A confused person needs help... Home set up with B&W m1. Please!

[admin_exported]

Hi all

Have been lurking but still can't find answer to my issue...

I thought I understood hifi. Things have changed so much in 20 years

My equipment so far....

Sony 40" LCD
2 x B&W m-1
Virgin V+ box
Apple Tv 2

Aim is to have the M1s hooked up for stereo output from all the devices.
Do I need a sub (active or passive)?
Do I need a receiver or can I use a stereo amp?
Can/do hdmi feeds go through a receiver?
Can I still have sound through tv speakers if I don't want m1s on?
I don't want to be messing around with inputs on a receiver - can they auto witch depending on source of tv or is source decided by a receiver?
May want to switch tv off when listening to music on apple tv- can a set up support this?

Sorry for all the questions - google ia failing to give me the answers !

Many thanks all
Martin (someone who understood hi fi when it was just phono cables )

 

[Cofnchtr]

Hi,

Welcome to the forums.

Do I need a sub (active or passive)? Yes - I'd use an active sub

Do I need a receiver or can I use a stereo amp? A receiver is a good idea for 5.1 - if just stereo is required best with a stereo amp but ensure there's a pre-out for the sub.

Can/do hdmi feeds go through a receiver? Yes if it's part of the feature list. Not all receivers have HDMI connections. Check specs before purchase.

Can I still have sound through tv speakers if I don't want m1s on? Yes. Don't switch the amp on.

I don't want to be messing around with inputs on a receiver - can they auto witch depending on source of tv or is source decided by a receiver? You can feed sources through the receiver and switch to those sources using the remote - alternatively you can plug all inputs directly to the TV and have one feed out from there to the amp/receiver. The amp/receiver will then produce whatever sound is relevant to the TV picture.

May want to switch tv off when listening to music on apple tv- can a set up support this? If the Apple TV is plugged directly into the amp/receiver yes.

Cheers,

Cofnchtr.

 

[Big Chris]

I want to add a couple of points.

You don't need an amplifier with a sub out, if you look at subs with high level inputs (sometimes called speaker level inputs). This connection just uses regular old speaker cable run from the speaker terminals on the amp to the sub. Some, such as my PV1, come with a proprietry cable for just this scenario.

My second concern is using the M1s with a stereo receiver as there will be no form of filtering. The M1s are small and should only be sent frequencies above 80hz or so. A stereo amp won't have the facility to do this. It'll send the full frequency range to the M1s. This could possibly damage the speaker if the volume gets turned up. An A/V amp will allow you to set a crossover frequency to prevent damage.

IIRC, Arcam made a 2.1 version of their Solo Movie system for just such a situation as yours. I would imagine other manufacturers have similar systems for connecting just 2 speakers plus a sub. It all depends how much you're looking to spend.