20+ Years since my last purchase!!!

[admin_exported]

My first post!!!!

The year 1986 and I purchased, from Lasky's in Chester if I remember rightly, my first, and only, HiFi seperates system. It is still going, with only the CD player needing replacing during that time. It is a Technics amp, twin cassette player, cd player, Dual Turntable and B & W 500S speakers. (Sadly my son has just punched a hole in both speakers which has brought me to this point of replacement) At the time it cost just over a £1000. Think I have had my moneys worth out of it.

Anyway the time has come to finally move into the 21st century and replace in it's entirety. I cannot afford to do it all in one hit, due to 3 kids and their financial demands

so it will be a phased operation. I currently have a Sony Bravia 46" 1080P HD TV and am going to build around this. I also have Sky+HD and a Sony DVD/HDD Recorder. I don't however, sadly, have much more than the grand I spent back in 1986, maybe £1500 available. Oh! to be young and responsibility free again.

My proposal is to go initially with a Sony STRDH800 AV receiver and run it in 2.1 mode until I can then afford in phase 2 the rest of the surround speakers. I know the audiophiles will cringe at this for music!!!!

Question 1:- Will this be a relatively decent multi purpose amp for both music and home cinema?

My choice of speakers is the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1's as the front L/R and stereo with a Wharfedale Diamond SW150 Sub initially.

Question 2:- Will the 10.1's work well as a pair of rears, at a later date, and what centre speaker would you recommend.

Last but not least for now is I am undecided on a blu ray player and am torn between going for the new Sony 760 and a PS3. I like the functionality and flexibility of going for the PS3 but is it as good a player as the 760 is reported to be. Which one would be better for playing CD's? If not which CD player of the Sony range is any good. (As you can probably tell I have pretty much decided that Sony is to be my route of choice, for good or bad!!! I am just a big fan of all their electronic gear)

Hope you can all help and thanks for any advice given.

 

[basshound]

TaffMurray:I don't however, sadly, have much more than the grand I spent back in 1986, maybe £1500 available.

To match your grand in 1986 you`d need around £2200 today so you`re not too far off the mark,I`m sure somebody will be along soon with plenty of suggestions of how best to spend your money!

 

[Gerrardasnails]

TaffMurray:
My first post!!!!

The year 1986 and I purchased, from Lasky's in Chester if I remember rightly, my first, and only, HiFi seperates system. It is still going, with only the CD player needing replacing during that time. It is a Technics amp, twin cassette player, cd player, Dual Turntable and B & W 500S speakers. (Sadly my son has just punched a hole in both speakers which has brought me to this point of replacement) At the time it cost just over a £1000. Think I have had my moneys worth out of it.

Anyway the time has come to finally move into the 21st century and replace in it's entirety. I cannot afford to do it all in one hit, due to 3 kids and their financial demands

so it will be a phased operation. I currently have a Sony Bravia 46" 1080P HD TV and am going to build around this. I also have Sky+HD and a Sony DVD/HDD Recorder. I don't however, sadly, have much more than the grand I spent back in 1986, maybe £1500 available. Oh! to be young and responsibility free again.

My proposal is to go initially with a Sony STRDH800 AV receiver and run it in 2.1 mode until I can then afford in phase 2 the rest of the surround speakers. I know the audiophiles will cringe at this for music!!!!

Question 1:- Will this be a relatively decent multi purpose amp for both music and home cinema?

My choice of speakers is the Wharfedale Diamond 10.1's as the front L/R and stereo with a Wharfedale Diamond SW150 Sub initially.

Question 2:- Will the 10.1's work well as a pair of rears, at a later date, and what centre speaker would you recommend.

Last but not least for now is I am undecided on a blu ray player and am torn between going for the new Sony 760 and a PS3. I like the functionality and flexibility of going for the PS3 but is it as good a player as the 760 is reported to be. Which one would be better for playing CD's? If not which CD player of the Sony range is any good. (As you can probably tell I have pretty much decided that Sony is to be my route of choice, for good or bad!!! I am just a big fan of all their electronic gear)

Hope you can all help and thanks for any advice given.

My advice would to be careful of your first purchases, especially when you envisage adding other speakers and such at a later date. For instance, the Sony receiver you mention does not have pre outs for the front left and right speakers. So, if you were to add better speakers to the front (which I assume you are as you ask about moving the 10.1s as rears), you will probably want a stereo amp in the future too. Lack of pre outs would cause a problem. Therefore, I would look at the 2400es receiver instead or a similar one from Yamaha for instance that has pre outs. The Wharfedale 10.1s would make great rear speakers in the future. The centre speaker should ideally match the front two. I'm sure Wharfedale has a centre Diamond speaker. I would get the 760 without question over the PS3 (unless you are going to be gaming more than listening to cds).

 

[Andrew Everard]

I'd go for Sony BDP-S760 player, STR-DA2400ES receiver and Q Acoustics 2000 series speakers all round.

With minimal Googlage - think big South American river as a starting point - you'll pay less than £350 for the player, £400 or so for the receiver, and under £500 for the speaker package. So well within budget.

 

[Anonymous]

Is your son old enough to chip in for the price of better speakers? I hope the damage was an accident. Good luck with the new gear.

 

[Anonymous]

Antistatic:
Is your son old enough to chip in for the price of better speakers? I hope the damage was an accident. .

Sadly, at 7, no he isn't, short of stopping his pocket money.......for the rest of his life!!!!

Thanks for the advice received so far. It is giving me plenty of food for thought already so keep it coming. Will at least stop me rushing the decision. i.e. Being blagged in a store somewhere with the "You don't want to do it like that, have you considered?" attitude, and walking out many thousands of quid lighter. I will be going in knowing exactly what I want by the end of this process.

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew Everard:
I'd go for Sony BDP-S760 player, STR-DA2400ES receiver and Q Acoustics 2000 series speakers all round.

With minimal Googlage - think big South American river as a starting point - you'll pay less than £350 for the player, £400 or so for the receiver, and under £500 for the speaker package. So well within budget.

You can't go wrong with Andrews suggestion. Don't forget to allow 10% for cables. If you need to cut back on that you can get the BDP-S360 for less than £140