Well you better hold on because it’s going be a long and expensive journey. Once you start, it’s hard to stop. My journey started years ago. I had Paradigm Studio 5.1 matched setup with 100v1 fronts hooked up to a Denon 5800 receiver. First purchase was XPA2 and XPA3. They had excellent specs but most importantly they were affordable. Then shortly afterward, I purchased an Anthem D2. First impression was my setup sounded better..vocals had more presence, detailed, and overall more dynamic range. However the more and longer I listen to them, just felt something was missing or not quite right to my ears. I wasn’t emotionally moved or connected by whatever music I played. I didn’t know why but I felt my system just sounded ok, really nothing to be wowed about. It wasn’t until after a few months I found a demo Classe CA5200 at a very good price. That amp mated to the Anthem D2 really made a big improvement to my system...I had warmth, musicality, and above all else had zero listerner’s fatigue with this setup. I quickly sold both Emotiva amps. Later on, I upgraded speakers to the entire Signature V3 line starting with the S8v3. To this day, I still have the amp, but relegated to my third system.
If I were in your situation, I would first upgrade to the Signature S8v3 to go with your C5v3. This will make a very big improvement. Then if you want to experiment with different amps without spending a whole lot, I would suggest Parasound Halo amps. I’ve had good experience with the A51 and A21, as well as the awesome JC1s monoblocks. I think they sound better than the Emotiva amps.
If I were in your situation, I would first upgrade to the Signature S8v3 to go with your C5v3. This will make a very big improvement. Then if you want to experiment with different amps without spending a whole lot, I would suggest Parasound Halo amps. I’ve had good experience with the A51 and A21, as well as the awesome JC1s monoblocks. I think they sound better than the Emotiva amps.