Convenience vs Ultimate Sound Quality

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I have a reasonable hi-fi system (see signature)but I am increasingly looking for convenience rather than spending more money on marginal improvements in soundstage, clarity, detail etc.

I was looking to buy a budget home cinema system for my tv but wonder whether I would be better spending more money on a quality AV amp and 5.1 speakers with “musical” attributes and (for music) connect up something like Squeezebox and stream digital music through the AV amp.

Would such convenience significantly compromise sound quality compared with my current hi-fi set up?

If not, then what equipment would you recommend?

I would sell my existing hifi to bolster funds and have about £4000 for new equipment

 

[Anonymous]

Have you thought of buying an av amp, and connecting it to your cyrus 8vs2, through the AV output, then you can use your av for movies, and the cyrus for 2 channel stereo, (you could use the RS6's as the front two speakers, leaving you to buy the other speakers for the surround (maybe some small satellites)

 

[Anonymous]

ScottH:
Have you thought of buying an av amp, and connecting it to your cyrus 8vs2, through the AV output, then you can use your av for movies, and the cyrus for 2 channel stereo, (you could use the RS6's as the front two speakers, leaving you to buy the other speakers for the surround (maybe some small satellites)

Hi Scott
I understand what you are saying - and yes - your speaker suggestion is an option.
The question about the AV amp vs Cyrus is - why have 2 amps? can I buy a good quality AV amp that offers good 2 channel output that doesn't sound complete rubbish in comparison to the Cyrus?

 

[Anonymous]

There are some good av amps out there that do produce good 2 channel sound for music (namely yamah/onkyo etc), but to rival the Cyrus 8vs2, you would expect to pay double what the cyrus costs for rival 2 channel sound.

You will have to sacrifice music playback for an av amp im afraid but today av amps are getting better than ever at producing good quality sound. But you cant beat movie playback from a good av amp.

My advice is audition, no matter what anyway else says, you must decide whether a home cinema option is the best choice for you. After all what you hear is better than what you have heard from others

I you have £4000 then you can get a pretty good setup for that

 

[iburnell]

I've always wondered why most of the "hi-fi" makers don't produce 3 channel add-ons to turn your great 2 channel system into an AV system. Failing that as has been said you have to pay a lot of cash to get an AV amp that rivals a good 2-channel setup

and agree that the only way appears to be use the existing hi-fi system as a "front-end" with a reasonably priced AV amp - but as you say an extra bit of kit. Depends whether hi-fi or AV is your priority.

 

[Lost Angeles]

I agree with the 2 previous answers. I would buy the MA RSLCR centre speaker RSW12 Sub (Absolutely brilliant) and the RSFX or similar MA rears with a £1000 A/V amp and you have the best of both worlds.
You also have enough money left over to buy a BDP, loads of Blu-ray discs and some CDs if you want.

The other advantage of 2 amps is that if one blows up (as mine did) you can still use the other system.

 

[biggus_1961]

would be even better if 2 channel amps had an 'av button' on the front and on the remote control that way connection to av amp is easy and you dont have to 'fiddle' with the 2 channels volume control knob everytime you play something in 2 channel (musical fidelity a3.5 has this feature and has 2 channel sound to rival the arcam you have)..to have the 2 channel amps volume set athe 12 o'clock position and then the av amp s auto calibration is used is fine until you play your cdp and forget the 2 channel amps volume is set at 12 o'clock..Surely its not too expensive for a 'av button' to be mandatory on 2 channel amps...just like turn table sockets used to be...

 

[Lost Angeles]

biggus_1961:would be even better if 2 channel amps had an 'av button' on the front and on the remote control that way connection to av amp is easy and you dont have to 'fiddle' with the 2 channels volume control knob everytime you play something in 2 channel (musical fidelity a3.5 has this feature and has 2 channel sound to rival the arcam you have)..to have the 2 channel amps volume set athe 12 o'clock position and then the av amp s auto calibration is used is fine until you play your cdp and forget the 2 channel amps volume is set at 12 o'clock..Surely its not too expensive for a 'av button' to be mandatory on 2 channel amps...just like turn table sockets used to be...

I set mine with my amp at 10 o'clock and have no problem with the volume when putting the CDP back on.

 

[Anonymous]

Quality and convenience need not be mutually exclusive events.

A nice interface gives you the convenience, and a good DAC gives you the quality.

 

[John Duncan]

Hm, I dunno. I've plugged an airport express into the back of a Yamaha 620 and it sounded glorious, so I guess it's not impossible. I think though that a musical AV amp costs an awful lot more (especially now) than an AV amp with preouts added to your Cyrus....

[Self edited due to fact forgot I don't do product (cf: knob) placement any more]

A number of manufacturers do AV amps - a major Cyrus setup, Arcam AVR series, top end Yamaha, Primare would be first on my shopping list for a one-box solution if I had to, but you're talking big bucks.

 

[Anonymous]

Well you can get the best of both worlds but you need to address getting a pure mains feed to your equipment.

As far as the speaker set up is concerned as has been said by LA the full Monitor Audio RS set up is perfect.

For an AV amp the build spec of the Onkyo 876 being a 'full class A' design with Burr Brown DAC's is head and shoulders above everything else for the money. All big power AV amps have the problems of 7 channels interfering with the signal paths of the pre amp circuitry but if you fit decent mains conditioning it virtually eliminates it.

My own system fed from a high current spur with BT mains conditioning units, classic powerkords, bi-amped/bi-wired produces music that few stereo systems can get near to.

Having your cake and eating it just takes a bit of effort, that's all.

 

[professorhat]

JohnDuncan:I don't do product (cf: knob) placement any more

Erm.... you're still married, right?