Pulling my hair out!!!!!

[admin_exported]

Ok. This is my first post here so Hi everyone!

I currently have the following kit set up in my conservatory (home cinema room!)

Panny TH-50PZ700B with Cabinet stand

NAD T751 receiver

Virgin media standard box (not V+)

PS3

KEF Q9c centre speaker

KEF Cresta 3 fronts

Gale Gold Monitors rears

QED Silver Anniversary front and centre cable (Bi-wire)

Some Gale flat stuff for rears (not bi-wired)

I want to upgrade the sound element of my system. I'm pretty sure that I will go for a Denon or Pioneer AV amp although that's not confirmed yet. My big problem is speakers.

I really, really like the look of the Quad L-ite in Rosewood and at the moment they are a steal at £495 brand new. My question is, how much of a difference in sound is there between what I have now and the Quads? What can I expect? Very slight difference? 'Blown away' difference?

Would I be better off looking for a pair of Kef Q5s and Q1s? Will that give me more scale and authority?

Oh God!! I dunno............

btw, my room is 5m x 3m

 

[Anonymous]

the Quad lites are a good set of spekers but be aware that some new ones will be avalible in a few weeks (i hate buying things then a new one comes out straight after)

you cant really compare little sub sats with "proper" speakers fairly the kefs will always sound better because they are a larger speaker.

do you have room for the kefs? by the time you've added a sub its gonna take up alot of floor space

 

[John Duncan]

Pros and cons. The Quads are better speakers (qualitatively) than your Kefs, but quantitatively I think you'd miss the presence a pair of floors give you, even with the sub. I'd personally go down the route you suggest of Q5s or similar - you could even get away with leaving the Gales where they are, though obviously the Q5/Q1 combo would look more coherent.

 

[Anonymous]

I was aware that Quad are releasing the Mk2 L-ites shortly but I won't 'be allowed' to spend the expected £1000+ on them. That's why I wanted the existing L-ites.

Yes, I have room for a new pair of Q5s and Q1s as rears. They'll just replace the existing Cresta 3s and Gale Gold Monitors. I was thinking that I probably wouldn't need a sub if I got the Q5s as they seem to be quite bassy.

 

[John Duncan]

That £500 is certainly a very good deal but yes, I'm not a hug fan of subs anyway, either with satellites or full-size speakers - you can have too much 'slam' if you ask me.

Is £500 your limit? Are you proposing to continue to do without a centre?

 

[Anonymous]

just out of interest,what connections are there on the standard virgin box? do you have it rigged up to your amp, as i am joining them next week but i heard a rumour that its scart only?!!

 

[John Duncan]

The standard Virgin Pace box I have is Scart only, yes, though you could buy a cable with SCART at one end that then feeds a SCART at the other but also has phono leads out to connect to the stereo.

 

[Anonymous]

so if i understand this right there will be scart from tv to virgin box for vision ,and another scart from tv to virgin box for sound-but for the sound i could connect a cable that is scart at one end [in back of tv]and phono leads at the other[to back of amp?] so this would mean i could listen to my virgin tv through my amp instead-yes?

 

[John Duncan]

Only one scart cable - the scart scoket coming out of the virgin box will also have audio leads, so that instead of feeding the audio to the tv, it feeds it to the amp, yes.

I found one here but it's only a cheapie, there may be better quality alternatives available.

Wait until it arrives though, you may get a different model which might have stereo outs, you never know.

 

[Anonymous]

or you could just use the audio out on the back of your telly

 

[John Duncan]

That would work yeah, but I did try that and it was rubbish (telly's fault I expect)

 

[Anonymous]

thanx mate!