I've got 600 ish to spend on an upgrade....

[mcgavinj]

I'm really wanting an oppo 103 but also am intrigued with separate amps ie emotiva. Any thoughts??

Current blu ray player: PS3

[ZIPPO]

What receiver & speakers do you use?

[mcgavinj]

I knew I shoulda had more details. Sorry.


Yamaha RX-V1800BL
Klipsch rf-62 left and right fronts
Klipsch in ceiling/in walls for surrounds(not sure specific model)
Klipsch rc-35 center

[roar]

I've always read Klipsch makes "efficient" speakers meaning they are probably sounding pretty great with the 130 watts your current avr is outputting. If the majority of your viewing is blu ray then I'd guess you'd be hard pressed to see a difference between the oppo and the ps3. The oppo of course would give you lossless audio on 3D movies, but I'm not sure what display you have. The obvious gap from what you've mentioned above in your speakers is your sub...

I'll assume you have one but if an upgrade is possible I'd have to think you'd get the most bang for your buck with a new sub. You'd need some serious listening skills to pick the sound difference out on the amp upgrade and depending on your display you'd need really sharp eyes to see anymore detail the oppo could possibly give you... but if your sub is lacking you could get yourself into an SVS for that kind of cash, audition it for 45 days and send it back if you don't hear any difference.

All that being said I believe Oppo and Emotiva also both have great return policies... grab one or the other, audition it and send it back if you don't see enough gain for cash.

I've owned an Oppo and I own an Emotiva amp... the biggest difference maker I've added to my theatre in the $600 range was an SVS sub.

[mcgavinj]

I do have 2 klipsch ksw-12 subs.

I do like my overall sound but have read how dedicated power amps can improve fidelity especially at low volumes(I've got 2 young kids so movie watching usually happens when they're asleep). I'm considering the oppo for its improvent in other sources than blu like streaming video and playing music from my network or CD listening.

[ZIPPO]

I going to have to agree with roar.
You chose your gear well, very easy to drive speakers & a powerful receiver.
You probably wouldn't even notice more power.
From various reviews.
Test Bench
"Yamaha's RX-V1800 yielded the fine technical performance usual from the firm's A/V receivers. Power exceeded its specs by a good margin and bettered 100 watts all around, even with 5 channels driven. The unit's power supply appeared to run out of current when 2 more were added, however, since 7-channel results dropped by nearly 3 dB, to 55 watts - a non-issue in the real world."

"As I've found with other Yamaha AVRs, the amplifiers in the RX-V1800 are beefy and possess enough oomph to drive a complete 7.1-channel system pretty hard without getting harsh or running out of gas. That's doubly important if the other zones are cranking up the music, too. If you're more interested in ultimate theater performance rather than multi-zone distribution, you can set up a 5.1-channel system and use the spare pair of the internal amps to bi-amp your front speakers (if they're capable of being bi-amped, of course)."

"While there are more powerful receivers out there, trust me when I say the RX-V1800 is all you'll need and then some when it comes to powering any 5.1 or 7.1 channel home theater."

Have you tried night listening mode or a good pair of headphones?

An Oppo 103 would offer you more features over a PS3( faster, ease of use, build quality, customer service, etc... ). An Oppo or a sub upgrade, would be the way I'd go.
Hsu & SVS have some nice subs around $600.
http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-2mk4.html
http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-3mk4.html
http://www.svsound.com/subwoofers/se...d#.UdmC6BzJ1mg

[mcgavinj]

Thanks for the thoughts my friends.

If I go for sub upgrade shoud I replace my ksw 12s or just add a third sub to the mix?

I need to get some ht setup pics taken and uploaded.

[mcgavinj]

I've never tried night listening mode. Does my receiver have this option? I'm not really into the headphones thing though.

Originally Posted by ZIPPO

I going to have to agree with roar.
You chose your gear well, very easy to drive speakers & a powerful receiver.
You probably wouldn't even notice more power.
From various reviews.
Test Bench
"Yamaha's RX-V1800 yielded the fine technical performance usual from the firm's A/V receivers. Power exceeded its specs by a good margin and bettered 100 watts all around, even with 5 channels driven. The unit's power supply appeared to run out of current when 2 more were added, however, since 7-channel results dropped by nearly 3 dB, to 55 watts - a non-issue in the real world."

"As I've found with other Yamaha AVRs, the amplifiers in the RX-V1800 are beefy and possess enough oomph to drive a complete 7.1-channel system pretty hard without getting harsh or running out of gas. That's doubly important if the other zones are cranking up the music, too. If you're more interested in ultimate theater performance rather than multi-zone distribution, you can set up a 5.1-channel system and use the spare pair of the internal amps to bi-amp your front speakers (if they're capable of being bi-amped, of course)."

"While there are more powerful receivers out there, trust me when I say the RX-V1800 is all you'll need and then some when it comes to powering any 5.1 or 7.1 channel home theater."

Have you tried night listening mode or a good pair of headphones?

An Oppo 103 would offer you more features over a PS3( faster, ease of use, build quality, customer service, etc... ). An Oppo or a sub upgrade, would be the way I'd go.
Hsu & SVS have some nice subs around $600.
http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-2mk4.html
http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-3mk4.html
http://www.svsound.com/subwoofers/se...d#.UdmC6BzJ1mg