First of all, the CDM-1's will be a definite upgrade from the 601's. But B&W Matrix 805's will be a HUGE upgrade from not only the 601's but also the CDM-1's. They come up fairly frequently used at around $800 but sell QUICKLY--you should scour A'gon & E-bay every day.
And IMHO, forget "upgrading" to a Rotel amp. Not that they're bad, but for $800-$1000 (used) I think you have a lot better choices. The top of the line Creek, the small Classe, (101?), the Bryston B60, even the Krell 300i for $1000 I think is better than a Rotel. And lots more choices I'm sure--maybe even an older Plinius.
My point is, you can probably upgrade a couple of levels beyond the gear you're talking about getting w/o spending much more, & move from "mid-mid fi", to a really happening little system.
And yes, sell of the surround stuff & concentrate on 2 channel, esp. if you're on a tight budget. Just my 2 cents!
And IMHO, forget "upgrading" to a Rotel amp. Not that they're bad, but for $800-$1000 (used) I think you have a lot better choices. The top of the line Creek, the small Classe, (101?), the Bryston B60, even the Krell 300i for $1000 I think is better than a Rotel. And lots more choices I'm sure--maybe even an older Plinius.
My point is, you can probably upgrade a couple of levels beyond the gear you're talking about getting w/o spending much more, & move from "mid-mid fi", to a really happening little system.
And yes, sell of the surround stuff & concentrate on 2 channel, esp. if you're on a tight budget. Just my 2 cents!