Should I upgrade considering.....

[soundwavesteve]

I am trying to decide whether I should upgrade my S5 Electronics K12G or buy the Elekit TU-879S tube kit....

link here...

Here's my situation - my system is an All-in-One touchscreen PC, an AudioQuest Dragonfly running into a stock K12G, AudioQuest Type-4 speaker wire into ZaphAudio Bargain Mini speakers (link here) and a M&K Sub. The speakers are on a glass desk with the monitor directly between them - so it's a desktop system. Most of this is never going to change - so I am always going to be limited in soundstaging/imaging because of the desk and the monitor. My source music is mostly pop/rock/classic rock/alt/soundtracks - at least half is lossless.

My dilemma is at what point am I not to going to see any benefit with a better amp because of the limitations of my desktop system?

Do I spend $400 to totally overhaul the K12G with great parts, or do I buy a the EleKit for $600? Is the Elekit, running KT88 tubes for example, $400 better than an upgraded K12G considering my system? I know better amps will obviously sound better, but there is only so much you can get out of a Dragonfly and there is only so much that be heard from Zaph Mini's....

Thanks for the opinions!!!!

[chip647]

In this price range, a speaker upgrade will yield a 10:1 improvement over electronics. IMO.

[Soonerorlater]

Upgrading the K12G output transformers to Hammond or Edcors would IMHO make a noticeable difference to the amp, that's if you want to stay with a push pull design.

Getting an Elekit means your going down the Single Ended design route. You may or may not be impressed by the sound.

Think I would spend my money on speakers as chip647 says

[soundwavesteve]

Interesting - speakers instead huh? I was sorta under the impression that my speakers were getting the most out of the K12 and that the amp was the weakest link......perhaps just because it was a $200 kit made with TV tubes - I guess I figured there wasn't much more to be had from it....but this is my first foray into tubes.....wasn't sure what to expect from a tube...