Anybody else get excited planning new home cinema and audio kit?

[Londonscottish]

I've always loved my cars - and I've always loved my tunes. I'm in the middle of doing up another property and have secured some budget for some upgrades of what I've already got. I'm like a kid in a sweet shop

Main TV Room
I already have a Yamaha RXV673 amp and a 5.1 surround sound Tannoy speakers. However I sneaked two Monitor Audio Radius sides and a centre in my last place and so am going to sneak in another two (£350) so I've got the full surround package. Teamed with the Tannoy sub that lot should sound great - way better that the Tannoys which were themselves way better that the Mordaunt Shorts that came before them. I'm also buying a new TV - a Panasonic TX50EX750B @ £800. It's not OLED but it's got fast OLED-type processor so does motion really well and it has a natural colour balance that I like. Money no object I would of course get OLED TV but they are £500 more and I'd rather spend my money on a balance of visual and audio capabilities.

Secondary TV Room
I have a new-sh 40 inch LG for there which does the job but sounds rubbish. I was looking at a Naim Mu-so sound base at £1k-ish but noticed that the YPS2700 sound bar can be had for £550-ish. I like the idea that it could talk to my Yamaha receiver via the Yamaha MusicCast app for multi-room (the Naim would need a Chromecast and an optical splitter) and I like the idea of the sub as I do like a bit of bass (and the Naim doesn't look too adjustable). Plus I've just seen that Richer Sounds are throwing in a wireless MX10 speaker with the sound bar which solves a problem in the main open plan....

Open plan (kitchen/diner)
In the open plan area I'll wall mount a couple of Monitor Audio Golds (gorgeous things) and have another sub tucked away out of sight. For the amp I'll stick my other Yamaha receiver in the secondary TV room with a Chromecast for Spotify and a CD player for the odd occasion I get a CD out. This is where the Yamaha MX10 wireless speaker comes in - it's a very long room and it would be good to have some secondary speakers over at the far end - a couple of MX10's could do the job and save me installing ceiling speakers

So the total budget (for now) for the upgrade would be £1,800. And for that I'd get the best cinema set-up I've ever had, a neat secondary TV set up and subtle (but very good) audio set up with multi-speaker, multi-room options.

Of course all of this entails multiple visits to hifi shops (I'm very familiar with Richer Sounds in Bloomsbury, Swiss Cottage, Spitalfields and Chiswick) with all the temptattions that that entails. I'm currently trying to resist a proper Cambridge Audio or Cyrrus amp for the audio set up (£500 or £1,150) and trying to ignore REL subs (£850+) I'm doing a massive house build and need to get it over the line before serious upgrades. You've got to draw the line somewhere....

Anyway, is anybody else into mucking about with this sort of thing?

 

[st13phil]

I'm also buying a new TV - a Panasonic TX50EX750B @ £800.

I replaced a Panny plasma with a TX50EX750B in July last year and I've been very impressed with it. As you say, OLED is the latest & greatest (and more expensive) technology, but the EX750B delivers a superb picture that really doesn't give much away to full OLED. Properly set up the black levels are plasma-like, colours are very natural, motion is fluid and resolution knocks spots off previous generation sets. I'm sure you'll be well pleased with it.

I'm currently trying to resist a proper Cambridge Audio or Cyrrus amp for the audio set up

I confess that I'm into 2-channel audio rather than Home Cinema, but putting a decent amp with some "balls" to it into a system would be a priority for me. I have a Cyrus DAC / Monobloc system that I put together some 15 or more years ago and every time I toy with the idea of swapping it for something that takes up less space (it fills a large floor-standing rack) I listen to some music on it and decide its still a keeper

One suggestion I would make is that there are some real bargains to be had in second-hand audio equipment. Enthusiasts are willing to spend lots upgrading to the latest kit which means there's always a ready supply of relatively new and lovingly cared for second-hand equipment available. Specialist Hi-Fi dealers often have second-hand equipment that they will sell with warranty if you're nervous about buying without, or there's a plethora of kit on flea-bay.

 

[Londonscottish]

I replaced a Panny plasma with a TX50EX750B in July last year and I've been very impressed with it. As you say, OLED is the latest & greatest (and more expensive) technology, but the EX750B delivers a superb picture that really doesn't give much away to full OLED. Properly set up the black levels are plasma-like, colours are very natural, motion is fluid and resolution knocks spots off previous generation sets. I'm sure you'll be well pleased with it.I confess that I'm into 2-channel audio rather than Home Cinema, but putting a decent amp with some "balls" to it into a system would be a priority for me. I have a Cyrus DAC / Monobloc system that I put together some 15 or more years ago and every time I toy with the idea of swapping it for something that takes up less space (it fills a large floor-standing rack) I listen to some music on it and decide its still a keeper

One suggestion I would make is that there are some real bargains to be had in second-hand audio equipment. Enthusiasts are willing to spend lots upgrading to the latest kit which means there's always a ready supply of relatively new and lovingly cared for second-hand equipment available. Specialist Hi-Fi dealers often have second-hand equipment that they will sell with warranty if you're nervous about buying without, or there's a plethora of kit on flea-bay.

Thanks for the feedback on the TV. Really looking forward to it. The current LG was a similar price 7 or 8 years ago and has a decent picture. Until you're watching football and there's a panning shot.....

Agree on the 2 channel point. The reason I've been using HC is that in previous houses I've had one amp doing both jobs. Now I'm splitting them up and so could easily go for a proper audio amp. Should do, really. Except I do like the idea of linking that amp with a Yamaha Sound bar in the TV room off the open plan and a couple of wireless Yamaha wireless speakers at the far end of the kitchen. Maybe I need one of these;

Yamaha RX-A1060 review

 

[Londonscottish]

Mods - just noticed I accidentally posted this twice. My Chromebase crashed whilst I was posting it first time round and i thought the posg hadnt loaded - can you merge them or delete the other one?

 

[190]

This is a very low tech solution compared to surround sound systems.

Flat screen TV's have very small speakers so there is little to no chance of even reasonable sound quality. With several TV's I have simply disconnected the internal speakers and brought the connections out to a pair of passive book shelf speakers positioned at the rear or to the sides of the TV. For little cost, in fact zero in my case as I already had the speakers, I've made a huge improvement in sound quality with real bass. Retaining the TV's internal audio amplifier is a limitation in terms of watts per channel but it performs well enough with tolerably efficient ported speakers.

 

[Londonscottish]

This is a very low tech solution compared to surround sound systems.

Flat screen TV's have very small speakers so there is little to no chance of even reasonable sound quality. With several TV's I have simply disconnected the internal speakers and brought the connections out to a pair of passive book shelf speakers positioned at the rear or to the sides of the TV. For little cost, in fact zero in my case as I already had the speakers, I've made a huge improvement in sound quality with real bass. Retaining the TV's internal audio amplifier is a limitation in terms of watts per channel but it performs well enough with tolerably efficient ported speakers.

Yes, great idea. I started on this particular journey 20+ years ago when I hooked up a spare amp with a couple of bookshelf speakers and plugged them into my TV. I was astonished to hear the TV soundtrack properly for the first time ever.

I'm in a rental property at the moment but on Wednesday I dug out some old Bose companions and hooked them up to the main TV. They are fairly rubbish but make a huge improvement.

 

[ChrisEdu]

I've just replaced my now dead Pioneer SC LX86 with a Yamaha RX-A 3070. Next step is adding four veiling speakers for Dolby Atmos, and to add some Yamaha MusicCast speakers in various rooms.

I've been into home AV kit for about 13 years now and would say it's one of the few things that I regret spending money on. Over time, I have upgraded my projector, projection screen, speakers, cables, disc player, receivers, etc... It's been a lot of money, but has provided some excellent family time and social events.

 

[Red C220]

I went to Richer sounds a fortnight ago and bought a new TV and soundbar for our new house. I've not picked it up yet, I'll get it once we've moved. I've just been to get the receipt to see what I bought:-

Samsung UE55MU700 tv
Harmon Kardon SB20 Sound bar plus wireless sub.

£1200 for the pair.

Now I'm not an audiophile of any description and I went into the shop with no preconceived ideas of what I was going to buy or what the budget was.

The guys in the shop were very helpful, I was genuinely struggling to see the difference between the picture quality of £800 tv's and £2,800 tv's even at 55 inch. However the soundbars we're hugely different in bass, tone and general sound. So I spent a bit more on a decent soundbar and picked a TV that was on offer.

When I think back to what a 32" Panasonic CRT widescreen cost me 20 years ago TV's really are incredibly value for money these days.

 

[Londonscottish]

I've just replaced my now dead Pioneer SC LX86 with a Yamaha RX-A 3070. Next step is adding four veiling speakers for Dolby Atmos, and to add some Yamaha MusicCast speakers in various rooms.

Nice. I'd like to get up into the Yamaha Aventage range at some point.

I've been into home AV kit for about 13 years now and would say it's one of the few things that I regret spending money on. Over time, I have upgraded my projector, projection screen, speakers, cables, disc player, receivers, etc... It's been a lot of money, but has provided some excellent family time and social events.

Do you mean one of the things you do or don't regret spending money on?

 

[Londonscottish]

One suggestion I would make is that there are some real bargains to be had in second-hand audio equipment. Enthusiasts are willing to spend lots upgrading to the latest kit which means there's always a ready supply of relatively new and lovingly cared for second-hand equipment available. Specialist Hi-Fi dealers often have second-hand equipment that they will sell with warranty if you're nervous about buying without, or there's a plethora of kit on flea-bay.

I've looked on ebay and AV Forums but I can quite quickly get very lost. Often sellers don't declare the year of the amp or whatever and I can't tell if it's 3 years old or 30. So I give up and go and do something else.

Having said that I just followed your advice and found a Yamaha RX-V3067 for £275. Given that it originally retailed at £1,500 it might be worth a look. The oldest review I could find was from 2011 so it's probably 5 or 6 years old

Any I could probably get £250 back for the brand new boxed 581 sitting downstairs.

Hmmm....

 

[PobodY]

I've always loved my cars - and I've always loved my tunes. I'm in the middle of doing up another property and have secured some budget for some upgrades of what I've already got. I'm like a kid in a sweet shop

Main TV Room
I already have a Yamaha RXV673 amp and a 5.1 surround sound Tannoy speakers. However I sneaked two Monitor Audio Radius sides and a centre in my last place and so am going to sneak in another two (£350) so I've got the full surround package. Teamed with the Tannoy sub that lot should sound great - way better that the Tannoys which were themselves way better that the Mordaunt Shorts that came before them. I'm also buying a new TV - a Panasonic TX50EX750B @ £800. It's not OLED but it's got fast OLED-type processor so does motion really well and it has a natural colour balance that I like. Money no object I would of course get OLED TV but they are £500 more and I'd rather spend my money on a balance of visual and audio capabilities.

I've got an RXV679 (so technically the 7.1 version) and a mish-mash of speakers... which I'm supposed to be mounting on the wall to keep my wife happy. - Currently it's connected to a BenQ W2000 projector, so even when I've only got a low-resolution input it's upscaled to 1080p.

Ultimately the plan is to use to not use the Atmos channels in this room, but instead run them as "zone 2" in the livingroom.

 

[Londonscottish]

I've got an RXV679 (so technically the 7.1 version) and a mish-mash of speakers... which I'm supposed to be mounting on the wall to keep my wife happy. - Currently it's connected to a BenQ W2000 projector, so even when I've only got a low-resolution input it's upscaled to 1080p.

Ultimately the plan is to use to not use the Atmos channels in this room, but instead run them as "zone 2" in the livingroom.

Nice.

All my speakers are wall mounted for the same reason (the mrs). Although in the TV room the sizes have been creeping up, The Mordaunt Short Genies were tiny and, looking back, a bit tinny. They stayed along with the (outdated) TV in a house I sold in 2010-ish. The Tannoys that replaced them were half a size up and sound far better. The Monitor Audios that are replacing them are twice the size but sound pretty much like proper bookshelves. The detail from the centre is amazing. Anyway, the room's big so I'm sure they'll look fine (ie small).

The proper bookshelves (Monitor Audio Gold) will go the open plan kitchen/diner/reception on the all. But the rest of the gubbins (amp, sub, etc) will be tucked away out of sight.

It's funnny, isn't it. Blokes are quite happy to look at kit or even make a point of displaying it. My wife HATES looking at it. But to be fair she does appreciate the sound of a good set up. As long as it's discrete.

 

[PobodY]

It's funnny, isn't it. Blokes are quite happy to look at kit or even make a point of displaying it. My wife HATES looking at it. But to be fair she does appreciate the sound of a good set up. As long as it's discrete.

Absolutely. - Her idea to put it all in, but why don't we have those little discrete speakers she's seen?
I've compromised by hiding the surround speakers (Eltax Monitors I think) behind the sofa with the sub (BK XLS200). So it's just the two B&W LM1s that need to go on the wall... and damned if I know what to do with the centre channel.

 

[Londonscottish]

Absolutely. - Her idea to put it all in, but why don't we have those little discrete speakers she's seen?
I've compromised by hiding the surround speakers (Eltax Monitors I think) behind the sofa with the sub (BK XLS200). So it's just the two B&W LM1s that need to go on the wall... and damned if I know what to do with the centre channel.

Those LM1's look about the same size as my MA Radius's (Radii?)

When you say you don't know what to do about the centre do you mean you're being "discouraged" from fitting one or you don't have the right speaker.

Centres make a huge difference to dialogue. I tried running a 2.1 set up for a while but sometomes couldn't hear what people were saying. Stuck a centre in and fixed things immediately.

 

[PobodY]

I just meant that I don't know how I could mount that on a wall. - I definitely need it because, as you say, there's no (or little) speech without it.

 

[BIRMA]

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of sound bars these days, I have two set-ups one is in the main lounge where I have an ageing but expensive surround sound system, this was £6K in it's day and is good. I recently changed our main TV to the new LG OLED and whilst at the shop listened to the LG Atmos sound bar. It was on offer at about £700 and I was impressed bought it and I much prefer it to the old system.
In my games room/den/bolt hole I have another LG OLED (I bought two as I was that impressed) I have the latest Denon Atmos receiver along with 7 Q Acoustic 7000's the sound is thunderous with the ceiling mounted speakers but have to say that the sound bar isn't that far removed from it despite a big price difference. On the subject of centre speakers always budget high for them they are important.
Don't get me started on HiFi my group of friends are real Hifi fanatics and one has had a separate electrical spur/supply installed at great cost just for his HiFi I haven't gone quite that far.

 

[ChrisEdu]

Nice. I'd like to get up into the Yamaha Aventage range at some point.



Do you mean one of the things you do or don't regret spending money on?

I don't regret spending money on it.

 

[ChrisEdu]

This thread has just reminded me that I have my original receiver and DVD player, still. I keep meaning to put them up for sale.

 

[Londonscottish]

One suggestion I would make is that there are some real bargains to be had in second-hand audio equipment.

If I can agree payment & courier mecahanisms it looks like I've just picked up a Yamaha RX-V3067 for the princely sum of £300. It's middle aged (2011) but is of an era where HDMI's were becoming important (it has 8....) and was a £1,500 amp new. Doesn't support MusicCast but that doesn't matter - I'll put in the main TV room, plug it into my TV and see how the MA Radius's sound. I'll stick a Chromecast Audio in for Spotify. Quite excited about getting my hands on something that's (in a component & build sense) quite a few rungs higher up the ladder than my existing 581 & 673.

Not sure how I'll explain the arrival of a 4th AV receiver to the FD. Need to get the 581 on sale ASAP....

 

[st13phil]

Quite excited about getting my hands on something that's (in a component & build sense) quite a few rungs higher up the ladder than my existing 581 & 673.

Not sure how I'll explain the arrival of a 4th AV receiver to the FD. Need to get the 581 on sale ASAP....

Uh-oh. The embryonic signs of upgradeitis are emerging

Enjoy your new amp. If the worst comes to it, just hide the 581...