Looking to upgrade.....

[admin_exported]

First off, Hi everyone, i have been looking around this site for a couple of weeks whilst doing some saving.

I am now at the £1000-1200 mark.

At the moment i have got a Sony KDL40X2000 hooked up to a Sony DAV-DZ630, with Sky HD and a XBOX 360. I would like to upgrade this system to an AV Receiver, Blu-Ray and incorporate two floorstanders to get 7.1

Also the depth on my tv stand is too shallow for a decent amp (only 150mm) so i will need a new one of these as well, this will be in a separate budget but not exceeding £250 (hopefully!) 

I have a few questions:

1) Whats the best amp to go for? i have been looking at the Onkyo 606/806....

2) Is it best getting a Blu Ray player that handles the sound encoding or is it best to leave that to the amp and save some money? also some examples please

3) Can my existing sub wire into the new amp or will i need to buy an active one? if so any pointers?

4) and finally... Some decent floor standers, i will be looking to upgrade the rest of the sony speakers over the coming year.

I will also be buying cables etc etc with a different budget, can do this weekly till i have what i need.

Sorry for such a long 1st post and any help would be great, once i have got the kit and have it set up i will take some pics to show everyone.... 

Many thanks in advance for any help people can be! 

Tom 

 

[lobby]

Try Richer sounds for the Tannoy F4 customs at bargain £149 or less and the F1 customs at £90 plus centre for £49. I think you will need a new sub go for something like the Monolith for £400 and add the Denon 1909 for £299.

 

[d4v3pum4]

Unfortunately your speakers are 3ohm, so won't be any use to an AV receiver, you could damage both them and more importantly your new receiver. Agree with the above suggestion though, the budget Tannoy 'F' stuff is excellent value. Otherwise the MA Bronze speakers are worth looking at but remember if you have a sub, you don't really need floorstanders as the sub will take care of the bass. I started off with a music (hifi) setup, then incorporated that within my AV setup and have got used to floorstanders.

You will need an active subwoofer, take a look at the BK stuff, it's excellent for the £ and will outperform a brand name at a similar price (and more).

As for bluray players, although the decoding can be done by both the player and the amp, on future advanced content (interactive) discs, the decoding has to be done in the player making decoding within the amp/receiver irrelevant. To this end, I would only buy a player with the necessary decoding facilities myself and that is another reason why I'm sticking with my PS3 for now.

Amp wise, in addition to the Onkyos, I would have a listen to the Denon 1909 and Yamaha 763 as they seem to get the nod, particularly as they're both pretty cheap right now. Otherwise the usual suspects from Pioneer, Marantz and Sony at a similar price will be worthy of an audition. Try and get a demo if you can.