AV Receiver, but not interested in more that 2.1

[admin_exported]

Ok, go easy on the new guy - I could really use your help.

I have an old Kenwood amp, paired with a pair of Gale 4 speakers, bought from Richer Sounds about 13 years ago. It's high time to upgrade and I need advice.

I have a few HD devices (a Samsung V+ cable box, an Apple TV and an XBOX360) and I don't play DVDs or CDs. To that end, I'd like to buy an amplifier and new speakers to get the best from these HD devices and lossless AAC music on my Apple TV unit.

It *feels* like an AV receiver could be useful here (for the HDMI), but I don't have any need for 5.1/7.1 since I don't play DVDs (and the movies I do watch are downloaded). I have c.£1000 to spend on amp/receiver and speakers.

Is an AV receiver right here (good for HDMI, but 5.1 is wasted on me)?

What do you all recommend I have a listen to?

Thanks!

 

[FunkyMonkey]

For 2.1, I would have said, get a stereo amplifier. Better quality £ for £ than AV receiver.

Do you need the radio feature, which after all, is what makes a receiver a receiver, rather than an amp?

 

[TitusG]

You could have a look at AVI's Neutron 5s, which has a subwoofer with a built in amp. It's slightly over budget at £1300 but could be worth a look.

 

[Anonymous]

I really only need 2.1, so a stereo amplifier makes both sense *except* for the need/want for HDMI connections.

Is there a stereo amplifier with HDMI?

 

[John Duncan]

Not that I'm aware of, and normally I'd be with the earlier poster in saying buy a stereo amp. However, we have an issue here in that if you take the video only via HDMI to your telly (if you have enough sockets, and there's always component from the @TV), and then take the audio separately to the stereo, there's a danger that your lip synching could be up s--t creek. No problem with audio sources, but a total pain for your V+ box, so you need to tread carefully.

How many HDMI sockets has your telly got?

 

[FunkyMonkey]

I note that all your sources are usable via the TV. Why not just connect them as normal to the TV, then get the RCA outs from your TV direct to a stereo amp - then you only have 1 set of wires, and your lip sync problem shoudl be sorted too, as the tiem for teh sound signal to travel from your TV to and throguh your stereo amp will be negiligible.

 

[Anonymous]

@JohnDuncan -- just one HDMI in on the TV. I can buy an HDMI switch and then set up as @funkymonkey suggests yes. This is roughly how I have things now and was hoping to upgrade.

 

[Sorreltiger]

I'm not sure whether I understood, but it sounds like you download movies to watch via your Apple TV box. If that's the case, you are receiving a 5.1 soundtrack that you're missing out on. Believe me, the extra speakers would make a huge difference to your movie experience if you could accommodate them.