• TV
  • MOVIES
  • MUSIC
  • SHOWBIZ
  • SOAPS
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • FORUMS
  • Follow
    • Follow
    • facebook
    • twitter
    • google+
    • instagram
    • youtube
Hearst Corporation
  • TV
  • MOVIES
  • MUSIC
  • SHOWBIZ
  • SOAPS
  • GAMING
  • TECH
  • FORUMS
Forums
  • Register
  • Login
  • Forums
  • Gadgets
  • TV and Home Entertainment Technology
Advice on updating my A/V system and stands
rewind
07-04-2015
Back in about 2002, I purchased a Soundstyle A/V rack. It is the 5 stand version seen here: http://www.soundandvision4u.co.uk/so...ifurniture.htm. On it, I have the following devices:

- Apple TV
- Sony 725 DVD player (connected to a Panasonic AE-100 projector)
- Sony MD player
- Thomson TiVo box
- Sony STR-DB 1070 A/V receiver

I then have a separate TV stand which comprises:

- Philips 42PFL9703 TV
- Sony Blu-Ray player
- XBox 360
- Sky+ HD box

For my surround set-up, I am using Wharfedale Diamond 8.1 speakers on some Soundstyle speaker stands.

I do not use the MD deck, TiVo or Sony DVD player anymore yet I see no point in getting rid of them as their value is probably very low now.

Due to the clutter of the wires and the lack of a streamline look, I am contemplating updating everything to go into a unit such as picture 2 on this listing: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-51401018.html or picture 1 here: http://www.wardcarpentry.com/showcase.php?title=Living. I appreciate I may need to get something designed for me specifically.

My main questions are as follows:

- There is nothing wrong with my speakers and they give, to me, a really good sound quality. Obviously if I want a clean look, I wouldn't be able to use the speaker stands at the front in the future. Would those speakers be okay on a shelf within a cabinet? Each speaker is connected by 4 wires (I believe they are called bi-directional but could be wrong! 2 red and 2 black!) which back in the early 2000s was meant to improve sound quality. Has technology moved on now?

- The Soundstyle A/V rack I bought at the time again was chosen for superior sound quality as it sits on isolating cones. Again, is this still relevant today?

Any tips/advice on updating the general look and feel of my A/V setup without unnecessarily buying new equipment would be appreciated.

Thanks.
anthony david
07-04-2015
The pictures seem to show expensive bespoke installations. There will be companies near you that will give you a quote for that type of work. You may wish to change much of your equipment at the same time as such work, if done to a high standard, is very expensive indeed.
Chris Frost
08-04-2015
You bought good gear at the time. The Sony 725 was a highly respected DVD player, the AE100 projector was the darling on the budget widescreen projector market, the Sony amp is potent even by today's standards.

I'd question some of the advice about the rack and bi-wiring the speakers though. Isolating cones or spikes were nothing particularly new back in 2002. Those of us into Hi-Fi were using the same principles back in the 1980's. Bi-wiring I think is mostly a con. It's no coincidence in my mind that bi-wire and 'buy wire' sound the same. It changes the tone of a speaker by emphasising bass and treble at the expense of midrange.

If you are happy with your speakers then there's no reason to change. Speaker technology hasn't moved that far in 10 years that would make a significant difference. What has changed is the electronics. HDMI is everywhere, and displays without a HDMI socket can't integrate with those sources that use HDMI as the primary signal connection. In short, the projector needs to be updated to a modern spec to accept Blu-ray, the XBox, for Sky's HD channels, and to make the most of the Apple TV.

At the same time the AV receiver should be updated. This will provide the hub to manage a variety of signal sources from HDMI through to analogue video and stereo audio. In short, it will be possible to retain the use of the DVP-S725 and MD deck if you wish. Hooked up with the correct cables and set up properly you might well find that the Sony 725 makes a good CD player; much better than the Blu-ray player.

The right AV receiver will also accept video signal that aren't via HDMI and convert them so that they're viewable on the TV with the minimum fuss. This is known as cross-conversion.

One final trick from the right choice of AV receiver is the ability to connect two HDMI displays without the need for additional boxes to duplicate the signal, so there's less clutter. In your case this would be the existing TV and a new projector.


In answer to your specific questions:

Originally Posted by rewind:
“Would those speakers be okay on a shelf within a cabinet?.”

On an open shelf similar to the one shown with the TV, then the answer is Yes. However, it will somewhat alter the tone of the speaker. This is partly due to the change in air space around the speaker and then partly about the cabinet vibrating in sympathy.

Speaker are less happy within enclosed shelves, or where they are pushed to the back of a shelf. The effect of a secondary box around the speaker very much changes the speaker sound.

Originally Posted by rewind:
“- The Soundstyle A/V rack I bought at the time again was chosen for superior sound quality as it sits on isolating cones. Again, is this still relevant today?.”

Isolation is still as relevant today, but now just as then, a great deal of other elements have to be optimised before the benefits of isolation can be heard fully.


Originally Posted by rewind:
“Any tips/advice on updating the general look and feel of my A/V setup without unnecessarily buying new equipment would be appreciated.”

Your projector and AV receiver really need bringing up to date. The projector because 1080p/1080i HD is everywhere now; it's on disc, in broadcast (Sky, Freeview), Gaming and in streaming (iTunes movies, Netflix etc) and the connection format for this is HDMI. New projectors are brighter, quieter, and have superior colour rendition. The Optoma HD50 is class leading budget home cinema projector at around £1000. The step up is the Epson TW6600 (c. £1500). Above this is Sony (c. £1800 - £10,000+), and JVC (c. £3500 - £10,000+).

New mid-range AV receivers have improved for music replay and they now include music streaming facilities too. If you want to make proper use of the two sets of speaker wire on the front channel speakers then ditch bi-wire and go for bi-amp instead.

Bi-wire is simply sending the same signal from one pair of speaker terminals on the amp to the separate inputs for hi- and low-frequency inputs on each speaker. Bi-amping is something different. It is using two sets of outputs on the amp; one for the high frequency sound only, and the other for low frequency sound only. This is significantly more effective than bi-wiring. Some AV receivers from around £500 have this bi-amp facility. The Yamaha RX-V777 is one such receiver.


Cabinetry: If you're having something made then bear in mind that cabinet makers rarely understand the need for ventilation and managing cables. These are key requirements for AV.

You'll often find that there's no understanding that the gear has to be pulled forward to make the connections, and that means there's a need for longer cables than on an open rack. As such then, those longer cables need to go somewhere when the gear is slid in to place. Similarly, if you put several boxes that all generate heat in to an enclosed space then they'll get very warm very quickly. This isn't good. Things will start to break down much quicker. The other issue us how this affects the cabinet itself: Wood warps, and so does MDF. Veneers and surface finishes peel off.

Finally, how will you control everything when the sold doors are closed? There are solutions out there for this, but you need to think about it now rather than later. For example, what happens if you press eject when a cabinet door is closed?
rewind
09-04-2015
Thank you Chris for your very detailed reply, appreciated.

I think I am going to look at specific AV units designed with the equipment/ventilation in mind and leave the speakers on the stands either side. Something like this would be ideal: http://www.artisan-design.co.uk/9734.htm. That way I can keep my projector (I only use it rarely and it is hooked up to my Sony DVD player) and then put all the other equipment within this unit and get read of the stand.
VIEW DESKTOP SITE TOP

JOIN US HERE

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Hearst Corporation

Hearst Corporation

DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK

© 2015 Hearst Magazines UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 72 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 9EP. Registered in England 112955. All rights reserved.

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Complaints
  • Site Map