Which Home Cinema speaker package

[Ksutty]

Hi, I’m in the process of decorating my living room at the moment and to finish it off Id like to renew all my audio visual kit. I’m looking to spend £1000 on a new TV and was considering the Panasonic PX70B or maybe Pioneer PDP427XD. Id love to get a 1080P LCD but the whole idea of motion blur whilst watching sport puts me off and the plasma versions are just too pricey at the moment. For the speakers I was looking at the KEF KHT3005 series, the B&W mt-30 or the Monitor Aud Radius R90AV-12. I need speakers that are small and stylish ( my wife hates bulky speakers ).To drive the speakers I was thinking of the Sony STR DA5200ESI need some guidance and quick .... my wife says she can solve all my problems with a quick trip to Asda. The thought of an Alba home cinema system in a box is an extra worry I just don’t need!!

 

[Andrew Everard]

Yes, I'd go for the Sony STR-DA5200ES and the D&W speakers, which I'm sure will work together very well without taking over the room. You could save some money and look at the Onkyo TX-SR605 if you're under financial pressure - it has more than enough oomph to drive the B&Ws well.

BTW, don't let your interior design consultant see the new Sony Bravia Theatre SAV-IS10 system we covered here: if she sees those dinky speakers all will be lost.

Mind you, on the brief listen I had the other day it does sound really rather special...

 

[Clare Newsome]

It's also worth noting that KEF has just upgraded its 'eggs' - the KHT3005SE package is sitting in our testing rooms right now, ready to be reviewed in our October issue, out August 23rd.

 

[Andy Clough]

And all of the above, including that incredibly dinky Sony Bravia Theatre system Andrew mentioned, will be featured in the Ultimate Guide to Home Cinema - coming soon!

 

[Ksutty]

Upgraded ? in what way? the sub ???

I had a demo of the kht3005 but found them no match for the B&W mt30, the big difference being the sub.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Both the sub and the satellites have been upgraded.

We certainly agree with your assessment of the original KHT3005 vs the MT30 - hence the former getting four stars and the latter getting an Award in its price class. And yes, the major difference was B&W's PV1 subwoofer, an Award-winner in its own right. But then the B&W package costs half as much again as the KEFs (£1575 compared to £1000), so it should sound a lot better....

Time and a lot of testing will tell how the new KEFs get on against a range of competition.