That wimpy little cheap receiver is witout any question the weak link in your system; it does not have the power to drive those speakers. Its 80W rating is a joke; it can do that for 2 channels, but not for more than 2. It is maybe good for 30 watts per channel or so when driving 5 channels.That is like trying to pull a 35-foot travel trailer with a Toyota Corolla.

The AVRX3500H would probably be adequate, if you want to stay with Denon. If you want even better sound and power, the NAD T758 V3 is what I recommend.

If you need another cabinet, get one!! A closed back is not acceptablle in any case; it needs to be open for adequate ventilation. Don't let your cabinet limit what you can do; that is dumb.

TechCraft has dozens of choices; all shapes, sizes, and styles.

kamaaina1 wrote:

Hello gang!
Plan: Upgrade weakest link(s) in my system.
System: 2.1 - Denon AVRX1400H, AT-LP120, Ortofon 2M blue, Pro-Ject phono box E, B&W 704 S2’s, B&W ASW-608, B&W M-1 (center), Mono-price 12awg, in-wall cable. All equipment is isolated with IsoAcoustics.
Listening: 75% music, 25% movies & sports. Music genre: Jazz, Rock, Hawaiian, R&B.
Sources: Albums, cable music, Pandora, CD, iPod.
Goal: Cleaner, less “booming” / tighter bass, crisp highs, decent mids.
Comments: Limited to a small curio cabinet approx.. 18” wide X 14” deep. Most of the better AVR cabinets are too deep, which really limits my choices. Curio is mirrored backed, so I can’t really cut or open up the back panel (will research further, and check with the boss if I can remove back panel  )
Note: Not sure if upgrades are even needed, just looking for opinions & recommendations (good or bad)

Thank you all for your time!!!