everything sounded great until the upgrade

Hey grislybutter,

Don't avoided the word "SYNERGY", it's really prevalent in audio, & essential for putting together a system/package. For you, the days of having a really good system based on having a good pair of speakers are gone. Finito.

Getting back to synergy, a friend had this KILLER system on paper, but his big buck M/C Benz Micro cartridge was picking up FM signals & nobody had a reason why. (Back to the drawing board).

The main thing Gris is not to get frustrated. You've gone from a 70's receiver, to a nice dual mono Integrated Amp, with separate power supplies & output transformers. You are in a state of metamorphosis & your ears don't know what to do with it.

This is actually a good thing, except it's going to cost you money, LOL. You now have a small Porsche engine (Musical Fidelity A3.2), which you're operating on Wal-Mart tires (your speakers).

Pretty hard to recommend a speaker when I know nothing about your room .... floor standers, book shelves, etc.

But if you're set on warm sounding speakers, you may want to consider vintage speakers, AR's, or Advents. Might want to look into ESS. Problem is they're collectability. They've gone from "get those old things out of here", to being double, triple, of their original price. And who knows what they've been through. IMHO, when you can get a pair of Paradigm monitor 9-v1's for under $500 CDN dollars, it's really hard to justify $1200 dollars for a pair of AR3's that sold for $95 bucks in 1975.

The worm has turned Gris & there's no turning back.

As for recordings, Acoustic Sounds, Inc is a good place to start.

https://store.acousticsounds.com/cat/5/Vinyl_Record

@thehorn 

I am forever dragged into the dark audiophile underworld and I shall never be satisfied nor understood by non-believers again 😀

Seriously. Isn't it a reasonable goal to make my existing speakers sound good? Just for a day before I move on..... . to your suggestions.

the main aspects for speakers:

bookshelf

room - open in one direction but 12'x20' - 3mx4m

I don't need big bass

has to sound good with both Gypsy Queen by Van Morrison and the first Gimme Some Lovin'

Look at Dynaudio bookshelf speakers.I own a pair of Dynaudio special forty’s speakers and I own a musical fidelity m6si amplifier.The speakers are a warm sounding speakers that work well with musical fidelity amplifier.

grislybutter,

"Seriously. Isn’t it a reasonable goal to make my existing speakers sound good"?

You are absolutely correct. Speakers are mega, yet they are still only one ingredient in the stew.

My philosophy is different to a lot of philes in two ways. One: - before you spend a penny on gear there are two variables that need your attention. A: The quality of the actual recording that’s being listened to. B: The room you’re playing it in. Two: - The other difference in my equipment philosophy is, it’s my source that I build my system around, not my speakers. Speakers come & go. Without a good source to play a fine recording ya got NADA.

"Isn’t it a reasonable goal to make my existing speakers sound good"? Ya think! Optimize your existing set-up. If you’re table (I wish I knew what it was) bests your Cd player, focus on your turntable 1st. Get some isolation pads (IsoAcoustics) under your turntable, amp & speakers. If your table is a cut above consider rewiring your tonearm with a single run interconnect. (this is the only place I’d consider silver over copper). http://www.smetonearms.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=2

Next, get good interconnects. If you’re handy, save some money & make your own http://www.cardas.com/chassis_wire.php, (I like the GRNO 90 RCA connecters), or buy used. Same goes with speaker wire, & I’m glad to say you can do well here without going nuts. Kimber’s Base PR8 will do ya fine. https://www.kimber.com/products/8PR

As for bookshelf speaker .... take your time, enjoy what you have. When the time comes ProAc D2. https://www.proac-loudspeakers.com/products/response-d2-r-d/

@bigmac1963 current ones are Evoke 20s. I love Dynaudio. I listed to the Special forty’s and I missed the warmth of the Evokes. At the dealer, then and there. So, yes, special forty’s might be the be all end all!