Newbie help.

[admin_exported]

Hello all

I'm new to the world of hifi and I'm looking some advice. I'm looking for a set up that will provide the full 5.1 surround sounds experience as well as a quality audio sound, but I'm not interested in a straight out of the box system.

I have a budget of circ £1,600, and need the following - amp, speakers, recordable DVD/CD player.

My musical taste is very varied, but mainly main stream.

I have had the following recommended to me by a local specialist -

Amp - Denon 2308B

DVD recorder - Sony RDR HX 870

Can anybody comment on these or make some recommendation.

 

[PJPro]

How about...
Onkyo 606 Receiver
Arcam Muso/Logic Speakers
PS3
I recently bought the receiver and speakers for £1.3K and you can get a PS3 for £299.
Are you looking for style speakers or something more traditional (tend to get more for your money, but the speakers are bigger)
The PS3 will record, just won't be to a DVD/CD. There's talk of a PVR peripheral on the way too.
Hope this helps.

 

[professorhat]

PJPro - how are you getting your PS3 to record at the moment?

marks - I'd definitely check out the Onkyo 606 as well as the Denon you mention. For speakers I'd look at the Tannoy Mercury F1 5.1 package and then the new Panasonic DMR-EX78 HDD / DVD recorder (again, as well as the Sony you mention). Don't forget to budget for cables and speaker stands if you need them.

On the amplifier front, it's worth mentioning this is a summer of change on the AV amps, with Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer (and no doubt Marantz and Yamaha) all promising new amps in the next few months. This doesn't mean don't buy now, it's just a cautionary note so you don't think, I wish I'd known that a few months ago!