Idiot amp question.

nichorob

nichorob

nichorob

Soldato
Joined
1 Apr 2003
Posts
5,244
Location
London
Morning all,

Sorry to have to ask basic questions but im new to all this AV stuff and to be honest no matter what I read I still end up completly baffled.

Basically im looking to centralise all my equipment to use the same output. Soon im hoping to buy a budget amp and some bookshelf speakers which id like to connect up allmy equipment to. Im thinking perhaps a Cambridge Audio A5 (5 inputs) amp and some Cambridge Audio S30 bookshelf speakers.

This is all my equipment that id like to hook up to it:

Sony KDL-32S2530 LCD TV
Xbox 360
HTPC
And my DJ setup (2x Technics 1210s and Pioneer DJM-400 mixer)

Could anyone please tell me if this is even possible first before I start thinking about buying anything? If not could somebody recommend a solution?

I would be eternally greatful. Many thanks in advance.
 
Yes it is possible and let me say im am far less knowledgeable than a lot of people in here, but an av reciever should do the job you want just fine, that is unless the Cambridge audio device you mention isn't one all ready.
now something like a cheap Sony or like mine Phillips AV receiver doesn't have R,G,B in or HDMI in, but if you move up slightly in the market then dennon, onkyo or Yamaha do AV amps with these inputs, they are also superior quality and would be ideal for handling the video signal of you xbox 360 and television.

hope this helps and if i have made any mistakes some one will be along to correct me shortly :D
 
Thanks for the reply.

I was under the impression that I would only need an AV reciever if I wanted surround sound? Im just going for a very basic 2 speaker set up to start off with so im not really interested in that at the moment.
 
the idea of an av receiver is in the name, Audio / Video receiver its so that the video and audio streams of several objects can be handled by a single device the surround sound is just a by product of the medium it handles, television/movies and surround sound go hand in hand so it would be pointless making something to handle its audio and video stream if it didn't support the surround sound feature.
as for xbox/tv/ and decks you want to handle audio and video streams so my recomendation would be an av receiver.
 
Depends.
You could get the Cambridge Audio A5 and connect the Video for the HTPC and 360 to the tv and the sound to the amp.


Or you could get an AV Amp and connect everything to that
 
Thanks for these posts, I do need an AV amp I think now after reading these, god knows why I find this so confusing!

Im trying to understand the AV amp now, how would my TV connect? Would I need an HDMI model?

Gah, im sorry. :D
 
Probably around £250, seen the Sony STRK880 with HDMI for this price.

Would my TV connect directly to this? I know everything else would.
 
Can't see why you need an AV amp if you don't want surround?

Take the pre-outs from the TV and hook them into a regular amp? Budget AV recievers with built in amps are usually rubbish, but a 250quid hi-fi amp will be very capable!
 
Il be honest with you, I seem to be knowledgable about most technology but home cinema just baffles me no matter how much I research it.

Looking at prices, it seems I maybe better off with an AV amp, I would like to go surround plus a sub at some point but would just start off with a basic 2 bookshelf speaker setup.

Im aware that il easily be able to hook up my LCD / Xbox 360 / HTPC to an AV amp but is it possible to hookup my mixer (Pioneer DJM-400) to it at the same time? Heres a pic of the back, apologies if its a bit big.

DJM400-B.JPG
 
lol £250 on a second hand av amp would blow the hifi gear out of the water even £125 would give it a run for its money
and yes the mixer would hook up to the receiver just fine through the rca plugs
a second hand hifi amp for £250 is another matter but then its just a question of what you want to do with the equipmant
 
Last edited:
Last question, I assume something like the Sony STR-DG710 wouldnt be of any use to me then? If you click on the technical specs then scroll down to input/outputs it says 'Phono (MM) (which I understand is RCA) - NO.'
 
that would be perfect for your neads.
these things typically have upwards of 20+ rca connections between 2 and 4 for every input.
my philips one handles dvd/phono/tuner/cd/tv/vcr/sat
these all have there own rca connections with optical and digital coax aswell.
the sony has the addition of hdmi ports and componant wich is ideal for your xbox 360.

heres a picture of the back of mine its porr and i cant quite get in all the connections but it will give you an idea.
the sony will have a few more two

DSC00355.jpg


how many leads do you need coming from your mixer to the amp?
is it just the standerd 2 for the L and R audio even 4 you would be ok.
 
Last edited:
You have cleared my mind now. Seen that Sony amp for £197 so il probably go for that and a couple of bookshelf speakers and upgrade to surround and an sub at Christmas. HDMI is a nice inclusion, is this how it would connect to my LCD?

Thanks for all your help.
 
lol £250 on a second hand av amp would blow the hifi gear out of the water even £125 would give it a run for its money
Click to expand...

Are you trying to imply that a 125quid AV amp will beat a 125quid 2channel amp on sound quality? :confused:
 
no i said a second hand av amp for the same price as a new hifi amp for the same price would have competition, good av gear is expensive yes, that is why i said to buy second hand as its generally well looked after and upgraded to keep with technology ie: hdmi revisions etc.
even i now a new £250 av reciever is no match for a new £250 hifi amp for music quality but invest that £250 in a good quality av reciever that is second hand it will give that new hifi amp a run for its money and still have the features he wants wich the hifi amp dowsnt have.
a second hand yamaha av reciever for £125 would have as good if not better sound quality than a new £125 hifi amp?

as for connecting the lcd what output do you use on your htpc?
 
Last edited:
then you would connect your tv to a hdmi out your htpc to a hdmi in and your x box to component in then you can use the single av receiver interface to switch between the separate inputs and use a single input for the tv.
the av receiver handles it all from input selection to audio signals.
then any other device be it another console or anything else you think off will attach to ths amp and be taken care of through its interface.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom