Looking for upgrade advice from current system

[Spdmn256]

Hi all,

I am looking to make some upgrades to my current system. Below is a list of what I currently have. I’m hoping to upgrade one component at a time and would like to replace with higher quality gear (or equipment that uses more up-to-date technology). I’m thinking maybe $500-$1500 at a time. So basically my question is, do you have any suggestions for what order I should replace my components in, and any specific brands/models you would recommend? I use this system for both movies and music listening. It’s in a fairly large space as my living room, dining room and kitchen are all open but the seating area and existing equipment are all in one corner of the space (so we sit pretty close to the tv and speakers).

Front L/R: Mirage FRX Sevens
Center: B&W LCR60 S3
Sub: none
Surrounds: none
Receiver: Denon AVR 1907(85x5, I have front L/R speakers bi-amped) (no hdmi connections)
CD: Yamaha DV-C6760 (5-disc SA-CD player)
Blu-Ray: Samsung 1080p Full HD
TV: Samsung 50” 1080p Smart TV
Line Conditioner: I have a Panamax M5400-PM on the way, my thought being I would put the surge protection in place before I start updating the other components.

Any help or advice would be appreciated!

 

[shadyJ]

Hi all,

I am looking to make some upgrades to my current system. Below is a list of what I currently have. I’m hoping to upgrade one component at a time and would like to replace with higher quality gear (or equipment that uses more up-to-date technology). I’m thinking maybe $500-$1500 at a time. So basically my question is, do you have any suggestions for what order I should replace my components in, and any specific brands/models you would recommend? I use this system for both movies and music listening. It’s in a fairly large space as my living room, dining room and kitchen are all open but the seating area and existing equipment are all in one corner of the space (so we sit pretty close to the tv and speakers).

Front L/R: Mirage FRX Sevens
Center: B&W LCR60 S3
Sub: none
Surrounds: none
Receiver: Denon AVR 1907(85x5, I have front L/R speakers bi-amped) (no hdmi connections)
CD: Yamaha DV-C6760 (5-disc SA-CD player)
Blu-Ray: Samsung 1080p Full HD
TV: Samsung 50” 1080p Smart TV
Line Conditioner: I have a Panamax M5400-PM on the way, my thought being I would put the surge protection in place before I start updating the other components.

Any help or advice would be appreciated!

First things first, get a modern AVR that has HDMI connectivity. Look at what you can get from Yamaha, Denon, or Marantz. Maybe Outlaw Audio or Emotiva if you want to get separates. After that, I would think about getting some subwoofers or matching front stage speaker set.

 

[Spdmn256]

Thanks, I am considering the Marantz SR6012 now. Looks like a great sale price at $899 now and should work well on its own but I can also add a power amp in the future. Any other thoughts on this or something else similar I should consider?

 

[shadyJ]

Looks like a great AVR. I think it will work great for you.

 

[PENG]

Thanks, I am considering the Marantz SR6012 now. Looks like a great sale price at $899 now and should work well on its own but I can also add a power amp in the future. Any other thoughts on this or something else similar I should consider?

I am going to give you my standard response regarding the SR6012, that is, for the same money the Denon AVR-X4400H is better because it is equivalent to the SR7012, less the useless 7.1 analog inputs. Other than that, the SR6012 is good.

 

[Drunkpenguin]

And to add to that Denon and Marantz are owned by the same company. I was going to go Marantz again on my recent upgrade but once I learned about Denon it seemed like the better deal to me.

 

[zieglj01]

Start with a receiver and a sub -- since you have no sub

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

If you don’t care about atmos, I have an Onkyo txnr-808 for sale. 400 bucks. 135x7. It is a beast, and has been serviced by Onkyo to replace the hdmi board, and has worked flawlessly ever since. I use it almost every single day, and if not for Atmos, I would have no need to sell it. I’m in central Mn. Not sure about shipping. It weighs almost 40lbs.
Pm me if interested.

 

[Drunkpenguin]

My mother lives in MN. Some little town called Madison. You near there? Just curious.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Welcome to AH.

What is your end goal? Total surround sound? Only front speakers? Much larger TV?
A very good sub should be up there, 1 st or 2nd.
Then as mentioned the three front matching speakers of your preference.

Unless you listen to music longer than 1 cd, I'd closet the 5 disc player perhaps.

Oh, and forget that bi-amping connection.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

My mother lives in MN. Some little town called Madison. You near there? Just curious.

Nope. I’m actually right in the middle of the state. About 3hrs from Madison. She’s straight west of Mpls almost to the SD border.
I actually loathe living here. Today it was below average with a high of 12°. Friday looks good and we might hit 37°. Summer is great, but too short.
Hey, does your mom need a receiver? Lol!

 

[Spdmn256]

If you don’t care about atmos, I have an Onkyo txnr-808 for sale. 400 bucks. 135x7. It is a beast, and has been serviced by Onkyo to replace the hdmi board, and has worked flawlessly ever since. I use it almost every single day, and if not for Atmos, I would have no need to sell it. I’m in central Mn. Not sure about shipping. It weighs almost 40lbs.
Pm me if interested.

Thanks for the offer. I live in Hawaii so unfortunately shipping is always a hassle and expensive...

 

[Spdmn256]

Thanks everyone for you ideas and advice. I agree the Denon AVR X4400H would have been a great option too but I found the SR6012 as a Cyber Monday / factory refurbished deal for $699 at accessories4less.com so I went ahead and grabbed that deal.

I will probably get a good sub next and then a new 4K tv (55” is about max for the space I have). I will probably stick with the three front channels and subwoofer (once I get one) for a while but didn’t want to rule out the surroundsound in the future.

A couple of you mentioned the matching front stage speakers as being important. Is this because I have different brands (and therefore maybe different characteristics in sound) or are they mismatched in size? Or something else?

Thanks again for everyone’s help.

 

[mtrycrafts]

...
A couple of you mentioned the matching front stage speakers as being important. Is this because I have different brands (and therefore maybe different characteristics in sound) or are they mismatched in size? Or something else?

Thanks again for everyone’s help.

Yes, different brands up front would give different response where you'd want all three the same brand and same model if possible.