Well, I liked the 970 so much that I upgraded to 990 last week (still in box). 970 was such an improvement over my Sony STRD777ES that I could not wait to hear the 990.

Now that I have spent more than what was approved (wife) for, I am seeking advice. I do not have an amp yet. I ran the 970 via Sony, using its 5 ch amp. I do not listen to anything loud and sound levels are set to reasonable levels. So, the Sony as an amp worked OK with 970. I am also looking to upgrade my speakers from B&W601 to Swan 5.1. For video I have Samsung 850/Panasonic S30 and Infocus 4805 projector. The room is dedicated to movie watching.

Here is my predicament…. Given I can only buy one thing, what should I buy first - amp or speakers?

My $0.02: Speakers. They have the hardest job (converting electrical to acoustical energy) of the chain and are, in my opinion, the most critical element of all.

Further, I would say the differences between speakers are far more pronounced than differences between amplifiers, especially of a similar price / feature point.

I hope this doesn't start a flame war...

Mark

old_school $0.02 + my $0.02 = $0.04

Speakers - Speakers. dito on what old_school said.

old_school and tmdlp - Thanks! Off I go to speaker land.

What's wrong with the B&W's? They're decent speakers. They wouldn't be my own first choice, but they're servicible. I'd say you stand to gain more from getting a real amp. Most theater receivers in the consumer space have absolutely horrid amp stages.

Cheers,

I personally love B&W - 'have four 805 Matrix + center channel myself. However, it's all about preference and what sounds right to the end user; in the end, whatever makes the end user happy is the right thing to do.

More for the debate, without providing an unequivocal answer:

Having gone, several years ago, from what was once one of Onkyo's better 'amplituners,' to a 950/770 combo, I would say I heard a marked improvement. I didn’t have your quandary though. I wasn’t considering a loudspeaker change because of tight spaces and I think my speakers, while not efficient, tend toward accuracy.

But, back to your question. I would answer: replace whichever is closer to “average.” If your speakers are a cut above the fray and your receiver is not, upgrade your amplification first. Even the built-in amplification in some very pricey all-in-ones often is found lacking in the opinion of many when listeners compared to separates. If your speakers are middle-of-the-road and the advances in materials and manufacturing technology enable better driver/cabinet combinations at prices that are not too steep for you, then upgrade the speakers first.

Finances may influence your order of upgrade as well - perhaps do the smaller cost upgrade first? If your amplification needs will be well met for $1000 to $1500, but the speakers you would really like cost $3000 to $6000, then try the amplification first. Who knows, your present speakers may 'come alive' when 'effortless' current and headroom uncompromised by the presence of high-frequency transients is available to those speakers.

And finally, if your plan includes upgrading both eventually, then relax a bit. The advantages of a good separate amplifier will not go away while you wait to upgrade your speakers, nor will the advantages of more accurate speakers go away while you wait to upgrade the amplification.

One more item to note: are you going to get 'combo' pricing from Outlaw if you buy an Outlaw amplifier relatively soon after buying your 990?

I hope it goes well for you!

Ritz – I love B&W speakers… Given that they are 5+ years old and at the low end of B&W series, I feel I am missing something (high and low end). Specially, when I audition floor-standing speakers in A/V specialty stores. Now, this all could be attributed to high-end stuff being used in these stores. To me, the Sony amp has plenty to offer given my listening habits. Then again, I don’t know what I am missing until I try a different amp.

Bestbang4thebuck – you are right… I will eventually have to upgrade both speakers and amp. It is just that I can’t decide which one should be first. The only way to know that would be to swap equipment and find out for myself.
I am not sure if Outlaw will let me buy the amp (after the fact) at the bundled price.

For now, I will setup the 990 this weekend and give it a good listen with my current equipment. Based on this I will decide which way to go.

Thanks for the great feedback!

I don't have up-to-date Outlaw sales information so I could be wrong, but my hazy recollection is that if you order the amp within 30 days of the processor, the combo price may still apply. Won’t hurt to call Outlaw ASAP and ask what the policy is these days.