I am researching the next level of audio performance as I have pretty much topped out, at least from my perspective, in the box store and online sector of home audio. I have an Onkyo TX-NR6100 and a mix of Klipsch reference and reference premier speakers for a 7.2 HT with Atmos main system. I also have an Onkyo TX-8220 with some JBL Venue series speakers that I have on zone B from the 6100 in my room. I have this setup so I can listen to my tunes throughout my place without having to turn a single system up loud enough to get complaints from other tenants. Lots of speakers at low volume works. I started out with a TX-SR393 and a "HT in a box" speaker package but I spend about as much time in my room as I do in other areas of the apartment and if I turned it up loud enough to hear in my room, the neighbors would complain.
I know I could get a little better out of general store bought equipment but it seems like pretty much a lateral move with only a little better performance so I'm researching moving into a higher level of audio system. It's a balancing act for me because I don't have a lot of funds to throw at it. It's taken me well over 5 years to work up to what I have by waiting for big sale events and wheeling and dealing in the used market but I've done pretty well. To buy everything I have at full retail would be significantly more than I actually have into it. I'm actually quite a bit below half of what full retail would cost and it's all in either new or like new condition with the exception of the JBL venues which I have "made my own" by replacing the grill cloth and painting the accent panels and trim rings and replacing the "JBL" decals with actual aluminum badges. I also had to replace the amplifier in the Sub 12 and sounds like I'll also have to replace the one in the Sub 10 eventually.
The system as a whole sounds really good and suits my needs and looking into this "next level" I'm finding that in order to get a what I consider marginal amounts of performance, a lot of money is spent in the form of devices used to refine or "clean up" the audio signal from the source. It's also been my understanding that adding devices to a system also adds noise. I'm assuming then, that it all depends pretty much on the quality of the devices which in turn depends on how much it costs. So is it a toss up on initially spending more on source equipment that outputs better signals than adding devices necessary to refine the signals from lower priced equipment, or does one still have to add expensive signal refining devices to already expensive source equipment?
If that's the case, I believe I will just settle on the pretty decent stuff that I have and find another hobby. Any thoughts on this subject are much appreciated and thanks in advance.
I know I could get a little better out of general store bought equipment but it seems like pretty much a lateral move with only a little better performance so I'm researching moving into a higher level of audio system. It's a balancing act for me because I don't have a lot of funds to throw at it. It's taken me well over 5 years to work up to what I have by waiting for big sale events and wheeling and dealing in the used market but I've done pretty well. To buy everything I have at full retail would be significantly more than I actually have into it. I'm actually quite a bit below half of what full retail would cost and it's all in either new or like new condition with the exception of the JBL venues which I have "made my own" by replacing the grill cloth and painting the accent panels and trim rings and replacing the "JBL" decals with actual aluminum badges. I also had to replace the amplifier in the Sub 12 and sounds like I'll also have to replace the one in the Sub 10 eventually.
The system as a whole sounds really good and suits my needs and looking into this "next level" I'm finding that in order to get a what I consider marginal amounts of performance, a lot of money is spent in the form of devices used to refine or "clean up" the audio signal from the source. It's also been my understanding that adding devices to a system also adds noise. I'm assuming then, that it all depends pretty much on the quality of the devices which in turn depends on how much it costs. So is it a toss up on initially spending more on source equipment that outputs better signals than adding devices necessary to refine the signals from lower priced equipment, or does one still have to add expensive signal refining devices to already expensive source equipment?
If that's the case, I believe I will just settle on the pretty decent stuff that I have and find another hobby. Any thoughts on this subject are much appreciated and thanks in advance.