Advise needed: A/V Receivers

[Marcos]

Out of interest Marcos, what are you going to be using the PS3/360 for? If it is games/films I would actually say get a surround amp and add the extra speakers on at a later date.

The addition of surround sound will be a massive step up for you. If it is music you are using them for I would really worry too much as neither are the greatest music players in the world.

(Sorry to throw another factor into the mix).

mostly music with a few movies a week, thing is, i dont have a permanent home and will likely be moving around a fair amount in the next 5 years or so . Carrying around and setting up a surround setup every time i move is not a good option for me

i'd like surround when im settled

[SiM]

cheers Sim, was hoping for a response like that!

I would wait for reviews /AV forums opinions before ordering though... just in case it has something seriously wrong with it...

[bigblue]

Think i might have found my next receiver:
(kudos to Bigblue for starting me on the sony line up)

Hey, as long as you get something you're happy with in the end up, job's a good un!

That one is actually fairly similar to the 2400 I showed you earlier, just without a few (mainly non-essential) bits 'n' bobs like pre-outs. It's a very nice amp, and the last model from that range did well, so if it keeps the same sound quality, and adds the new features, it could be a big hit

If you go for it, I hope it does you proud!

Just Marcos we need to get sorted now...

[Blackmage]

I would wait for reviews /AV forums opinions before ordering though... just in case it has something seriously wrong with it...

You know that sony doesn't look bad at all for the price, its got my interest now

[Howard]

Yeh thats the point of using the individual analogue connections, you don't need a receiver that decodes DD TrueHD and DTS MA, but you still get the same quality...

Not always - using HDMI is a lot more versatile in that many amps won't "process" the analog inputs, and they usually only have one input anyway! And HDMI = one cable, no mess of cables
I definitely wouldn't buy a receiver that doesn't decode the latest formats nowadays.

As for the Onkyos, I bought a 705 as I needed the preouts and it's fantastic. It really was a step up in terms of quality from my Yamaha and that's with standard Dolby Digital and DTS. The uncompressed HD sound formats are even better. Not night and day but there is definitely the extra clarity and it sounds a lot less, well, like it's all been crammed into a 448kbps stream

I watched I Am Legend on Bluray in with Dolby TrueHD at something like -5db on my amp which was ridiculously loud and it was like being in the cinema

Onkyo stuff is definitely not overrated IMO, the price of the 605 is hard to overlook too!

[Andeh13]

Speakers (Q acoustics 1050i) arrived with my grandparents on monday! Just went and saw them today and got a bollocking from my grandad due to the size of them. He needed to use a wheel barrow to move each of the two boxs 2 the garage & wasnt overly impressed about it all! They are truely massive beasts and i cant wait till i get a chance to try em out. Shame i have to wait until september when i move into university and get it all setup.

On a seperate note they didnt come with cables, so guessing i will need to buy some. They are bi-wirable and im guessing/hoping the sony is aswell, so can anyone point me in the right direction for the sort of cables i will need? 3-5metres in length should do the trick.


Thanks guys

[bigblue]

Speakers (Q acoustics 1050i) arrived with my grandparents on monday!

Glad to hear it, hope you enjoy 'em

On a seperate note they didnt come with cables, so guessing i will need to buy some. They are bi-wirable and im guessing/hoping the sony is aswell, so can anyone point me in the right direction for the sort of cables i will need? 3-5metres in length should do the trick.

The benefits of bi-wiring are debatable at best Even if you have the facility, you're usually better just spending the dosh on a single-wire solution. As in, 2 runs of £5 speaker cable will give you better results than 4 runs of £2.50 speaker cable. That is, of course, if you believe there's any differences in cable. I'm know many here don't, and will tell you as much quite eagerly (had the debates before, ta, so not this time? ). I'm a 'believer' to an extent, but still won't spend too much. Diminishing returns and all that.

Van Damme cable seems to fill the middle ground between enthusiast and skeptic quite well. There's a chap on AVForums who gives the forum deals seemingly, I'm sure a quick search would lead you to him.

If you're handy with a cable stripper (or just a knife...) you could just buy some off the reel stuff as opposed to terminated. There are usually good deals on ebay for off-cuts if various cables. I have a few lying about the house that you could have, but it'd probably cost as much in postage as it would to buy the things new!

Half decent plugs/spades can add £20-£40 quid onto the cable, and as long as you don't mind re-cutting them every now and again, you can just hook up with the bare wires and save some cash. There's no real detrimental sonic effect, in fact many folk with stupidly expensive systems prefer it this way, as they feel it's the purest way to connect. Wouldn't make much difference to you or I, so I guess it all depends whether you like to save money or hassle Cheap plugs are more hassle than they're worth though, unless you're prepared to solder them.

Anyway, Richer Sounds probably have something to suit

[neonplanet40]

I also agree that speaker cables make a huge difference. I opted for QED Silver anniversary speaker cables. And in my view Biwire is only worth it in really high end components. Just get gd quality leads for now.

http://www.qed-cable-shop.co.uk/Spea...3afaf7f7eb29c2

[Howard]

I'm a believer in that a reasonable set of cables will be more appropriate than a thin bit of bellwire, but after that, the differences tend to tail off

Quality shielded interconnects are important though

[Andeh13]

ouch, i didnt realise cables would be that expense. I hadnt budgeted more then £20 odd for 2 x 5m lengths. Am i being unreasonable there?

[bigblue]

Well, if you're buying new, you'll definitely need to go unterminated, and you won't get a decent bi-wire.

£2/m is probably a bit cheap considering the quality of the gear you'll be using with it, but you'll get some Van Damme stuff for that kind of cash. Thread on AVF http://http://www.avforums.com/forum...ight=van+damme

It may even be cheaper on Ebay, or you might be able to pick up something else second hand there.

[Andeh13]

I would consider second hand quite happily. Had a brief look on avforums and couldnt find much there though. I could up my budget slightly, but i would still like to keep the costs as low as is reasonably possible. Iv ruled out bi-wires, especially if they are going to cost a great deal more.

Have been having a look at VanDamme (searched on avforums, as your link is broken) but im a tad unsure as to what sort of cables ill need. I can picture them in my head ( 2 'plugs' at each end jobbies), but i dont know the name that is general given to them. The cables also come in different sizes of 4mm, 2.5mm, 1.5mm etc. Im guessing this is the width of them but im not sure how much of a difference they would make. Would i be alright with the 2.5mm, or would the 4mm be better suited to my setup?

As for buying the cables without the terminals attached, is it easy enough to attach the terminals if i buy them seperate to the actually cables? Are there any real advantages to it? Ideally id like to avoid the hassle, but if it is cheaper to buy the cables, then attach the terminals id consider doing so.

Many thanks for your help mate

[bigblue]

Have been having a look at VanDamme (searched on avforums, as your link is broken)

Ah, sorry 'bout that, should have been http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=388257 but I guess you've found it by now

but im a tad unsure as to what sort of cables ill need. I can picture them in my head ( 2 'plugs' at each end jobbies), but i dont know the name that is general given to them

You don't actually need the 'banana' plugs at the end. I take it you'll have binding posts on the speakers, and if you unscrew them you'll find they have a hole through the posts, so you can put bare wire through, then re-tighten.

The cables also come in different sizes of 4mm, 2.5mm, 1.5mm etc. Im guessing this is the width of them but im not sure how much of a difference they would make. Would i be alright with the 2.5mm, or would the 4mm be better suited to my setup?

In theory, the thicker the cable, the better the performance. After a certain thickness it won't make much difference, and it's one of the often debated hi-fi theories. The 1.5mm may well be good enough, but it's hard to quantify, as with most things hi-fi related There's plenty of people on various AV forums hooking up with Van Damme though. There's some folk hooking up very expensive systems with the 4mm.

As for buying the cables without the terminals attached, is it easy enough to attach the terminals if i buy them seperate to the actually cables?

Yeah, depending on which ones you buy though. The cheaper ones are usually no hassle. You just feed a bit of exposed wire in and tighten one or two screws. Most of the premium ones that are more hassle will be too expensive, so you don't need to worry! Just be careful you don't get a 'bargain' set of QED Airloc's or you'll be off to a dealer with them!

Are there any real advantages to it? Ideally id like to avoid the hassle, but if it is cheaper to buy the cables, then attach the terminals id consider doing so.

Advantages to terminations? It depends really. If you conect with bare wire you need to re-cut them from time to time as they oxidise. But if you're not connecting them with air-tight plugs they'll oxidise anyway, although to a lesser extent.

The main advantage of having them terminated is it's simpler to connect and disconnect. If you're moving the speakers about it's simpler to just unplug the bananas, rather than pulling the wire out. But re-connecting with bare wire is pretty simple too, providing you're not immensely clumsy. I am immensely clumsy, but I still get on fine. All my speakers are connected without plugs.

Many folk avoid using terminations of any sort though, as they feel it's a more straightforward way to do it, as the signal doesn't have to pass through what's usually just a cheap brass plug. Probably doesn't make much difference, but you pays yer money...

[bigblue]

Think i might have found my next receiver:
(kudos to Bigblue for starting me on the sony line up)

What Hi-Fi review is up

http://whathifi.com/Review/Sony-STR-DG820/

Somehow I think you'd better get your order in quickly