Free gear is hard to criticize and if it's all working fine than it's even harder to criticize. Having said that, if it were mine, I would probably look to upgrade the speakers and the cd player first. Some of the Power Envelope amps were really good back then.

I've found many NAD products to be too polite and even more so when paired with other NAD products. I've never heard an NAD cd player that I liked or that couldn't be bettered within the same price class of other players.

I do think the amp is the strongest component of those mentioned and would partner it with a Marantz CD player, like their 5001 and maybe PSB speakers replacing the Advents.

You would be looking at about 700 bucks or so...out of pocket. Whether that's worth it considering you have FREE stuff now is something you have to decide for yourself.

You could probably half that price if you bought used gear off of Audiogon.

The Original Large Advent speakers have a near cult following. I have 5 pairs of Advents myself (New Large Advent). I'd make sure the woofer foam surrounds are not deteriorating and if they are, a refoam is pretty straightforward. Replacing the crossover components can also bring new them new life. All you would want to know about Advents can be gleaned from two websites: http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/IP.Board/index.php?s=95a746d3cf48935939d08ded45dbf557&showforum=5 and http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php

If you are listening from an iPod, using lossless music files will get you near CD quality, some better.

A way to make the iPOD sound better is to fill it with lossless files instead of MP3's. If you own the music you have on CD's, copying those through your computer in a lossless format will improve that sound a lot. You might also invest in some better interconnects. Even basic Monster cables are better by far than the junk that comes with products and would improve your sound for a small investment ($100).

I am of the impression you are looking to improve the sound without spending a lot of money and to me, a lot of spending starts at around $200. I agree the old CD player is probably obsolete but could be brought more up to date by adding a cheap, but current, DAC. Consider a V-DAC, used if you can find it. It would cost under $300, used well under and will make the CD player sound a LOT better, as that is the most obsolete part of your system. In addition, the V-dac lets you plug in your computer tunes via a USB port so the iTunes on your PC will sound a lot better than it does from your POD.

Haha, wrong place to post this I think, sorry about that.

The system is fine, have you actually heard it ?
Just get the speakers off the floor, preferably with tweeters
at ear height.

Play it and enjoy, as a starter system it's superb compared to
most audiophiles.

And after a few months, funds allowing, listen to some different
speakers, small B&W , Proac and Mission could sound better.