Your Onkyo CDP is supposed to be great. Stereophile also has a very favorable review of Onkyo A9555 integrated amp, and it looks like a steal at the price (I think Onkyo might also sell refurbished products?) Obviously, the benefit would be you wouldn't have to worry about component matching at all, as your CDP is supposed to have a great synergy w/ the A9555.

Don't know much about Mordaunt Short speakers. Epos is a great line of speakers, so you might start there to see if you like their sound. But you'd get more pointed recommendations if you told us what your approximate budget is?

Well, looking at your equipment the CD player is pretty good. It kinda depends on the following which to change first, DAC, receiver or loudspeakers. Usually loudspeakers would be the first thing to look at and then look at power that suits them.

What is your ultimate budget?
Are you looking for full range speakers to replace those bookshelves, or do you just want better bookshelves and keep using your stands?
How important is haveing AM/FM radio?
Does a potential replacement DAC need USB?

We can break it down from there.

A minimum replacement for your DAC I would think is the DIYEDEN Musiland MD-10 DAC for $300US. This will be amazingly more musical than your Firestone Fubar.

Hey, Jarmusch. I don't think you can go wrong with Onkyo A9555. Right now, you can get a new A9555 for like $495 at B&H, and you're pretty much guaranteed a seamless integration with your CDP. They have refurbished models for $400 at accessoriesforless.com or something, but I'd go new for only a bill more & have that peace of mind. According to almost all reviews I read, it seems like it's a dandy, a tremendous bargain.

Onkyo A9555 seems like it has healthy power, too, at 100wpc. If it were me, I'd match that up with Magnepan MMG. It costs like $550 or something, basically the best bargain in speakerland. In my opinion, there are no other speakers that offer so much bang for your buck. They're demanding speakers, power-wise, but I've read about some Onkyo A9555 owners happy w/ matching w/ MMGs. The planar speakers will definitely give you a lot more air, speed, and immediacy, will make your music sound live. Killer soundstaging. The best thing about the MMGs is that they have a 60 day money back guarantee so you can basically have a 2 month-long home trial. There are Magnepan zealots who hang around at AA, so I think you should post some questions there about matching your amp to MMGs:

http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/etv.mpl?forum=mug

This way, you'll get to spend $1K on a fantastic system, all new & not used. Plus you'll have $ left over to apply toward a no-compromise DAC: instead of $600, you'll have $1K for your DAC. You can definitely pick up a Benchmark DAC for that price, or other comparable DACs. It'll be a killer system from any way you look at it & you won't have compromised your initial budget at all.

A few of observations.

The Onkyo A9555 is a digital hybrid Class D amplifier and is known for grainy midrange, sloppy bass, lack of musicality and detail. I know some people have been raving about it, but when it has been compared to even other digital amps it has fallen short. Some may like the sound but I think you will get much better sound from a proven analog design.

The Magnepan MMG is not a bookshelf speaker, they are large, flat things. They're 48" high, 14.5" wide, and 1.25" thick. In addition, the stand goes back about 14 inches.

Here are some suggestions for audition:

Loudspeakers:
Totem Rainmaker $950/pair
While these may cost $150 more than your budget you can save more than that by only spending $300 on your DAC for the Musiland MD-10 (has USB). These excellent loudspeakers will more than make up for the marginal difference between the Benchmark and the Musiland.

Amplification:
Jolida JD 1501A $675
A powerful tube/solid state hybrid integrated amplifier that would bring the Rainmakers to life. The preamp section has 12AX7 input tubes driving a MOSFET solid state power amp section.

Other possibilities are a factory refurbished NAD C372 for $700, & Cambridge Audio Azur 640A v2 for $600.

DAC:
DIYEDEN Musiland MD-10 DAC $300
Detailed, warm and dynamic produces sound like vinyl with
dynamics, deep low end and smooth high end
without grain.

Well, I guess rather than going by hearsay & reputation, your best bet is actually listening to the Onkyo A9555 and other integrated amps that jackfish mentions. Some people really love the Onkyo, and there are those who do not like Class D designs, but you should just go with what sounds best. Every opinion that you get from us is just speculation; what your ears tell you will be the only trustworthy source you should go by.

As for the speakers, jackfish is right: they're not small by any means. I'm sure you already gathered from your research that MMGs are significantly larger than monitors. If you can make room for them, though, they will give you much better sound than Totem Rainmakers, IMO, for much less money. If you have a lot of music stored digitally, I think a $1K DAC you'd be able to get w/ the money that you'd be saving w/ MMGs is a good move; w/o having heard the DAC that jackfish recommends, I'd have to say some of the DACs like Benchmark DAC would outperform the $300-range DACs by a comfortable margin.

Anyway, listen for yourself. If you really end up hating how the Onkyo A9555, you should go w/ another integrated for sure, as jackfish suggests, although based on word-of-mouth, it's a fantastic amp with a lot of power. Consider MMGs if you can make room for them & have adequate space to make them work in your listening room. If not, go for the monitors... there are many choices. Epos & Totems are highly regarded. Good luck!