Looking to upgrade


Hello, I'm looking to upgrade my home theater system and was trying to figure out where to start. I was thinking starting with an old Lexicon DC processor and 5 channel amp. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg, but want to improve the overall sound over my setup which includes:

Original KEF 105's mains
KEF C100 center channel
NHT VT-3 surrounds
SVS PB12-ISD subwoofer
Marantz SR-18 receiver
PS3 for Blueray/DVD

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
teslaroadsters
Teslaroadsters:

I guess the first responses I have to your question are a few more questions. I hope they don't sound pedantic. To start with, what do you find dissatisfying about your current system? and, what are your ultimate goals?

It is important to ask these sorts of things in any system upgrade. Most fundamentally the question is what is it about audio/ home theater that makes it important to you? There are many different motivations. I don't presume to say any of them are wrong - they are just different.

Some people are enticed by the idea working to build something up - to make it of higher and higher quality. Others, when they really think about it, actually are quite happy with what they have, but somehow have settled on upgrading because that is what they think they are supposed to do. Finally, some become enthralled with the emotional connection (or involvement) that they feel to music when played through a good system, and they seek better and better equipment to make this connection fuller and stronger (that is up until a point that they decide the increased expenditures really are no longer increasing their joy in the music).

If you are someone who truly is dissatisfied with his system, but see only moderate future expenditures after this next upgrade, then I stick with the suggestion you go with an Arcam AVR Receiver that allows HDMI switching. You need to choose whether you listen to enough music or watch enough regular DVDs (as opposed to BlueRay) to optimize this playback (e.g. with a DV 78, which is also a very good CD player) rather than relying on your PS3. Later, upgrade your speakers as money allows and you see fit, then hold firm. You then will have built a solid home theater system on a solid foundation, and it will reward you well. But mind you, what you have may already be rewarding you well. Just because an upgraded system would be better doesn’t mean it would be more important * to you *.

If you are someone who envisions building his system up to be better and better over time - either out of a passion for more emotional connection with the music/movie experience, out of a drive to build a system up to be better for its own sake, or some combination of the two, then you are better off with separates. I can't speak to what processor will be best in this price range – I simply don’t have experience with it. (But be sure it has HDMI switching or it will be useless to you with BlueRay. ) I can tell you that you will be extremely hard pressed to find a better 5 channel amp for the money than the Linn 5125. But as always you must be aware that my opinion is based on my taste, and it is always possible that over time you will disagree. Still, for now, I can't see a better place to start with amplification.
Even an Adcom ACE series for $100 bucks is better than just having a surge protector. Rotel, richard gray and others make nice ones too. I don't care for monster.
Bob:

In kindness, I am puzzled why you are posting on this forum. You are of course as fully welcome here as any of us are, but if you maintain there is no meaningful sonic difference between say a Rega Apollo playing through an Arcam A65 integrated (both certainly well designed electronics at their price points) and a CD 12 playing through a Klimax Kontrol preamp/ Klimax monoblock pairing, you really are in the wrong place. I can only conclude you are making your arguments from theory and conjecture, and not from actual listening experience. There is absolutely no one I have met who actually listens to Hi-Fi who would agree with you.

These are not intended as insults, though I know they probably rankle. And, please, don’t take my word on the subject. Go out and do serious comparative listening at Hi-Fi shops. Borrow gear, take it home and put in your system, and listen.

But if you are going to go on and insist here that there are no meaningful differences in digital sources and other electronics, I need to request you list exactly what equipment you have auditioned that leads you to this conclusion. This is only fair so that others new to the forum can judge the value of your opinion.
Post removed 
Bob:

Thank you for you graceful response to my post. I'm afraid our beliefs are irreconcilable.

It is interesting that you say you used to hold the sort of views that I do, but now have moved on to your current position. I am just the opposite - I used to hold your views, quite tenaciously, until listening experience forced me to relinquish them.

There is nothing that is mythical about the differences I and so many others hear. Likewise, there is apparently nothing convincing to you in what you hear. I suppose the good news for you is that you save money on electronics. The good news for me is that I am able to hear more music with better gear, music that stirs my soul.

Chris