Upgrading Receivers and Amp

Gizmo99
Gizmo99 Posts: 169
edited August 2010 in Basic Hookup/Wiring Questions
Long time...

I currently have the 3 year old Onkyo 805 which drives the LSI15 / LSIC and FxiA4 surrounds and rear.

I moved to a bigger place so I was testing the full potential of this system for the first time by cranking it up.

I didn't expect much since I do not have an external AMP.

I was playing Dark Knight car chasing explosion scene, the sound seems kind of "dull", lacking crisp and clarity. I plan to buy the Emotiva XPA-3 to see if I can hear a "big difference". What do you guys think ?

What receiver / preprocessor do you guys think I should get?

My entire budget is around 1000 bucks
Receiver: Onkyo TX-SR805
Amp: Emotiva XPA-5
Front: LSI15
Center: LSIC
Sourround: FxiA4
Rear: Fxi3
Sub: Bic H100
TV: Sony 52' XBR4


"The more time you spend researching here, the less money you will have" :D
Post edited by Gizmo99 on
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited August 2010
    Gizmo99 wrote: »
    Long time...

    I currently have the 3 year old Onkyo 805 which drives the LSI15 / LSIC and FxiA4 surrounds and rear.

    I moved to a bigger place so I was testing the full potential of this system for the first time by cranking it up.

    I didn't expect much since I do not have an external AMP.

    I was playing Dark Knight car chasing explosion scene, the sound seems kind of "dull", lacking crisp and clarity. I plan to buy the Emotiva XPA-3 to see if I can hear a "big difference". What do you guys think ?

    What receiver / preprocessor do you guys think I should get?

    My entire budget is around 1000 bucks

    Personally I would keep the Onkyo as your pre-pro till can you afford a dedicated one. That way you can ensure the Emotiva amp is worth it and then perhaps purchase an additional one for your surrounds (like the UPA-5).

    Once you have done that so all your speakers are running off dedicated amps then perhaps look at the Emotiva pre-pro (UMC-1). Thats the route I am looking to potentially take later and you have one of the sets of speakers I am looking to purchase as well :).
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • Gulfstrings
    Gulfstrings Posts: 313
    edited August 2010
    Added the NAD T955 5-channel amp a month or so ago.

    Still on sale at Audio Advisor for $799.

    You won't believe the difference it will make.

    Dave
    Marantz AV7005
    Marantz MM7055
    Onkyo DX-755 CdP
    Oppo BDP-93
    Technics SL-1301/Shure M97xE
    Polk RTi A7s
    Polk CSi A6
    Polk FXi A6s
    Velodyne VDR10-BV
    Panamax M5100-PM
    Antec VERIS A/V Cooler x 2
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,990
    edited August 2010
    That dullness your hearing is your receiver not being able to deliver the current needed to push those speakers. The 15's can be hard on most receivers which is why we recommend driving any 4 ohm speaker with an external amplifier. Depending on your budget,at least get a 3 channel amp for the front 3 speakers and let the receiver take care of the rest. A 5 channel amp may run you some coin but would be optimal for HT use.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • helipilotdoug
    helipilotdoug Posts: 1,229
    edited August 2010
    A Sunfire Cinema Grand 200X5 can be found well within your budget.
    Sunfire Theater Grand IV
    Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature
    SRS 2.1TL
    SDA 2BTL's
    CSiA6
    FXiA4
    FXiA6
    SDA 2A's
    Monitor 10A's
    http://www.douglasconnection.com
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited August 2010
    Go for it. Your LSI's will thank you.

    +1 on what Helipilotdoug said. Once you hear how good the front 3 sound you will want to amp the back as well.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • thuffman03
    thuffman03 Posts: 1,325
    edited August 2010
    I second going for a Sunfire amp.
    Sunfire TGP, Sunfire Cinema Grand, Sunfire 300~2 (2), Sunfire True Sub (2),Carver ALS Platinum, Carver AL III, TFM-55, C-19, C-9, TX-8, SDA-490t, SDA-390t
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