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Old 04-02-2009, 04:03 PM   #1
Intamin Intamin is offline
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Default Help with upgrade path

Well, the summer is fast approaching, and with that in mind it means I get to make money again, aka blow money on audio upgrades! I've recently priced out some different options for me to upgrade to, including new and used prices, and I'm trying to figure out the best route for me, which is why I came here asking for advice. Things to take into consideration: I want this to be my last upgrade for years to come. I also plan on eventually upgrading speakers to Salk HT4's whenever Jim releases them. They go down to 15hz, and he is suggesting an amp with at least 200-250wpc to effectively drive them. I will also be picking up a matching center channel speaker to go with my ST's, and a pair of surrounds (probably Mythos Gem Xl's since they are small, good price, sound good to me, and have WAF).That being said, here is where I am:

Amp Selection: I've narrowed it down between a few different amps/combinations. The amp I want the most is an Anthem Statement P2. It has all the head room I need for now and the future, it runs cool and quiet, it's a huge beastly amp (I want a big honking amp), and it passes the WAF. It runs around 2700 new (I'm guessing with dealer discount, but it could be closer to 3k), and 2k on the used market. I would pair this with an outlaw monoblock for the center channel, and use my current amp for the rears. The other amp is a Parasound Halo A21 with the outlaw mono. This amp runs 2200 new and 1500ish used, give or take. It has 250wpc, so it'll be good for now and the future, it's also huge, and has the WAF. However, I like the looks of the P2 more, but saving money isn't always bad. The final option is the Halo A51, which is 4kish new, 2500 used. This is sort of a last resort, as I'd prefer to keep my current amp for the rears and have a good 2 channel amp.Thoughts on the P2 vs the A21?

Pre/Pro: Integra DTR 9.8 vs Marantz AV8003. The integra can be had for around 1400 new and 1000 used, vs 2300 new (I'm guessing what kind of discount I can get) and 1650 used. They both have essentially the same set of features, so I'm not sure if one has a better upscaler or video chipset than the other, although I don't really watch dvd's to begin with. I prefer the looks of the Marantz more, but again, saving money is nice so if the performance aspect between the two is moot, then I'd probably go with the Integra. I do like that I can stream music with the AV8003. I guess another possibility would be the Onkyo Pre/pro, possibly upgraded but I don't know how much that runs. Can anyone provide info in regards to performance for the two?

BDP:
I just want one that will bit-stream the audio, and would prefer to keep the price under 500. This allows for the Marantz BD 7003, a Sony S550 and the Oppo, and I'm sure a plethora of others. So which bdp should I throw in the mix?

Finally, what are your thoughts on new vs used for a processor? Processors can be buggy and finicky, so I'm sort of hesitant about going the used route since there wouldn't be a warranty. However, I've bought used before and haven't had any issues. My ideal set up would be the P2 and AV8003 as I like the styling of them more (yes, I know, I may be sacrificing audio quality, but I want to be able to enjoy looking at this stuff on a daily basis as well ), but I am willing to compromise in either area due to price concerns and or not noticing differences in quality. So thoughts, suggestions, comments are greatly appreciated!

Last edited by Intamin; 04-02-2009 at 05:53 PM.
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