Looking to upgrade

"Telsaroadsters":

As repeated in the thread already, I don't have a budget with which I can work with. But given the setup that you already have, I'll start with the DVD Player first. If it's a BlueRay player that you must have, then I would start with Sony's BDP-S1. It was a $1,000.00 Player when it was introduced last year. But given that it is a year old, the price has recently began dropping. You should be able to score one for about $800.00. If that is too much, then Sony has also came out with a less expensive version of the BDP-S1. It is called the BDP-S300. It is not available at retail just yet. But if you are patient, then you should be able to get one for somewhere in the $500.00 to $600.00 range. Otherwise, if you're not ready to experiment with BlueRay just yet, then I would go with a Redbook DVD Player, in which case, I would go with something like a Denon DVD-3910, DVD-5910 or a used Arcam DV-78 or DV-79.

As for amplification???? With your speakers, like the others have already said here, and I concur with them, I would either shoot for high-end receiver like a used B&K or a used Arcam AVR-300 (the AVR-350 is too new and current to be consider used right now). If you prefer separates, then I like your choice in the Lexicons, but I would also consider a Rotel set as well (meaning a RSP-1068 mated to a RMB-1095).

I like your main front speakers in the KEF Reference 105's. I wouldn't change those. What I would do is try to find a compatible center channel and some compatible surrounds as well. If you're unsuccessful in doing so, then and only then, I would go ahead and change the speakers as well (I would go with either an entire KEF Reference Setup (you should DEFINITELY consider the USED route in this regard, as an entirely matching KEF Reference Setup would be prohibitly expensive if you try to get these brand new), or an entire NHT Evolution Setup).

Just out of curiosity, what kind of display would you be using with this setup??? Would be a LCoS RPTV??? A slimmed down RPTV HDTV??? Or would it be an LCD or Plasma Flat Panel???

Good Luck and Happy Shopping......

--Charles--

I'm now totally confused :). Charles, I currently have a PS3 so Blueray player is covered. Last PS3 firmware update added upscaling to DVD's as well so I'm quite pleased with this solution. Regarding my display, I have a Pioneer Elite RPTV that I bought about 4 years ago. Great TV but it's big (about 300 lbs). I'll look into the AVR-300, Rotel, and Linn. I think separates are right for me, I'm not sure if the receivers mentioned would be much better than my current Marantz receiver.

Quick clarification on the Arcam AVR 350 recommendation. Charles is right it would take patience and luck to find one used, but people do buy and decide to upgrade quickly if they get the bug. The reason you need to have the AVR 350 is that the AVR 300 and AVR 250 do not have HDMI switching. You have to have this to run BlueRay through the receiver. The new Arcam AVR 280 also has HDMI switching. I'm not sure the price, but should be around $1700 or so.

There is a hierarchy in audio/video reproduction, and speakers are not at the top of that hierarchy (indeed, just the opposite). They are very important, as is everything in the chain, but they can only play back the signal and reproduce that amount of musical information that they receive. Indeed the relative importance of speaker quality increases as the quality of electronics involved increases. I suspect if people think there are only modest differences between electronics (digital sources, preamps, processors, amps) they haven't had the opportunity to spend much time with truly good electronics.

There was a great awakening in Audio in the 1970's and 1980's. It was realized that the old thinking of speakers being first and sources/electronics being comparatively unimportant was exactly wrong. People sometimes refer to this as the "source first" philosophy. It remains acknowledged in its basic tenets today by nearly all audio writers I have read. It also remains one of the most fundamental but difficult concepts for people coming into the hobby to accept. I certainly didn't until personal listening experience demonstrated over and over again to my stubborn mind that it is unequivocally true. (That is of course, so long as you don't take it to silly extremes of equipment mismatching).

Now, as to the comparison between the Arcam and the Marantz receiver specifically, as Bob suggests, that can really only be settled by the purchaser doing a direct A/B comparison between the two, preferably in his own system. As to upgrading electronics first before replacing the speakers in question (which to do properly is going to cost more than the total budget anyway), I feel very strongly about that wisdom.