Upgrading AV amp and speakers

[admin_exported]

I currently have a Naim/ Shahinian hi fi set up and an Arcam AVR200 and mission speakers. I looked to combine the two of these in a single hi fi/ AV set up but the cost of this proved prohibitive if I wanted to maintain the sound quality. I'm now therefore looking to upgrade the AV set up only.

I'm looking at an Onkyo amp and a reasonable set ( up to a max of around £1500) of style compact speakers. My question is how much do I need to spend on AV amp and speakers to upgrade considerably the sound quality of my current AV system. Would a 605 amp be sufficient or should I go for the 875? Do I need to buy B&W MT-30s, or would I be pleased with the sound of Kef 3500SEs?

Any thoughts would be useful

 

[professorhat]

[quote user="Athens Andy"]Do I need to buy B&W MT-30s, or would I be pleased with the sound of Kef 3500SEs?[/quote]

How on earth can any one but you answer this question?

I know this is said a lot on these forums, but I still can't understand people asking other people they've never even met whether they will like something or not! When you go out for a meal, do you post a message on a forum asking if you should go for the cheaper chicken dish, or whether you'll be pleased with the steak...

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="professorhat"][quote user="Athens Andy"]Do I need to buy B&W MT-30s, or would I be pleased with the sound of Kef 3500SEs?[/quote]

How on earth can any one but you answer this question?

I know this is said a lot on these forums, but I still can't understand people asking other people they've never even met whether they will like something or not! When you go out for a meal, do you post a message on a forum asking if you should go for the cheaper chicken dish, or whether you'll be pleased with the steak...
[/quote]

I agree completely. You can never really be sure which is going to sound best until you've actually listened to them yourself.

Arrange a demo at your local shop with both set-ups and you'll be in a much better position to decide. One piece of advice I would give however, is to leave the shop before making any firm decisions. Its all too tempting to impulse buy after being amazed by a demo. Personally, I would go home, take stock of your experience and take a long hard think about whether the jump in quality is worth the extra cost to you.

In my case, I opted for the 875 and the 3005SE's............. but as ProfHat has so eloquently put it, its all down to personal taste............. and I preferred steak!