little help here people!

[admin_exported]

so i was all set to buy a home cinema package that consited of a sony blu ray player and the ht is100 surround sound speaker system until people on the forums pointed out its not too hot compared to what i could get for a similar price.

soo i have beem checking reviews and what not and i have sorted which tv i want and which bd player i want its not down to amp and speakers.

i think i would like kef speakers maybe the 1005 range- is it any good will it do a job or should i plump for the 2005.3range in the hope they drop in price??

as for amp its down to 3

the denon avr-1909

the onkyo tx 606

or the sony str dg820

all have great reviews and i know the scandal regarding the sony issue that bsically needs a firmware update to fix but on the sony review what hi fi mentioned in their against points
No multi-channel analogue inputs; no video upscaling or upconversion; compatibility issues with Sky HD awaiting a fix
what exactly does that mean?

would the kef speakers need to be wall mounted or put on stands to get the best out of them?

and is this system any good?

thanks

 

[Andrew Everard]

It's not exactly a scandal, but a very severe oversight on Sony's part, in that you can't override the audio on a source delivering sound via HDMI to allow you to listen to a different audio input. That means that Sky set-top boxes delivering stereo via HDMI but 5.1 via optical digital can only be heard in stereo at the moment, until the software is amended.

You'll find all three receivers reviewed here, and I'd say that IMHO the Onkyo and Denon are pretty close on performance, with the Onkyo having a bolder sound with movie soundtracks and Denon a little more finesse with music.

The Sony, however, is considerably less expensive, and striking value for money. How much the current software issue will affect you kind of depends on whether or not you have Sky, but AFAIK Sony is now holding back further sales of this receiver until the problem is solved anyway.

The KHT1005 speakers can be wall-mounted or used free-standing on their desk stands, with optional floor-stands available.

 

[Anonymous]

so you would possibly plump for the sony then based on the price and performance once they have fixed that minor hiccup.

apologies for overplaying the severity of the problem with regards to the sky hd issue, but reading the forum posts regarding the receiver some people take it very seriously indeed!

i will be getting sky HD as well, so is the sony receiver still recommended once the issue has been resolved?

thanks for the input andrew

 

[Andrew Everard]

Assuming the Sky problem is fixed properly, yes the Sony looks like a great buy for the money.

 

[Anonymous]

im sold.

are they really going to stop selling them until its fixed?

how will we know when the issue is resolved, will there be a statement or something?

im pretty sure retailers are still selling the old batches so i take it there would be no way of telling the difference?

 

[Andrew Everard]

If you buy one now, it won't have been fixed, and AFAIK Sony is not supplying any more stock into retail until the fix is in place.

You'd hope there'll be a definitive statement when all is in place, and a strategy to upgrade those left in the supply chain and those already sold, but we wait to see.

 

[Anonymous]

now that you have told me its a cracking piece of kit i want one now!!!

but i have to wait until oct 16th for your reviews on the bdp 550 and the kdl 40w4500 so if they could bring out new models withing that timeframe that would be excellent.

i still think retailers wont have signs telling you which is which with regards to old model and new model, i just cant see it happening.

if you buy online it just your luck if they have old stock left and unless they release serial numbers or something regarding the ones that have the fix then it really is a matter of luck

 

[Anonymous]

ok andrew if money wasnt an option which of those receivers would you plump for?

all are highly rated, i cant get a sony till december apparently.

so if you were leaning towards one which would it be bearing in mind price has nothing to do with it!

 

[Andrew Everard]

Strictly IMHO, I'd be considering an STR-DA2400ES once fixed. Or if price wasn't a consideration, one of these.

 

[Anonymous]

ok thats my fault.

out of those 3 i mentioned which would you choose based on performance not price/value for money!

after looking at those receivers my you have expensive tastes!