Advice on roadmap to upgrade

[arturolun]

Hi all, I´m pretty new on this forum, and after reading a bit I believe is a must to ask here before move on on my plans to upgrade my HI-FI system.

Currently I have an AVR (Yamaha aventage 2070) with Monitor Audio BX5 + BX2, for cinema it is ok, but recently (1-2 years) I have rescued my vinyl collection and started a new one as well, now I have nearly 200 Lps between Rock, Pop and techno (depeche mode).

For Vinyl I use an Audio Technica At-lp5x, with a VM540ML cartridge which sound way better that the ones that comes with the turntable, also changed the Phono cable to Pro-Ject Connetc it one which also improves a lot the sound stage.

Now I´m looking to move from the Monitor Audio BX5 to Silver, not yet decided if 300 or 500, the room is about 6,6 X 4,6 meters (22 x 15 ft), but the usual listening point is about 3 m (9,8 ft) away the speakers.

Everytime I talk this with HiFi dealers or HIFI aficionados, all of them told me that connect that Speakers to an A/V Receiver is far away of what an HiFi stands for, so I´m starting to look at Stereo Amplifier to connect to my Receiver for music listening.

Do you also believe that invest on a Stereo Amplifiers worths?, what kind of stereo amplifier will improve my current A/R Stereo capabilities?, I was looking to something for about 500-600 € but wondering if this is enough to perceive a quality improvement on sound from my current setup.

Can you please recommend any option to this that sounds good with the Silvers floorstandings?

Also, worths start from the Stereo Amplifier first? or move to the new Speakers first?, I´m wondering if I can get an improvement to my current BX5 by adding a Stereo Amplifier.

Many thanks to all !

 

[TrevC]

Always speakers first. They make the biggest difference.

 

[Deleted member 188516]

Always speakers first. They make the biggest difference.

i agree but... a loudspeaker can only play whats fed to it. "rubbish in, rubbish out" and all that !

 

[arturolun]

Thanks for your replys.
Knowing my room size, do you feel that the extra 300EUR worths on the Silver 500?, or Silver 300 is the way to go?

 

[TrevC]

i agree but... a loudspeaker can only play whats fed to it. "rubbish in, rubbish out" and all that !

They aren't being fed with rubbish.

 

[Deleted member 188516]

They aren't being fed with rubbish.

true but my point is still valid !

 

[arturolun]

So, what should be the optimal decission in your opinion, MA Silver 300 or 500?, and based on that, whay should be the Stereo Integrated Amplifier that fits?, my concern is to get something that could not bottleneck the other or vice versa.

Thanks a lot!

 

[record_spot]

Hi all, I´m pretty new on this forum, and after reading a bit I believe is a must to ask here before move on on my plans to upgrade my HI-FI system.

Currently I have an AVR (Yamaha aventage 2070) with Monitor Audio BX5 + BX2, for cinema it is ok, but recently (1-2 years) I have rescued my vinyl collection and started a new one as well, now I have nearly 200 Lps between Rock, Pop and techno (depeche mode).

For Vinyl I use an Audio Technica At-lp5x, with a VM540ML cartridge which sound way better that the ones that comes with the turntable, also changed the Phono cable to Pro-Ject Connetc it one which also improves a lot the sound stage.

Now I´m looking to move from the Monitor Audio BX5 to Silver, not yet decided if 300 or 500, the room is about 6,6 X 4,6 meters (22 x 15 ft), but the usual listening point is about 3 m (9,8 ft) away the speakers.

Everytime I talk this with HiFi dealers or HIFI aficionados, all of them told me that connect that Speakers to an A/V Receiver is far away of what an HiFi stands for, so I´m starting to look at Stereo Amplifier to connect to my Receiver for music listening.

Do you also believe that invest on a Stereo Amplifiers worths?, what kind of stereo amplifier will improve my current A/R Stereo capabilities?, I was looking to something for about 500-600 € but wondering if this is enough to perceive a quality improvement on sound from my current setup.

Can you please recommend any option to this that sounds good with the Silvers floorstandings?

Also, worths start from the Stereo Amplifier first? or move to the new Speakers first?, I´m wondering if I can get an improvement to my current BX5 by adding a Stereo Amplifier.

Many thanks to all !

I'd be inclined to ignore thecdealer. I used to use an Onkyo TX-NR818 AV amp purely in 2 channel mode. It was great and stacked up comfortably against a Leema Pulse, Harman HK990 and an Exposure 3010s. Try them out and you can always swap the amp out if it doesn't work.

 

[arturolun]

I'd be inclined to ignore thecdealer. I used to use an Onkyo TX-NR818 AV amp purely in 2 channel mode. It was great and stacked up comfortably against a Leema Pulse, Harman HK990 and an Exposure 3010s. Try them out and you can always swap the amp out if it doesn't work.

Thanks, but I live in Spain, and here there is no chance to try at home, so the only test possible is on the dealer site, but in my experience, as they wouldn´t have my specs, it would be difficult to track the improvement or not, that´s why I am now collecting opinions.

 

[rainsoothe]

If you run a sub, I see no point in going for the 500 (I assume the tweeter is the same).

 

[Al ears]

Personally I have always keep my stereo and AV setups separate, it helps when upgrading.
If you are set on Monitor Audio speakers then, in your room size I would consider the 300 to be sufficient, when looking for a stereo amplifier the new Rega Io might be a place to start.

 

[arturolun]

Personally I have always keep my stereo and AV setups separate, it helps when upgrading.
If you are set on Monitor Audio speakers then, in your room size I would consider the 300 to be sufficient, when looking for a stereo amplifier the new Rega Io might be a place to start.

Many thanks, I have made some calls and found that the price for the MA Silver 300 in White (wife preference) for the front and centre speakers (C850) it´s 2.970 euros, but there is an offer on a Cinema Pack for the Silver 500, that includes the 5 speakers (Silver 500 in front, C850 as centre and Silver FX for surround) that in White costs 2.999 euros, so I guess my decission will be go for the 500 cinema pack.

Do you feel 500s are oversized and could be problematic for my room?

 

[Al ears]

Many thanks, I have made some calls and found that the price for the MA Silver 300 in White (wife preference) for the front and centre speakers (C850) it´s 2.970 euros, but there is an offer on a Cinema Pack for the Silver 500, that includes the 5 speakers (Silver 500 in front, C850 as centre and Silver FX for surround) that in White costs 2.999 euros, so I guess my decission will be go for the 500 cinema pack.

Do you feel 500s are oversized and could be problematic for my room?

Not really no, just thought you could save money with the 300's bring sufficient. Wasn't aware you were buying a package, your initial post sounded like you were looking for a stereo only set

 

[arturolun]

Not really no, just thought you could save money with the 300's bring sufficient. Wasn't aware you were buying a package, your initial post sounded like you were looking for a stereo only set

You´re right, the main decission is based on stereo improvement, but as I have also a Bronze 5.1, I believe that changing the frontals will oblige me to change the centre as well, to match the sound.

 

[manicm]

An alternative is to keep what you have, but get an integrated amp that has an AV pass through, so you get the best of both worlds.

To those that say AV amps are great for stereo well it depends. I don’t consider myself an audiophile, and even less so for my cousin who got a new Onkyo AV amp, and he seemed less than thrilled with music than his previous old stereo amp.