[prepress]

Originally Posted by Yamaki

Thanks for the update!

I experienced much of the same things when I upgraded from OEM to WW power cables. The 501s manage bass very well, however, when I upgraded those cables the bass response improved as well as the mid-range. The music just seemed more precise.

I'm thinking the next upgrade, with the intent of garnering an improvement to the SQ and allow the 501s to really shine, will be to add a tube pre-amp to my system, bypassing the MX135 for two channel listening.

A lot of people tout the combination of tubes and solid-state. You can add me to the list that thinks it's a good combo. I would never go the other way, however, as I don't want the hassle of dealing with tube amps which seem, to my limited understanding, more finicky with regard to potential tube failure and shorter tube life. Someone may correct that if not accurate. But I think tube preamp/solid-state amp is a better choice than the other way around due to the often better low-frequency grip SS amps can have on the low end.