A/V Receiver and blue ray player integrated

[WishTree]

Option1enon Cara S-5BD

Blu Ray Player with AV Receiver - Drives Center Speaker and sub woofer, pre-out go into the HiFi Integrated amp for Front Left and Right. Volume controlled by Cara

Option 2: Oppo BDP -105

Blu Ray player with Pre-amp - Drives Center and Sub woofer (You need atleast one channel power amp for Center) and the volume is controlled by Oppo. Also Oppo DAC is pretty good and can act a a proper CD player. If there is an active version of your center speaker available then no need for a seperate power amp to drive the center.

Option 3: Seperate Blu Ray Player & AV Receiver

Any of your choice & Budget. AVR drives the center and Sub and volume is controlled by AVR

However in all the cases, ideally Center Speaker should have similar tonal balance as the FL, FR (Same brand, same series). The Power amp or AVR's Power section makes not much of a difference (There might be slight noticeable effect but not worth focussing on this area, IMO)

Option 4:

Seperate HT and HiFi. Easy to handle but might miss out the SQ levels of the HiFi

Cheers!

 

[bigboss]

One thing I do not understand yet...if I have to connect the pre-out of the AVreceiver to the amplifier driving my front, where do I connect the subwoofer then? To the hi-fi amplifier? Or I just take one exit of the 7 channels out from the Marantz?

Thx again

The Marantz will have a subwoofer out.

 

[bigboss]

Option1enon Cara S-5BD

Blu Ray Player with AV Receiver - Drives Center Speaker and sub woofer, pre-out go into the HiFi Integrated amp for Front Left and Right. Volume controlled by Cara

I don't think the Cara has pre-outs. Check the discussion about it earlier in the thread.

 

[acalex]

One thing I do not understand yet...if I have to connect the pre-out of the AVreceiver to the amplifier driving my front, where do I connect the subwoofer then? To the hi-fi amplifier? Or I just take one exit of the 7 channels out from the Marantz?

Thx again

The Marantz will have a subwoofer out.

True, thanks a lot!

 

[BenLaw]

Option1enon Cara S-5BD

Blu Ray Player with AV Receiver - Drives Center Speaker and sub woofer, pre-out go into the HiFi Integrated amp for Front Left and Right. Volume controlled by Cara

Option 2: Oppo BDP -105

Blu Ray player with Pre-amp - Drives Center and Sub woofer (You need atleast one channel power amp for Center) and the volume is controlled by Oppo. Also Oppo DAC is pretty good and can act a a proper CD player. If there is an active version of your center speaker available then no need for a seperate power amp to drive the center.

Option 3: Seperate Blu Ray Player & AV Receiver

Any of your choice & Budget. AVR drives the center and Sub and volume is controlled by AVR

However in all the cases, ideally Center Speaker should have similar tonal balance as the FL, FR (Same brand, same series). The Power amp or AVR's Power section makes not much of a difference (There might be slight noticeable effect but not worth focussing on this area, IMO)

Option 4:

Seperate HT and HiFi. Easy to handle but might miss out the SQ levels of the HiFi

Cheers!

As BB says, option one won't work as the cara only has pre outs for surround backs, not for fronts.

Option two with an active centre is a good idea, but there is no way to get a matching centre. And it will be difficult to come in in budget.

Option three is tricky due to budget and a consequent non-matching centre. I guess Alex needs to demo and see if this bothers him. To expand on earlier answers, it isn't just voices that come from the centre. Something like 70% of all the audio comes through the centre. A non- matching centre will be particularly unsettling when there are effects panning across from one side to another, as it'll sound odd when it goes through the centre.

Option four to me is the only realistic option (without changing the stereo setup also) but Alex says space requirements make this unrealistic. Alex could consider style speakers like the radius or apex or q acoustics.

I think BB's suggestion of experimenting with a sub (and also a non-matching centre) is the best idea at this stage.

 

[acalex]

Option1enon Cara S-5BD

Blu Ray Player with AV Receiver - Drives Center Speaker and sub woofer, pre-out go into the HiFi Integrated amp for Front Left and Right. Volume controlled by Cara

Option 2: Oppo BDP -105

Blu Ray player with Pre-amp - Drives Center and Sub woofer (You need atleast one channel power amp for Center) and the volume is controlled by Oppo. Also Oppo DAC is pretty good and can act a a proper CD player. If there is an active version of your center speaker available then no need for a seperate power amp to drive the center.

Option 3: Seperate Blu Ray Player & AV Receiver

Any of your choice & Budget. AVR drives the center and Sub and volume is controlled by AVR

However in all the cases, ideally Center Speaker should have similar tonal balance as the FL, FR (Same brand, same series). The Power amp or AVR's Power section makes not much of a difference (There might be slight noticeable effect but not worth focussing on this area, IMO)

Option 4:

Seperate HT and HiFi. Easy to handle but might miss out the SQ levels of the HiFi

Cheers!

As BB says, option one won't work as the cara only has pre outs for surround backs, not for fronts.

Option two with an active centre is a good idea, but there is no way to get a matching centre. And it will be difficult to come in in budget.

Option three is tricky due to budget and a consequent non-matching centre. I guess Alex needs to demo and see if this bothers him. To expand on earlier answers, it isn't just voices that come from the centre. Something like 70% of all the audio comes through the centre. A non- matching centre will be particularly unsettling when there are effects panning across from one side to another, as it'll sound odd when it goes through the centre.

Option four to me is the only realistic option (without changing the stereo setup also) but Alex says space requirements make this unrealistic. Alex could consider style speakers like the radius or apex or q acoustics.

I think BB's suggestion of experimenting with a sub (and also a non-matching centre) is the best idea at this stage.

Yes, I think you gave me all very good advices and I see it is not that easy as I though. I also think the option of keeping HT and music separate is the best but impossible at this stage. I might buy a new appartment later this year so may be I just need to delay.

What I will do for now is indeed testing two things

1. Having a subwoofer

2. Using a center which is not matcking to check if it bothers me or not.

I understand now the problem with effects panning across from lef to right and going through the center, thanks for explaining that.

EDIT: To try 1 and 2 I still need to borrow an AVR also..as cannot be tried otherwise, correct?

EDIT2: If I get just a BR palyer (like the Marantz UD5007) I could go from the audio output on the player to one input of my hi-fi amplifier to get the audio in stereo mode from my existing speakers?

 

[bigboss]

EDIT: To try 1 and 2 I still need to borrow an AVR also..as cannot be tried otherwise, correct?

Yes, that is correct.

EDIT2: If I get just a BR palyer (like the Marantz UD5007) I could go from the audio output on the player to one input of my hi-fi amplifier to get the audio in stereo mode from my existing speakers?

Yes. If you go for an Oppo 105, this will allow you to use it as a pre-amp, giving you more flexibility.

Option 2: Oppo BDP -105

Blu Ray player with Pre-amp - Drives Center and Sub woofer (You need atleast one channel power amp for Center) and the volume is controlled by Oppo. Also Oppo DAC is pretty good and can act a a proper CD player. If there is an active version of your center speaker available then no need for a seperate power amp to drive the center.

 

[acalex]

EDIT: To try 1 and 2 I still need to borrow an AVR also..as cannot be tried otherwise, correct?

Yes, that is correct.

EDIT2: If I get just a BR palyer (like the Marantz UD5007) I could go from the audio output on the player to one input of my hi-fi amplifier to get the audio in stereo mode from my existing speakers?

Yes. If you go for an Oppo 105, this will allow you to use it as a pre-amp, giving you more flexibility.

Which kind of more flexibility are we talking about? As since what I wanted to to at the beginning is not really possible I am thinking to get anyway a BR player as I do not have any so far and y gf is asking so she could watch her movies...fair enough.

So plan now is to take a nice BR player and start it from there. I guess I will be connecting the audio out of the BR player to my hifi using one of the Jadis input. I can still connect the subwoofer to the Jadis at this point using the pre-out on the Jadis?

So the system will be TV--> BRP --> Hifi --> Front and Sub.

What do you think?

EDIT. Also the difference between the BD-103 and the BD-105 is quite big in terms of price...is that worth the difference for what I need?

 

[bigboss]

Which kind of more flexibility are we talking about?

What WishTree has described in option 2. If you decide to go for a blu ray player first while thinking about whether to get an AVR, you'll have an additional option of using the Oppo as a pre amp & either get an active centre speaker or a power amp to power a passive centre speaker. It is slightly more complicated than the straightforward option of an AV receiver though.

So plan now is to take a nice BR player and start it from there. I guess I will be connecting the audio out of the BR player to my hifi using one of the Jadis input. I can still connect the subwoofer to the Jadis at this point using the pre-out on the Jadis?

So the system will be TV--> BRP --> Hifi --> Front and Sub.

What do you think?

I don't know about connecting a subwoofer to the Jadis. Maybe someone else can help here.

EDIT. Also the difference between the BD-103 and the BD-105 is quite big in terms of price...is that worth the difference for what I need?

You'll need to demo both & see if it's worth the difference. You do have good speakers to bring out a difference I would have thought. Whether it's worth the extra £500 or not, only you can decide.

 

[acalex]

Apparently the two BR players are the same except for this...

Features unique to BDP-105[/b]

[/b]

USB Asynchronous DAC – By bypassing the low fidelity, poor quality DAC of traditional computer soundcards, the BDP-105 turn any computer into a high performing multi-media source by converting digital audio to analog through the ESS Sabre32 Reference DAC. If your computer can play it, the BDP-105 can convert it to analog.Coaxial/Optic Inputs – For additional convenience and flexibility, the BDP-105 can convert digital signals from cable and satellite boxes, televisions, video-game consoles and other digital transports with coaxial and optical digital outputs to analog.Headphone Amplifier – For a more intimate listening experience, a pair of headphones can be connected directly to the BDP-105’s built-in headphone amplifiers. The headphone amplifier is connected directly to the ESS Sabre32 Reference DAC and offers a unique performance advantage over standalone headphone amplifiers.Rigid Chassis Construction - Built around a steel chassis, aluminum faceplate, and center-mounted disc loader, the BDP-105 is designed to impress as well as to provide a stable base for the highest quality reproduction of your favorite media.Fanless Architecture – The BDP-105 is passively cooled, allowing it to run both cool and quiet without the need for internal or external fans.SABRE32 Reference Audio DAC - The DAC is one of the most important components for digital audio playback. The SABRE32 Reference ES9018 from ESS Technology is the world’s best performing 32-bit audio DAC solution targeted for high-end consumer applications and professional studio equipment. With the ESS patented 32-bit Hyperstream™ DAC architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator, the SABRE32 Reference DAC delivers an unprecedented DNR (Dynamic Range) of up to 135dB and THD+N (Total Harmonic Distortion plus Noise) of -120dB, the industry’s highest performance level that will satisfy even the most demanding audio enthusiast. The BDP-105 uses two ES9018 DAC chips - one for the 7.1-channel output, and another for the dedicated stereo output. To learn more about the technologies behind the exceptional performance of the SABRE DAC, please read the SABRE Technical White Paper.Toroidal Power Supply - A toroidal power transformer offers superior power efficiency and much lower exterior magnetic fields over traditional laminated steel core transformers. The BDP-105's toroidal linear power supply provides a very clean and robust power source to the critical audio components.Dedicated Stereo Output with XLR Balanced Connectors - The BDP-105 features a dedicated 2-channel analog output with specially optimized ES9018 DAC and output driving stages. The stereo output offers both XLR balanced and RCA single-ended connectors. The balanced output features a true differential signal path all the way from the DAC to the 3-pin XLR connector. By transmitting a pair of differential signals, the balanced output provides better common-mode noise rejection and improves signal quality.[/list]

 

[bigboss]

Yes, the main difference between the 103 & 105 is the 2 ESS Sabre32 DACs employed in the 105. Video wise, they're exactly the same.

 

[acalex]

Yes, the main difference between the 103 & 105 is the 2 ESS Sabre32 DACs employed in the 105. Video wise, they're exactly the same.

The exportable DAC with USB and digital inputs is quite handy also...and the built in headphone amplifier...

 

[CnoEvil]

FWIW. Here is what I would be thinking:

- I would get a cheap(ish) 5* rated BRP, and put the money saved toward other areas....with your DS, you don't need great 2 channel replay / streaming.

- Try to keep the Jadis out of the AV solution by -

1] Using a Beresford switch box to allow 2 amps into your SF, or

2] Getting some small "style" type L&R and so keeping the systems separate.

- If using your SF, look to a SF centre; if not, you can use what you like.....you'd be surprised how well a style system can sound with a good sub. and keep an eye out for a recently discontinued one, to save money.

- Look to a sub from BK, as they are probably the best VFM.

- I think if you are clever, you can put together a cohesive sounding system, without breaking the bank or taking up a lot of room.

 

[acalex]

FWIW. Here is what I would be thinking:

- I would get a cheap(ish) 5* rated BRP, and put the money saved toward other areas....with your DS, you don't need great 2 channel replay / streaming.

- Try to keep the Jadis out of the AV solution by -

1] Using a Beresford switch box to allow 2 amps into your SF, or

2] Getting some small "style" type L&R and so keeping the systems separate.

- If using your SF, look to a SF centre; if not, you can use what you like.....you'd be surprised how well a style system can sound with a good sub. and keep an eye out for a recently discontinued one, to save money.

- Look to a sub from BK, as they are probably the best VFM.

- I think if you are clever, you can put together a cohesive sounding system, without breaking the bank or taking up a lot of room.

I agree that's why I said the Oppo 105 would be a good option to start with as I need anyway a BRP and the oppo adds a lot of flexibility and tick a few boxes I still wanted to tick (like the fact of having an exportable DAC to connect pc, iphone, ipad to the system). And it would give me also a good sounding CD player (which might be handy sometimes when you have friends over wanting to check how their CDs play on a nice system). Those are all things I have been looking to put in place one day or another and I think this player ticks all of them

At a later stage I might add a proper AVR to the mix when I am going to have the space to do that...not for now. As for adding more speakers I am not sure this might going to happen one day...not for now at least.

Thanks for insight about the sub, do you know any of their specific models from BK?

 

[CnoEvil]

Thanks for insight about the sub, do you know any of their specific models from BK?

A friend has the XLS 200, which is almost unbeatable for the money.

http://www.bkelec.com/HiFi/Sub_Woofers.htm

 

[acalex]

Thanks for insight about the sub, do you know any of their specific models from BK?

A friend has the XLS 200, which is almost unbeatable for the money.

http://www.bkelec.com/HiFi/Sub_Woofers.htm

I was indeed looking at that one I have to find a subwoofer to try first before departing with any money as I don't like waste

I want to make sure I like the effect and I can also find a place for it! :shhh:

You use a sub?

 

[CnoEvil]

Thanks for insight about the sub, do you know any of their specific models from BK?

A friend has the XLS 200, which is almost unbeatable for the money.

http://www.bkelec.com/HiFi/Sub_Woofers.htm

I was indeed looking at that one I have to find a subwoofer to try first before departing with any money as I don't like waste

I want to make sure I like the effect and I can also find a place for it! :shhh:

You use a sub?

Yup.....it's pictured here (Ref 209): http://www.whathifi.com/forum/your-system/and-finally

You will likely need an Auralex Gramma (or Granite - though not as good) to put it on if you have a suspended wooden floor.

 

[GSB]

The one thing about a sub i (think)i have understood is that properly controlled its not all about the boom boom big bangs but adding a kind of depth and pressance,so if isulated correctly shouldn't upset your neighbours.

Also fwiw a good condition stlye speaker package is worth next to nothing second hand.

 

[acalex]

Thanks for insight about the sub, do you know any of their specific models from BK?

A friend has the XLS 200, which is almost unbeatable for the money.

http://www.bkelec.com/HiFi/Sub_Woofers.htm

I was indeed looking at that one I have to find a subwoofer to try first before departing with any money as I don't like waste

I want to make sure I like the effect and I can also find a place for it! :shhh:

You use a sub?

Yup.....it's pictured here (Ref 209): http://www.whathifi.com/forum/your-system/and-finally

You will likely need an Auralex Gramma (or Granite - though not as good) to put it on if you have a suspended wooden floor.

So you are actually using the same speakers for HT and music. You use the AMS to drive your kef, right?

Why you think I should not use the Jadis to drive the SFs?

 

[CnoEvil]

So you are actually using the same speakers for HT and music. You use the AMS to drive your kef, right?

Why you think I should not use the Jadis to drive the SFs?

Yes, ATM I'm doing exactly that (though the AVR600 and AMS35i are a reasonable tonal match).......but am almost certainly going to get a pair of R100s to act as L+R.

The reasons I think you are better not using the Jadis are:

- Difficulty of getting a tonal match with AV receiver.

- Unnecessarily wasting tube life for AV

- Power usage

- It's presentation is a little "soft" and lacking dramatic impact / slam for HT (imo).