Home audio help please?

[Daniel]

Hello geeks.

I have a Telly, and I have a set of small sofa speakers up in the loft from years ago but they're good.

Basically, I want an amp that hopefully the TV can run through for the kids films, can take ipod/iphone to play my music, a CD player for the wife, and some floor standers. Oh, and all the necesary wiring. I'll run all 4 speakers off the amp. The floor standers can go either side of the telly, the little sofa speakers can go at ear height behind the sofa?

I DO NOT WANT a mini system.

Now, I used to go to Richer sounds and just hand over my credit card and let the man fill me with whatever he wanted. But we're in a mother fcuking recession so I can't do that no more.

Looking for a budget of about £500. I'm not looking to set any world records or impress anyone, I just want a better aural experience than my telly and my 10 year old Sony mini system can offer me.

What can people recomend? thanks.

 

[Goodj]

Go to Richer sounds

but this time, tell them you've got a budget and some existing parts

 

[Daniel]

Go to Richer sounds

but this time, tell them you've got a budget and some existing parts

I can't bring myself to do that. I don't trust them for a start! They'll sell me whatever they're getting paid most for. My last experience of them involved me paying nearly £3500 for some seperates and them then selling me some hopeless speakers that eventually made it into the boot of my MG metro as that's all they were good for.

I'd rather listen to peoples recomendations.

 

[C.J]

Look at AVForums.

£500 will get you a nice amp & speakers. Onkyo is my choice.

 

[C.J]

You mention floorstanders. Do you have any? Or is that to be included in your budget?

4 speakers? You don't want a center front? A sub?

Unless I'm misreading, you want 5.1 minimum. Something like THIS will be a great entry level, and be a HUGE improvement over what you're using.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Richersounds.

Tell them you have a budget of £500 .. what you want .. bob's your monkhouse.

http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/onkyo/txsr309/onky-txsr309-blk

http://www.richersounds.com/product/floorstanders/kef/iq50/kef-iq50-blk

http://www.richersounds.com/product/bookshelf-speakers/tibo/edge-mini/tibo-edge-mini

Job done.

Got a blu-ray/DVD player ? That's your CD player.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

You mention floorstanders. Do you have any? Or is that to be included in your budget?

4 speakers? You don't want a centre front? A sub?

Daniel comes from the 1980s.

5.1 hasn't been invented yet in Bristol.

 

[Daniel]

You mention floorstanders. Do you have any? Or is that to be included in your budget?

4 speakers? You don't want a centre front? A sub?

I want: Floorstanders, Amp, CD player, wiring.

I don't want a Sub or a centre speaker. Apart from the fact i'm not ''that'' into it, I don't want anything more than that as space is tight. I just assumed (rightly/wrongly?) that floor standers would offer me a bit more thump as i'm not having a sub.

 

[The Fatty]

You dont have to go to richersounds, but this amp is brilliant http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/onkyo/txnr515/onky-txnr515-blk

Its my next amp when my Kenwood dies. It loads of HDMI inputs, is network and DNLA ready (for puching media from your smartphone directly to the amp) and has insaine upscalling abilities (upscales to 4K)! Its 100wrms per channel, so a nice 700wrms all together. You mention you dont want more than 4 speakers, so only 400wrms for this setup.

To make the most of it, you will need some good speakers (they dont hae to be expensive) and a good subwoofer. there are small subs and you will same a lot more space by having smaller fl/fc/fr/rl/rr speakers and a subwoofer than the other way around. (i.e, get some speakers liek the bose cubes for fl/fc/fr/rl/rr).

 

[Rob]

Can any of you read?

He has two small "sofa speakers" in the loft. He wants to add these into what he gets.

He wants an all singing, all dancing amp, that plays CDs, iPod or at least a separate unit for the cd's etc, some floor standers to go with it, and then wire to put the sofa speakers in on the system.

 

[Tim.]

Same post on avforums will get you a raft of options. Or get up Whiteladies and visit Richer Sounds, even just for advice if not to buy.

 

[Tom]

You dont have to go to richersounds, but this amp is brilliant http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/onkyo/txnr515/onky-txnr515-blk

Are you on commission? All you ever suggest is that amp.

LOL @ upscales to 4K, and?

 

[Daniel]

If you'll happily just let any salesperson rape your credit card then... well.

You're a proper c0cky tw.at aren't you. What I did 13/14 years ago should really be of no interest to you.

 

[The Fatty]

Are you on commission? All you ever suggest is that amp.

LOL @ upscales to 4K, and?

haha no I just really want one!

Yep, scales upto 4K. Sounds pointless now, but it is the future. HD is just not 'HD' enougth anymore!

 

[Daniel]

I really don't understand all this AV reciever stuff so please don't try and sell it to me. I'm like a 7 year old and will just switch off and start thinking about Nando's or something.

I just want an amp that can accomodate my Telly and my ipod/iphone. Some floor standers. And a CD player.

 

[Tim.]

I've got a set of bi-wireable floorstanders which are in my loft. They're light wood-effect, pretty bassy but they are big old units too. TDL Studio 10s iirc. If you were interested I'm sure we could come to some arrangement. Completely understand if you want to go new though.

 

[Daniel]

Aren't they the 4 cone jobs??

This is my living room Tim, not glastonbury! lol.

 

[The Fatty]

You said you didnt have much space Dan, so imp the best thing to do is to ditch the floor standing speakers idea and get small smaller wall mounted ones and employ a decent subwoofer (which will only take up the sapc eof 1 floor standing speaker and deliver much better low end responce).

 

[Daniel]

But that's more money, no?

Because i'll have to buy wall mounts, speakers and a sub. Instead of some floorstanders?

 

[Tim.]

Aren't they the 4 cone jobs??

This is my living room Tim, not glastonbury! lol.

They are. Sadly when my g/f & I got our place they had to go. Under the thumb FTL

 

[Tom]

i wish i lived nearer, we could go shopping and sort this out in an hour.

 

[Daniel]

i wish i lived nearer, we could go shopping and sort this out in an hour.

I'll make you a deal.

You link me up what to get, I'll go and get it on sunday (or today if my car comes back) no questions asked. I'll just go in and order it.

 

[bozothenutter]

onkyo....best bang for the buck

 

[The Fatty]

But that's more money, no?

Because i'll have to buy wall mounts, speakers and a sub. Instead of some floorstanders?

i should think you could get 4 cube speakers for £80 with its mounts, as they are so small, you might as well get teh extra 5th one as well. I would then source a seocnd hand sub which will be about £150.

keeping to a 2/4 channel system will not really imporve your sound experience much from your sony. It will change the dynamics, but it will still lack the cinema feeling.

 

[Tom]

Right, would you entertain a one box system?

Because knowing what you are like, thats what you need.

 

[The Fatty]

Or if you dont want things such as the 4K upscaling and wifi dnla support, something like this might be more up yoru street http://www.froogle.richersounds.com/product/speaker-packages/pioneer/htp071/pion-htp071

Pioneer amp, sub and cube speakers for under £250.

 

[Daniel]

Right, would you entertain a one box system?

Because knowing what you are like, thats what you need.

No, i've got one and hate it. Its my first one box and its dreadful.

 

[JonniP]

If you have a limited budget maybe spend on AV reciever 2 fronts and a Sub.
Then at a later date you can add on rear surround and centre channel.

Sub is needed, doesnt need to be loud and thump thump gangster style just fill in the low frequencies.

Good AV are Yamaha and Pioneer Onkyo are good aswell but they run a bit hot. Now they are just released te new lines so maybe some deals on the older models.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

I want: Floorstanders, Amp, CD player, wiring.

.

Richersounds.

http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/onkyo/txsr309/onky-txsr309-blk

http://www.richersounds.com/product/floorstanders/kef/iq50/kef-iq50-blk

Job done.

Got a blu-ray/DVD player ? That's your CD player.

 

[Vish]

Daniel,

Amp: Sony STR-DH820 £200

Speakers: Tannoy Mercury V4 £270

Add a 5 year warranty on the amp for £20 and you're good to go. Get some half decent cable for the fronts. Cheaper, thinner cable for the rear and you're good to go.

The speakers and amp are highly rated. My amp is a similar model but from 2 years ago and its brilliant. It'll pump out at plenty of power, the surround creation is brilliant and it pumps well on 2 channel music. It's got plenty of connections on the back in case you ever want to connect more things and has an USB on the front to easily connect iPod/iPhone. I think you an control it from the remote too. You can always add a sub in time if you fancy it as well. Just make sure you set the amp to know its only 2 front speakers and no sub so you get full bass and voice out of the front speakers. I'll get some links up in a minute. Use your current DVD player for CDs.

 

[Vish]

Amp http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/sony/strdh820/sony-strdh820

Speakers http://www.richersounds.com/product/floorstanders/tannoy/v4/tann-v4-dk-oak

Both very good products and amazing value for money without paying shed loads.

 

[Daniel]

Thank you vish, looks good!

Will my Bravia TV be able to plug straight into that Amp??

 

[Cookie]

Thank you vish, looks good!

Will my Bravia TV be able to plug straight into that Amp??

Yep, shouldn't be a problem

 

[Daniel]

I'm excited...

 

[Vish]

No probs mate. And as above, it will, use the HDMI cable. Plug everything into the amp, always listen from your speakers, TV speakers will sound s**t afterwards. Flick on the settings so turning on/off TV will auto turn on/amp, changing volume on TV (even by sky remote) will change amp volume. The amp will change the TV to the right visual input as well if you have a few things connected.

If you need any help setting it up, getting 5.1 from Sky HD, just drop me a PM.

 

[The Fatty]

the pioneer link i posted is better quality (than the sony) and cheaper. Obviously Tannoy is one of the worlds best speaker makers.

 

[Vish]

I've not been impressed by pioneer's budget range in general. Usability and sound quality didn't match my Sony unit. I've don't know much about that amp though.

 

[Al_G]

That Sony amp will do nicely. I'd get a sony bluray player (£100 - http://www.richersounds.com/product/blu-ray/sony/bdps490/sony-bdps490-blk) for your wife (CDs and films) and apple tv to stream music and video content (catch up tv etc) from your iPhone (£99).

I think you mentioned you've already got speakers?

If not I've got these which are epic (Mordaunt Short Aviano 1XR - £150)

http://www.richersounds.com/product/bookshelf-speakers/mordaunt-short/aviano-1xr/mord-aviano-1xr-blk

My speakers sit on mission stancette stands (richer sounds - £60).

You don't need a center speaker but at some point in the future a sub would be a great addition (mine made such a difference) - BK engineering Gemini II (£230).

Richer sounds will advise you on speaker cable, don't go crazy (think mine was £3.99 per meter). You'll need some HDMI cables, buy was cheap as possible from amazon, eBay, tesco etc.

 

[Al_G]

Here's a pic of the speakers and stands in my lounge...

 

[realnumber 1]

Amp that is decent for the money and will do all you want. £315

http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/onkyo/txnr414/onky-txnr414-blk

Good floorstanders for the money £200

http://www.richersounds.com/product/floorstanders/mission/m33i/miss-m33i-blk

Can be had cheaper here if you want. £150
http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/350615552513?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&adtype=plahttp://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/350615552513?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&adtype=pla

These are also getting good reviews on AVforum at the min.

http://www.richersounds.com/product/floorstanders/wharfedale/diamond-10.3/whar-10.3-blk

Bluray player that will also play the CDs or to save a bit use an existing Xbox/PS3/DVD/Bluray if you have one.£70

http://www.richersounds.com/product/blu-ray/lg/bp125/lg-bp125

Good speaker cable £16
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120869279...WAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_500wt_924

Nice system for as little as £550, less if you already have something to play CDs. Any other interconnects you would need can be had cheap.