best hd sound for the money

[admin_exported]

panasonic th50pz80,sony bd350(on order) b&w dm602 front and rear, b&w cc6 centre.

What I need is to relace my old yam 5.1 amp with one to hear hd sound, looked at the onkyo 606 but lots of bad press about the hum. so what do you lot think? budget £300-£400. thanks

 

[lee37]

id wait for the sony 2400es due sometime in october maybe play had it for £399

or the denon 1909 also looks very good retail price £450 but a lot cheaper online ive seen it for £380

there been a bit of bad press over the onkyo but a lot of people are happy with them

as far as i am aware the hum only affected the ps3

 

[Anonymous]

Mine neither runs hot nor hums ! Just lay next to it and no humming at all !

 

[Anonymous]

You should see the Sony STR-DG820. It costs £300, so it is the cheapest way to get HD Audio, and it has a five star rating..

 

[Anonymous]

lee37:
id wait for the sony 2400es due sometime in october maybeÿ play had it for £399

or the denon 1909 also looks very good retail price £450 but a lot cheaper online ive seen it for £380

there been a bit of bad press over the onkyo but a lot of people are happy with them

as far as i am aware the hum only affected the ps3

ÿBTW, the STR-DA2400ES will cost £500 so it is out of budget.ÿ

 

[rob_981]

I wasn't even aware the 606 had any sortof humming problem. Mine certainly doesn't. I think it sounds class. Best £400 I've ever spent.

However, is this humming problem definitely just with the PS3? I am getting a Blu ray player for my birthday next month, and I obviously don't want my Onkyo to hum!!

 

[professorhat]

Seems to be more a myth than a fact - everyone who's posted on these forums with both has said they don't get humming (unless I've missed it). I don't get any with my PS3 and 905, so it definitely isn't an "Onkyo" issue.

 

[Anonymous]

I have never seen the 1909 under £445 anywhere online -did you mean a different denon !?

 

[lee37]

i read it on this and another av forum it was the 606 and the ps3 that some reported having a humming sound when they watched blu ray films

play.com have the Sony STR-DA2400ES 7.1 Channel Receiver for £399

i already have the Sony STR-DG820 (£250 from super fi) and it is very good but for the extra i would get the 2400es when it eventually comes out

i might even upgrade myself or go to the 5400es and sell my sony str va555es on ebay which i now just use for music

the denon 1909 was £380 because i nearly pre-ordered one but having just checked the site they have put there price up to £449

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for the advice,with regards to the sony str dg 820 does this machine still have issues with sky hd as this is my next purchase

 

[Frank Harvey]

I've heard they're all being recalled.

As most people know, the entry level of anything is never going to please, and there's only so much any manufacturer can do for a budget without losing quality. For a sub £500 amp, the Denon 1909 gets our vote, but the 606 is a great sounding amp in a close second. Visually, we think most people will pay a little extra and go for the Denon.

 

[Anonymous]

Any chance you elaborate on why you think the 1909 is the best sub £500 option? I've read around all the forums and can't decide between the 606 and 1909. I'm looking to hook up to a PS3 and Tannoy Arena speakers so mainly using the whole set up for movies and games. In terms of sound for movies, how do they compare? Many thanks in advance for your help. I'm almost there with the purchase, just looking for that final bit of evidence. As for listening to them before I buy, everyone I ask (shop wise) seems to be unable to offer a demo.

thanks again

 

[Frank Harvey]

Livers:As for listening to them before I buy, everyone I ask (shop wise) seems to be unable to offer a demo. thanks againThis may be because places are already heavily discounting the products. This is the downside to getting budget products cheap - not many dealers are then willing to spend the time setting up and calibrating a couple of amps for next to nothing.....

Any chance you elaborate on why you think the 1909 is the best sub £500 option? I've read around all the forums and can't decide between the 606 and 1909........In terms of sound for movies, how do they compare? Many thanks in advance for your help. I'm almost there with the purchase, just looking for that final bit of evidence.They're both great amps, and will do everything most people need as long as there's enough HDMI's for the individual. Visually, most people will prefer the Denon, which might seem a silly issue, but many people have to look at the monolith every day of their lives, as well as getting it ok'd by the other half. Amplification will be a little different between the two, and be a personal thing, and worth auditioning if being used with decent hi-fi speakers like iQ5SE's or MA Bronze BR5's. The Denon will upscale to 1080p, whereas the 606 is 1080i, but this may not be an issue to most. The 606 has an extra HDMI input.

If you heard both of these amps on seperate occassions, you probably won't really tell much difference apart, but a side by side comparison, you may find yourself preferring one over the other. Taking EVERYTHING into account, which includes the upscaling and looks, the Denon would be our pick. If these aren't an issue, you'd be just as happy with the Onkyo.

 

[Anonymous]

It's the 'won't really tell much difference' bit that I'm most interested in. Looks like I won't be able to hear them in a demo side by side so I'm hoping someone can explain what the difference is? I take your point on the other features but my main interest is the difference is the way they handle sound.

Many thanks for your feedback, it's most appreciated.

 

[Anonymous]

If it helps, what I'm looking for is the amp that will give me the most excitement when watching movies or playing games, something that picks up all the details and effects. Does one of these offer something better than the other?

Sorry for the barrage of questions!

 

[Frank Harvey]

Not really

 

[professorhat]

I guess the answer is, if you really can't audition, go with either the:
(a) Denon if you want 1080p upscaling or;
(b) Onkyo if you need the extra HDMI socket.
Does that help?

 

[Anonymous]

As a consumer, choosing what to buy is a complete mine-field.