Hello, Firejedi.
Here are some ideas to chew on.
If you're fine with it, buying gently used equipment offers tremendous savings while still giving you excellent quality. There is a pair of speakers for sale in our Trading Post that were built by the seller, but came from a kit designed by Rick Craig of Selah Audio. I think they're a fantastic deal. [Yes, I would happily buy them if there were any place I could put them without my wife's lopping a few of my fingers off.
] I think these offer outstanding value and must sound fantastic. If you are located reasonably close to Ohio, you could forego the shipping costs and get these for under $1200!
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=141153.0 If you purchased the above speakers (or similarly priced used speakers), you would still have $1500 to $2000 dollars for an amplifier.
HT receivers are great for HT sound, which is what they're designed to do. However, HT receivers tend to not perform as well for two channel audio. One possible option is to buy a separate preamp and power your speakers with the amp inside the Integra. The preamp would offer improved SQ. Another option is to buy an integrated two-channel amp. A dedicated amplifier will produce noticeably superior music over the HT receiver. What options have you looked into?
What do you have for sources? CD player? Turn table? Universal player? Computer? You may need to consider adding a DAC if for digital.
Here are some ideas to research:
Audio by Van Alstine Synergy Control amplifier $1799 The 100w in this amp will sound much better than the HT's 90 watts.
http://www.avahifi.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=267&Itemid=229Nuprime IDA-8 Integrated amp + DAC - This has everything but the kitchen sink for $995! I own this amp and it performs extremely well for an entry level amp.
http://www.nuprimeaudio.com/index.php/products/amplifiers-and-preamps/integrated-amps/ida-8.htmlOdyssey Audio Cyclops integrated 110w/ch
http://www.odysseyaudio.com/products-cyclops.htmlVista Audio Spark integrated amp 20w/ch [Yeah. I know that seems too weak, but reviews suggest it's more powerful than what you'd expect.] $349!
There are tube integrated amps worth considering if you want to go that way.
Both Selah and Salk are excellent speaker manufacturer choices. Salk tends to be more expensive. I've heard speakers by both and they sound awesome and sound every bit as good as all those 'big' name companies for a lot less $$$$. As much as possible, listen to different speakers to determine for yourself what sound you like in speakers. The more time you allow for this, the more likely you will be satisfied with your purchase. [I rushed into a pair of speakers a few years ago that I thought were fantastic (powered by $15k worth of amp/preamp/cables/DAC in a showroom) only to discover they didn't fit my home, didn't sound fantastic with my Denon HT receiver, and my wife hated them.
They lasted 6 months. Sigh.] I learned patience, in home auditions, and researched the daylights out of everything....and I'm still unsure what speakers I want as my "last speakers till I die", but I'm a lot closer now than I was 3 years ago.
Lastly, if you are not power tool challenged, do consider buying kit speakers. They give you SUPER bang for your buck. Selah offers several kit speakers, GR Research offers a dozen or so kits, Meniscus Audio offers dozens, Madisound offers 20 or so kits, and DIY Sound Group offers a couple dozen kits. Yes. This is more research for you.
Enjoy your journey. Do ask lots of questions. Slow down and make informed decisions.
Have fun!
Michael
