What should be my next upgrade/purchase?

[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

[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.