home cinema amps

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I'am thinking of buying a Sony kdl40w4500 and a Sony bdps350 blu-ray player what would be the best home cinema amp and speakers that is not to expensive to start with as I'am home cinema novice.

 

[Pistol Pete1]

'Not to expensive to start with as I am a home cinema novice'

Watch out, the bug catches easily and quickly. I was the same a few months ago, and I eventually bought the onkyo 606 and Q Acoustic 1010i 5.1 speaker system.

Both those cost me £769 - is that the kind of price you were thinking of??

I bought the same blu ray a week or so ago, and well -wow. Extremely pleased with the sound I am hearing, especially with blu rays!!!!

The tv I bought was a Panasonic(TH42-PX80) though, rather than a Sony.

Hope that helps.........

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help £769 is a bit to expensive for me at the present I was thinking about £500 or there abouts, I had thought about a home cinema package but I don't want to end up with two blu-ray players thaks for your advice.

 

[Pistol Pete1]

Not sure home cinema packages are very good, compared to a seperate amp and speaker set up.

The other alternative is an onkyo 506 (£250) and the Jamo A102HCS5 speaker set up (£250). I reckon that will sound much better than a cinema package for £500.

One drawback though, the amp does not have the digital sound decoders in it (trueHD, etc) like the onkyo 606. This may limit your blu ray player, although that has decoders in it, except DTS-HD Master Audio. Whether the amp will accept this from the blu ray player, I'm not sure.

 

[Anonymous]

Good suggestion from pistol pete!
another option would be the onkyo 506 and the wharfedal diamond speakers! If you can go another £100. I think it might be worth it.

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/4126

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/4281

 

[Anonymous]

Pistol Pete1:
Both those cost me £769 ...

Pete,

Do you mind me asking where you got them from for that price? Does you have a URL for the site please?

I'm interested in the same setup but have only seen it at £850.

Thanks.

 

[Pistol Pete1]

Hi Turbo,

Got it from the following website that had a 10% discount offer on at the time. They even let me put it on finance for 6 months (buy now, pay later)!!!

http://www.exceptional-av.co.uk/product.php?fdProductId=39

Its a great system-I've been very pleased with it. Don't forget the mains conditioner (tacima CS929-ebay for £24). The conditioner made a big difference to the whole system, but especially noticable when using the av amp for stereo playback.

Hope that help u......

 

[Pistol Pete1]

Turbo,

Alternatively, buy the amp from ebay. Just seen one for £345 + £15 p+p from Bartletts hifi, the speakers from the site above (£450),

and hey presto the whole system for £810!!!!!

Anygood........................

 

[Anonymous]

The jamo are 190 quid on amazon

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000QEB270/interactiveda3551-21

But im pretty sure the warfedales would slaughter the jamo's for sound quality especialy in stereo!

 

[Anonymous]

Pete,

Thanks for the info, its a great deal you got there.

Shame its now back up to £850, its the same price as A1 sounds...

http://www.a1-sound.co.uk/product/onkyo-tx-sr-606-with-q-acoustics-1010i-series-cinema-package?PHPSESSID=2e207af26299c900e73767614d1f28bf

Ideally i'd only want to go up to £700 - 750 (there is a credit crunch on you know! lol).

I was interested in the previous version of the speaker package (without the i) (for £299) as you could upgrade the fronts to floor standers for another £100 (total £399) as we're not fond of seeing speaker stands (its ok if they're hiding behind the sofa or at the side of you).

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/4136

But now i've found that the 'i' versions are out, and the reviews say they are better (well they should be as its newer technology), so we can't decide.

The price of tv's seem to come down quite a lot quite quickly compared to the price of home cinema equipment.

So we could get the same as you for £850, or the previous speaker package and Onkyo 606 with floor standers for £800.

With Christmas coming too, the money would go along way for the kids pressies too...lol

...

 

[Pistol Pete1]

Hi turbo,

The older versions are still ok (non 'i' version). I've read that the big difference is in the subwoofer. The 'i' version sub is much better than the older version for punch. Watching 'Batman Begins' on blu ray last night, I can see what they mean!!! (poor neighbours!!)

My initial plan was to upgrade to the 1030i floorstanders too, but I'm so impressed with the small ones, I may not bother. I bought the Q Acoustic stands, to go with the speakers, off ebay and spray-painted them black (hammered effect), Then filled with sand and put on granite plinths. They still bring a smile to my face, when listening to cd's.(2.1)

As for your dilemna, have you thought about using the finance options from the website I got mine from? It would help 'spread the cost'??

Alternatively, peter tyson have the mordaunt short carnival 5.1 system for sale at £250

http://www.petertyson.co.uk/ebuttonz/ebz_product_pages/mordaunt_short_carnival_5.1.shtml

then maybe go for the new Denon 1909 (£450) with them. The denon is better for music, its been said recently.

Or how about Tannoy SFX 5.1 from superfi (£250)

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/3804

Hope that helps you...................

 

[Anonymous]

Pistol Pete1:
Don't forget the mains conditioner (tacima CS929-ebay for £24). The conditioner made a big difference to the whole system, but especially noticable when using the av amp for stereo playback.

Sorry for the seemingly daft question but i'm new to all this, but what is one and what does it do? Why do you need one?? I'm intrigued, never heard of them before!

 

[Pistol Pete1]

Hi Ryan,

Its a surge protector for the mains supply, but also 'cleans' the power supply going to your hifi/av equipment.(The one mentioned has 6 plug sockets)

This in turn improves picture quality on tv's and sound from hifi/av set ups.

I wasn't too sure about them, till I bought one and saw/heard the difference they make!!

hope that helps......

 

[lobby]

Just found you the perfecr package at Superfi, consisting of SonyBDP-350, Sony DG-820 and Wharfedale Diamonds 5.1 home cinema speakers all for £769, just add cables and speaker stands or wall brackets for a cracking entry budget home cinema experience.I would purchase if was starting from scratch all 5 star awards.

 

[Anonymous]

Pistol Pete1:
Alternatively, peter tyson have the mordaunt short carnival 5.1 system for sale at £250

http://www.petertyson.co.uk/ebuttonz/ebz_product_pages/mordaunt_short_carnival_5.1.shtml

then maybe go for the new Denon 1909 (£450) with them. The denon is better for music, its been said recently.

Or how about Tannoy SFX 5.1 from superfi (£250)

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/3804

Hi Pete,

I don't fancy the Tannoy's to be honest, but the mordaunt short's look ok. I've also been looking at the "WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 9 HCP" that i can get for £349. I think we will end up going without floor standers for the fronts after all...

We'll probably look at the Denon 1909 too, as it can output 1080p (or the Yamaha 763) which is good for our 42" Panny pz85. If not the Denon then it'll probably be the Onkyo 606.

 

[lobby]

Also worth checking out the older Denon 2808 for £400 only 2 hdmi inputs , or if you can strectch to £495 the Yamaha AX863SE 5 star award tested at £800 with 3 hdmi inputs.