Help needed from What HI-FI to improve music and surround sound!

[Memphismusic]

I'm strugging to get a really enjoyable music sound from my system. I have experimented with different speakers, MS Genie full set, mixed Genie and MS914 fronts, IQ5's and IQ Centre, RS1 Silver fronts and now I'm using Monitor Audio BR2's front and the LCR centre along with the Genie rears and Genie Sub. I found the BR2's more fun than the RS1's.

I purchased a stable platter PD-S802 (like new) to improve the music, but it sounds a little muddled. Does that make sense? I also have a Panasonic DME EX 77 dvd recorder, so movies sound pretty good.

My listening room is awful - Centre fire place, long and narrow, with the LCD and front speakers all in the corner, but face on as a radiator stops me from putting everything across the corner.

I would like to upgrade,but where do i start?? I am using a Yamaha AX-V757SE amp.

I was going to buy the Best Buy Marantz CD6002 CD player and see if this did the trick. Or after reading the awards i was thinking about purchasing the latest Pioneer BDP-LX71 Blue-Ray and the new Yamaha DSP-863SE (will this be better sound than the 757?) and adding the BR rears and Sub. Or even scrapping the bigger speakers and going for the B&W MT-30 package because of the PV1 sub.

Will the MT-30's give enough kick after having larger speakers?

Any help deciding on a way forward would be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards

Adam

By the way, my other room has an old A-400 Amp with BR2's stuck on some ikea CD storage shelves, all run from my PC and this sounds great!

 

[Clare Newsome]

you've got a perfect example there of how much AV kit doesn't sound great with music - 'muddled' is a classic way much budget home-cinema kit can make music sound, as the track's timing and integration aren't dealt with in a deft way by kit that's primarily designed to work well with movies.

Yes, adding the Marantz player should help, but you'd also need to add either its matching amp, or upgrade your AV amp to something more musical, to really start getting your speakers to sing.

Of course, if you have the money, then moving to the B&W MT30 set-up with the Pioneer player and Yamaha 863 amp should improve matters all-round!

 

[Memphismusic]

Thanks Clare,

I will probably go for the 863 and the new Pioneer 71 Blue-Ray.

Which option would you think would be more musical on the speakers using the above?

Full B&W MT30 Set-up

or

BR2's front, centre and rear with the B&W PV-1 Sub

Regards

Adam