Best system £2500? Bose V30??

[admin_exported]

Hi all,

Forgive my ignorance, I'm new on here. I am looking for some expert advice as I have £2500 to spend on a home cinema system. I have been attracted to the Bose V30 due to its 1080p upscaling, simplicity and performance.

Is there anything better out there for the money?

Your help is appreciated!

Thanks,

 

[JoelSim]

Just about everything out there is better fella, but most of it not as 'lifestyle'.

It all depends on what is important to you. Let us know and you will get loads of opinion.

Do you need hifi as part of this, or just home cinema?

Do you have existing TV/CD/DVD/Amp/Speakers?

Are you restricted with space?

Have you got a missus?

 

[John Duncan]

[quote user="JoelSim"]Have you got a missus/partner?[/quote]

Crucial point, the way this site's going.

 

[VoodooDoctor]

[quote user="JohnDuncan"][quote user="JoelSim"]Have you got a missus/partner?[/quote]

Crucial point, the way this site's going.[/quote]

Yeah. Showed mine the Monitor Audio Platinum's and told her that I was saving for them. Just about got vetoed there and then as she reckons they're "ugly".... Hmmmmmm. Wonder what'll get upgraded first.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi, yeah I want to use the setup as a hifi as well as home cinema. Space is a little bit of an issue and I want most of the install to be hidden away!

The missus wants cheaper, as usual but I am sticking to the £2500 mark as my budget?

What do you think?

Thanks,

 

[Anonymous]

Might as well might go for the V20 then, to me the extra cost isn't worth it to spring for the V-30. However, there's alot of stuff you can buy for that money, yet there is little that comes in the same small package.

 

[Clare Newsome]

With that sort of budget, you could get serious separates that would blow away the Bose (which is overpriced for its performance), plus a dealer who'd custom install it for you to hide away the wires/wall-mount anything out of the way.

I'd strongly suggest you contact your local CEDIA dealer (that's custom-install focused retailers) and use our Buyer's Guide to help on the kit-front (i'm thinking Monitor Audio Radius speakers, or KEF KHT).

Any more questions, please ask!

 

[JoelSim]

Have you ever seen a proper hifi shop selling Bose?

 

[Andrew Everard]

[quote user="JoelSim"]Have you ever seen a proper hifi shop selling Bose?[/quote]

Or conversely, have you ever seen the kind of sane, rational person who'll gladly spend a few grand (or sometimes much more) on a Bose or Bang & Olufsen system in a 'proper hi-fi shop'?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

My brother in law had the Bose Lifestyle system and I persuaded him after a couple of years to come along to Sevenoaks with me. An hour later and he and I walked out with Denon 2808 and B&W MT20. The Bose system just could not compare. I'm off to get my RS centre speaker anr Radius 90 sats today.

 

[Clare Newsome]

[quote user="Andrew Everard"]
[quote user="JoelSim"]Have you ever seen a proper hifi shop selling Bose?[/quote]

Or conversely, have you ever seen the kind of sane, rational person who'll gladly spend a few grand (or sometimes much more) on a Bose or Bang & Olufsen system in a 'proper hi-fi shop'?

[/quote]

 

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

Thanks for some great input. I have since been looking at an Onkyo SR875 or NR905 with either Kef 2005.2 speakers or monitor audio ones (there goes the missus again!)

What do you think about these? And can you hideaway the Onkyo units and control your sky/hifi from a desktop IR receiver?

I found this deal,what do you think?

http://www.creative-audio.co.uk/HCS_ONK905_KEF2005.php

Thanks again!

Matt

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Out of those deals go for the Aego Ts

 

[Clare Newsome]

[quote user="mattbelly2002"]
Hi all,

Thanks for some great input. I have since been looking at an Onkyo SR875 or NR905 with either Kef 2005.2 speakers or monitor audio ones (there goes the missus again!)

What do you think about these? And can you hideaway the Onkyo units and control your sky/hifi from a desktop IR receiver?

I found this deal,what do you think?

http://www.creative-audio.co.uk/HCS_ONK905_KEF2005.php

Thanks again!

Matt

[/quote]

hi Matt,

DON'T pair the Onkyo 905 with the KEF 2005.2s - the eggs will be blown to smithereens! It's a real system mis-match - either scale down the receiver to the 605 with that package, or put the beefier KEFs or Monitor Audios or B&W MT30 with the more powerful receiver.

And yes, you can hide kit away and use IR receivers - but be aware that AV kit runs very hot, so any cabinet etc would need to be very well ventilated.

 

[Anonymous]

I quite like the KEF 3005SE's - great sound and the missus likes the look. Pair them up with an Onkyo 605SE or better. Get one of the new Blu Ray players of your choice (that can also handle DVD upscaling). Combine this with a Logitech Harmony One universal remote, and you're set from a performance "and" lifestyle perspective.

btw: I would avoid the Bose (for performance) and, given your budget, you can do better than the Kef 2005.2.

 

[JoelSim]

Alternatively pop in to John Lewis and speak to the experts and get a Bose, and perhaps some new pillow cases and a nice decanter while you're at it 🙂

 

[JoelSim]

Confession time; i have a Bose Soundock which is useful when we go away for the weekend about 3 or 4 times a year, apart from that it sits in my shoe cupboard in its travel bag. It serves a purpose in hotels, cottages and villas but it's embarrassing compared to a proper hifi system.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi, I think the Bose is certainly out of the question now after doing some research thanks to the posts on here!

Within my budget I think the Onkyo 875 and Kef 5005.2 speakers are obtainable. Is this a better matched? And without opening a can of worms, just out of interested onkyo 875 or denon 3808? And can you control your sky hd box from the onkyo or do I need a seperate ir flasher for the sky box also.

apologies for not being the brightest bulb in the box here, I am a newbie to this sort of stuff!

Thanks,

Matt

 

[Clare Newsome]

Hi Matt,

Don't apologise - we're here to help!

We haven't tested the KEF 5005.2, but the KEF 3005SEs are certainly the best @£1000 style buy (the B&W MT30 package is even better at £1500). Either (but especially the latter) would make a superb partner for the Onkyo '875 - which is a better bet than the Denon.

The Onkyo's an ideal video-upscaling partner for the Sky box, and comes with a learning remote that'll handle most of the Sky commands, too.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Claire,

Have you reviewed the Tannoy Arena lites yet, I have been pointed in their direction over the KEF 3005SEs?

 

[Clare Newsome]

We tested them head-to-head in a recent Supertest - the Tannoys are a good four-star set, but the KEFs are clearly superior.

 

[Anonymous]

Okay, I think I have got it now.

What do you think to Onkyo 875 with Tannoy Arena speakers, which leaves me enough spare to invest in 25m of QED silver cable, 3xQED HDMI 2m cables, a couple of QED digital optical cables, a reference sub lead, and a fistful of banana plugs, oh and a mic, ir flasher and on screen display lead!

Thanks to the help from the forum, I have saved £500 over the Bose V30 and I belive this setup will be far better!

Thanks,

Matt

 

[Clare Newsome]

Hi Matt,

Like your thinking re cabling - so often overlooked!

I'd still suggest the KEF 3005SE package over the Tannoys, only because the Onkyo's talents would be a little undersold otherwise. Or at least hear the two before you make your mind up. Go on, 'only' £200 difference...

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Claire, Just to confirm our last post.

I was referring to the Tannoy Arena speakers not the Arena Lites. Are the 'normal' Arenas not as good as the KEF 3005SEs, as I thought they were more expensive than the KEFs....I'm not too impressed with the Arena Lite versions!!

I am better off with the KEF 3005SEs still, or the standard Tannoy Arenas (i.e. not the Lite model)?

Thanks again,

 

[Clare Newsome]

Yes, the KEFs are still better than the standard Arenas. Where you'd start to get better performance is with the Arena Highlines - but they're much bigger and pricier.