Ditching soundbar for AV reciever and speakers.

ValiantUK91 · 8 Apr 2017 at 18:14

Hey guys, Looking for abit of advice as i have no experience regarded Av recievers and speakers, I have always had sound bars and sound bases in the past currently using a Philips HTL5140 but I have landed myself a bonus from work half of which i have put to one side (saving for a mortgage) so have £500 to play with.

Will it be worth me dropping the sound bar and going the AV reciever + speaker route considering my budget? Happy to go the second hand route.

Usage will be Movies/Gaming(xbox one s) and music from time to time. Also considering buying a 4K bluray player instead of using the xbox.

Ive been looking at this for the reciever as it seems to have all the features i need.
http://m.richersounds.com/#!/product/YAMA-RXV381-BLK

speaker wise i can get some KEF Q55.2s locally for just over £100 are they worth considering or should i look at something abit newer.

Thanks for any help/suggestions.

hornetstinger · 8 Apr 2017 at 18:35

If you do get the Yamaha just don't go crazy with the volume, Yamaha AVR's aren't that powerful. Kef Q55.2 are a good choice for £100, but the matching center is pretty awful. Although tbh I would step up to the Q65.2 if you can, I found the old Q55 a bit ponderous in the bas department. But if you use bass management (which you would anyway) that should sort it out. I had the Q75's and Q15's as well, plus the center.

Get the larger four driver Kef center not the god awful Q95.

I use Kef Reference, got the three matching Reference front three speakeaers

Psycho Sonny · 10 Apr 2017 at 14:48

signs said:
*** QUOTED POST REMOVED ***

that doesn't passthrough 4k though. it's also missing a lot of modern features.

http://petertyson.co.uk/index.php/h...amaha-rx-v681-with-monitor-audio-mass-av.html

get yourself a package like this. it will blow your soundbar away

signs · 10 Apr 2017 at 15:23

Psycho Sonny said:
that doesn't passthrough 4k though. it's also missing a lot of modern features.

http://petertyson.co.uk/index.php/h...amaha-rx-v681-with-monitor-audio-mass-av.html

get yourself a package like this. it will blow your soundbar away

its does pass 4k but its not 2.2 compliant

Psycho Sonny · 10 Apr 2017 at 15:29

signs said:
its does pass 4k but its not 2.2 compliant

so it won't pass through 4k from anything other than a pc

ValiantUK91 · 10 Apr 2017 at 20:27

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

should have mentions atm i dont want a 5.1 but in the future that is the plan.

Ive managed to source a second hand pioneer vsx-531 which i believe has all the features i need.

Now onto speakers any suggestions? Im leaning more towards floorstands with the view to adding rears and a centre speaker at a later date.

A pair of mission mx4s have popped up locally anyone got any experience with these?

Cheers.

hornetstinger · 10 Apr 2017 at 20:50

ValiantUK91 said:
Thanks for the suggestions guys.

should have mentions atm i dont want a 5.1 but in the future that is the plan.

Ive managed to source a second hand pioneer vsx-531 which i believe has all the features i need.

Now onto speakers any suggestions? Im leaning more towards floorstands with the view to adding rears and a centre speaker at a later date.

A pair of mission mx4s have popped up locally anyone got any experience with these?

Cheers.

Cheap floorstanders are to be avoided. I'd rather have a good quality standmount, than a compromised floorstander. For your buget I'd go for a standmount.

ValiantUK91 · 10 Apr 2017 at 21:02

Any suggestions hornet?

hornetstinger · 10 Apr 2017 at 21:10

The usual, Kef, B&W, Monitor Audio, Q Acoustics, Wharfedale, Ruark, Celestion, Tannoy, Dali, Focal.

Psycho Sonny · 11 Apr 2017 at 09:42

you can't go wrong with monitor audio or q acoustics when on a budget.

ValiantUK91 · 13 Apr 2017 at 18:06

Just a little update, picked up the pioneer vsx-531 instead of the yamaha.

Speaker wise i missed out on a pair of audio monitor br2s on ebay so going to grab a set of q acoustic 2020i and 2000ci center speaker.

Just need to pick up some decent speaker wire and stands now then im all set.

ValiantUK91 · 16 Apr 2017 at 11:57

Decided to go for the q acoustic 3010s had to back out of getting the centre speaker as realised it wont fit in my unit or ontop under the tv been looking for a bracket that i coukd attach onto the back of my tv to hold the spesker above but cant find anything thinking about modding a xbox kinect mount.