A Time Old Question- Hopefully Clare Will Help

[admin_exported]

Im in a slight quandry about speaker system and receiver.

My current thinking is the new budget Sony STR-DG820- (HD codecs) and either the q acoustics 1010 (1010i) to expensive kef eggs 2005.2 or mordaunt short Genie. which of these will give me great sound? i am partuculalry interested in a punchy deep bass. this is solely for watching blu ray.

PS comments welcome on the sony receiver also

advise please thanks to all

 

[Andrew Everard]

For ultimate sound quuality - at least in terms of the three packages you mention - I'd go for the 1010i, or possibly the Monitor Audio Bronze BR2 5.1 package. Arguably not as pretty as the Genie or the eggs, but they sound superb.

STR-DG820? Who knows? We haven't even been told by Sony UK that it's heading for the UK, although of course it's been announced in the States.

 

[Anonymous]

That suprises me Andrew its listed on play.com coming out at the end of the month for a tiny £229.

One more thing would you rule out the upcoming Onkyo htx 22hd? (was kind of interested in this)

for my budget the 1010 are the cheapest @ £300 and the kef and mordaunt genie are £400 so out of the 3 which is preferable.

thanks again appreciate your time

 

[Anonymous]

owww just checked the price on those monitors

 

[Andrew Everard]

[quote user="zanderol24"]That suprises me Andrew its listed on play.com coming out at the end of the month for a tiny £229.[/quote]

Yes well, not the first time Sony would have told dealers and forgotten about the press, as regular readers of this site will know. They ummm forgot to invite the press to their last big product show. I gather Messrs Clough and Melville are due down to Brooklands for a high-level summit on the matter of information flow tomorrow, so maybe everything will change.

Maybe.

Just checked the Sony Europe press site and not a mention, so maybe Play has jumped the gun on this one.

Given how tight your budget is, I'd try to hear the 1010s and the Genies. I think the QAcous will edge it, but the Genies will be pretty close, look cuter and at that price are a steal.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

[quote user="zanderol24"]
Im in a slight quandry about speaker system and receiver.

My current thinking is the new budget Sony STR-DG820- (HD codecs) and either the q acoustics 1010 (1010i) to expensive kef eggs 2005.2 or mordaunt short Genie. which of these will give me great sound? i am partuculalry interested in a punchy deep bass. this is solely for watching blu ray.

PS comments welcome on the sony receiver also

advise please thanks to all
[/quote] You had me rushing for my google button. I read what you wrote as that this new Sony decoded HD audio, has 4 HDMI and is only £230 delivered!! Almost right. No HD audio from this beast. However, still brilliant value.

 

[Andrew Everard]

[quote user="Gerrardasnails"]Almost right. No HD audio from this beast[/quote]

"In addition to decoding uncompressed audio (LPCM via HDMIT), the
STR-DG820 decodes the latest audio formats from Dolby© Labs and DTS©
making this model fully compatible with Blu-ray DiscT."

 

[timwileman]

ohhh hang on there, this one is looking good........whats the catch!

 

[Andrew Everard]

[quote user="timwileman"]ohhh hang on there, this one is looking good........whats the catch![/quote]

No video scaling or upconversion as far as I can see...

 

[timwileman]

[quote user="Andrew Everard"]
[quote user="timwileman"]ohhh hang on there, this one is looking good........whats the catch![/quote]

No video scaling or upconversion as far as I can see...
[/quote] hmmm...my dvd player upscales and for SD (freeview) wont my TV (panna 37in Plasma HD) upscale to HD......... then if i ever get HD TV it would be through for example freesat so would have a 'box' able to cope..........i know what you mean just wondering if having that ability is really needed in my case, certainly one to ponder!

 

[Andrew Everard]

However, bear in mind that the fact play.com says

"Would you like to listen to satellite radio? The XM Connect-and-Play
Ready feature provides the ability to access XM satellite radio
programming in surround sound."

means it's definitely quoting an American specification for this model, whatever implications that may have for the rest of the information given on that site.

 

[timwileman]

will Mr Clough and Melvil be able to shed some light on this from the meeting you emtioned above??

 

[Andrew Everard]

Not sure - I'll emtion it to them and see how they relpy.

By the way. Stone Audio is claiming to have it in stock for 24 hour delivery, at £248.

 

[timwileman]

interesting, might contact them to see if they can confirm its true

 

[Andrew Everard]

Just spoke to Messrs C and M, and while they were told of some other products - a news story about which will flow from Mr Clough's nimble fingers onto this very site when he has time - there was nothing about receivers.

 

[timwileman]

hmmm....does not bode well. i will let you know if i hear back from stone audio

 

[Andrew Everard]

Wouldn't read too much into the lack of info given this morning.

Mr C tells me Sony wants to do another meeting re AV products at a later date.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Just read on Stone Audio that they won't have them until July and it's a pre-sale - you are billed when it ships. Amazing value. I just cannot see how they are justifying last years models. Only the really expensive Sonys had HD audio. This a lot cheaper than the basic ones brought out last year. Onkyo rattled some cages. It is also relatively tiny!! 8kg and only 15cm high.

 

[Anonymous]

New Audio Codec, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby True HD

so play messed up on the above statement then?

damn it

looked like a good dead

 

[Andrew Everard]

[quote user="zanderol24"]New Audio Codec, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby True HD

so play messed up on the above statement then?

damn it

looked like a good dead[/quote]

Why? The spec suggests it does decode these formats. Or were you specifically looking for one that doesn't?

 

[Anonymous]

Plumped up for the Onkyo 605 in the end £250 refurbed unit - just about to place an order for the q acoustics.

should i opt for the 1030 floor standers @ the front for an extra £30 quid?

All comments have really helped me so i would like to thank you all- ESPECIALLY ANDREW

 

[Andrew Everard]

If your room's big enough for them - ie they're not going to be used crammed in corners - then yes I would.

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew, one last thing and i wont bother you on this topic again.

what else will i need then? speaker cable obviously? banana plugs for the receiver and speakers correct? if so how many and a sub cable? the chord crimson looks about spot on, do you think?

thanks very much for helping a newbie out

 

[Andrew Everard]

Yes speaker cable - five runs, but how long depends on your speaker locations, of course. I wouldn't spend a fortune on this; something like QED Original or, if the budget will stretch Chord Carnival for the front three speakers and QED Original for the rears would be more than sufficient.

Subwoofer cable? Just the one, and Chord Crimson will be fine.

 

[Anonymous]

and the banana plugs? how many?

cheers