Got the silver RSP-1066 , what's next? (1 Viewer)

[Michael Hurst]

Have been slowly upgrading my old 2 channel system. Added new wife friendly speakers and replaced old dying 2 channel pre-amp with the Rotel 1066. Currently have the Yamaha M2 power-amp, 2 chn only 220W 8 ohms/330W 4 ohms - 20 years old and still in great shape.

Would like to add another amp, either multi-chn or stereo. My speakers are Linn's and was thinking of adding a couple of LK140s over time or AV5125 if budget permits. Have my old speakers in the bedroom but are wife unfriendly electrostatics. I might be able to talk wife into temporarily using them as rears and the Yamaha to drive them. So I could get away with slowly adding stereo amps.

The competing item would be HDTV monitor in the 50-57" inch range, current TV is a plain vanilla Sony 27" .

Question go mult-channel or upgrade TV? Thanks

 

[Jed M]

Michael, quick questions. First how far away do you sit from your tv now? Second, you did not mention a dvd player. Do you plan on watching many dvds? If you do it will be a hard decision, if you don't I would go with the hdtv since the surround sound will be not be taken advantage of to its full potential.

 

[Michael Hurst]

Jed, currently sit about 11 feet from a 27" TV, with a RPTV it would probably be ~10-9.5 feet. I have an older non-progressive DVD player, Pioneer DV525. The DVD player is not the problem since they are so cheap and the newer ones have DVD-A or SACD; however, I am tired of squinting my eyes watching a widescreen DVD on a 27" TV. Our local Cox cable says 50% of their customers will have HD access by end of '02 and 95% by end of '03. My next purchase will be in the fall time frame.

 

[Michael Hurst]

Ok guys, what makes more sense a killer 5.1 system on a 27" TV or killer 2-chn stereo with a 50-57" HDTV. Funds make it so I can only upgrade slowly and one quality piece at a time.

 

[Evan S]

Michael, if you have Linn speakers, you probably already have a killer 2 channel system. Which Linn's do you have if you don't mind my asking? If you have the 5140's, have you upgraded the drivers to the new Espek drivers?

I've had my eyes on a pair of Espek's for about a half year or so now, but the wait will be much longer unfortunately due to budget constraints.

I would always choose to get the BEST components I could get, and build up from there. If you get a "good" 5.1 system now, you will always want to upgrade. You may never want to upgrade a "Great" two channel system but simply build around it as funds come available. Trust me, I did it the other way around and wish I could sell some of my gear and go the two channel route instead. I listen to far more music anyway, but if you watch 80/20 Home theater to music ratio, you might want to get the 5.1 now.

 

[Jed M]

On this forum I may take the road less traveled and say go with the tv. Surround sound can be added whenever, but do you really feel like spending the next couple of years with the 27? If not, I would at least save something for a 36 inch toshiba or samsung. If you have a killer stereo system it is a lot easier having two speakers replicate surround effects than to have a 27 inch tv replicate a big screen, ie http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=1355967810
Hopefully somebody else can give an opinion since I don't even trust my own.
Also, if you do go the TV route, I would find a tv with dvi inputs, it couldn't hurt any.

 

[Michael Hurst]

Jed, great idea I can get the Linn amp and upgrade to a 100" TV.