@doublef
I appreciate your thorough and well thought out answer.
With our current house/setup, moving to a sound bar is not an option as that is extra money that doesn't need to be spent, and worst case, it would relegate the paradigms to storage (as we only have a single viewing/listening space).
I won't lie when I say that I'm fairly new to this (or maybe more to the point, haven't looked into it for years). The paradigms replaced a set of Nuance speakers that 23 year old me was suckered into buying. TV/Music usage is down tremendously since our daughter arrived, so I rarely get a chance to enjoy it, however on the few times that I have, I don't "feel" like the difference in speakers has truly been maximized.
Fortunately, from people such as yourself, this forum, and just general knowledge, I'm fully aware that our setup is less than ideal. A huge ceramic potted plant directly in front of one speaker? Check. Baby fence in front of all the speakers? Check. Not using the speaker stands as it represents a risk of them getting knocked over? Also check. Etc Etc. Far from ideal
The Onkyo at the time was second from top of their line from whatever its worth, but if its generally an entry level, then that doesn't matter how "top of the line" it is!!!
I do love the idea of contacting a smaller Hifi store and trying my speakers with a variety of amps to see if I notice a difference. Its possible I won't, and therefore its a moot point!
I will probably have to settle with the idea that with life in its current form, I could buy an amazing amp and still a) not be able to use it and b) not be able to appreciate it fully with the lack of proper setup/acoustics.
Final note, I did contact Paradigm a few weeks ago, and they recommended their Anthem line, specifically the MRX 740 or 1140. I chuckled when I saw them on the site as it reminded me of when I bought the Onkyo, thinking bigger was better (even though it was powering garbage Nuance speakers!)
@Calumniate - My dad had a vintage Yamaha amp and loved it. My sister had one too. I've briefly looked at their offerings, but marketing has sucked me into a "higher priced brands = better" mentality, so I haven't necessarily given Yamaha their due. Appreciate the link, and I'll look into it a bit more!