2 years after my last thread on the subject...
I went out and got myself a Sony HT-DDW5500, which did decent service for a while, till I upgraded the AVR to a Pioneer VSX-821... but kept the Sony speakers.
They look like so:
While the system plays pretty well and the AVR can do even DTS-HDMA quite happily, it tends to go a bit bright when playing music at higher volume levels for a while.. I suspect the amplifier is a bit light for the job at hand, and obviously the speakers aren't anything worth writing home about - especially the surround units.
So the bug has bitten again after the recent move, and this time I want to get something a bit more sophisticated...
I picked up a set of Acoustic Research AR 1000 series speakers last night - the surround speakers are beefier than the Sony items, but the fronts are a lot narrower, with smaller drivers, and centre is also more compact with smaller drivers, which is somewhat concerning... but then again, I guess size isn't everything?
Does anyone here have any experience with these? Will they play better than the Sony speakers?
I'm picking up a smallish set of B&W's off a mate - I thiiiiink they're 685's... I should get them tomorrow and will confirm the model number. Should I rather use those for the fronts, and maybe use the Acoustic Research towers in the rear?
Or am I still dabbling with mickey-mouse stuff with the Acoustic Research speakers, and I should just sell them off / put them in the bar?
Should I rather go the whole hog and get the front stage to match the 600 series B&W's? (Ouch on the pocket)
Or should I just get a set of Wharfedale Diamonds as a happy middle ground?
Then, AVR wise... should I hang onto the VSX-821?
I have my eye on the Sony STR-DN1040... I can pick one up for a smidgeon over R6k, brand new... and it seems like a relative bargain compared to the Denon AVX-2000 and Onkyo 626 equivalents.. also, according to a few reviews, it seems like a fantastic bit of kit. http://www.whathifi.com/review/sony-str-dn1040
Obviously I'd like a punchy high quality HT system, but also something capable of producing good quality music at high volumes for extended periods of time...
I've only just recently had a revelation along the lines of "Oh, crap... FLACs really do sound better than MP3's" - so I'm by no means an audiophile.. just need something that will do the job without breaking the bank - and that will be a solid and tangible step-up from the Pioneer + Sony speakers combo.
Confused, please help.
Thanks,
Bawb
I went out and got myself a Sony HT-DDW5500, which did decent service for a while, till I upgraded the AVR to a Pioneer VSX-821... but kept the Sony speakers.
They look like so:
While the system plays pretty well and the AVR can do even DTS-HDMA quite happily, it tends to go a bit bright when playing music at higher volume levels for a while.. I suspect the amplifier is a bit light for the job at hand, and obviously the speakers aren't anything worth writing home about - especially the surround units.
So the bug has bitten again after the recent move, and this time I want to get something a bit more sophisticated...
I picked up a set of Acoustic Research AR 1000 series speakers last night - the surround speakers are beefier than the Sony items, but the fronts are a lot narrower, with smaller drivers, and centre is also more compact with smaller drivers, which is somewhat concerning... but then again, I guess size isn't everything?
Does anyone here have any experience with these? Will they play better than the Sony speakers?
I'm picking up a smallish set of B&W's off a mate - I thiiiiink they're 685's... I should get them tomorrow and will confirm the model number. Should I rather use those for the fronts, and maybe use the Acoustic Research towers in the rear?
Or am I still dabbling with mickey-mouse stuff with the Acoustic Research speakers, and I should just sell them off / put them in the bar?
Should I rather go the whole hog and get the front stage to match the 600 series B&W's? (Ouch on the pocket)
Or should I just get a set of Wharfedale Diamonds as a happy middle ground?
Then, AVR wise... should I hang onto the VSX-821?
I have my eye on the Sony STR-DN1040... I can pick one up for a smidgeon over R6k, brand new... and it seems like a relative bargain compared to the Denon AVX-2000 and Onkyo 626 equivalents.. also, according to a few reviews, it seems like a fantastic bit of kit. http://www.whathifi.com/review/sony-str-dn1040
Obviously I'd like a punchy high quality HT system, but also something capable of producing good quality music at high volumes for extended periods of time...
I've only just recently had a revelation along the lines of "Oh, crap... FLACs really do sound better than MP3's" - so I'm by no means an audiophile.. just need something that will do the job without breaking the bank - and that will be a solid and tangible step-up from the Pioneer + Sony speakers combo.
Confused, please help.
Thanks,
Bawb
