New amps for my 804s and htm3s

[omar7631]

I have the b&W 804s and Htm3s powered by an emotiva xpa-5 , and I was wondering if adding a xpa-1 for just the center channel would improve my home theater experience. Or should I just replace the xpa-5 for an xpa-2 and xpa-1 combo.

[emig5m]

I'd rather get the matching 800 series bookshelf speakers for your rears IMO. I think the XPA-5 is competent enough for your kit and anything else is possibly in the over-thinking things stage, especially if you're crossing over to a powered sub. Go 805S for your rears and enjoy! :W

[Horacio]

Omar,

Sorry I'm jumping in late. Have you made up your mind yet?

Just in case, here are my two cents: I'm 100% stereo, so take my words with that point of view. In my experience, sound improved a lot when I moved to a better matching amp with my 804S. I went from Rotel RB1080 to McIntosh MC275. The improvement was all around: better, deeper, fuller bass (yes, from a tube amp!), edgyness in the trebble was gone and became more extended, and the mids are fantastic. Imaging improved A LOT.

At the time I was thinking of upgrading I wasn't sure which component to upgrade first and some suggested amp, so I went out for a listen. I literally couldn't believe how good the 804S were sounding with an all McIntosh setup at a dealer. I compared there Rotel, Mac SS and tubes, Classe. I was certain my speakers could perform better than they were at home.

So, are you better off spending on surround speakers or amplification? I don't know. Do you have a chance to listen to 804S with other amplification?

I hope this helps