Will I really notice difference between my Sony 1200ES and new 500 pound amps?

[Jon Spencer]

I am building a home theatre and the costs are spiraling quickly!

I already have a Sony 1200ES and a Sony DH800 plus Q Acoustics speakers (lots) and older Wharfedale 9.1/9.5/9.6/centre/subs etc.

My question is would I really notice a huge improvement on the sound of the 1200ES in surround sound. I can buy an new Blu ray with surround audio out and input it into the 1200ES so HD sound would be taken care of. I only need the two HDMI for Blu ray and Apple TV3 and am not bothered about internet radio or any other gizmos they have on new amps. I have a Linn hifi that I will connect via a Beresford speaker switch so stereo is taken care of as well.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation?

I live in rural NZ so auditioning equipment is pretty much out of the question sadly.

 

[bretty]

Soundwise? Absolutely not. Keep the 1200ES. That amp is just amazing for the money. You can build one killer HC set up around that amp. The newer amps you are paying for the features that you (and I, for that matter) aren't interested in. My advice would be to keep the 1200ES and upgrade the speaker package, when funds allow. My 1200ES is powering a £2500 Tannoy Eyris package and the sounds that it makes come out of them is brilliant. I upgraded from an older Sony amp and the difference in sound quality was huge. No BS here, I was looking at spending up to £1000 on a new amp, before I bought the 1200ES, for a laugh, for £70 off Ebay. I'm not thinking of buying another amp now, the sound is that good.

 

[JJ]

Buy a STR-DA2400ES and save the balance.

Best amp for £500.00 - even now, and can decode all HD tracks.

 

[Jon Spencer]

If I still lived in the UK I probably would buy something like that but here in NZ there isn't ebay sadly. We have a similar site but with a population of just 4 and a bit million (the bit counts down here) you could wait years before something you want turns up second hand (I've tried it). The cheapest new BR player with multichanel outs is around $850 (470 pounds) whlist I can buy an Onkyo 616 and a Sony 390 BR player for about the same money. I just don't know which would sound an look the best? Tough times ahead (a real first world problem!).