Is it worth upgrading my home cinema amp?

[rocketrazor]

Hi guys,

has any one made the jump from a standard Dolby digital and dts amp to a Dolby true HD and dts hd capable amp? Is there really that much difference in the sound quality and clarity? Is it worth upgrading an amp just for these?

i haven't demoed anything yet, so was just after other people thoughts

cheers

rocket

 

[pioneer7]

Hello rocketrazor

O yes defo worth the upgrade, are you happy with your current an amp, if you have been happy with what you have try to stick with the same make, depending what it is of course, the pioneers-denons-Onkyos-yamahas seem to be the choice of most, but for surround sound purposes then yes it would be well worth it, best thing is take some thing you are used to, film wise... then grab a demo and see what you think, it may be that you are not overly impressed with the result, so try a few different makes/models, if you are still not convinced then Hey you have not lost nothing. Also if you decide to upgrade you will find that most if not all amps have the bells and whistles that your current one does not, so if online content and all the other options are your cup of tea, then its a win win.

Let us know how you get on...what amp do you have at the moment out of interest. 8)

 

[RobinKidderminster]

A good bd with ddtrue in 5.1 or 7.1 is exceptional with half decent kit/room.

 

[rocketrazor]

Hi pioneer7,

thanks for the prompt response

i currently have the Yamaha rx-v596rds which in its day I think was an award winning amp (if I remember rightly, it's at least 11 years old now!). I have a 5.0 surround system as I don't have a sub.

i do love my amp and the only reason to upgrade would be for the new sound that comes on the blu-rays, no other reason, not worried about all this networking and streaming stuff, not my cup of tea yet. Hence I'm wondering if it is worth the money to upgrade to a new one. I remember thinking that the upgrade from DVD to blu ray was worth the extra cash for the new tvs, not sure on the sound though. Currently watch blu rays via the ps3 but thinking of upgrading that as well soon so.

cheers

 

[pioneer7]

Hi rocketrazor

If you look at the pioneer 922 or Onkyo-515 the denon-2312 I think.... these can be had for silly money, so would be a good start, these are last years models but still great value for money,the 922 was a 5-star winner this year due to its price, be quick tough as they will be scarce soon. 8)

 

[Frank Harvey]

With HD audio formats, dialogue is clearer for starters (just try Se7en, Zodiac and No Country For Old Men), and with the higher frequencies being more extended and cleaner (less compressed) everything sounds so much more airy and open, allowing the speakers to disappear more. A subwoofer (which is holy recommended) also benefits - sub bass reaches deeper in a more even manner - bass on SD formats sounds a bit boomy in comparison to HD formats.

Of course, how much of these benefits can be enjoyed will depend on the system - the more capable the system, the greater the rewards.

 

[rocketrazor]

Cheers for the info, I need to find somewhere that can demo these and a few other sets. I need to get my tv sorted out first though. I guess only then will I know if the upgrade in sound from br's is worth buying a new amp for

 

[rocketrazor]

With HD audio formats, dialogue is clearer for starters (just try Se7en, Zodiac and No Country For Old Men), and with the higher frequencies being more extended and cleaner (less compressed) everything sounds so much more airy and open, allowing the speakers to disappear more. A subwoofer (which is holy recommended) also benefits - sub bass reaches deeper in a more even manner - bass on SD formats sounds a bit boomy in comparison to HD formats.

Of course, how much of these benefits can be enjoyed will depend on the system - the more capable the system, the greater the rewards.

thanks for the info, I'm assuming (maybe dangerously) that my speakers being 11 years old also would be able to handle the HD audio fine, I wouldn't have to upgrade these?

i can't justify to myself a subwoofer, I would drive the neighbours nuts if I had one. I know though that it would make all the difference to the system but I do have to live with them and at present we get along fine, I can see that changing as soon as a sub is used

 

[bigboss]

The speakers will only output what comes from the AV receiver. So don't worry about them. They'll handle HD audio just fine.

 

[bigboss]

You won't know what you're missing until you've experienced a subwoofer!

In my opinion, it's the most important component of a home cinema system.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Hi rocketrazor

What speakers are you using please?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[RobinKidderminster]

A little room treatment will not only improve the sound but also keep next door happy(er).

 

[Anonymous]

Just want to agree with everyone else. I changed from an old yamaha av to my current one and it was

amazing, plus the advantage of HDMI connectivity. Agree also a sub makes a big difference on home cinema.

 

[mr malarky]

Hi Rocket, at the risk of adding not much new to previous posts, yes it is absolutely worth the upgrade - HD audio through a decent amp/speaker set up is the equivalent step-up to what we all heard when Dolby digital replaced Dolby pro-logic - if it's in budget then definitely do it.

 

[rocketrazor]

Thanks for the input guys. Just need to convince the wife now :wall:

 

[Alantiggger]

Hi guys,

has any one made the jump from a standard Dolby digital and dts amp to a Dolby true HD and dts hd capable amp? Is there really that much difference in the sound quality and clarity? Is it worth upgrading an amp just for these?

i haven't demoed anything yet, so was just after other people thoughts

cheers

rocket

Strange that you ask this just as I was thinking (just as I was about to read this post) I came across my Predator Blu-Ray yesterday afternoon and last night played it.... WOW ! In DTS HD Master Audio (if memory serves it said this on the Onkyo player) AND it was LOUD too... had to turn it down a tad...lolz. (VERY open sounding, very clear)

I'd say yes, without doubt.

 

[rocketrazor]

Found the 2011 award winning Sony strdh820 for £150 at richersounds

http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/sony/strdh820/sony-strdh820

what benefit would I get if I purchased this years models instead of this, has anything really changed that much in the amp world?

I kept up to date with the tv side but not the audio side

cheers

 

[mr malarky]

With AV receivers you generally get a 'trickle down' effect year on year, with features that were previously available on 'premium' models being extended further down the product range (eg AirPlay, network capability, front height/width channels etc); have a look through the spec sheets for both models and there will almost certainly be differences, you then just need to ask yourself whether you'll actually need/use the extra features.

 

[rocketrazor]

So is it more of a feature thing rather than the quality of the audio. With tvs the pictures generally get better each year a new model comes out and it gets a load of added features. Do the amps audio quality increase each year or is it just feature based? If its feature based then that makes my decision a lot easier, if its audio improvement as well then then that makes it a little harder

cheers

 

[mr malarky]

Audio quality can change with new models at a given price point but not always for the better, sometimes the manufacturer will skimp on the quality of core components (eg power supply) in order to get the new features included while retaining their profit margin - a few years back I changed a denon 3805 receiver for a 3310 receiver, because I wanted HDMI switching and HD audio, and while the HD audio was a huge step forward when watching blurays (and the front height speakers were a great addition) the 3310 was never as good for standard music playback and after 2 years I changed again to my current pioneer (which I'm now happy with).

I think the 2011 Sony receivers were meant to be very good for the money (friend of mine had one that he was very happy with, until I persuaded him to buy my 3310! can't remember the model number of the sony but he paid around £500 for it when new, and sold it on to another friend who is happy with it to this day), so at that price it could well be a bargain.

 

[rocketrazor]

Cheers for the input, I might try and talk the wife into a demo of the Sony for the price. Out of interest what's the front height speakers you mention?

 

[mr malarky]

Most current AV amps have the option of an additional two channels for either 'front height' (an extra two speakers that go above the main front speakers) or 'front width' ( an extra two speakers that go to the left and right of the main front speakers). The formats not supported on the actual BluRay soundtrack, the receiver extrapolates the info for the extra channels from the signal being sent to the main front speakers. It's a nice effect if you have the space for the extra speakers, but not essential if the budgets not there (and my fiancé always complained about more speakers cluttering up the lounge).

http://www.dolby.com/us/en/consumer/technology/home-theater/dolby-pro-logic-iiz.html

 

[rocketrazor]

Cheers for the link, that will give me some reading and thinking over the weekend

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I know this is a bit more money, but would be a fantastic amp for the money, and pretty well future-proofed.

http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/denon/avr2113/deno-avr2113-blk

 

[rocketrazor]

The good news..... The wife said yes

the bad news..... The condition was a new car first |(

the good news..... I won't then have a limit so I can get a slightly better amp