Moon 761 -> 861 upgrade but keeping the 791 preamp/streamer

With that amazing combination of gear I wonder if your room acoustics are COMPLETELY sorted out & if your cables are up to the level of the electronics?

Keep your current system. you just have the unending itch. Don't scratch it. @debrajray 

@freediver The cables are ok (AP Black Ovals) but room acoustics are not sorted out as it is living room space and not a listening room --- lots of books serving as baffles though. @kofibaffour I think you've touched the core of it --- I should refrain from scratching, but couldn't resist asking. 

@debrajray ,IMO your cables are no where near the quality the SimAudio gear is worthy of..Standard OFC is likely chocking off staging,imaging,detail & dynamics along with limiting the tonal color & saturation the Moon gear is capable of producing..

@freediver you may well be right, and your implicit suggestion that I should be focusing on that instead is very well taken. Suggestions? Transparent, for instance?

I auditioned the 761 and 861 at my local dealer and decided on the 761 for my smallish room. Was the 861 better? Yes. It had a bit more dynamic “ease”. Resolution was similar (slight nod to the 861) and tonal characteristics were essentially the same. The 861 just sounded more “effortless”. 

That said, I auditioned the amps on Sonus Faber Serafino speakers which I own and which are relatively easy to drive. However, it’s my understanding that many Wilsons are more demanding to drive well.  That, combined with how and what you like to listen to might make the 861 the better value for you. Based on sonics alone on relatively easy to drive speakers, the 761 is pretty close to the 861.

Best, 

There's just too many choices & everyone has their own favorites..I changed from Nordost to Tellurium Q & have been amazed at the difference..
 I would recommend contacting the folks at The Cable Company & get some advice from them to start...
 I would also look at the many different choices of modern styles of Acoustic Treatments available today..At the very least,make sure you don't have any echo coming from ceiling to wall transitions & bass exaggeration from lower corners...
Good luck..

Thanks @mgrif104 I'm definitely going to audition them as well by swapping out the amps and holding the 791 fixed.

@freediver thanks for reminding me about cables; I've been meaning to audition the Transparent (ultra) and will do so. I have actually listened to the Tellurium Q at a friend (who also has a Moon setup though with different but also excellent speakers,  the comparison isn't fully controlled), but the Analysis Plus Oval 9s --- the ones I have --- sound better to me. These are in no way "standard OFC" cables :-) 

@debrajray it is known that "lots of books" do not serve any meaningful room treatment purpose. Their absorption and diffusion are highly marginal, at best, and indeed only for the highest frequencies (shortest wavelengths).

That’s just wishful thinking on some people’s part.

I agree with some other responders that there’s no point in spending quite a lot of $$$ on an 8-series upgrade without having a very well sorted-out listening room, acoustically.

As least from a sound quality perspective. Now, if you want to do it for the purpose of feeling good about having their top-end unit, that’s another matter.

@bimmerlover a veritable voice of reason! I agree with you, even though I'm going to go over to my dealer and listen for the fun of it. I don't have a well-treated room (acoustically speaking) --- and don't intend to turn my living room into a listening room either --- and I think I can do better on the speaker cables, so I am "unbalancing" what I have by going for the 861. So: better cables is a more natural step. Finally, nope, I don't need to feel good about having their top-end unit. Well put; thanks!

Grover Huffman Pharoah speaker and interconnect cables are damn good cables.  I have a full loom of them in my refernce system.  I have also used Zavfino Silver Dart IC’s - they are excellent but more expensive cable than the Grover Huffman stuff.