Advice on AV equipment matching

[Cilowen]

I am attempting to put together a system from scratch. There
are no specialist dealers in my area and the nearest (one and a half hours
drive away) has difficulty in getting the equipment to audition. I have drawn
up a short list through reading the advice in the magazine and would really
appreciate further advice and comment. I have gleaned what I can from reading
but there is no substitute for experience and expertise.



I know playing music is not the strongest point in an AV
system but I want it to do the best it can. I have been listening to music
through my Linn/Audion setup for years and enjoy the big, warm, accurate sound
it provides.



The proposed system is as follows.



Marantz UD7006 Blu-ray player



Yamaha RX A-2020 AV receiver



Monitor Audio RX6 AV12 speaker package



What do you think? I am happy to listen. Thanks for your
help.

 

[Anonymous]

Have you contemplated the Yamaha RX-V3067, last year's top model which is available for half the price of the Aventage 2010?

 

[Cilowen]

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the response. I am grateful. Yes, I've read that advice in the forum and I'll think seriously about it. Would you have an opinion on the proposed system match given that a decent music-playing system would be a bonus? That would be a good starting point for me. Thanks again for the response.

 

[richardw42]

Whilst not quite the same system you're proposing.
My yamaha receiver (RXV3067) and Monitor Audios match really well. I also have a Marantz BD player a bit further down budget to the UD7006 and picture and sound are superb.
I have a Sonos ZP90 connected via optical to the Yamaha(using it's DAC) and very good it is.

 

[Anonymous]

Gosh, I'm certainly no expert. But Yamaha receivers and Monitor Audio speakers are always being talked of as a great pairing, tonally. So I wouldn't think you'd be going too far wrong on that front. Also, depending on what you're planning on playing, you may find that the Oppo BDP93 upconverts DVD's better than the Marantz. You can get a region free chipped one for less than the bog standard Marantz. I'm guessing you're likely to be using the Yamaha receiver's DACs for audio (on the assumption that you subscribe to the school of thought that DACs make an audible difference, I believe the Burr Brown / Ti 1796s in the 3067 are a higher priced DAC than the 1795 in the Marantz), and I'm not sure the Marantz would offer many other obvious advantages over the Oppo, which I think is regarded as a good spinner with low noise/jitter etc. Alternatively have a look at the Oppo BDP95. But the Marantz is also obviously well thought of, and I wouldn't have thought it'd class as a mistake if you went for it!

 

[Cilowen]

Thank you so much for taking the time to post for those comprehensive and useful comments. That is exactly the sort of guidance I needed. My lady will be particularly pleased as she likes the look (and the sound) of the speakers.

I will certainly look at the Oppo player. It seems to have had some good reviews though, by definition, subjective. As auditioning is difficult I am dependent upon the opinions of others and have to try to judge the taste of the reviewer to see if I would reach the same conclusion. This is why your experiences are so valuable. As I said, a little musicality would be the clincher.

At the moment I feel inclined to do the 'daft' thing and go with the new Yamaha (future proofing) as I won't be replacing anything for a good while.

Again, thanks for the time and trouble. If anything else occurs to you, please don't hesitate. You don't know how useful your thoughts have been.