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which component should I upgrade?
I recently purchased a Toshiba 51H83 HDTV-capable television. This purchase has given me the upgrade bug, and I feel the need to upgrade my sound system now.
Here is what I have for sound now. I've had most of this stuff since 1998:
- Sony STR-DE925 AV Receiver (Decodes DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, and DPL) (I consider this one of the weakest components).
- Acoustic Research AR 310 HO Front speakers and matching AR CS25 center channel
- Acoustic Research The Edge speakers for rear surrounds
- Sony SA-WM40 12" Powered Subwoofer (I believe this is also a weak link)
My question is, given a budget of $1200 *maximum*, where should I spend my money to get the most improvement for my system? (I probably also need to get a new DVD player, so $200-$300 of that $1200 budget may not be usable for audio components).
We use our system mostly for watching television (DirecTiVo) (60-70%), with some DVDs (10-30%), and listening to some music (0-20%).
I won't be doing 6.1 or 7.1 channel for a while, and am quite satisfied with 5.1, although most new recievers are 6 or 7 channel models anyway.
I think I'd see a lot of improvement by getting a receiver with DPLII, especially since we watch so much television. The amp in my str-de925 is also pretty sad (rated at 110W/ch with 2 channels driven 20-20KHz, only rated at 1kHz with all 5 channels driven, and that's with .8% THD). I think I'd see a lot of improvement by moving to something like a Denon or Harmon Kardon. (I'm currently leaning towards a Denon 3803, which I can get from an authorized Denon dealer for $900-$1000).
Further down the road, I could see myself adding an external amp (at least for the front channels) and using the receiver as a pre/pro.
So, what do others think? How should I spend my money? Would I be better off spending $900 on a receiver or $500 on a receiver and $400 on a subwoofer? Or some other combination altogether?
Thanks.
-- Greg
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