Will tube preamp add?

[Foggie]

One thing that is pretty common IMO, that many don't do is defining what one is looking to improve?  Now without "knowing" what needs improvement, that can make it challenging (having a reference point helps here).  Maybe all sounds great and you can stop?  Nothing wrong with that.

 

Trying out gear is also fine, many 'O people are constantly switching out stuff - although that requires $$ and time and can provide one with hearing the impact of different gear, which is also fine if that floats your boat. 

 

However, you'll never hear the full potential of your rig, IMHO, especially if you are sort of just starting out, without understanding the impact of setup and acoustics / your room.  The fundamentals as I like to call it.  Spkr setup, listening position and getting low freq to something manageable (sonically) is everything and will usually trump everything else (generally speaking).  

 

Get those items dialed in the best you can will then provide you a great starting point and will help mitigate your wallet from bleeding by throwing gear to solve something that gear can't.  At that point, you can then define some goals and start the conversation as to what components may work ideally or whatever.

 

Every room is a comprise unless you are lucky enough to design and start from scratch on a dedicated space $$.  Without some thought on setup and $$ on acoustics, you wont be able to get the most out of you system and could end up wasting $ on gear IMHO.

 

None of this is required mind you, throw up some speakers and gear, change things out and if that makes you happy that's cool too.

 

 

[Foggie]

5 minutes ago, al2813 said:

 

you are right of course so will try to define better. I believe my setup is doing well when the music is acoustic - when it׳s more electric going  to more rock, I like it less. Just earlier someone referred to this as pace. maybe it’s that. 

Many times when things get muddy (timing artifacts) it can be more prevalent or noticeable when things get busier (rock), I'll go back to my orig statement about the fundamentals - experiment on setup + listening position at a minimum (many guides available) and see if things improve - clarity, separation etc.. more coherence should be relatively easy to improve upon

[Foggie]

20 hours ago, Blake said:

One of the most perplexing things for me is, how so many in our hobby dismiss subs and low frequencies in general, like they don't matter.  They are totally fine with just lopping off an important part of the music, which is the polar opposite of the goal of high fidelity.

Another topic altogether really, but +1milllion IMHO and two is really a minimum.  Without question, you can wreck any system by throwing a sub(s) haphazardly. It's certainly not a requirement, but certainly shouldn't be dismissed because their "subs".

 

Like anything in a great system, it takes some (a lot) work to dial everything in.  Until one has heard well implemented subs in a system (which aren't meant to dominate), can you then determine its not for me / not needed so to speak.  Again IMHO.

 

Back on topic and to the OP, some great info has been provided here and I would stress again that you use the gear you have now, get it dialed in in the best acoustical space / location you can in your environment - and experiment to the hilt to understand the interaction of the room and listening position.  Is this a requirement?  No not at all, but it comes down to how much do you want to invest (not gear) in learning + and understanding.  This isn't something that takes a few hrs, weeks etc..BTW. 

 

I've spent a better part of a yr+ dialing things in to understand my new space and its limitations, what it does good at etc..  making drawings, measuring, taping locations on floor, notes - a database if you will.  The acoustic treatments were the fine tuning and makes an immense (even massive) difference, but that's not for everyone / or applicable to a shared living space, wife etc.. Ya do the best with what you have!

 

Replacing gear (at this point based on the original post) to try and improve certain things that are lacking isn't the answer IMHO.  It can change things, but you must have some sort of baseline and understand that baseline the best you can IMHO.