Upgrading First System

crogers227

I am in the middle of upgrading my first sound system and have so many questions. I am very new at all of this and my knowledge is extremely limited but i love good sounding music and movies and I am eager to learn more on how to get them to sound better. I primarily use my sysem for HT.
After reading numerous posts, I have realized that there are so many knowledgeable people on this site and I would like to call out for your help.

I just purchased the Monster power center and the Micropro 3000 sub but i want to keep going. Here are the questions I have.

1.) Is it worth the cost for me to upgrade from the FXi3 to either the FXi A4 or A6? After looking at the specs it seems as if there is not a great deal of difference from the FXi3 to the FXi A4. Mostly cosmetic.

2.) Same question for the CSi3 to the CSi A4 or A6?

3.) I am looking at replacing my RTi 100's with the RTI A9's which will be quit a step up. My only concern is that my receiver will not be enough to fully power these new speakers or I won't get the most out of them. I was reading several posts about an external amp but agian I dont know much about amps. Do you have any recommendations or can someone explain why I might need an amp to get qaulity sound at higher volumes? Should I replace my AVR with a preamp and amp? Which brands are good to go with.

I am so excited to make these changes but i won't be able to do it without some help from the you guys.

superjunior

what receiver are you using now and does it have preouts? a powerfull receiver alone can usually drive the a9s pretty good but an amp with at least 200wpc will really bring them to life. more power = better sound. driving them with an underpowered receiver will damage the speakers and or avr. As far as upgrading your center and surrounds, the csi a6 and fxi6 are your best match for the a9s. good luck and welcome to cp!
jr

crogers227

I am currently using a Denon 1910. I am not sure if it has any preouts but i will check.

Why will the CSi A6 and FXi A6 work the best for the A9's? I am curious.


I checked the spec on Denons website and I beleive I only have amp preouts for a sub

superjunior

you need a big center to keep up with the a9s. most movie dialog comes from your center channal. the a6 was designed to be the best timbre match for the a9s, the soundstage blends together perfectly.
edit - almost forgot, the rears aren't as critical as the fronts. I think the fxi a6s are awesome speakers for ht, but there are other choices. the rti a3s for example would make great surrounds for this particular setup.

wutadumsn23

+1 on the biggest, baddest center you can afford. Don't skimp on that one, something like 50-75% of any given movie (esp dialogue) is formatted to be played by your center. Welcome to the Club. Looking at a picture of the back of the 1910, I would agree that you don't have pre-outs for adding an external amp.

-Jeff

domflane

The new RTiA towers really like power, and I know for a fact that its easy to damage them if you use an under powered receiver. The most important speakers will be your fronts and the center so spend the money on them and don't worry about the rears right yet, IMO. Either of the RTiA centers will work fine, because the A9's have 5 1/4" mid drivers. So the CSi3 center won't be a bad match for the time being. Focus on the A9's and a receiver and amp that will make them sing. You might find that you're pretty happy with the rest of your rig. Good luck and welcome to CP.

crogers227

I am starting to research which way i should go with new receiver or amp. Do you have any recommendations?

domflane

All that depends on your budget, and most people's opinions will vary here. Check with people that are also using A9's. Superjunior's setup with the Elite AVR and the Emo amp would work nicely for you, that way you could also amp your center.

crogers227

I am working with a budget of about $4500 after the sub and power center purchase. I would like to go with a Denon, HK, or onkyo.

domflane

Alright then, with that budget, you can build yourself a really respectable rig. The A9's will set you back about $1050 if you get them from Polkdirect. If you want to pick up the matching CSiA6 and the FXiA6's you'll spend about another $600-700. That leaves you with over $2500 to spend on a receiver and an amp. What are you going to use as a source btw?

crogers227

Forgive me but i am new to all of this. What do you mean source?

domflane

OK, I just saw the ps3, if I had that kind of budget, I would buy a used sunfire 5 channel amp for around $1000 and then either a pre or an AVR with the video options that you want. You could pick up any of the higher end Denon, Onkyo, or HK that has the preouts and the HDMI's you'll want for around $500, or you could look for a dedicated pre to match whatever amp you choose. This is just a personal suggestion and what I would do with that budget. Good luck with your upgrade, this is where the fun starts . . .

domflane

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92780 Here is a thread about amping RTiA9's, Emotiva amps are a very popular choice for these speakers.

crogers227

thank you. I am going to look into the sunfire amp. I am not very familiar with many AVR's much less amps or pre amps

cfrizz

Welcome. Your Denon does not have preouts. You will have to step up to the 3310CI & up to get the preouts.

You should get the larger RTiA center channel, You will be fine with your back channels.

Now once you get the new receiver, you can get a 200wpc amplifier. Get a 5 or 7 channel one & be done with that upgrade. Before you go out & buy new main speakers check out the improvement on RTi 100's first. You may be amazed at the improvement.

Keep us up to date on your progress.