The reasoning for sticking with separates versus the simplification advantages of a receiver is I'm already more than half way there in terms of amplification. Remember, I'm reassembling a home theater system and I still have a lot of what I need.
Here's the full picture--I always had a high end two channel system, which I branched out into HT via a tape loop and a Fosgate Model 4 (and equipment orphaned by upgrades.) In the end, I was driving NHT 3.3 speakers with a bi-amp set-up using VTL 225 vacumn tube monoblocks and a solid state Aragon 4004MK11 (to drive the woofers.) That part is going into the living room for 2 channel only listening. I used to have a pair of (British) Cambridge Audio 250W monoblocks, which drove the NHTs until one of them blew up--leaving me with with a perfect center amp, which is what it's doing--it's driving an NHT center channel amp.
My first amplifier, the B&K EX 442 200w dual monoblock amp, was pushed back in the chain as I upgraded, to ultimately drive my rears. I never bought dedicated rears--I used to drive a good pair of Energy 22.1 slightly-larger-than bookshelf speakers (~$1k in 1995)as satellites for another room. When I moved several years ago, they became my rears (driven by the B&K).
Long story short, after dismantling my two-channel rig (the DAC goes, too), I'm left with:
200w B&K EX 442 dual monoblock amplifier(s)
250w Cambridge Audio monoblock amplifer (1)
22.1 Energy speakers (2)
NHT VS-2 center channel
I'm thinking I simply need one more 2 channel amp to either drive my primaries or my rears (depending on how well I do finding a used one--if it's better than the B&K I'll put it up front, you get the idea...) I'm not sure what I'm doing with the speaker situation. The Energys were never meant to be rear speakers and it's been several years since I've listened to them critically. I'm thinking they were pretty good speakers (and as I have wall mounts for them from their prior duty in the rear)--I may very well use them as the primaries up off the floor on the wall mounts, which leaves me replacing the NHT center with a matching Energy center, and looking for dedicated Energy surrounds. OR, I may stick with the NHT center and go NHT all the way around but I'm skeptical about new NHT equipment since Ken Kantor is no longer affiliated with the company. I just moved last week and everything is still boxed other than the TV, the Tivo, and the DVD player. I need to break out the Energy speakers and give them a listen, but I wouldn't be surprised if they work out up front.
So, I (think I) need:
-digital surround sound processor to upgrade the Fosgate processor
-one more 2 channel amp (and I'm anticipating a ~200w mid-fi 2 channel amp can be had on the cheap since everyone's after multi-channel)
-a sub-woofer
-rears
-some more cables
-maybe a DAC
There's not much anyone can suggest in the speaker department until I evaluate the Energys, so the immediate mission seems to be the processor.
Am I on the right track?
Here's the full picture--I always had a high end two channel system, which I branched out into HT via a tape loop and a Fosgate Model 4 (and equipment orphaned by upgrades.) In the end, I was driving NHT 3.3 speakers with a bi-amp set-up using VTL 225 vacumn tube monoblocks and a solid state Aragon 4004MK11 (to drive the woofers.) That part is going into the living room for 2 channel only listening. I used to have a pair of (British) Cambridge Audio 250W monoblocks, which drove the NHTs until one of them blew up--leaving me with with a perfect center amp, which is what it's doing--it's driving an NHT center channel amp.
My first amplifier, the B&K EX 442 200w dual monoblock amp, was pushed back in the chain as I upgraded, to ultimately drive my rears. I never bought dedicated rears--I used to drive a good pair of Energy 22.1 slightly-larger-than bookshelf speakers (~$1k in 1995)as satellites for another room. When I moved several years ago, they became my rears (driven by the B&K).
Long story short, after dismantling my two-channel rig (the DAC goes, too), I'm left with:
200w B&K EX 442 dual monoblock amplifier(s)
250w Cambridge Audio monoblock amplifer (1)
22.1 Energy speakers (2)
NHT VS-2 center channel
I'm thinking I simply need one more 2 channel amp to either drive my primaries or my rears (depending on how well I do finding a used one--if it's better than the B&K I'll put it up front, you get the idea...) I'm not sure what I'm doing with the speaker situation. The Energys were never meant to be rear speakers and it's been several years since I've listened to them critically. I'm thinking they were pretty good speakers (and as I have wall mounts for them from their prior duty in the rear)--I may very well use them as the primaries up off the floor on the wall mounts, which leaves me replacing the NHT center with a matching Energy center, and looking for dedicated Energy surrounds. OR, I may stick with the NHT center and go NHT all the way around but I'm skeptical about new NHT equipment since Ken Kantor is no longer affiliated with the company. I just moved last week and everything is still boxed other than the TV, the Tivo, and the DVD player. I need to break out the Energy speakers and give them a listen, but I wouldn't be surprised if they work out up front.
So, I (think I) need:
-digital surround sound processor to upgrade the Fosgate processor
-one more 2 channel amp (and I'm anticipating a ~200w mid-fi 2 channel amp can be had on the cheap since everyone's after multi-channel)
-a sub-woofer
-rears
-some more cables
-maybe a DAC
There's not much anyone can suggest in the speaker department until I evaluate the Energys, so the immediate mission seems to be the processor.
Am I on the right track?