Logitech Z906 or Sony BDV-E4100 ?

[DrK-M]

Hi Guys,

I am looking to by a new home cinema since mine broke after 15 years

It was a Phillips HTS 3100.

Which one do you think would be best between the two below?

Sony BDV-E4100

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-BDV-E...1486507935&sr=1-1&keywords=home+cinema+system

Logitech Z906


I will link this to my tv mainly to watch movies/shows and maybe music.

PS: please don't tell me both are bad, trying to find the best option since I can't spend too much.

I know that a better choice could be getting a receiver and set of speakers but yeah..

Thanks a lot

 

[Marsman]

First of all, probably best remove the link for the Z906. Although not in stock, that is something that OcUK have listed.

They do slightly different things, in that the Sony will play Blu-Ray discs. Is that something you need?

If you do need a BD player, then I'd probably go for the Z906 at that price, regardless whether you need a BD player or not. If you do need one, you can buy a separate one for less than the difference between the Z906 and Sony system.

You'll also get more connections with the Z906. I've seen quite a few times people with a BD based 5.1 system say they want to connect other devices, but can't because of the lack of connectivity. Although the Z906 does pale on comparison to an AV receiver in that regard.

Another option is a AV receiver + speakers that you mentioned, such as this Yamaha

If you need a BD player though, then that will add more cost, to more than what the Sony system costs. I'd take the Yamaha system with a separate BD player (if needed) over the Sony system every time though.

Whether the Yamaha system is better option than the Z906 though, I'm not so sure. £200 is a nice price for the Z906. It has been as much as £280, which is on the expensive side in my opinion. If it £280, I'd go for the Yamaha system. For £200 though it's a good option.

 

[DrK-M]

I see, thanks for the info..

Isn"t the lack of HDMI a problem with the z906?

Any other thoughts on the question?

 

[Marsman]

The lack of HDMI would only be a problem if the TV in question doesn't have an optical connection.

If that's the case, then you'd need to go for either the Sony system or something like the Yamaha one. Again, depends whether you need a Blu-Ray player or not, whether it's a part of the Sony system, or a separate one.

If you do need a BD player, then undoubtedly the Sony system will work out cheaper, but I think even low budget AV receiver and speaker packages are generally better value in the long run. More connection options (except WiFi), and easier to replace something that is part of a separates system if something breaks or develops a fault outside of warranty period, compared to an all in one BD/DVD based system. You can't really change anything that's part of an all in one BD/DVD system without replacing the whole lot.

Having said that though, your last one lasted 15 years. That's good going, so if you do plump for the Sony system, hopefully that will last just as long.