Speaker upgrade...

Please anyone feel free to respond to this.     I have found that the old adage "garbage in equals garbage out"  is totally true with High end Audio.   With that said, I have heard some amazing systems that were not pricey for the electronics and speakers and put the majority of the cost into the turntable/arm/cartridge.   If you start with something great, you will get some thing almost as great down the line to the speakers.  If you start with crap,  you are only getting even worse crap out of the speakers.   I have built several systems over the years. I started in High End Audio in 1987,  and i have always upgraded my speakers as the last part of my system.   The majority of my money being spent on the analog front end.   So i say to you, 2ChannelJunkie,  look to upgrade your phone cartridge or your digital front end,  maybe some new cables. and you might find that your "old" speakers have some very new life in them.   

This may be a captain obvious moment... If you feel like your sound is short of what you want it to be, have you tried a RTA with measurement mic? Minidsp sells cheap mics and I'm using Onyx RTA for my iPhone with the camera adapter to hook up the mic.

I was feeling like my systems had shortcomings... With proper analysis I was able to treat my rooms, tweak placement and rediscover my existing equipment in a whole new way... Without having to resort to DSP. Just furniture, house plants, and bass traps (not free, but not speakers either).

That fresh sound you're looking for might be closer and cheaper than you think!

I'm currently powering the Dunlavys with a McIntosh MC2500 that's been completely rebuilt by audioclassics. I know some hate and others love MAC gear. I grew in a house with MAC and while I agree others may sound better but MAC has been the only electronics that I can turn on and play for 8 plus hrs. And never get tired of hearing. Also I've been burnt with other brands that when I had issues I wasn't able to get fixed/repaired locally. 

I agree upgrading speakers can be tricky. I only thought about it as a local audiophile who introduced me to truly hi end had a set of Avalon HC that he would sell me for 2300 He himself said that he couldn't say in his opinion if they would be better than the Dunlavys which he also sold me. 

I'd keep the Dunlavys. They are awesome speakers and soundstage incredibly well.