New AV amp - any advice welcome!

[admin_exported]

Hello Everyone,

I’d be grateful for some help, I’ve been going round in circles.

I’m after a new AV amp to drive the centre and rears - I use my stereo amp for the fronts – although I’m open to any better ideas. E.g. Would my stereo amp be made obselete by a decent amp just as my expensive DVD player was by the PS3! Or would you think about seperating out the processing?

CDs used to be what was played the most but it’s probably now 70/30 video/audio. Sound quality is important to me, but if I’m honest some of the recent technology is what’s also attracting me.

Admittedly most of my kit is getting on a bit, with only the PS3 being a recent purchase and the LCD and HD being over a year ago.

Sony KDL-40V2000
PS3
SKY HD
Audiolab 8000S (first time round)
Audiolab 8000CD (first time round)
Yamaha DSP-E800
Front: Mission 752
Centre: Mission 75c
Rear: Mission 751
Assorted QED and Cable Talk cabling.

If you think I could do with looking at other areas to upgrade first (or soon...), I’d be interested in a bit of constructive criticism. The missus would like smaller speakers (grrrrrrrr) I’d like to add a sub...But if it was a step up maybe the speaker set should be replaced soon?

Room is 4m x3m

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Sorry for the long post - thanks for reading!

 

[Anonymous]

Audiolab's new 8000AP processor could be interesting: it includes audio-capable HDMI inputs and support for PCM audio, as output by your PS3. Going on previous experience of older Audiolab AV combos, it should also prove musical enough for you to consider dispensing with the 8000S for stereo use. Simply team it with the same company's 8000X7 power amplifier.

However, given the make-up of your viewing and listening, I'd also consider that well-established favourite around these parts, Onkyo's TX-SR875. It's a decent listen in stereo, and a positive monster with surround sound: full, muscular and exciting, but also capable of placing effects deftly and relaying subtle nuances with all their character intact. I wouldn't class it as the sonic equal of the 8000S in stereo - far from it -ÿbut it's still musical enough to be enjoyable. Onkyo's next model up, the TX-SR905, is also worth consideration, but a large part of its Network capability will also be available to you via your PS3, should that sort of thing interest you.

There's nothing to worry about with your speakers - I reviewed that package many a time in its heyday, and the only observation I'd make is that it probably lacks warmth and weight low down, something you've noted yourself with your suggestion that you'd like to add a subwoofer.

That said, if you do want to change, and if smaller, sleeker speakers are a key part of any negotiations you have to undertake with High Command, then consider Tannoy's excellent Arena HighLine 500 package. I've cited it often in these pages, because tonally it makes a fine match for Onkyo receivers, and aesthetically it's as stylish and well-made as anything available for vaguely sane money. It also plays a tune well enough, and (should you want to get silly with the volume) it'll go very loud without undue stress. The package we've tested and given successive Awards to uses floorstanding towers at the front, but it's possible to use the smaller 500c speakers all around (ie for front, centre and rear channels) if you prefer.

By the way, if all this is too rich for your blood, let me know, and I'll try to come up with something more affordable.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Andy,

Many thanks for taking the time to put togther such a detailed reply.

The only thing I definitley don't want to do is to take an downwards step in stereo (upwards would be great!). Even though we probably now view more, I find myself concentrating much more on the quality when listening to music. If I understand you correctly, I think that might rule out the Onkyos?

As an old Audiolab fan I will certainly look to audtion the 8000AP as soon as possible, but are there any alternatives? Price is a condsideration in order to get it past the wife, but then I can be quite sneaky if needed...

Cheers.

 

[Anonymous]

Use 2 amps. Get any decent av amp with pre-out's then pre-out the front signal to your Audiolab. Best of both worlds, it's what I used to do.

R

 

[Anonymous]

That's a decent way to deliver a superior stereo sound, and if music is your first priority, it remains an effective option, but if surround sound quality is a priority, it can be a compromise. The sonic integrity of a five-channel (or these days, possibly seven-channel) surround soundfield relies on tonal consistency (and ideally, identical tonality) from speaker to speaker. That's why the best multichannel results come from using speakers from the same manufacturer for front, centre and surround effects - and if you're being really purist, using exactly the same speaker in each location. That's often easier said than done, though, especially for the centre speaker.

Anyhow: another key way to ensure even tonality in a multichannel set-up is to use the same type of amplification for each channel. Using preouts to a stereo amp might improve your stereo sound, but it can also result in a tonal mismatch between the left, centre and right speakers. Sure, issues like level-matching can be addressed by the processor, but the fundamental sonic characteristics of the stereo pair usually tends to differ from the centre (and surrounds) unless you're very, very careful about system matching. I'd imagine with your current system you can hear a slight difference in tonality between the warmer-sounding Yamaha processor powering your centre channel and the leaner, more dynamic Audiolab driving your stereo speakers, for example.

 

[biggus_1961]

Yes Andy this is true as regards to amplification all being the same. I was using an MF3.5 stereo amp for front l.r and Denon av2106 for centre and rears.Result is that the centre speaker could sound weaker and quieter than the left and right..Solution i think is having an avamp with smaller style speakers so that they almost visually disappear and also have a seperate set of stereo speakers with stereo amp and cd player...If you keep the surround speakers small then the lounge room does not look cluttered..

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your replies.

I guess the Audiolab does look like it might fit the bill, as it's for a 5.(soon to be)1 system I think I could biamp the front channels which may be a step up in stereo perfoemance form y old 8000s. Interesitng that there doesn;t seem to be any other real alternative.

Now I just need to decide on that sub...any ideas welcome! I have heard good things about BK.

 

[Anonymous]

If you are going to buy the Audiolab 8000X7 power amp, you can't bi-amp in 5.1 system as such, well not without employing the use of Y-cables.

The X7 allows you to bridge 2 channels together into a single 150W channel. So you can have 150W on each of your front speakers, and 100W on the centre and rears. This is what I have done in my set-up.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for clearing that up - do you find it provides better stereo performance?

 

[Anonymous]

Well I bought the 8000AV and the X7 to replace an Arcam A65+ and a Yamaha DSP AX750SE, and feel it was worthwhile step-up in stereo performance.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry, been away for a few days. Thanks Mr_Orange.