A system good for music and movies. Yeah Oil and water etc

[admin_exported]

I am after a system with the above requirements. I am not interested in all the bells and whistles such as auto set up, sound effects etc etc.

My initial budget is £1500-1800 and all I have are a pair of B+W CDM2SE front speakers doing nothing.

I am interested in a Cyrus Discmaster QX and AV Master processor.

In future I intend to buy either a 6 power (power amp) or a 6 vs2 amplifier or should I buy the DVD player with the amp first of all and buy the processor at a later date?

Suggestions for centre and rears?

Is the processor rather limited in its facilities?

I never taken much to DOlby 7.1 at all and wondering should I wait until Blu Ray amps and players become more affordable?

I have been suggested both the Arcams 2.1 and 5.1 solo but I am kinda put back at their lack of upgradability.

I just want something thats good for movies and music and will last me about 10-15 years

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[professorhat]

[quote user="pork_pie"]I just want something thats good for movies and music and will last me about 10-15 years[/quote]
That's a lot to ask in the Home Cinema world! I seem to remember DVD was only becoming mainstream 8 years ago with Dolby Digital etc. with it. I'm guessing your best bet on matching your existing speakers would be the current CM series from B&W, but I think you'd need to audition them.

Your main issue with the AV Master is it doesn't accept HDMI audio or the 5.1 analogue inputs from any Blu-Ray player. And it can't decode any of the new HD sound formats. So this is never going to be a system to take you 4 years into the Home Cinema future, let alone 15 IMO.

 

[Anonymous]

Consider the Audiolab 8000AP & 8000X7, it has no features (will accept LPCM via HDMI tho) but sounds impresive and is good with music

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers for the replies lads.

I am still in a muddle. All I do know is im getting to a situation now where I like my music and occasionally likes to hanker for the surround experience with a few DVDs from Asda at 4 quid a pop lol.

I have been collecting hifi for the best part of 18 years and always fallen into the trap of going for new formats etc shortly after they are launched. Check the laserdisc/MD/Dat/Dolby S tape decks in the cupboard!

As soon as Dolby digital came out in 1996, I had to get it in the form of the Sony SDPEP9ES digital preamp and TAVA8ES amp - 2 units which I am sure Cloughie and Andy were familiar with during the VTV days. Music performance was good but not that good so I had a seperate system for music.

I had to get a 42" plasma tv back in 2003. Now I make do with a smaller tv. LCD. Samsung. Picture quality awful lol.

At one time I bought a Yammy DSPE492 processor allied to a Linn LK100 power amp with a Pioneer DV626 player and B+W speakers and that for me provided me the best compromise for both music and movies. Strange. Loved it. I told myself that if ever I wanted a system in the future that offers the best of both worlds it would be in the form of a processor, poweramp and a decent disc spinner.

Upgraditis bit again when bought a 7.1 Denon reciever (AVR1905). Never even used the extra surround facilities despite buyin 2 extra speakers. Sold that for a Sony 1200ES reciever and I don't even use its HDMI or 7.1 facilities. The auto calib is nice but theres no harm in using a tape measure.This equalisation of speakers - surely this is fiddling with the signal quality.This system sits in my room at my folks whenver I visit which aint all that often.

Point I am making is that I am more than happy with missing out on the latest features.In my flat i am coping with the Sony DAVS550 listening to freeview through DOlby Prologic 2 lol. Its okay but I want to sell it for some somethin special. I say 10-15 in terms of being satisfied with the sound quality thus preventing me from wanting to uprgrade whenever I get bored.

Audiolab option i have considered. it retails for £2500 but I wont be using the 7.1 option. The Cyrus option in 5.1 configuration (AV8 discmaster, processor and a power6 ) I am able to have for around £2000.

Rewind back to the best of both worlds it would be in the form of a processor, poweramp and a decent disc spinner comment. Yes the WHF awards 2007 edition did comment that there is no provision for HD.

Neither do the Arcam Solos (2.1/5.1) , Naim and Meridian all in one AV systems and yet they have done very well in previous tests.

Is HD sound and vision really the dogs b****** though? Going the HD route would require a new TV and speakers and of course a new AV reciever and BD player. Four such items would cost me about £4000. Most of these recievers have analogue tuners (bar the Denon 4308 which has DAB and is £1500 with the kind of features I would not even dream of using ).

£1500 quid - that would pay for a Discmaster qx and AV master alone.

If I do get a reciever, I can bet that it wil be replaced the following year and that quite frankly is rather irritating. Onkyo 605 and 606 is a case in point. Also amazed that the aforementioned 1200es has not been replaced after 2 years although I guess that wil change soon.

Regards

Emerging Luddite

 

[Anonymous]

Sack it!

I am going to hold fire for now.

See what offerings come from Arcam who I understand will be delving into Blu Ray.

Somehow I cannot see Cyrus doing the same thing.I get the feeling now that the discmaster and processor are niche products.

Arcam also have yet to launch a HD home cinema amp.