Raven Audio and Beyond...

Okay,

My main intent here is to get perspective and there's helpful content here.  I know this is a process for me.  Heck, took me about four years to get to this point, LOL

MC, you catch what I'm putting down.  Trying to understand the walk I'm talking.  If I spend now, what to upgrade first and then go to next; what am I going to encounter in the process.  I appreciate the technical take on what challenges I'd have for the short term running the X14s through the Raven. Vice versa on a speaker upgrade first.

Tomic, I play music quiet for background and loud to be overwhelmed; lots in between.  My musical tastes are wide.  Very wide.  So a comprehensive sound is key to me.  I play music saved on a hard drive as aiff files saved 32 bit/44.1mhz.  The P2 has an ortofon Blue cartridge.  I rely on the DAC for the generic explorations of my interests through Amazon Music.  Buy CDs/vinyl that I want to hear further.

Your brother in-law's setup is an approach I've considered.  Not dead either.  A decent integrated, a few subs w a dedicated amp, and slowly evolve from there.  The impetus for this post is considering the major jump/plunge into the amp/speaker question from where I'm at. 

Why Raven?  Intuition, research on company integrity and interest, reading insightful intel from coots on these threads, 45 day take back, connection to a decent audio store in town to try out speakers and an interest in settling in.

Both MC and Tomic, your input on the Raven's volume/impact limits for the interim between X14s and other speakers are helpful.  My understanding of the wattage/decibel sensitivity correlation is pretty bleak.  Hinders my application set.

Still like listening to good sounds though, so...

Jerry, I do plan on other speakers in the endgame.  Figuring out how to get where I'm interested in going.

Most of your responses are helpful.

To you all, I hope it came through that I wonder and appreciate insight rather than a commitment to some folly knucklehead charge into wastes.

Understanding what sensitivity means in matching up with an amp helps.  Definitely was beyond my understanding, but I see it's importance in matching up the relationship between amp and speakers.  I like lightbulbs. 

I think a couple of you are not understanding this key point:  The next two moves, amp and speakers, will take me some time.  Maybe a year or two.  No joke.  I have approx. 3-5k willing to appropriate at this time.

MC, I caught what you were getting at last night about matching amp and speakers.  In regards to your post here a bit ago, it makes sense.  Satisfaction with any upgrade in the shortterm, you see the amp, a good amp, the Raven in question, with more return than going after speakers first.

Toomic, the considerations for a smaller step into a less robust amp, bump with a couple subs and go from there is on the table.  In the terms of longterm planning, I may be making too big a jump going after such a hi-end amp to basically wait for me to catch up, lol.  I know you didn't outright point this out, but it is coming up as I consider the entire mix.   I looked up what a high pass filter is.  Seems useful where/when needed.   Not sure where/when or what conditions in audio playback require that piece.

Mapman, I'm not attached to Dyns.  Just have the X14s, for now.  Your words about speaker first echo lots of the points others have shared throughout all kinds of posts similar to my own queries.  MCs points help me see what a good amp with the speakers I have would do. Within limits. Helpful, yeah or do you disagree that a good set of speakers would showcase the limited amp moreso?

Artemus, yeah, this Pioneer is truly the current weakest link. 

tsushima1, what's your deal? You've not offered up experience/insight helpful to me. I can distinguish between opinion, info, and guidance. Your posts fall flat at all three. Not that I doubt you know something, but you've not provided any content. Makes me wonder what your deal is. No offense meant here.

UPDATE:

After the thread started, and perspectives shared, I decided to do the following:

I couldn't shake the part where I'd not yet heard the X14s truly.  So, I picked up two REL t-5x Subs and installed.  This alone made a difference with the Pioneer.  The weight on the X14s opened up and thus more tone.

A Yamaha AS-1100 barely used became available to me.  I've found the threads here and other places regarding the Yamaha integrated amps to have a bit under the radar take on their gear.  I'd heard an AS-2200 for a short bit before and always kept their gear in the back of my mind.

Hooked up the 1100 today and, in all, definite upgrade.  The Subs are barely a week old with about 30 hours on them.  The amp is seemingly new/quite newish.  The X14s sound quite clear compared to the Pioneer with no subs. 

Looking to ride this wave for a bit.  Working on upgrading cables and smaller aspects for now.  Still looking towards building a setup I want for the long-term, but will be a bit more couple years down the line.

That is, unless something magical this way comes to kick it all in motion.

As it stands, I appreciate the helpful perspectives that came my way in regards to my initial post.