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Upgrade amp. or speakers first?

I have a Krell KAV 300i, and a pair of B&W N804's, all about 12 years old. Want to upgrade and want to know which should be first to go. The speakers or the amp? I listen to mostly jazz, some small scale classical, and R&B. I am leaning towards the 803D's or 804D's. Will budget up to 8k for amplifier(s). I have listened to some McIntosh, the new ARC integrated and Rotel amps. I recently got an Ayre QB-9 for digital source ( ITunes-Macbook ). Will upgrade, but not all at once. Thanks for any suggestions.
atj2
phaelon
1,053 posts
 
I would suggest speakers first because you want them to be suitable for your room.
atj2 OP
14 posts
 
Thanks for everyone's input and advice. One problem that I have run into is determining how any speaker candidate will sound in my system, fed by the Ayre QB-9 in particular. It made my system much more lifelike. I'm thinking that new speakers may sound great at the dealers but at home, they may be too aggressive or forward. Should I take my DAC and computer with me as I audition speakers, or limit myself to the one dealer that already has the DAC. I mentioned that I heard the 804D's in systems without the QB-9 and the speakers lacked that live feeling that I'm getting at home now.
rleff
1,065 posts
 
if at all possible I would try for a audition in your own home.
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