AV Amp & Speaker Combination Advise

[admin_exported]

Hi all experts & fellows hobbyist,

Been thinking on this topic for quite some time.

The room size is 12ft (TV to sofa) by 14ft.

50% music (mostly vocal) + 50% HT (mostly action movies)

AV amp candidates: either the cheaper Onkyo 608 or the 808.

Subwoofer choices: Rythmik F12 or RTL R305

Speaker choices: Done quite a fair bit of reading & searching through the net. Wondering which brand/make(s) match the Onkyo amp + if the amp(s) is able to drive these speakers + if these floor-stander main is suitable for my room size.

1) Totem : Arro as main + Rainmaker as center

2) PMC : GB1i as main + CB6i as center

3) KEF : Q500 as main + Q600c as center

4) Monitor Audio : GS20 as main + GS LCR as center

Many thanks in advance for your advises & comments.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry double post need help from the site administrator to remove either one.

Thanks.

 

[CnoEvil]

Hi 50-50

IMO. The fact that 50% of your time is spent on music means that the selection of amp is crucial.

Please bear in mind that this is just my personal view, but the only av amps that do justice to two channel, is Arcam. If the AVR 400 is out of budget (would sound great with the PMC), I would urge you to consider a cheap AV amp with pre-outs (discontinued models are good value) and a dedicated stereo amp (eg. Leema Pulse can be had for £740 and less 2nd hand), which can be new or 2nd hand.

The speakers have to be tried with the amp, but saying that, I would go with PMC ......but you have to try that for yourself.

I am not familiar with your sub choice (or its cost) but in the UK, BK is good VFM.

I hope I have at least given food for thought, and others no doubt may disagree.

Cno

 

[John Duncan]

The fact that 50% of your time is spent on music means that the selection of amp is crucial.

Agreed

Please bear in mind that this is just my personal view

Go on...

the only av amps that do justice to two channel, is Arcam

And you were doing so well..

I agree that Arcam receivers sound fantastic with music, but personally I'd also look at Yamaha and Denon, various models of which I have heard being stunning with stereo, and all of which are more affordable than the Arcams. I'm not a huge Onkyo expert, but the three or four that I have heard have sounded a bit rubbish to me tbh, whether it be with music or movies. The odd Pioneer has impressed me, but I couldn't tell you which ones...

What's your source by the way, it may dictate to some extent how you structure your system?

 

[CnoEvil]

The fact that 50% of your time is spent on music means that the selection of amp is crucial.

Agreed

Please bear in mind that this is just my personal view

Go on...

the only av amps that do justice to two channel, is Arcam

And you were doing so well..

I agree that Arcam receivers sound fantastic with music, but personally I'd also look at Yamaha and Denon, various models of which I have heard being stunning with stereo, and all of which are more affordable than the Arcams. I'm not a huge Onkyo expert, but the three or four that I have heard have sounded a bit rubbish to me tbh, whether it be with music or movies. The odd Pioneer has impressed me, but I couldn't tell you which ones...

What's your source by the way, it may dictate to some extent how you structure your system?

....Thanks for that.......and I am right.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi John,

I'm currently using Marantz UD5005 as source.