New Home New Set Up !!

[heavenlydoddy]

Hi All

this is my first post & it could be a big one !. i need some real help with regards to a system for a new house we are buying. I have read & read these forums but i think it may be easier if some one with a techy brain & an ability to explain it to me in lay man terms could give me some guidance. The house is a new build so i can hide & feed cables any where.

The first point i need to make is i have what i think (sounds like) a good music set up which i would like to keep. I have a Marantz CD sig (1999) & a NAD 319 amp, MS914 speakers, the sound is great, loud & punchy very crisp the amp i have been told by a pana technician has conponents of real quality. For the new house we would like a new tv, AV amp, blu ray,dig radio, cin sound sky hd. The lounge is just over 4m * 4m. Also a tv & some speakers in the kitchen ( for music from the cd player/radio).The budget for all £6000 but would like to do it a bit less.

The tv is still baffling us do we go 3d not sure if the time is right yet. Are we ok with a 50" in this size living room can we go bigger if we have HD. Do we go 3d blu ray yet or is it a waste for a couple of years. The AV i would like is 7.1 with 2 outs (1 for the kitchen tv as well) also with dig radio to feed the lounge & kitchen. The cinema speaker package 7.1 (if the lounge is big enough), the speakers to get it all approoved by the duchess would need to look trendy & not too big also wall mounters i think would look better in that size room.

Now for what i dont understand ive been told that because my nad & cd player sound good keep that as dedicated music. But if i get 7.1 speaker package i could use the MS914s as the front cin sound then put the 7.1 front speakers(new ones) in the kitchen for the tv/music & pre out the nad to the AV ? really dont understand how the nad or the AV would know when i want music only through the 914s. I know this is probably not explained too well infact if any one is in cornwall then please help !!. Maybe i would be better just putting a wireless system through but they dont seem to sound as good as my Nad.

We have never had sky or cinema surround or a decent tv so all this is so new !!, please help me out & let me know what you would do if you could hide cables & start from scratch in a new build.

Many thanks

Heavenly.

 

[bigboss]

Welcome to the forum. This is the best time to plan your entertainment system! Even I started planning before even buying a house. First things first. Locate CEDIA approved dealers in your area, & speak to a few of them about your requirements & audition a few systems. There aren't many around Cornwall, so you may have to travel a bit.

Home Cinema System:

Your room size is more than adequate for a 50-inch TV.....in fact, even a 60-inch screen won't look out of place for HD. Go for the biggest screen (depending on your budget) you're comfortable with, at your viewing distance (just stand 4m back from the screen at your local dealer). 3D or not is your choice really. I think 3D is in its infancy, & I would wait for the technology to mature. There's no harm in going for a 3D enabled TV if you can afford. Demo a few screens to decide if you prefer plasmas / LCD / LED lit LCDs. I'm a plasma person (better for games & sports), although some of the newer LED lit LCDs are competing hard against the best plasma screens.

You would need an AV receiver, a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system (if you're tight on budget, stick to 5.1, you won't lose much), a blu-ray player &, of course, Sky HD. We can suggest you a few combinations depending on your budget.

An example would be: Panasonic 50VT20 + Denon 3311 + B&W MT30 or Monitor Audio Apex AV + Sony S370 or S570. Total cost for this system is around £4900 - £5800. The dealers will usually offer you a discount if you buy this entire set together. I got 15% off my speakers & all equipments were price matched with best online deals.

Don't forget to budget in cost of HDMI & speaker cables, & cost of installation. Don't bother with spending too much on HDMI cables. These are more than adequate.

Hiding cables for professional installers is not a difficult job. They have many tricks up their sleeve. Check my home cinema system for example.

Music System:

I'm not the best person to advise on hi-fi systems. But things to consider:

1) In-ceiling speakers or traditional speakers in all the rooms.

2) Run them via Sonos system.

3) Store all music in a NAS drive which can be connected to the wireless router for wireless music throughout the house.

 

[Anonymous]

just to add to bb,s excellent post , you could look at the monitor audio rx6 av package , id say it will out perform any of the style systems around £2k-£2.5k , the rx6 fronts would gel very well with your nad amp for stereo music , and the rear speakers can be wall mounted ..

you could maybe sell your current speakers ? possibly a more neater and cohesive arrangement than adding a centre , sub and rear speakers to match your current ones ?

 

[bigboss]

Just to add: Definitely audition different setups. Receivers & speakers all sound very different to one another. What sounds good to me may not sound good to you.

MA RX6's suggested by Max are another set of great speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

Depends what you are aiming for

i.e. a nice system for your lounge, or are you looking for a dedicated setup as an enthusiast

Sorry to keep repeating myself but , unfortunately a square room is not a good start for a dedicated room , but for casual use it doesn't really matter we just have to make do with what we have.

Don't want to come across as negative as I am sure you are excited about your new home.

You have a good budget for some nice kit , I am sure you will get plenty of suggestions to keep you busy from the rest of the forum

 

[Anonymous]

my lounge is square and i find it perfect for home cinema/audio , tv , amp , fronts , centre and sub at one end , and me and the rear speakers at the other .. job done