Spec Me A Simple Sound Setup

Valo

Valo

Valo

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Joined
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Livingston
I need some advice; I'm looking into getting a good sound setup for my livingroom. I'm ideally looking for:

2.1 Setup - Space is a bit tight so I'm looking for good sound but with as little space taken up as possible. However the ability to add rear/centre speakers at a later date could be handy.

Needs to connect:

TV - Panasonic TH37PV500
DVD - Will either be a HDDVD or Bluray player haven't decided
HTPC - Has optical out or analogue outputs on the motherboard

My budget is £250 - £300 max.

Would do you recommend? I'm a bit new to this so applogies now for any stupid questions :p
 
You might be a bit tight with the budget but for your needs I'd be looking at an entry level AV AMp and a pair of book shelves then you've got stereo for now with the option to add more speakers as budget allows.

With the small budget I'd go second hand.
 
a1ex2001 said:
You might be a bit tight with the budget but for your needs I'd be looking at an entry level AV AMp and a pair of book shelves then you've got stereo for now with the option to add more speakers as budget allows.

With the small budget I'd go second hand.
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Cheers for the advice, if I wanted to buy new what would you recommend as a good entry level setup but still within a reasonable budget which could be added to over time?
 
Ugley_Matt said:
Denon AVR1507 is pretty much the best entry level amp, auto set-up too whcih is nice, can be got for about 200 notes.
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I'll have a look at that, cheers :) Will that be ok for to run either an HDDVD or Blu-ray Player?

What about speakers?
 
Personally I would go with the Denon, possibly paired with some Wharfdale Diamond 9.1s however this would be slightly over budget. The Diamond 9s or KEF Cresta 10s can be had within budget.

I suggest you go to a shop and have a listen to them to see what you prefer :)
 
Thanks guys! You've given me plenty to think about :cool:

I think I'll try and save some more cash up as I think there is no point settling for second best.
 
I did this all at Easter. I have a Denon amp (DRA-455) and KEF Cresta 10's hooked up to my PC via an Emu 0404 sound card. Sound quality on most music is excelent. The only exception being some heavy metal. Its great on blues and classical in particular. Vocals are outstanding. You could easily be foregiven for asssuming the voices you hear are actually in your room!

I'd also second the suggestion to go second hand - amplifier technology is nothing like computers in that often a second hand amp will be equally as good if not better than many new amps, especially if you're looking entry level. I picked up my amp for a tiny £20 looking locally on my favourite auction website. I can't remember how much the amp sold for when new but it was certainly a lot more than £20!

When looking for an amp second hand i wouldn't look for a specific model. React to what you find available at decent prices (but I'm a bit of a cheap-skate though so you may well consider a different approach).

On the otherhand I looked specifically for KEF Cresta speakers and paid £100 including stands and delivery. They aren't the only speakers I was looking for though, I did have a bit of a shortlist. You may choose to buy new speakers if you're happy spending more money, but there is definitely a lot of money to be saved buying 2nd hand amp locally.

When it comes to speakers, a lot of the great British companies no longer make their speakers in the UK. In fact I think Wharfedale are actually now Chinese owned (not certain though). On my KEFs it actually says "British Pride ... Made In China" !

I hope that helps you and gives you more to think about!
 
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