Receiver Advice

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Hi, I want to complete a single room install for sound & vision, but am unsure about the best route to follow.

The room is a kitchen / sitting area, and I have a 40" bravia for wall mounting.

(Room is ceramic tiled floor, 18' x 13', TV on long wall, cables by chord, HDMI silver plus and silver screen speaker cable.)

The only speakers my wife will agree to are ceiling ones - I am considering either the Monitor Audio CCM80's or possibly the CCM65's. These will only be stereo pair, placed a couple of feet in front of and either side of the TV, as the TV covers both room areas, surround could be more trouble than it's worth.

The speakers are for TV, soaps etc, occasional films, and also 320+ bit music / FM radio.

I have a PS3, SKY, and an IPOD dock to hook up which are located about 20' of cable away from TV.

I want to use a stereo amp for decent music output, and was considering the marantz 6002, however, this obviously leaves me to sort out video switching. This must be HD capable, but I haven't got room to run additional HDMI cables to the TV.

Could I use a low cost receiver like onkyo 505 / 506 to do my video switching, whilst running sound through my stereo amp? Note, part of the reason being this receiver only offers video passthrough - no digital processing of data, hopefully no sound sync issues???

HDMI from receiver to TV for vision, speaker cable from stereo amp to speakers for sound? All sources digital to AV receiver for vision, and analogue to amplifier.

(I have run bluray from PS3 by HDMI to TV, with analogue through existing sony stereo amp / tannoy floorstanders with no sync issues. So just an AV receiver to factor in the mix.)

(This is quite a low cost solution compared to decent sounding AV receivers, particularly as I dont need multi channel sound.)

If this won't work, and I bought a better AV receiver, what happens if I route multi channel sound from source via HDMI to receiver, then by analogue to stereo speakers - will I lose centre and rear sound information, or will it still play through stereo pair?

I know none of this is perfect, but I love cooking and entertaining, and spend a lot of time in my kitchen.

Very interested in your views, and maybe a more elegant solution, thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

I would buy one of the onkyo recievers and use it for your switching and also use it for all audio, this will save on extra wires and boxes. I wouldnt think the issue of having a seperate stereo amp comes into play much if your using ceiling speakers.

I think you need to stand upto your wife with the speaker (i cant understand why everyone lets there wifes decide on speakers, i tell mine how it is) Cant you you at least compromise on some small satelites or even a 3 chanel setup with a centre speaker. your not gonna get a very pleasing sound with just a pair of stereo ceiling speakers.

What were you gonna do with you tannoy florstanders?

If you use the onkyo for sound you wont lose centre and rear info if you hit the stereo button but its a bit of a waste of an av receiver.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi matt,

I already got the 40" bravia, PS3 etc. I thought I was doing ok. If I go for anyway decent speakers, then I cant wall mount them, and cant use stands in kitchen - trip hazard.

My tannoys are in other room, but getting quite old now and due for replacement - I will replace these with decent speakers.

You could be right about the ceiling speakers, but I would have thought they were better than small satelites? (They are nearly a foot in diameter)

Thanks for the advice, good to know I wouldn't lose any sound playing multi channel in and stereo out through AV amp.

 

[Anonymous]

From what i can gather ceiling speakers are a fair compromise for surround speakers but no good for front speakers as the sound isnt directed properly to your listening position. The front speakers are probably the most important speakers so i think you should find another solution. surely you could wallmount 3 satelites at the tv end of your room. This would be a good start then maybe you could find a solution for the surrounds in the future.

U might find your more than happy with just a 3.1 system using a sub near to where your kit will be will add bass weight.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="matt444_2000"]
I would buy one of the onkyo recievers and use it for your switching and also use it for all audio, this will save on extra wires and boxes. I wouldnt think the issue of having a seperate stereo amp comes into play much if your using ceiling speakers.

I think you need to stand upto your wife with the speaker (i cant understand why everyone lets there wifes decide on speakers, i tell mine how it is) Cant you you at least compromise on some small satelites or even a 3 chanel setup with a centre speaker. your not gonna get a very pleasing sound with just a pair of stereo ceiling speakers.

What were you gonna do with you tannoy florstanders?

If you use the onkyo for sound you wont lose centre and rear info if you hit the stereo button but its a bit of a waste of an av receiver.
[/quote]

good man me too

reminds me of harry enfield "women know your place"
i may let her have her moments but the "system" is my domain
what you need to do is get either some standmounts or floorstanders as your left and right in the 5.1 which you should also be able to use as your stereo pair [all my 5.1 amps iv had has speakers a and b left and right so bi powering speakers is also a poss] get a nice big centre speaker and then tell your missus that youll compromise by getting sum satelite rears check out richer sounds swear i saw a yamaha amp at halfprice for 200 sheets dont forget the ps3 outputs sound as linear pcm so whatevr happpens your amp isnt decoding anyway dont rule out optical for sound too [ps3] this is how my setup works and it sounds crystal try to get an amp with a coaxial input aswell as optical as its the better of the two [shame its not on the ps3]

 

[Clare Newsome]

[quote user="darkside82"]good man me too

reminds me of harry enfield "women know your place" [/quote]

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Clare Newsome"]
[quote user="darkside82"]good man me too

reminds me of harry enfield "women know your place" [/quote]

[/quote]

sorry claire but im sure your the exception to the rule, surely you woud allow for a decent setup?