How to spend £1000?

[admin_exported]

You know the budget now .... I already have 3 kef eggs (from the 2005.1 set up) in perfect condition and a yamaha DSP processor, from when my stereo amp featured in the set-up. The Yamaha will be sold to add to the above £1k, so will probably cover cables. To initially pair with my Full HD Sony 40W (so 1080p is an issue) and a PS3.
Using one end of a lounge for AV, so covering a 4m square viewing area. As conventional stereo set up is at other end, with Sonus Faber stand mounted speakers, I need the AV system for just movies really, without a high music priority, but with small speakers being a requirement (married). Dedicated blu-ray to follow in a couple of years.
Some options - with either Onkyo 605 or Denon 1908 Amp, (comments please...)

1) Audica CS System 2 (or maybe 1?) and sell eggs to meet budget.
2) Utilise 2 or possibly all 3 eggs and get 2/3 more speakers, possibly above Audicas and a Sub - budget more challenging. However 1 or 2 more eggs, potentially 2nd hand with a Rel Quake may work? Anyone recommend attractive centre speaker alternative? If not going 'new egg' way, quite fancy using just 2 of my existing eggs as rears and have 3 new speakers for fronts/centre.
3) Kef 2005.2 new system and sell my older ones (or sneakily plan 7.1 for the future!). Looked at the 3005 but wasn't smitten - bit bigger than the 2005.

Have visited the specialist local dealers - although all have different ranges so hard to do direct comparison - but not had a listen yet or asked to bring my kefs with me when doing so.

Any opinions out there?

 

[JoelSim]

I wouldn't consider trying to match different brands. Either lay more Eggs, or sell them and get a new Quad Lite package.

What about considering a 2nd hand amp like the Arcam AVR 300/350 which would allow a little more to be spent on the speakers and give just as good if not better performance than a new Onkyo/Denon?

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply. Unfamiliar territory for me those suggestions. I've never seen the Quads and it is hard to get a feel for the size of them, but they are a traditional box shape - not sure how they would fit domestically. As for the Arcam - the website isn't over-burdoned with info - but the rear view appears to show no HDMI's and I'm not sure how that would leave me with my 1080p requirements. I know the tv takes it over HDMI and I think it does by component too, but my dvd recorder upscales (1080i) over HDMI. Basically I hadn't researched connecting any of this stuff other than by HDMI. (sky HD to follow too).

 

[JoelSim]

Well the Quads are only 22.5cm high x 13.5cm wide. Available in 4 finishes too so could fit with your decor. Small and much higher quality than the Audicas I would imagine. The AVR series does have HDMI outputs too.

 

[JoelSim]

http://www.arcam.co.uk/downloads/DiVA%20AVR280%20handbook.pdf

You are quite right that the 300 looks like it doesn't have HDMI, but the 250 does. Watch a couple on eBay and see what sort of prices they command.

 

[professorhat]

Onkyo's 605 amp comes highly recommended though, so I'd at least give it a listen as well as the Arcam (I intend to when I upgrade my amp!)

 

[JoelSim]

[quote user="professorhat"]Onkyo's 605 amp comes highly recommended though, so I'd at least give it a listen as well as the Arcam (I intend to when I upgrade my amp!)[/quote]

Yes, I was just trying to keep to the £1000 budget, but if it were me I would look at this option too.

 

[JoelSim]

It was the Sonus Fabers that led me down this path. You obviously like a good sound and I wouldn;t want you to be disappointed with a set of Audicas when there is so much better out there

 

[professorhat]

Ah yes the budget. I'm useless for sticking to a budget!

 

[JoelSim]

Who needs a budget anyway???

It doesn't work like that with AV equipment. I had a budget of £400 to buy some speakers a few months back and now I have some Dali Ikon 6 and ProAc Tablette Sigs, RRP £1,800. And that's not including the ridiculous £300 I've spent on bloomin' speaker cable too.

It just means that when there's a 2-4-1 on bacon at Saino's I buy about 16 packets to compensate.

Oh and the missus thinks I spent about £350 on each set and has absolutely no idea that speaker cable costs money.

 

[Anonymous]

Yep - my CD is an Arcam DiVA and the stereo amp Audio Analogue Puccini SE, put together with QED Silver Anniversary. The KEF Eggs weren't bad as surround sound with them, but the sync never seemed quite right, plus I had to wack the stereo amp up high with the yamaha for surround options. the Sonus Fabers are beautiful in sound and looks, even though not top of their range by any stretch.

Do speaker cables cost money then??? What budget?

Yes the budget needs to be kept within sight of, but other than perhaps an ipod dock for ease in the future, I'm more likely to upgrade my stereo for music sound than worry too much with the AV. But i guess if it works for music, it works for surround too.

So, any more suggestions?

 

[Anonymous]

The AVR250 doesn't appear to have HDMI either looking at the rear photo on the website, but the £1200 AVR280 does - still there's always tonights Euromillions!

 

[JoelSim]

You'll be able to pick up a 280 for much less than that from somewhere like Sevenoaks