What should be my next upgrade/purchase?

[Erman_94]

My equipment is listed in my signature.

Also, I know the first suggestion from most, if not all of you, will be for a 1080p TV...but what would be your next choice? (as the TV is being taken care of/bought soon, so i won't have to worry about it )

Also, I wanted to move "up" so to speak in the HT chain, so don't let my current HT "fool" you with suggestions. I was thinking the next upgrade might be an amplifier, but I'm not sure.

I guess I learned the hard way of how important it is to build slowly and with quality (I'm not saying my HT is bad, just not where I want it to be...stupid upgraditis )

Thanks guys.

[Big Daddy]

If TV is taken care of, you have four options (not necessarily in any order):

1. An amplifier
2. A second subwoofer
3. A projector
4. Better speakers

[MrFattBill]

I would personally do the amplifier. At least that is next on my list

Bill

[sokrman14]

I would go with in this order:

Amplifier
Speakers
Pre-amp
TV

[Zman2k2]

I'm a big Pioneer fan, and since the 1018 has pre-outs, I'm going to say external amplifier. I think you would really open up your system with that.

[Erman_94]

thanks for the suggestions guys...it seems like the amp is the favorite thus far

i will be moving to a projector setup/dedicated theater in a couple of years (i am currently unable to do so due to space constraints) ...so i figured i might as well build up and complete the audio side of things now so that i am all ready

in terms of my pre-amp (the 1018), i did get lucky seeing as though this was the last non-ELITE pio to have pre-outs...but what kind of benefit would i get if i stepped up to a pioneer ELITE receiver? because if i get an external amp for my next upgrade, then the power side of things is taken care of, and since the 1018 can decode lossless...why move up to the ELITE? is the quality of sound better? or are there other important factors im not considering between an ELITE and non-ELITE pio?

but yes, i see an amp in my near future, and hopefully an upgrade to some B&Ws in the not-so-distant future as well


keep the suggestions coming

[pearsall001]

+1 on the amp suggestion. Those Polks are great sounding speakers, but will only improve & play to their full potential when given some real juice. AVR's do an ok job but an external amp will really open them up.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by Erman_94

thanks for the suggestions guys...it seems like the amp is the favorite thus far

i will be moving to a projector setup/dedicated theater in a couple of years (i am currently unable to do so due to space constraints) ...so i figured i might as well build up and complete the audio side of things now so that i am all ready

in terms of my pre-amp (the 1018), i did get lucky seeing as though this was the last non-ELITE pio to have pre-outs...but what kind of benefit would i get if i stepped up to a pioneer ELITE receiver? because if i get an external amp for my next upgrade, then the power side of things is taken care of, and since the 1018 can decode lossless...why move up to the ELITE? is the quality of sound better? or are there other important factors im not considering between an ELITE and non-ELITE pio?

but yes, i see an amp in my near future, and hopefully an upgrade to some B&Ws in the not-so-distant future as well


keep the suggestions coming

Get an external amp is my recommendation too. The more power you have pushing your Polks, the cleaner and more defined your lows, mids and highs will be. Remember, with just an Elite receiver, the receiver still needs to process the sound, power the speakers and other various tasks, thus reducing its efficiency. If you get a dedicated external amp to power the speakers, you should notice some better clarity in the sound since the amp's job is only to provide the power to push them. This will allow the 1018 to mainly do the processing and to possibly power your surrounds (depending on what type of amp you get), essentially letting it act as a pre/pro.

If you are thinking of getting B&W's and a projector down the road, the amp will blend in nicely with future upgrades and will be well worth the money as far as future-proofing yourself when you add the new equipment.

[Erman_94]

thanks for the replies guys...i guess the amp is next in line

im still a little puzzled as to my question regarding ELITE receivers...do they sound better than non-ELITE pioneers receivers? or do people simply by them because of their high power output?

my non-ELITE has pre-outs, can decode lossless, and if my speakers are hooked up to an external amp...is there a benefit to an ELITE receiver? if so, what? im sure im being very naive in my assessment, i just want to know where the extra money is going


with regards to the amp, any suggestion for the best amp for around 2-3k?
I've been seriously looking at the Rotel RMB-1575...and mainly dreaming of a krell or classe

so are there any others that can stack up to the aforementioned Rotel at this price range?

thanks

EDIT: i know that the 1575 may be overkill now, but i am looking to the future as well (like some beautiful B&Ws )

[Mordir]

It may not be in the 2-3k price range (Holiday sale lists it at $699) but I have a few friends that swear by Emotiva's XPA-5. It's probably the next upgrade I'll go for.

http://emotiva.com/xpa5.shtm

[gfilez3]

Originally Posted by Mordir

It may not be in the 2-3k price range (Holiday sale lists it at $699) but I have a few friends that swear by Emotiva's XPA-5. It's probably the next upgrade I'll go for.

http://emotiva.com/xpa5.shtm

+1

[Zman2k2]

Originally Posted by Erman_94

thanks for the replies guys...i guess the amp is next in line

im still a little puzzled as to my question regarding ELITE receivers...do they sound better than non-ELITE pioneers receivers? or do people simply by them because of their high power output?

my non-ELITE has pre-outs, can decode lossless, and if my speakers are hooked up to an external amp...is there a benefit to an ELITE receiver? if so, what? im sure im being very naive in my assessment, i just want to know where the extra money is going


with regards to the amp, any suggestion for the best amp for around 2-3k?
I've been seriously looking at the Rotel RMB-1575...and mainly dreaming of a krell or classe

so are there any others that can stack up to the aforementioned Rotel at this price range?

thanks

EDIT: i know that the 1575 may be overkill now, but i am looking to the future as well (like some beautiful B&Ws )

I think stepping up to an Elite receiver now would be wrong for you. The main benefit of stepping up to an Elite right now, would be getting the ICE amps that are built into the Elites. That would give you better power and sound over the amps currently in your receiver. If I'm not mistaken the MCACC room correction is the same in all Pioneer models, but you may have a little more "tweakability" in an Elite as well. Things like being able to change X-over points and such.

I say stick with your current receiver, and use it as a Pre/Pro, add a nice amp to it, either as suggested an Emotiva, or that Rotel sounds nice , and move from there. Possibly in the future getting a different Pre/Pro to change the sound a bit.

[Johnny Vinyl]

You could get into a nice 2-channel NAD power amp at 150 w/p/c for about $750 CDN....

http://nadelectronics.com/products/h...lifier/reviews

John

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by John72953

You could get into a nice 2-channel NAD power amp at 150 w/p/c for about $750 CDN....

http://nadelectronics.com/products/h...lifier/reviews

John

Great recommendation..... I've always like NAD, B&K, and Rotel myself.... (without jumping to the likes of Classe etc.)

[Erman_94]

thanks for the suggestion john, is NAD comparable in quality to Rotel? or is Rotel more high-end? also, im looking for a multi-channel amp as i wont have room for many separates (hence why im not mentioning monoblocks or stereo amps)

as for the emotiva amp suggestions, i dont see myself purchasing one guys...i know they are great bang for the buck, but im looking for something higher end

i never thought i'd say this, but $750 seems too low for what i want to spend on the amp...i want it to be a one shot deal and to never buy/upgrade again. that said, if i can get an amp that is the same quality of the RMB-1575 for less, im open to to it.

i want this amp to be the first piece of equipment where i am confident i will not need to upgrade it for something better...all purchases from now on are one shot deals for me...

so is the rotel rmb-1575 the best thing i can get for my 2-3k budget? or are there others like the parasound 5250 and krell that can be found at that price point with similar quality?

[Erman_94]

anybody?

[Zman2k2]

I think when you run with the big boys in the $2-3k region, it's all about you. I'm not going to say "an amp is an amp", because I believe that each amp "colors" the sound a little different, so it's up to your ears. If you can, find somewhere around you that you can listen to these amps, and hear for yourself how they sound, that would be best. Otherwise, you're listening to our suggestions and preferences, not knowing how they sound to you.

[rded]

Erman,

Quite honestly, if you're looking to spend 2-3k. It'll be best spent on speakers! IMHO, buil around the speakers of your choice-meaning the amp/pre amp, cables, acoustic treatment will follow suite.

[Erman_94]

zman2k2 - thanks for the suggestion. i will definitely audition before i buy ($2000 isnt exactly something i can throw away ) ...but i just wanted some suggestions as to what i should audition...because as we all know, you cant possibly audition everything

rded - speakers are DEFINITELY going to be upgraded as well, im looking to spend around $2k on the amp now and even more on the speakers (for future B&Ws)

[osofast240sx]

better speakers
you can also tweak your system with high dollar power cords, sheilded hdmi stuff ect. if your into that sort of thing