Upgrade Kenwood HTB-404? (1 Viewer)

[jeff123]

Hello Home Theater Forum members,

I am thinking about upgrading my Kenwood HTB-404. This is a package of a VR-507 receiver and KS-505HT speakers. A couple of reasons have prompted me to consider this. First, my remote no longer works. (I understand one can solder a joint in the receiver to fix this.) Second, since moving the system and adding a new 50" Sony LCD HDTV and Comcast Digital/HDTV, the sound doesn't seem to be quite right. Voices in TV shows can sound muffled at times. I am in the process of trying to make sure all of the settings are correct to see if this helps. I understand from reading information at Crutchfield that a THD rating is relevant to the clarity of sound. I believe the Kenwood has a .07 THD rating, which I understand is good. Am I correct? Finally, the system has never had the enveloping "surround sound" sound that I have heard at the movies and when listening to other's systems.

I was considering replacing the Kenwood speakers with Bose Acoustimass 6 III speakers. Consumer Reports had a high rating for them. Are these a good choice? Will I hear a measurable improvement? Any other recommendations in this price range or lower?

I was also considering a new receiver. Consumer Reports rated the Onkyo TX-SR604 as a good choice. Do people agree? Will I hear an improvement over the Kenwood receiver?

If I upgrade should I do both a receiver and speakers or is one more important than the other given my current set up?

Thanks so much for any thoughts!

Best regards,
Jeff

 

[Mark Klaus]

Jeff,

You won't find much love for Bose around here. It is generally felt by most, myself included (past owner of Bose 901s), that much better speakers are available for the same money. I haven't been in the market lately (still love my 6 year old Boston Accoustics), but some names to consider in the reasonable price range: Paradigm, Boston Accoustics, Polk, Infinity, Klipsch, etc. A hot receiver right now is the Denon 2807 which has HDMI swithching and IPOD support. You can probably get the 2807 and a great set of speakers for the price of the Bose alone.

 

[jeff123]

Thanks Mark. On different audiophile boards I see a lot of negative comments on Bose. Why are they so disliked? Any other comments on whether I even need to upgrade the Kenwood? Thanks!