz receiver, despite being an AVR surround unit with all the associated drawbacks, performs better than the Onkyo when in pure direct mode (turns off the video circuitry and some audio signal processing).
From online research I think a good next step would be for me to purchase a phono preamp. The Marantz receiver doesn't have a phono input, and the built in preamp on the Audio-Technica is pretty widely regarded as garbage. I could hear a loss in clarity and depth when I went from TT → phono input on Onkyo to TT → built in preamp → Marantz line input even though the sound from digital sources increased in depth and clarity going from the Onkyo to the Marantz. Currently I have my eye on the NAD PP4, Schiite Mani, and the Hagerman Audio Labs Bugle2.
In terms of music tastes, they are pretty wide ranging. Jazz to electronic music, rock and blues, and a significant amount of random one-offs found in the vinyl bargain bin. For music sources I listen to vinyl about half the time and digital sources the other half the time (computer with HDMI cable to the Marantz for the digital signal processing). I'm also planning on adding a custom made media server in the near future with a Raspberry Pi → USB DAC → Marantz.
My experience with stereo systems is pretty much limited to the two setups described above, after I upgraded to actual stereo components in college (as opposed to running computer speakers). The slightly beat up B&Ws and Onkyo are part of that original setup that I bought used on eBay. Let me know if a preamp seems like a good step to take next, or if I'm barking up the wrong tree and should be looking at a different upgrade path. Maybe a dedicated stereo amp with a unity gain/Home Theater bypass (though the availability of these seems thin), or trying to get a dedicated stereo amp and a speaker switch for selecting between the Marantz and a new amp?
Thanks for your help!
Glen
Hi!
I've been browsing the articles and lurking the forums on Stereophile for over a year now, but this is my first time posting here. So first of all, thanks for all the great content! My audio setup is definitely entry level, and I'm looking for some advise on what a good next step would be for starting an upgrade path. My current setup is diagrammed below:
My original setup was the TT → Onkyo amp → B&W 303s. I had planned on upgrading the amp next, but a move into a small city apartment required that I integrate my stereo and video setups into the same system, which lead to the setup you see above. Based on my ear the Marantz receiver, despite being an AVR surround unit with all the associated drawbacks, performs better than the Onkyo when in pure direct mode (turns off the video circuitry and some audio signal processing).
From online research I think a good next step would be for me to purchase a phono preamp. The Marantz receiver doesn't have a phono input, and the built in preamp on the Audio-Technica is pretty widely regarded as garbage. I could hear a loss in clarity and depth when I went from TT → phono input on Onkyo to TT → built in preamp → Marantz line input even though the sound from digital sources increased in depth and clarity going from the Onkyo to the Marantz. Currently I have my eye on the NAD PP4, Schiite Mani, and the Hagerman Audio Labs Bugle2.
In terms of music tastes, they are pretty wide ranging. Jazz to electronic music, rock and blues, and a significant amount of random one-offs found in the vinyl bargain bin. For music sources I listen to vinyl about half the time and digital sources the other half the time (computer with HDMI cable to the Marantz for the digital signal processing). I'm also planning on adding a custom made media server in the near future with a Raspberry Pi → USB DAC → Marantz.
My experience with stereo systems is pretty much limited to the two setups described above, after I upgraded to actual stereo components in college (as opposed to running computer speakers). The slightly beat up B&Ws and Onkyo are part of that original setup that I bought used on eBay. Let me know if a preamp seems like a good step to take next, or if I'm barking up the wrong tree and should be looking at a different upgrade path. Maybe a dedicated stereo amp with a unity gain/Home Theater bypass (though the availability of these seems thin), or trying to get a dedicated stereo amp and a speaker switch for selecting between the Marantz and a new amp?
Thanks for your help!
Glen