Quote:
Originally Posted by
buggs1a 
I wanted better sound then what the Integra gives. Like better speakers but I was hoping to get that in a receiver or amp to tide me over till I was able to get new speakers. I am bored with the Integra but I get bored easily. I wanted AirPlay. I'm bored with my speakers too. Just wanting a change and improvement in sound.
OK. You won't get better sound by changing the amps, as you have already discovered, unless your current amps are unable to drive your speakers properly, which currently is not the case. Better sound will come from upgrading the speakers or attending to the room-induced problems. If you are just bored with the Integra then change it - but you won't hear any difference in sound simply because the new one has different amps, but see below for more thoughts on that.
Because speakers are very different from each other in SQ, nobody can really advise you there. All you can do is read some reviews of speakers in your price range and, if possible listen to some in your own room. That latter is important because the room is so influential on the final sound, so listening to the speakers anywhere but your own room is fairly pointless. If you can find a dealer who has a very good, properly treated demo room, then you can compare different speakers in that room, but once you get the chosen set home, they will sound different. I am assuming you can't or don't want to consider room treatments, so your only alternative is to consider electronic room EQ, such as Audyssey MultEQ XT32. XT32 is a significant step up from other versions of MultEQ and, in the absence of room treatments, will give you an audible improvement in SQ. So if you really want to swap out the AVR, don't choose one with less than XT32.
Quote:
The room is my bedroom. 15' long x 12' wide x 8' high. Carpet. Carpet like drapes over window. Window covered with big bathrobe to keep light out. The room is empty cept my bed and shelf on one wall. Not big. Front Speakers are on one wall on shelves. Surround on other side of room. Sub in front right corner. Front left and right are a few feet from the side walls. Center in between those of course.
You might experiment with sub placement by doing a sub crawl. What exactly is it about the sound you currently have that you dislike? Is it boomy bass, muddy mid-range, harsh highs, difficult to hear dialogue - what is it you are not happy with?
