Music/home cinema setup

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Hi all

I’m keen to reinvest in a better music setup after selling my basic kit about 10 years ago in order to fund a 5.1 setup. I currently have a Yamaha RXV-367 AVR, an active Mission sub and Mission speakers all round. The fronts are smallish bookshelf speakers (think they’re M71).

My current thinking is to upgrade the front stereo pair to a set geared for music first and cinema second, but due to the layout of the room I’m restricted to wall mounting them. Are there any suitable bookshelfs that perform particularly well given that restriction? Budget c£200.

My plan then is to keep the existing AVR but add a dedicated stereo amp and speaker switcher. The amp will probably depend on what pairs well with the speakers, so will leave that open for now. I’m going to pick up a Project turntable which will be my main source, along with Spotify (will pick up a DAC at some point).

Grateful for any speaker thoughts!
 
If you do use a switch you need a amplfiier to speaker switch, not a speaker switch.

Make sure it's a break before make design otherwise if you switch it over whilst the one or both amps are on, you'll fry both amps
 
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Wall mounting limits the audiophile performance of nearly all speakers. With that in mind, plus the budget of £200, and the fact that your M71s are actually pretty good; and that they have an inverted layout design with the tweeter below the woofer making them more suitable than conventional speakers if you're wall-mounting to stay out of reach of little fingers, then I'd be tempted to consider keeping the speakers for now and tip more of the budget in to a good sub.

The pace of change in Hi-Fi speakers is nothing like as quick as in AV electronics. The big pay-offs from the cost-savings of moving production to China have already been had by most manufacturers. Mission have been making speakers in China since before you bought your M71s. What we're seeing now is small changes and subtle tweaks rather than manufacturers making a big splash with this-month's giant-killing speaker for X Pounds.

It's my view then that while you can buy speakers that sound different to your M71s, it will be a game of swapping one set of virtues and vices for another. I doubt there's an under-£200 speaker that's going to do everything better than the Missions.


When someone want's a hybrid Hi-Fi/AV system where the AV part doesn't pollute the 2-channel performance, then my typical suggestion is an AV amp with pre-outs. Higher-end AV receivers (£800+) still have pre-outs, but it's no longer common on the £400-£500 AV receivers that typically occupy the bread & butter mid-range market. One exception though is the Marantz NR slimline AV receivers. They don't have full pre-outs, but you don't need that. Instead, they have just the front channel pre-outs. That makes them perfect for integrating with a stereo Hi-Fi amp to drive the fronts. Have a look at the Marantz NR1510 @ £499.

Add a sub with the ability to mix its high level crossover with its line level input and you'll kill a lot of birds with one stone without the need for messy switches.
 
Deep cabinets on the m71's, though, about 11 & 1/2 inches. They would stick out a mile if you wall mount them :p. Can't deny the bang for buck and mine must be at least 13 years old now :)
 
@lucid thanks, that's very helpful. My existing AVR doesn't have pre-outs and I'm reluctant to change it, hence the speaker switching idea (noting the point @hornetstinger made above).

I guess in priority purchase terms it'll be:

Turntable and amp
Sub
DAC

I guess I need to track down an amp with a suitable sub pre-out, and also factor in switching the sub when I'm looking for an amplifier to speaker switch.
 
Little point upgrading source, DAC and amp and leaving speakers to mid range models.

When I wanted better stereo from the av system I decided to simply split them into two, as source switching, presetting volume or having a amp with power amp in plus losing the bi amp ability made it simpler to have two systems. The av system is course brilliant in two channel but it's taken time to get it to that stage. Plus making sure subs are both good in stereo an av, which is difficult for sealed box designs
 
You don't need a sub pre out on a amplfiier you can use full range, high level or low level stereo out. Then use subs own crossover. This is for a regular hifi amp.

Ive got a sub in the hifi, using left and right second set of pre outs from the stereo pre amp to the sub
 
I can confirm dedicated stereo amp is majorly impressive compared to what the AVR can do and I have a flagship Yamaha with pre outs.

Stereo amp is A-S1100.
 
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Just realised my speakers are M30i rather than M70/71, I should have remembered really as I’ve owned both over time and the M70s are significantly bigger. Now weighing up if I can fit a floor standing set in the room without it looking crap!
 
I can confirm dedicated stereo amp is majorly impressive compared to what the AVR fan do and I have a flagship Yamaha with pre outs.

Stereo amp is A-S1100.

Yeah thata the problem, high end avrs are poor compared to a budget stereo amplifier. Plus even flagship avr have poor quality output, again compared to budget avr and dedicated power amplifiers
 
Just realised my speakers are M30i rather than M70/71, I should have remembered really as I’ve owned both over time and the M70s are significantly bigger. Now weighing up if I can fit a floor standing set in the room without it looking crap!
6

As a general rule, only buy floorstanders if you've 2 ft of clear space to either side of each, and a foot of clear space behind.

Second bit of advice; £450~£500 original selling price is roughly the breakpoint required to get to sort of build quality needed to equal the bass precision of £100~£250 stand-mount speakers. Anything much lower means that you'll find that the cabinet rigidity is compromised to some degree to hit the lower price point.

Cheap floorstanders are only a good deal when they were genuinely £500 and have been heavily discounted as the model has gone end-of-life.
 
Just realised my speakers are M30i rather than M70/71, I should have remembered really as I’ve owned both over time and the M70s are significantly bigger. Now weighing up if I can fit a floor standing set in the room without it looking crap!
6

As a general rule, only buy floorstanders if you've 2 ft of clear space to either side of each, and a foot of clear space behind.

Second bit of advice; £450~£500 original selling price is roughly the breakpoint required to get to sort of build quality needed to equal the bass precision of £100~£250 stand-mount speakers. Anything much lower means that you'll find that the cabinet rigidity is compromised to some degree to hit the lower price point.

Cheap floorstanders are only a good deal when they were genuinely £500 and have been heavily discounted as the model has gone end-of-life.
 
I second don't get low end floor standers it's better to buy higher quality standmounts instead.

Another option is second hand, you can get real bargains. The best deal I got was set of floorstanders, center and standmounts about 1/6 the price of new and they are near mint condition. No way get speakers of that quality for the money I handed over, they'll be low end gear
 
In true OcUK style, a complete 180 from my original position but only because the advice has been really helpful. For context, there is a unit below my TV which means any speakers would have to sit in front of the doors (whether standmount or freestanding) hence my preference for wall mounting above the unit. The layout of the room though means it isn't an issue if the speakers jut out a reasonable distance from the wall because they will still be sat closer to the wall than the edge of the unit.

My current plan would therefore be:
New sources (turntable/DAC)
New stereo amp
Amplifier to speaker switch to switch fronts between AVR/stereo amp
Upgrade fronts to (probably) Monitor Audio Bronze 2s, and put them on wall brackets that put them c6" from the wall
Eventually upgrade the center to match the above
Bonus round: new sub

Pick holes in that please. :D Thanks for everything so far.
 
In true OcUK style, a complete 180 from my original position but only because the advice has been really helpful. For context, there is a unit below my TV which means any speakers would have to sit in front of the doors (whether standmount or freestanding) hence my preference for wall mounting above the unit. The layout of the room though means it isn't an issue if the speakers jut out a reasonable distance from the wall because they will still be sat closer to the wall than the edge of the unit.

My current plan would therefore be:
New sources (turntable/DAC)
New stereo amp
Amplifier to speaker switch to switch fronts between AVR/stereo amp
Upgrade fronts to (probably) Monitor Audio Bronze 2s, and put them on wall brackets that put them c6" from the wall
Eventually upgrade the center to match the above
Bonus round: new sub

Pick holes in that please. :D Thanks for everything so far.
What's the new budget?
 
Why bother with a switch get a stereo integrated amp power the left right by that, using the avr for center and rears only. Get a stereo amp with direct power amp input so don't need to match volume on the stereo amp, it acts like a power amp in this mode. Or audiolab 8000s
 
Why bother with a switch get a stereo integrated amp power the left right by that, using the avr for center and rears only. Get a stereo amp with direct power amp input so don't need to match volume on the stereo amp, it acts like a power amp in this mode. Or audiolab 8000s

To do that he would need an AVR with front channel pre-outs. The Yamaha AVR he has (and wants to keep) is too basic.
 
@lucid that is correct thanks. I may upgrade the AVR at a later stage but it's low on my list of priorities. We listen to a lot more music than we watch films.

What's the new budget?

I've not really thought that far ahead but hoping to pick up most things secondhand. What amps pair well with the Monitor Audios? I will do some separate searching.
 
To do that he would need an AVR with front channel pre-outs. The Yamaha AVR he has (and wants to keep) is too basic.

Adding cost of a good quality amp switcher that doesn't degrade sound quality will probably be pretty expensive though.

So he needs a new avr and a stereo amp, oh and better speakers too lol
 
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