Audio path upgrade, where to start?

Mr Peabody said:
Just another option for the ointment, have you thought about adding a subwoofer? Add some bottom end and making the amp'sjob easier.

To get an integrated with muscle at $3k you may have to go used. The Parasound might fit but also has a DAC.

I would look at the Schiit Yggy for the DAC in your budget, you may want to contact them the DAC comes in a couple different flavors.
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I’ve thought of a subwoofer indeed. It started as thought a nice addition if trimmed well but could in a square box room trigger more standing waves to fix, so I stayed out of that region so far. The integrateds I try to move away from as I rather spend the future budget at solely the amp and not on overlapping internals e.g. dac.
I know I chose a path to upgrade from source to dac to amp to speakers, for me reasonable and logic approach that not all will understand, bit without dac I can never move to into the terrain of a nice amp that’s just an analog powerhouse
 
Alkyogre said:
I don’t understand you. The dac does not have anything to do with room corrections. If you want room corrections try dirac on another amp. If you want better lows you need other (larger) speakers. Another dac is also an improvement , but does not solve these issues about lows and roon correction.
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A dac at all if external will provide imo more choice for amps in the future. Otherwise I will be stuck with integrated how I see it. A first thing to look at.

For better bass I agree there is no alternative for surface area. Nice to have.

For better grip I’d say there is no alternative to amp power. A 2nd to look at.

For room modes I dislike to correct them with software or eq or otherwise, better to learn yourself to work with the room and the equipment inside . Where I mentioned to be able to possibly fix (or destroy) the room acoustics with dac I thought of the advanced parametric eq that is in some RME dacs.
 
Using the conversion table your room is really not that big at roughly 16'x13'x9' so if the Dynaudio speakers you own suit you then you can work with them in that room by augmenting them with a pair of smaller subs. With your $5k budget if you were in the US this is what I would recommend and it would still involve an integrated amp just a far more powerful one.

Kinki Studio EX-M1- $2398
RME ADI-2- $900
(2) RSL Speedwoofer 10S or SVS SB-1000- $900

That brings you in at $4200 and under your budget but addresses all your concerns with you running the two subs speaker level. If you would prefer to run them line level then move to the EX-M1+ which adds preamp outs and amp in for $500 but still under your $5k budget. I've tried running a much higher priced DAC with and integrated volume control directly to several amps and in each case the sound was flat and lifeless. If you look at my signature you will see that I own and use the integrated amp and the subs so I know how they sound and work. The DAC I've never heard but Joe owns it and says it's good and that's a good enough endorsement for me. I own several pairs of book shelf speakers with equal or better bass response than your Dyns and they are always run with a pair of subs for fill.
 
Me thinks dac for reference quality input into the amp and later amp for better control of the speakers will start to outshine the speakers in the end
 
I forget the price but recall the Mytech Brooklyn has preamp capability and gets good reviews on SQ.

The Parasound A23 or A21 are pretty hard to beat for value in power amps. The better ATI, models 3k and up are monsters, possibly overkill for your speakers.
 
Been rethinking in order not to end up spending in a bottomless pit.
My thoughts remain kind of. A DAC might be good path forward, but as long I'm without a dedicated good power amp that I'd be able to keep for 20 years or so it makes no sense. Then for such an amp that would be fully analog and well designed this will (very likely) go outside the budget range as with a better amp I'd go for better speakers as well that match well. For now I love my speakers, I respect my amp, but my path forward would be to step out of the integrated domain when possible, but requires patience.
 
PW, as your speakers are not so large they can't be moved easily, can you take them to another location where your can hear them with an upgraded electronics.

After that take your amp or other electronics somewhere and see what they sound like on upgraded speakers.

Without hearing the future capabilities of what your own, it is a bit of blindly purchasing.

Just my .02.

If we knew where The Orbit was a member might offer to let your equipment into their system.
 
Votes so far:
Room improvement: 3
Speakers: 4
Add a Sub: 3
Amp: 0
Cables: 1
DAC: 0

I have today quite intensively checked, listened a/b-ed etc.
1. Speakers - x18's vs evoke20's with slightly deeper bass found in the evoke. No surprise since bigger woofer and case (and specs 44 vs 40 hz lowest freq)
2. Amp - h90 (with int dac) vs h190 (with int dac) with h190 improved grip on the bass, as checked on the evokes.
3. Dac internal integrated - h190 with its better dac provides less distortion and a quieter background compared to h90.
4. Ext dac - h90 only - took a motu sound card (with AKM AK4358 dac chip) and used that as external dac to h90 to compare to h90 built in. The built in shows a somewhat more balanced sound stage at the expense on some detail while the external one opens up the image with additional detail and slightly quieter background but it seems more fatiguing after some time, as tested on x18's.

My opinion afterwards is that speakers might be upgradable to eg evoke, I'd gain 4hz on the bottom end and better speaker components. Not sure if that already makes sense. Amp wise a stronger amp will or may help bring some quieter background though not sure if that would make sense in terms of its investment. Also learned from an ext dac to the h90 that h90 outshines itself with note if any dac it shall be "musical" and not be fatiguing.
 
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