am I nuts?

Loose...I just came through the other end of the tunnel you're going into. Sold my Lexicon for a Sonic Frontier Line 1, and sold my 4 marantz mono blocks in a biamp config for Anthem Amp 2 and now my CC and rear speakers are sitting in a box. I couldn't be happier. I'm still impressed by my gear with dvds. My system really has a good soundstage and so I still get 'surround' effects. Plan on buying a nice reciever some day and use the HT pass through on the line 1. Then I'll have more of what I like, 100% music and movies for fun.

have you considered cable upgrades? A good friend of mine uses a Denon AVR-3300 for both 2 channel and his HT. It sounds pretty good for an A/V reciever. I would start, if you haven't already, by upgrading the speaker cables on your mains. I would recommend starting with Tara Labs RSC Reference cables, they sound very nice and can be picked up fairly reasonable used. Also, don't forget your power cables, those make a difference as well.

Your sanity is not any more questionable than the rest of the audiophiles around here! This is just a typical obsessive-compulsive situation in which we all seem to find ourselves.

Loose...I had almost the exact system a few years ago. Nak AV10 with NHT 2.5i's for mains, Super Ones for rear, and Mirage center and M&K sub. I found myself listening more to two channel music than the surround. Anyway, I agree with Zspradlin. Cables can make a substantial difference in the sound your getting. NHT 2.5i's are on the bright side, so finding cables (IC's and speaker) to warm the sound up may be a good option for you. What cables are you using?

Perhaps you should check into the "Audio Asylum"?

thanks for your responses so far, guys... very amusing responses...(so I'm not the only psycho here apparently...)

in terms of cables, i use audioquest type 4 speaker cable for my mains in a bi wired configuration. I suspect this is part of the problem as i understand they are bright cables that have the ability to make an already bright system sound edgy. Still, I feel better electronics are in order. The Nak as an av receiver is ok for HT, but two channel is just irritating.

I'm looking into a Unico (80 w/ ch integrated, hybrid), but I'm not sure that's enough to run the mains (which stil, might be sold, in which case, the Unico would certainly be sufficient for the 1.3's). I'm also considering a Moon I-5 or I-3, Cairn (used model, can't remember which but it's 70/ch), Musical Fidelity A3.2 cr (i think that's the integrated model), Primare gear (not sure which), Classe CAP 101 or 151 and Plinius (not sure which model - but would have to be purchased unheard b/c there are no dealers in my area)...

Can anyone recommend what would work well with these speakers (either the 2.5i or the 1.3a - NHT's in general)?

What about cables? Any suggestions? Looking for something more full-bodied.

PS. Sorry about the poorly worded posting here... brain's working faster than my fingers can type.

:P

Steve
Roksan Kandy II,

Stop. Your amp's not your problem. It may not be great shakes, but if your 2.5s aren't right for your room, *that's* your problem, or at least it's the one you have to come to grips with first. So my first suggestion is, try your 1.3s up front in 2-channel mode and see if they're an improvement. If not, buying a better amp isn't going to solve your problem.

Basic rule: speaker-room interaction trumps everything.