PowerPlant Premier or a DAC or a simple Tube Buffer... help!

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Which to upgrade?

  • Option 1: Get the MF X10v3 Tube Buffer and call it a day....

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • Option 2: Get the PS Audio DAC or some sort of a DAC and finish off the FLAC source...

    Votes: 5 62.5%
  • Option 3: Get the PS Audio PowerPlant Premier and worry about the DAC later....

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • Do absolutely nothing....

    Votes: 1 12.5%

  • Total voters
    8

Joey_V

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Ok ok... looking to upgrade something but I'm not sure which just yet....

My parents want to buy me something for my system, but if the item is too expensive, then I pay the rest. I really dont want them paying more than $200 out of their pocket, I'll foot the rest.

Anyway, I'm stuck in a crossroads....

1. Get the Musical Fidelity X10v3 Tube Buffer for around $300 and only have to spend $100 out of my pocket.... place this between the SB3 and the Cary 98 pre. Looking to get just a wee bit more of that tube magic and improve vocal weight and focus, if possible!

2. Get a DAC... the head runner for me at the moment is the PS Audio Digital Link III.... but the Benchmark DAC-1 or any other DAC as I'm welcome to suggestions, under $1K, please. Or I could get the Transporter, but it seems overly expensive. The PS Audio Digital DAC is mine for $690 shipped, minus the $200 my parents help out with, and I'm out $490 out of pocket.

3. Get the PS Audio PowerPlant Premier... and clean my power, regulate my voltage and get the baseline straightened out in my system. This is most costly, as it will cost me about $1600 shipped and $1400 out of pocket when my parents put in their $200.

So... which should I go for? My system is in my signature....

Thanks guys...
Joey
 
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BTW, just to get the long term goals out in the open....

1. Finish FLAC based source system is step 1 for me. This would mean getting either a DAC to complement the SB3 or just going for the Transporter. Either way, the FLAC based source should be done with this addition.

2. Get a TT into the system as the 2nd source.

3. Get a CDP later and round out as the 3rd source.
 
So you have decided to not go for the PS Audio P1000 and go for the PPP instead? That could be a wise move, the PPP will have more head room for your power hungry gear.
 
BTW, just to get the long term goals out in the open....

1. Get a TT into the system as the 2nd source.

2. Get a CDP later and round out as the 3rd source.


Joey, I've moved your TT up to "Numero Uno" , afterall I/We got you into the Sa-102 and a tubed pre, you really want to express your "analog inner soul" now don't you !!!
 
Hi Joey,

A few thoughts from a fellow Plinius fan.

Tube buffer - bandaid - do not waste your money.

Power conditioning - be careful. Plinius does not recommend power conditioning and a lot of people with high power amplification find it detrimental. Our own experience with a Powerplant 500 was poor with a distinct loss of dynamics and restriction of the sound stage - this was feeding a preamp and cdp only. This occured with the all Plinius system as well as an all valve setup. We do have dedicated 230V/20A and 230V/l0A lines feeding the audio systems with the power amps getting the 20A line. Definite try before you buy - may be very helpful to you if you can't do the dedicated line thing.

FWIW we have recently joined the dark side with respect to a positive effect with power cords. I don't get it and it almost offends me that it works but the recent addition of Consonance power cords, distribution board for the amps and power conditioning for the cdp and preamp has resulted in our Plinius/ML system sounding as though it is running in Class A all the time with the wider, deeper more energetic soundfield that Class A brings with the SAl02. Switching into Class A brings more of the same.

Your room is your fundamental problem with vocal weight and "focus". You have some very good gear. You can certainly do a lot better with the source but that will cost big dollars. Benchmark DAC I have found unimpressive, etched glaring sound. I know that is a contrarian view. My personal reference is live unamplified music largely classical and the concepts of focus, bass slam, micro detail (no you can't hear the rosin) are artificial hifi concepts.

Relax, kick back, spend some money on music. It takes months to understand a change in system setup. Get thee to some live events, listen to a busker - close your eyes and think about what your system is really doing.

And I'll say it again - if you really want focus, listen nearfield, equilateral triangle to high quality standmount two way monitors or alternatively go Quad.:D

Kevin
 
Seek the source, young man. . .

Joey,

My vote is to get a good DAC. You have a great system from the preamp to the amp to the speakers. You need to upgrade the signal going into that preamp and a quality DAC will do that for you.

As for the Musical Fidelity tube buffer stage, I don't highly recommend it for your situation. I actually own one and find that it is useful for some things and useless for others. It just depends on the synergy with the source. I found it to be useless between a quality CD player and my preamp. I found that it actually detracted from the signal that my digital music server put out. It made it sound terrible. However, it has helped the signal from my little roady XM satelite radio receiver and made it more pleasurable to listen to. However, even with the 25% discount, I don't think it is worth the money.

Unless you know that you have some power issues that need fixing, I think your money is best spent upgrading your digital source. That's my 2 cents.
 
Ditto what Rich said! I also tried the MF Tube Buffer... definitely warmed up the highs, at the expense of muddied bass and smeared midrange (in my system). I eventually found the Modwright Pre and Benchmark DAC-1 pairing more to my liking. My primary source is a Squeezebox 2 (with Elpac linear PSU) streaming FLAC via glass TOSLink to the Benchmark*. I also use my cheap Toshiba DVD player as a CD transport, with digital coax to the Benchmark. The Benchmark has a front panel toggle switch to select between the Digital Coax or TOSLink sources.

* I am preferentially using the TOSLink between my Squeezebox and the rest of my audio system in order to ISOLATE my audio system from potential lightning induced power surges on my network, since I am using an ethernet (rather than wireless) connection.
 
Upgrade that the source for sure - go for the DAC!! The MF X-10 is great - I've got one between my SACD player and Copland valve preamp, but I think there is more value in upgrading your source. If you want a little more of that valve magic, try looking for a MF TriVista DAC.......fantastic piece of engineering! But be careful - you're getting to the point where synergy is vital!
 

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