TV, PS3 + HIFI set up

[Jonno_Mc]

I have a 32" Toshiba LCD (32WLT66) and a PS3 which work great together (movies, games, etc), but am thinking of buying a separates system and connecting together for a more complete system... Is this the best thing to do, and if so what do i need?

I don't have the space for a full surround sound speaker package but would like a system that would be great for music and also for beefing up my movie/gaming experience.

Any thoughts and suggestions would be great! Cheers!

 

[aliEnRIK]

How much are you looking at spending?

 

[Jonno_Mc]

Not a great deal, about £500 or so. Only small room.

 

[d4v3pum4]

Off the top of my head, one of the Cambridge Audio or Yamaha AV Receivers (good with both music and movies) or a decent stereo amp. If you did get an AVreceiver, you have the added bonus of lip sync correction, more connections, video switching (and conversion with compatible recevier) and the option of going full on 5.1 in the future. A decent stereo amp will outshine a comparably priced receiver though when it comes down to music/stereo performance. Then add a pair of good quality bookshelf speakers e.g. Wharfedale, AE, Tannoy F1, MA Bronze etc. on a pair of Atacama Nexus stands and a few quid for cables and away you go.

 

[Anonymous]

Jonno_Mc:Not a great deal, about £500 or so. Only small room.

What about a lovely 2.1 all-in-one system? £500 won't take you far if you need amp and speakers. But a 2.1 will give added benefit of a sub, which you might find can add lots to movie/gaming experience.

Edit:

Not sure you want a AV amp or a stereo integrated one, so I've scrapped my suggestion of Sony DG820.

I personally use a stereo amp for movie watching/gaming and it's fine. Well, I'd love to have a full HC system but that's for later. Maybe.

 

[Anonymous]

I use a budget NAD amp (C315BEE) and the Tannoy F1 Custom speakers for TV, PS3 and CD playback and it's a pretty good all round system. I think I paid about £350 for the amp, speakers and matching CD player so if you wanted to spend more you could probably get some better kit but for the money it's great.

I was originally going to get an Onkyo micro system but after seeking advice on here I went for the NAD/Tannoy package from Superfi and am glad I did. An AV receiver would probably be better for movies and/or games but with £500 you might struggle to go down that route.

 

[Jonno_Mc]

Thank u all. Still a little confused tho on whether an amp or an AV receiver would be better, or do i need both?

I have found a good deal from richersounds on an Cambridge Audio 340A SE (Amp), Cambridge Audio 340C (CD) and Gale Silver Monitors for around £400.

Will this give a good starter set-up, or should i try squeeze the budget and get in an AV receiver also for the HDMI compatibility?

 

[Anonymous]

Well I don't have an AV receiver but most people prefer an AV receiver for use with games and films. Most of the same people are also of the opinion that a stereo setup of a similar price will be better with music, So I suppose it depends what your priorities are. I'm more than happy with my stereo system for films and games, and for the money I spent I wouldn't have got a very good surround system.

I would also consider how much and how often you are willing to upgrade your system. Many people will buy an AV receiver and connect that to a stereo amp so that have the best of both worlds but this is obviously getting more expensive.

 

[aliEnRIK]

I wouldnt touch 'GALE' speakers with a bargepole

Id suggest going for the amp and cd and these speakers ~

Wharfedale

You COULD do away with the cd player and get a better av surround amp but music still wont be anywhere near as good as the 2 channel amp

 

[Anonymous]

Rik, before leaving I connected my PS3 to my NAD C 320 via the external DAC because I couldn't see any other way of doing it - is there some other way of connecting it? There are no RCA outs on the PS3 from memory.

 

[aliEnRIK]

Tarquinh:Rik, before leaving I connected my PS3 to my NAD C 320 via the external DAC because I couldn't see any other way of doing it - is there some other way of connecting it? There are no RCA outs on the PS3 from memory.

Yes ~ the freebie lead that comes with the PS3 has phonos as well as a composite video. You can buy a better quality lead if you so desired (ebay or whatnot) and the HDMI will still work (Or you can buy a component cable with stereo phonos on if you prefer)