Apologies beforehand for a noob question, but I've never really looked at separates.
I recently auditioned some new speakers to replace my DefTech 7002s because the bass seems too muddy even after manual setup -- the whole shebang lacks crunch and accuracy. Looking to lose the "generalized" good sound offerd by the DefTechs I started looking at direct speakers (B&W, Energy, etc). My only concern is that every demo runs their speakers through NAD / McIntosh / Separate equipment. I'm told it won't matter much since I have a Pioneer VSX74Txi (and that the sales clerk no doubt wants to sell me speakers).
Should I look at separates first BEFORE switching speakers or is this truely a speaker setup problem?
I'm quite new in the game, but my experience is that (in contradiction with what the sales clerk said) matching amp and speakers is a delicat issue. In general, a sloppy bass could result from both low quality speakers and the amp lacking the power to controll the speakers. I do, however, not have any prior experience with the DefTechs nor this particular Pioneer reciever so I don't know which is likely to be your problem.
However, to get back to your question, it all depends on what your goals are. If your planning to replace the amp anyway; It might be a good idea to look for an amp/speaker combination rather than picking each component individually. If, however, you would like to keep the reciever, I would sugest that you bring it to the store and insist on auditioning the speakers with it.
My general impression of Pioneer is that they are not delivering the power and controll that their specs promise, but there will be plenty of people to dissagress on that point. Anyhow, auditioning the speakers with your reviever might answer your question weather the reciever is a problem or not.
You don't seem to have asked a question that relates to your problem. Should you look into a separate pre and power amp? If you want to get better performance than what your receiver offers, then, yes, you should. Whether you will hear the difference between your receiver and separates (that you could afford) is the more pertinent question. It is far simpler to detect the more dramatic frequency response changes between speakers than it is to detect the quality differences that a better amplifier will contribute. If you can't hear the improvements of better power supply and greater isolation between stages, not to mention the better parts that you will find in separates, then you might want to wait on separates. Ask for an audition of quality separates in your price range against a receiver similar in quality to yours. Then decide based on what you hear. Lots of salespeople will sell speakers first either because they feel that is what the customer can work with or they know selling speakers is a far easier job than selling separates. You might not hear readily the difference between components right now, therefore the salesperson led you to what would probably make the most impact on your system.
Will buying speakers auditioned through separates be a mistake when you intend to play them through a receiver? Probably not. The difference in the rooms will be far more important than the equipment driving the speakers. Once you get them home, speakers seldom sound exactly like you remember them in the showroom. There are many reasons for this but just accept that what you hear at the shop is going to represent a fair estimate of what you can achieve at home. Any shop worth dealing with will offer some sort of audition period in your home. If this isn't possible, I would try to find another dealer.
Have you considered that what you are hearing now is a set up problem? If you just plunked your speakers down where they fit in the room, you might not be getting the best sound the speakers have to offer. Have you investigated doing a speaker placement set up? This is not the same as letting the receiver make adjustments to frequency response or manually adjusting the levels. Speaker placement is the first key to good sound.