Music & Surround System for Media PC: Comments please!

[admin_exported]

Hi All!

This is my first post here and it is a big one

I am looking to replace my 10 year old Rotel stereo amp & KEF floor standers with new kit for our living room to listen to music and movies.

I have done a bit of research, but I'm still confused and need to go out and test.

My existing components, which I'd like to keep for now.

MULTI MEDIA PC:

I listen to music with Foobar2000, Vista x64 Media Centre/Player (in FLAC format) & Spotify using a soundcard (Asus Xonar D2) hooked up to my old stereo amp.

We watch blu-rays with PowerDVD 9 using an internal drive (LG GGC-H20L) output from the graphics card (ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT) via HDMI to my TV. Sound is either through HDMI to the TV, which has RCA output to the stereo amp or from the soundcard to the stereo amp.

TV: Samsung LE40A656

CABLE STB: Virgin Media V+

TUNER: Cambridge Audio DAB500

HEADPHONES: Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro's

Proposed new components:

Music is my priority (all sorts of genres, loud & quiet), but I want the movies to sound pretty good as well. I am thinking of starting my tests with the following kit:

Music:

DAC/HEADAMP: Beresford TC-7520 (hope it improves on my Xonar soundcard)

AMP: Roksan Kandy K2 (could also use to power front speakers of 5.1 system from AVamp pre outs?)

SPEAKERS: Tannoy Revolution Signature DC6T or B&W 684

Video:

AV: Yamaha RX-V1900 or Denon AVR-1910

COMPACT 5.1 SPEAKERS: KEF KHT3005SE, B&W MT-25, or B&W M1's with an ASW610

or normal shaped speakers,

FRONT: as music speakers above.

CENTER: Tannoy Rev Sig DC6 LCR or B&W HTM62

REAR: Tannoy Rev Sig DC4 (cheaper/smaller than DC6, hopefully sound ok) or B&W 686

SUB: Tannoy TS12 or B&W ASW610

For the surround speakers, I don't know until I try whether the size of the compacts is more important to me than the sound of the normal boxes.

Could I use the front floor standers with compact satellite speakers for surround, or would this worsen the overall sound compared with the satellites alone?

From what I've read, getting separate AV and Stereo amps gives the best quality. Is there an AV amplifier that is as capable with music as a good £800 stereo amp?.

Unfortunetly (for the sound) we live in an old terrace house with a fireplace where I'd like the TV/front speakers to be. Therefore I'll need speakers that are flexible in their placement, such as tucked into corners. We are moving soon, but the new place will probably have similar layout problems.

...Basically, am I on the right track or should I be trying something else for similar money?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Anonymous]

The Yamaha RXV 1900 is awesome with music.
Personally I would upgrade to the new Asus Xonar HDAV with HDMI output. Which also handles HD audio and video in one cable. Connect your PC to the Yamaha via said HDMI. Then from Yamaha to TV with HDMI. I would have some good floorstanders biamped off the Yamaha for the front pair, then some bookshelves, probably the B&Ws. Spend good money on mains cables, HDMI and speaker cable and I'm sure it should sound amazing.

 

[Anonymous]

I'll definately be trying the Yamaha 1900, I hope it is that good or at least close, as it will save me £800 not having to buy a stereo amp.

The video and audio from my HD 2600XT seems pretty good so far, but I need to investigate what other options there are to get the best audio and video out. I've had my eye on that new Xonar HDVA1.3 for a while now, I'll have to research all that later, as I need to focus on the Hi-Fi this week.

 

[Anonymous]

I have booked demos tomorrow at Sevenoaks to try the Roksan Kandy K2 amp, B&W 68x series ...and other speakers recommended by the shop for comparison.

On Wednesday, I'm at Hifi Confidential trying the Roksan Kandy K2 amp, Denon 1910, Denon 3808, Yamaha 3900, Sony 5400, Tannoy Rev Sig DC4 & DC6 series, KEF 3005SE's.

The Yamaha RX-V3900, is supposed to be a very similar sound to the more affordable RX-V1900, doesn't look like I'll be able to test the RX-V1900 in any shops in London :-/