What to upgrade first?

Hello Scmca; I wholehearted agree with Costrosk. For your situation i would think ahead and start with the speakers. Though 500 is a little lite for what i suggest. I can tell you how to plan ahead and knock your socks off with the components you now have. Later as funds become more available you can get a high quility intergrated amp. First save about another 900 or 1000 (you can do it, work hard and save and watch every penny). Than FIND, BEG, BORROW but don't steal and get a USED PAIR OF INFINITY PRELUDE PFRs. This is a former Stereophile Class B speaker that has been discontinued by Infinity. It has a 96db sensitivity which means that the Prelude PFR will play loud with your 50 watt receiver and the sound will KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF. The Prelude also has an integrated sub that blends in great and will give you FULL RANGE with HIGH QUALITY SOUND with your present equipment. MAKE SURE that the used pair you will buy IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION both sonically and cosmeticly. You will be very happy with the PFRs and your present receiver and CD player. Now for the future, next you find a high quality integrated amp. It doesn't have to have alot of watts because the PFRs don't need alot to upset your neighbors. So you will be able to buy a used high quality integrated amp for a very reasonable price right here at this site. Than later on you can get a better CD player and cables. With this setup you will be impressing all you friends and most important yourself. If you need more help and good advice, you can email me and i will send you my tele#. Start saving your money and don't make any spuratic purchases until you have around 1500. Trust me, you will be very happy and have a great system right at the start with what you have now. Just save till you can afford to spend 1500 or so.

Those Prelude PFRs sound so good with low wattage SETs. Will get you close to class A sound with the tubes. This speaker listed for 4000. Also does well with inexpensive receivers. Well worth the hunt to audition with your own ears. If buy any chance you live near central NJ my friend owns a pair (not for sale) you can listen to. The new model that replaced the PFR i believe list for 6000 or 7000. The PFR was a stereophile class B full range best buy ($$$) speaker that the reviewer bought for himself after the review. I'm not one to boast about a product but after listening to them over my friends many times. I'm quite impressed. Feed them the 50 watt reciever and SCMCA will sound good and enjoy them from the start. Later on feed them better upstream gear (w/tubes or ss option) and they will seduce you. Serious sound for a guy with out much to spend and inexpensive components to start with. For not to much of an investment and SCMCA's start and upgrade path options with this speaker pair i can't think of little money spent so wisely. Am also concidering his room as mentioned. I heard some of the other speaker choices and some are good but non better and most outclassed. But all advice given is excellent and recommend following. All choices given will be an approvement within your budget.