Sony STRDA5400ES + B&W 684 Home Theatre Speaker package

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I have just auditioned this combination and it sounds fine in HT mode but I am not convinced that its 2 channel HiFi performance will enable me to scrap my old separate HT and HiFi systems and still be happy. I also have a Sony 46W4500 TV, BDP-S350 BluRay and CDP-XB920E CD player (about 10 years old). The 5400ES is on offer at a genuine 46% off the current retail price and I have been quoted a 36% reduction off the normal price off the B&W package from the same shop and even though I am sure that the 'normal' price of the speakers has been inflated a little, it is still a good deal. This store doesn't have any better speakers available and it is difficult for me to audition combinations of various Receivers and Speakers at retailers here in New Zealand because most of them are linked to specific importers/agents and they only carry restricted ranges. Not all UK speaker brands appear to be stocked here but KEF, Monitor Audio, Quad and Wharfedale are some that are available along with a few American and Canadian brands that have never impressed me. I would appreciate responses from anyone who has had experience with the Sony / B&W combination or from those who might offer any better suggestions.

 

[BJB]

Hi Hurly,

I am also considering the 5400 with the 684 speaker package, except I intend to use the MT1s at the rear with a Sony 5000ES Blu Ray player. I cannot give you any feedback at this stage as I am still waiting for the Blu Ray player to arrive from Australia (I am in SA). When it arrives during the 2nd week of October, I intend to post feedback on this forum.

Based on your comments above, I have 2 observations. Were the 684s adequately run in when you tested them with 2 channel music? Did you listen to the 2 channel music on a blu ray player or a dedicated cd player? You may want to upgrade your cd player or go for for a more high end blu ray player like the 5000, which is also good with music.

Best regards,

Brandon

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Hurly:I have just auditioned this combination and it sounds fine in HT mode but I am not convinced that its 2 channel HiFi performance will enable me to scrap my old separate HT and HiFi systems and still be happy. I also have a Sony 46W4500 TV, BDP-S350 BluRay and CDP-XB920E CD player (about 10 years old). The 5400ES is on offer at a genuine 46% off the current retail price and I have been quoted a 36% reduction off the normal price off the B&W package from the same shop and even though I am sure that the 'normal' price of the speakers has been inflated a little, it is still a good deal. This store doesn't have any better speakers available and it is difficult for me to audition combinations of various Receivers and Speakers at retailers here in New Zealand because most of them are linked to specific importers/agents and they only carry restricted ranges. Not all UK speaker brands appear to be stocked here but KEF, Monitor Audio, Quad and Wharfedale are some that are available along with a few American and Canadian brands that have never impressed me. I would appreciate responses from anyone who has had experience with the Sony / B&W combination or from those who might offer any better suggestions.

With those speakers, I would go for a more modest receiver and then use the extra to add a decent stereo amp.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that advice. I really want to try and get the best that I can out of a single system and save some space in my lounge and kit racks. The discount on the 5400ES is really good and the 2400ES is also on sale at this particular dealer at half price for just a few more days. My belief is that the 5400 would give better HiFi performance than the 2400. I am currently running my HiFi through a Sony TA-FB940R QS amplifier (rated 5 stars by What HiFi a few years back) using Wharfedale Coleridge large stand mounted speakers which are nearly 20 years old but still sound good. I would be happy if the new combined system HiFi performance was just equal to what I have now, but I wasn't totally sure that it did. It might look like I am 'wedded' to Sony but I am not, that is just the way that some of my system has evolved - I have an old entry level Yamaha HT receiver which is about 8 years old.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Brandon. The dealer did suggest that the 684's may not have been fully run in but I took this as just sales talk because they looked like they had been in stock for a while. I also listened to the bigger B&W 683 system which he said had been well worked, but frankly there wasn't a lot of difference between two packages (except price and size of course). The 683's are really too big for my listening area and possibly too power hungry for the 5400. As far as the source is concerned, we were listening through a dedicated CD player, albeit an entry level Sony CDPXE370. I have to make a decision on the 5400ES by 28 September (when the promotion finishes) but I could probably delay the decision on speakers a little longer - pity you won't have your system before then. Best of luck.

Cheers

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Hurly:
Thanks Brandon. The dealer did suggest that the 684's may not have been fully run in but I took this as just sales talk because they looked like they had been in stock for a while. I also listened to the bigger B&W 683 system which he said had been well worked, but frankly there wasn't a lot of difference between two packages (except price and size of course). The 683's are really too big for my listening area and possibly too power hungry for the 5400. As far as the source is concerned, we were listening through a dedicated CD player, albeit an entry level Sony CDPXE370. I have to make a decision on the 5400ES by 28 September (when the promotion finishes) but I could probably delay the decision on speakers a little longer - pity you won't have your system before then. Best of luck.

Cheers

Did you use "2 Channel Direct" with the Sony when listening to cds? I have the 3400es and it's decent for music but is completely annihilated by my stereo amp.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes I was listening through "2 Channel Direct" and with only the front speakers operating (the sub was off). Your comment regarding the 3400es versus your stereo amp might be the answer though, even if it is an answer I perhaps didn't want to hear. I have relied on What HiFi? Sound & Vision's test report that said 2 Channel performance of the 5400ES was good without being able to tell how it compared with a modest priced specialist HiFi amplifier. My HiFi amp had a street price of UK 300 pounds a few years back when tested by What HiFi - how does that compare with what you have? I still really want to try and get a single system and the reduced price of the 5400ES has prompted this sudden rush to find a solution. I cannot tell if an HT Receiver from Arcam, Denon, Marantz or Rotel would be better for HiFi than the 5400ES, but they would certainly cost a lot more, unless I bought a lesser spec'd model which presumably would also provide lesser performance. Problems, problems.

Thanks for your interest and advice

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Hurly:
Yes I was listening through "2 Channel Direct" and with only the front speakers operating (the sub was off). Your comment regarding the 3400es versus your stereo amp might be the answer though, even if it is an answer I perhaps didn't want to hear. I have relied on What HiFi? Sound & Vision's test report that said 2 Channel performance of the 5400ES was good without being able to tell how it compared with a modest priced specialist HiFi amplifier. My HiFi amp had a street price of UK 300 pounds a few years back when tested by What HiFi - how does that compare with what you have? I still really want to try and get a single system and the reduced price of the 5400ES has prompted this sudden rush to find a solution. I cannot tell if an HT Receiver from Arcam, Denon, Marantz or Rotel would be better for HiFi than the 5400ES, but they would certainly cost a lot more, unless I bought a lesser spec'd model which presumably would also provide lesser performance. Problems, problems.

Thanks for your interest and advice

I would guess that the 5400es would offer a £300-£400 stereo amp level. My stereo amp was originally £750 when it came out (the v2 model is circa £800), so it should sound a lot better than my receiver (which cost £700 earlier in the year).