New to forum...needing some AV advice

[admin_exported]

Hey guys,

Im kinda new to the whole home cinema set up, but i have recently bought a new house, and thought it might be a good idea to get ahead of the game with a system before i complete the decorating! lol

So, onto where i have got to so far...first off i looked into getting an all in one surround sound set, but after a chat with a friend whho is an AV engineer, i've decided to go down the seperate set up using an AV receiver and purchasing speakers etc seperatley.

Now, i am working to a pretty tight budget, and as i'm fairly 'sound quality inexperienced' (i.e never really notice the difference between a £1000 speaker set and £100 set!) im not really that bothered about the most amazing quality sound.

However, due to my delvings into what AV receiver to get, i have now decided to get myself a bigger and better tv

So, onto what i have decided to get so far:

AV Receiver: Sony ST-DGR820B (Seems fairly good for what i need for a great price)

TV: Sony KDL40W4000U (This seemed pretty good for what you get)

HDD/DVD Recorder: Sony RDR-HXD890 (This is to replace my ageing Pioneer kit. And thinking keep it all sony as they'll keep it Simple/Stupid.

Gaming: Xbox 360 Elite (this i already own)

HD Tv: Sky+ HD (Id read there were problems with this using the AV receiver above, but i gather its all sorted now)

Not sure what you guys will think of my choices so far, but for the price im paying, this seems to be a good deal for Sony stuff.

My dilema now is how to finish it off...namely, what speakers to get. This is where i'm completely lost. And as im already spending a fair chunk on replacing items, i was kinda hoping this area would be at the cheaper end of the scale!! Hence why i have now come to you guys for some help.

With knowing that i am intending on buying the above items, what would you recommend i need to finish it all off?? Speakers, Sub...anything else im missing that i might need? Is it even possible for under £200 or do i need to start finding some more funds from elsewhere?? lol

Cheers!!

Spencer

 

[Messiah]

Given your budget how about these??

A few people on here have got these and have been impressed. You may have to budget for cables too though.

All of your other choices seem fine.

 

[lobby]

Yes the Jamo's will go perfectly with the Sony amp, or try the Kef 2005.2 at £199 from Richer Sounds.

 

[professorhat]

I think those KEF 2005.2's have sold out now as they're not on the RS website any more. However, these are still worth considering (bit above budget I realise) as well as the Jamos.

 

[bballtom]

If you don't mind second hand there are a lot of bargins to be had on ebay if you shop around. I recently picked up a set of Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 system with sub that were a year old for £130, cost about £600 new.

Takes time looking around but you can do very well

 

[daveh75]

professorhat:

I think those KEF 2005.2's have sold out now as they're not on the RS website any more. However, these are still worth considering (bit above budget I realise) as well as the Jamos.

think you've posted the wrong link there prof? that link is for hdmi cable testing

 

[Sorreltiger]

Just one question - otherwise, I'm sure you'll enjoy your new kit. ÿIf you're getting Sky+HD, you won't need another HDD recorder - in fact, it would be quite awkward to set up. ÿYou've already got an excellent HDD recorder in the Sky box. ÿFollowing on, do you need a DVD recorder for making hard copies? ÿI do, because I sometimes need to use them at work, but most people don't. ÿIn any case, you could save a lot of money. ÿFor the £190 (Amazon price) you were going to spend on the HDD/DVD Recorder, you could get yourself a Sony Blu-ray player which also does an excellent job of playing and upscaling DVDs. ÿJust a thought...................

 

[professorhat]

Oops, thank you kindly sir, link corrected now. See this is the problem with this new fangled buttons to insert links - before this I could have seen the wrong link in the HTML code!

(starts muttering under breath about how things were better in the old days...)

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers guys,

Certainly gives me some options and something to think about! Those Jamo's seem quite suitable for the price. Probabaly worth seeing if i can to have a listen to them somewhere (probabaly Richer Sounds).

The only other thing that has crossed my mind, is if its worth getting free standing speakers or not. If i have room, they would be easier to set up thatn mounting speakers on the wall (well, easier for someone as inept at DIY as myself!). Any thoughts?

Sorreltiger:Just one question - otherwise, I'm sure you'll enjoy your new kit. If you're getting Sky+HD, you won't need another HDD recorder - in fact, it would be quite awkward to set up. You've already got an excellent HDD recorder in the Sky box. Following on, do you need a DVD recorder for making hard copies? I do, because I sometimes need to use them at work, but most people don't. In any case, you could save a lot of money. For the £190 (Amazon price) you were going to spend on the HDD/DVD Recorder, you could get yourself a Sony Blu-ray player which also does an excellent job of playing and upscaling DVDs. Just a thought...................

Perfectly reasonable point Sorreltiger...I already use the Sky+HD kit and it is a great peice of kit, but annoyingly i seem to always have only about 10% space left on it due to recording so much stuff! I currently have a Pioneer HDD/DVD recorder that i bought before getting the Sky box, and i have found it is really useful to be able to transfer programmes onto the HDD to edit them before creating copies onto DVD. The only reason i am intending on getting the Sony as a replacement is because i am getting a deal where it come free with the TV...can't really say no!! haha I may get a dedicated Blu-ray player sometime in the future, but until the cost of Blu-ray dvd's come down in price, I'll probabaly be happy with upscaling my current library.