The Krell you have mentioned is a 2 channel integrated. You have surround speaker and maybe an Onkyo receiver. The model numbers on the speakers seem a little off as this suggest you are using a large, floor stander for surrounds.

Happy to help but what do you want to accomplish? Are you looking for a 2 channel system or a surround system? Matching front and center is important in surround system but not sure what receiver you have.

Again, just need some clarity

Malakhi75 wrote:

I'm really very new to mid to high end hifi. I've been carting around a technics 8099su amp for decades using whatever speakers happened to be available.....some downright shoddy ones to boot. Well, I've acquired some new kit. But, it's a bit of a mishmash of components and would want some advice on what needs to be replaced or added to. The sound I get is nice and controlled, but it doesn't capture the music as I'd hoped to and seems a little bland. Maybe I'm just tone deaf or just fussy. My current set up is

Krell 400Xi
Kef R500s
Kef Q900s for the surround
B&W CD65se Centre
Onkyo CD7050
Onkyo 1008
And some Cabletalk symphony cables....although they're more like hose pipes.
Interconnects are £100 audiolabs, don't know the name. Titan or similar.

My budget is around 3-4k. All of it is second hand stuff acquired from local people and relatives.....hence the mismatch. I've done a fair amount of reading and research for the individual components and are generally well received, but getting a grip on what works well together or if I'm missing something important escapes me. Help!

The Q900s would seem to be the logical choice for main front speakers. Hook the Krell up to those and forget all of the other amps and speakers. You want great sound; that is how to get it.

I suggest that you put your money into an OPPO 203 player.

The Q900s and Krell integrated should give very good sound, but the Onkyo CD player is a loser; garbage in, garbage out. I would say that it is 90% of your problem.

If you don't want to spend the $1300 for the OPPO player, then at least get a Marantz CD6006.

And if you insist on more than 2 channels, get a KEF center speaker.

For best two channel system sound I think the Krell with the R500s should be your best performer. That being said the Q900s should not sound that bad. There should be two sets of binding posts on the back of those Q900s with two dials between them. Are those dials turned all the way to the right on both speakers. I wonder if someone previously had them set to be bi-wired/bi-amped. That would explain the lack of treble.

The other thing to consider is that the R500s lack a bit of bass extension and might sound a bit better with a nice, sealed subwoofer. SVS makes a wonderful unit for about $600 and Sunfire would be a step up for a few hundred dollars more and will go a bit deeper. This will especially make a difference for home theater and any music that is relatively bass heavy.

Regarding the CD player, the actual transport has an impact on sound but the DA Converter (DAC) in the unit has a BIG impact on sound. Stepping up to an NAD, Marantz or Oppo unit that will typically run $300 to $600 should deliver a noticeable improvement in sound quality. NAD and Marantz have nice CD players for $300 and $400 respectively and the Oppo is a universal disc player with streaming services built in with a wonderful DAC. I forget the exact price but I believe it is under $600.

For 5 channel, Onkyo makes a fine receiver, particularly after you have run Audyssey which has an enormous impact on sound. You should get a Kef Center Channel. The R200C at $999 would be a fine choice. For surrounds, the Q900s are an odd choice. Usually, surrounds should be above the listener and place about 1-2' behind. Di-pole speakers are best. There is an R800 Dipole but it is like $1799. You very much want to match the Center and Front speakers, surrounds are less important. You could look at something like an E301 from Kef or one of the T line speakers.

If you sell the B&W and the Q900s, would you be able to inch up your budget? Figure an Oppo UDP-203 is $550, an SVS sub is $600, the R200C is $999 and the R800 Dipoles are $1799. That is right around $4K. If you sold the other units you could keep the savings or invest a bit back into a first rate subwoofer, say a higher end SVS or soemthing like a Sunfire HRS 12.

Good luck