John Lewis - any good for surround sound?

dl8860 · 11 Oct 2015 at 19:31

So I've got a few hundred quid leftover in John Lewis vouchers post-wedding guest list, and have been thinking about taking a plunge for a 5.1 system for a while.

I can't find anything they stock that resembles an actual separate 5.1 system though, no AV receivers, no separate speaker packages or anything like that. Just what you find on this page, http://www.johnlewis.com/browse/ele...er-system/5.1/_/N-al1Z1z0rbzwZ1z0rcdqZ1z0rcdp which all seem to resemble the all-in-one solutions which I've read just don't cut the mustard.

Am I right on this?

To go further, as a definite non-audiophile, will one of these systems be vastly inferior to spending the same amount on a proper setup? For instance, this http://www.johnlewis.com/lg-lhb725-...smart-blu-ray-dvd-home-cinema-system/p1997255 vs. say this http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/sony/strdn850/sony-strdn850 and these http://www.richersounds.com/product/speaker-packages/tannoy/tfx-5.1/tann-tfx5.1-blk

Obviously I'd like to spend the vouchers, but they will get spent eventually and I'd rather have something worth having.

Thoughts please, cheers

MissChief · 11 Oct 2015 at 19:46

When I bought my 1080p TV from them 6-7 years ago they'd recently stopped selling the AV stuff and dismantled their demo room. They told me at the time that Richer Sounds was undercutting or matching them on everything and consequently there wasn't much money in it. I don't think they really do anything other than perhaps the odd all-in-one system.

andy_mk3 · 11 Oct 2015 at 19:53

Definitely go with the kind of kit from RS. AIO systems are ok to a point but they'll never be amazing. I went from a good Sony AIO system to a Yamaha amp and Tannoy speakers, the difference is utterly amazing.

danny77 · 13 Oct 2015 at 05:55

As above don't get an all in one system as you will end regretting it , much better to go to richer sounds and get amp for around £150 and a 5.1 speaker package for around £200

something along the lines of TANNOY TFX 5.1 speakers with either PIONEER
VSX329 or YAMAHA RXV377 .

p's don't get talked into spending loads on speaker cable , this cable will do just as well, although the tannoy speakers come with 25m Speaker Cable in the box so it wouldn't break the bank to grab another 10 metres from RS.