Hi-Fi separates or upgrade speakers on my Home Cinema system

[stevee1966]

I am currently thinking of getting some new hi-fi separates and was looking along the lines of the budget system (as i'm not looking to spend too much) recommended in What Hi-Fi's May 2008 issue, ie, Marantz CD6002 cd player, Marantz PM6002 amp and the Monitor Audio Bronze BR2 speakers. I've found these at a combined price of around £580 but am hoping I could get lower with a bit of shopping around. I currently have a home cinema setup consisting of a Denon DVD-1930 player and a Denon AVR-1507 amp with Tannoy EFX 5.1 speakers. What i'm wondering is :- 1. would using the above Marantz player and amp give a noticeably better sound compared to if i tried to save some money and continued to use the Denon player and amp combination, but with better speakers than the Tannoys using the second front speaker connectors on my Denon AVR (i'm assuming the Monitor Audios are the better choice) ? 2. if I were to spend a little extra to improve the sound of my proposed purchase where is it best to spend the extra cash - the speakers, the amp, the cd player, or do they all contribute equally ? 3. also looking to buy a system for my son who is very much into dance and hardcore music, so bass is important. Would the Marantz and Monitor Audio combination suit his needs ? In summary, buy a whole new system, or make do with the Denon but use different speakers ? Thanks for any info that can be given.

 

[Anonymous]

I have a Denon AVR1906 and recently added a Marantz CD6002 and MA BR2's (Bi-amped) at the front (Kef Eggs for surround) I am very pleased with the audio quality for music, either in Stereo or Direct mode, for what is a budget system.

I don't think the 1507 has the Bi-Amping option that I am using on my 1906 but you will need to check the manual. Basically you have a 7.1 Amp and if you are only using 5.1 you can use the two unused Back Channels to Bi-Amp the BR2's.

I have a feeling you would have to upgrade to an AVR1708 or better to get this feature but it does work very well IMO.........................you would also gain HDMI switching to futureproof your AV system a little more.

If you are anywhere near Lincolnshire you are welcome to have a listen.

 

[stevee1966]

The Denon 1507 has 2 sets of connectors for front speakers so i can select A (which currently has my Tannoy EFX5.1's connected for Home Cinema), B (currently not used) or A+B.

Is this what you mean by bi-amping ?

 

[Anonymous]

No, that is a separate feature. I use B to feed two extra speakers in my kitchen.

On your 7.1 Amp you have speaker outputs.........Centre - Front L&R - Sub - Surround L&R - Back L&R

Denon's AVR Bi-Amping feature uses the Back L&R (if you don't use 7.1) to feed your Front L&R an additional audio signal. So you would have one cable connected to + & - on the bottom posts on each BR2 and another connected to the + & - top posts.

You would then need to enable "Bi-amp assign" in the Denon set up menu but, as I said I am not convinced that the 1507 has this feature.

 

[stevee1966]

On a different matter to bi-amping, If i were to replace/upgrade my 2 front Tannoy speakers with something like the Monitor Audio BR2's or the B+W 685's to achieve better audio for music, what effect would it have on the whole 5.1 cinema experience ?

Would the rest of my Tannoys, ie centre, surround and sub woofer, all become lost in the bigger sound of the replacements ?

I realise that i can utilise the second front connectors of my Denon amp for the additional speakers to be used when playing cd's but i'm lacking space, and would prefer to ditch my front Tannoys totally if i were to buy a better pair of speakers. Any opinions ?