Which Onkyo to pair with Quad L-ites?

[tommyb]

Ok,

I finally took the plunge and ordered a Quad Lite 5.1 set of speakers today from superfi. I did this because stocks are running out fast and once they're gone that's it! they're bringing out some new range or something, so they've been discontinued.

Superfi were great and very very helpful. I'm going to go and listen to some av receivers, and to be honest. I have no idea what to do about it. I could quite easily purchase the Onkyo 605, or if the need arises the 805. I'm one of those people that doesn't like to replace things like this often - it's an investment to last for years - so, I suppose I want my Amp to be fairly future proof.

As you go from one onkyo up to the next, it's basically a £200 jump each time. is the £200 jump justified? if I had to take the plunge now, i'd probably go with the 705, but I'm clueless how to decide.

Is the 875 really £200 better than the 805? or is an upscaling dvd better at doing the job?

I spoke to sevenoaks and the guy I spoke to there said that I should get the 605 as the others are unecessary expenses for not very big gains. Whereas another guy from superfi said that the PS3 (which I was intending to purchase) isn't a great Blue Ray player, and I should consider the 875 and let it do the upscaling from a basic dvd player instead.

Thank you to all of you who've advised me on my posts before - and they've been worth it, it's the reason I bought the Quads!

Help? opinions? all very welcome.

 

[tommyb]

Hi guys,

Anyone got any advice or opinions? anyone?

I'm swaying towards the 875 but I really need some expert advice on what I've asked about.

Anyone? please?

 

[Andrew Everard]

Go for the 875 - much better upscaling, and greatly improved auto set-up/eq compared to the 805.

You won't regret it.

 

[tommyb]

Hi Andrew,

Cheers for that. Is the advice the gentleman gave me re: the sony PS3 correct in that it's not a great blue ray player? He was talking about the fact that the PS3 uses software to play the discs as apposed to the 875 having a great chip that does the work instead? all a bit baffling to me.

Also, I've been quoted £900 for the 875. This seems like a bargain to me as most sites have it at £999. You aware of anywhere else that can beat that deal? I'm hoping to try and get them to throw in some leads as part of a package deal but I have no idea what to ask for. Any help here wold be great. I don't want to spend silly money on leads - just what's good enough for my speakers - if you get what I mean

I've subscribed to what hi-fi this month to take advantage of the amazing free HDMI lead offer - seems like too good to miss!!!

 

[Andrew Everard]

As things go now the PS3 is a pretty good Blu-ray player, and £900 is a pretty good price for the 875.

 

[tommyb]

Many thanks Andrew, I think I'll take your advice on the 875.

In terms of the Quad L-ite 5.1 package, do the fronts and rears sound better on stands, wall mounted or on shelves? do they prefer to be close to a wall or in their own space?

I have solid hard walls (not plaster board) and wooden flooring, with supposed soundproofing (so B&Q said)

I currently have a Philips 612 DVD player and I've had it for years. It's been great and I've always been impressed with it's picture quality for what it cost me. It has a scart out; CVBS video out, coaxial digital audio out. What will be the best way to connect it to the 875 untill I purchase a PS3/blue ray player or even the Toshiba that Clare has been raving about.

The 875 upscales and so purchasing / investing in a new DVD player isn't as clear anymore. I bought my girlfriend the Pioneer DV600 and it seems excellent, but should I just buy a good normal dvd, or, keep the one I have for now till the price of dual mode players drops?

Solving one problem just presents another!

Thanks for all your help so far

 

[Andrew Everard]

Fronts on stands if possible, rears not so fussed, so can be wall/shelf mounted. At a pinch you could wall-mount the front left/right too.

DVD player? Stick with the one you have now, connect it via component to the Onkyo, and let the receiver upscale.

Sit back, relax, enjoy and wait for the hi-def disc nonsense to sort itself. They'll come to their senses eventually - they always do.

 

[tommyb]

Once again, thank you for your advice. I'll sit back and wait to see what comes around then. Hopefully someone will release a player that plays both Blue Ray and HD until one dies away, and that can also play your old DVD collection - and all for under £250! wishful thinking? probably for now!

When you say connect via component - do i get a scart to component lead and run that to the 875, and run a seperate coaxial digital cable too? I know that sound dim - but I am a beginner!