A What System/Package Thread I'm Afraid

leigho · 02-01-2003, 17:18

The wife has finally agreed to let me buy a Home Cinema system after hearing one on New Years Eve. I've been checking online and in one of the magazines and recommendations seem to be hard to come buy. I've also looked on Richer Sounds and Techtronics and nothing is jumping out at me. Before I just go and order one made by a brand I know does anyone have any good suggestions? I'm looking for the £300-400 bracket and must have the right sockets to connect the DVD and a Sky+ Box i.e an optical input (I think) I already have a Sony DVD so the speakers and amp would be fine but I know I might be better getting a whole new kit. Also, preferably, I would like some kind of stands for the front and rear speakers.

TIA

Leigh

mdma · 02-01-2003, 20:58

http://www.techtronics.com/uk/shop/5...vd-system.html

i am going for this one this weekend.

leigho · 02-01-2003, 21:49

Yeah, I did see that and it looks good and has all the gizmos with it. I've read the sub is a bit weak on it so you may want to look into that. Also I presume you are aware the Techtronics prices are ex VAT.

I've been looking at the Pioneer DCS-303 this evening at £330. Anyone got any first hand experience of that setup?

Cheers

Leigh

JonMace · 02-01-2003, 22:08

If poss seeing as you have a DVD player already I would go for a seperate amp + speaker the system you are looking at has draw backs mainly it does not have any scart outputs so you will lose RGB output to you TV unless you have a TV with component inputs also if you are going to use it as a AV switching device the only inputs are compersite (the worst). All so seperates will give you more options when it comes to upgrade. On your budget you should be able to get seperates

wicket · 03-01-2003, 11:45

I am a bit of a Sony girl myself so I would recommend Sony products. I have a Sony 215 system which I have found excellent connected to a Sony 336 dvd player. I would definitely go down the separates trail if possible.

Make sure you get a system that also plays dts because, in my opinion, this is a superior sound system to 5.1. Also worth considering is getting an amp that has Dolby Prologic II inbuilt which gives a pretend 5.1 sound to your tv, vcr and Sky broadcasts.

If I were buying an amplifier kit I would also be on the look out for a 6.1 system which adds an extra central speaker at the rear of the room. There are some dvd discs with this sound at the moment (not many) which takes advantage of this system. It is also backwards compatible so will play 5.1, Dolby Prologic, etc.

leigho · 03-01-2003, 15:41

I've spent most of the day looking at separates but I reckon I'm looking at £500-600 for something decent. I know it will sound better and be expandable etc but I'm not sure I want to be spending that much. Also having a nightmare finding decent sub woofers at a reasonable price.

I think for easiness for now I am going to go with one of the packages. I know it won't be as good but going from Nicam Stereo to anything would be good enough for me. I keep getting drawn to the Pioneer as it includes Pro Logic II, DTS, Optical In etc.

The only thing missing, as pointed out by JonMace, is that it doesn't have the Scart output!! I'd need to connect my DVD via S-Video. Does anyone know if the picture quality between that and RGB Scart is really that noticeable.

TIA

Leigh

Skysurfer2000 · 03-01-2003, 15:53

Quote:

Originally posted by wicket
I am a bit of a Sony girl myself so I would recommend Sony products. I have a Sony 215 system which I have found excellent connected to a Sony 336 dvd player. I would definitely go down the separates trail if possible.

Make sure you get a system that also plays dts because, in my opinion, this is a superior sound system to 5.1. Also worth considering is getting an amp that has Dolby Prologic II inbuilt which gives a pretend 5.1 sound to your tv, vcr and Sky broadcasts.

If I were buying an amplifier kit I would also be on the look out for a 6.1 system which adds an extra central speaker at the rear of the room. There are some dvd discs with this sound at the moment (not many) which takes advantage of this system. It is also backwards compatible so will play 5.1, Dolby Prologic, etc.

I knew I could rely on you to extoll the virtues of the Sony HTK 215 Wicket!

And I only just realised you were female. Please don't be offended but you talk so knowledgeably about this sort of thing I assumed you were a guy!

leigho · 03-01-2003, 17:46

Wicket / Skysurfer

I have found the HTK215 and it does seem like a good package and means I could carry on using my existing Sony DVD Player. I am finding specs hard to come by (even the Sony website is kind of minimalist) so I wonder if you could confirm a couple of things to me.

1. Does it have at least one Optical Input
2. Does it handle Pro Logic II (although I suspect the age of it means it doesn't)
3. Can it handle DTS
4. Is £299+VAT a reasonable price to pay or do you know anywhere doing it cheaper
5. Is it really THAT good!!!

Cheers for the help

Leigh

Colin58 · 03-01-2003, 18:23

Hi,

I was in much the same position and really did not have a clue what to buy, found it very difficult to get any info on the net re 300 pound system so went for the above purely because of its connectivity at the back. So far I am very pleased but to be fair I dont know much about these systems and have not a lot of experience in listening to other systems. I would say if anything the base power may be a little wekk but the system was very easy to set up. Pretty ugly remote thought it does work all my other JVC kit.

Evolution · 04-01-2003, 10:23

Hi,

I purchased the Pioneers DCS303 before Xmas and am absolutely chuffed with it. Payed around £330 for the multiregion from hifistore.com and it was delivered in two days.

I already have a Sony DAV500 Home Cinema system which is fantastic but that is in the spare room where the kids watch DVD's and play all their consoles with friends!

I would have bought another Sony but the price and favourable reviews led me to purchase the Pioneer.

I've connected the Pioneer up to a Toshiba 100hz 32zt29b via s-video and I can't notice any difference between that and straight RGB.

The Pioneer also has all the latest sound goodies (PLII, DTS etc) with lots of options and the speakers are great with an oversized front centre and slimline subwoofer which looks and sounds the business.

Over to you but the Pioneer is a great piece of kit.

Evolution

wicket · 04-01-2003, 11:43

Quote:

Originally posted by Skysurfer2000
Please don't be offended but you talk so knowledgeably about this sort of thing I assumed you were a guy!

No offence taken honey and a Happy New Year to you.

Right leigho

To me the HTK 215 is a very good system as well as being an extremely compact unit which was attractive when having to fit a load of equipment under the tv. To my ears and those of my family the sounds produced from it are fantastic and to anyone else purely into watching dvds and listening to their sound a great deal of enjoyment is derived from this set up. There is a very old thread somewhere all about the HTK 215 on this forum if you want to run a search on it. However, this is not to say this is the best system available but for the price you cannot knock it. I paid £350 for it a couple of years ago but other people of this site had used unbeatable to get it for about £250 so it may be worth having a look on the internet.

The system does have two optical inputs but NO coaxial inputs plus two sets of phono inputs and a set of 5.1 inputs.

It doesn't handle Prologic II but a lot of the newer Sony models do.

It can handle dts beautifully and is my preferred choice of listening if dts is available on a disc. It is hard to describe why it sounds better, some people say it is more dynamic but believe me there is a difference and it is a must on the system you eventually settle on.

I don't honestly think you could fault the HTK 215 for the price and think you will be more than impressed if you buy it. The other good thing is it is a doddle to set up, all nicely coloured coded.

Skysurfer2000 · 04-01-2003, 15:07

and it can be vertically stacked!

wicket · 04-01-2003, 15:13

On another thread Exulus has posted this link to a newer Sony kit

http://www.techtronics.com/uk/shop/6...ma-system.html

this looks like an updated version of what I have but with the added attraction of Prologic II, definitely looks promising.

shaunashott · 13-01-2003, 16:22

I heard the HTK25 live and indeed it is awesome and includes Dolby Pro 2, i paid 260 for mine including delivery. (should arrive soon)

Another good alt is the sony hbte1 for 209, its only 100w but a very good preformer.

kenny · 14-01-2003, 13:04

Hi

I've been considering a Home Cinema system for some time, does anyone have any experience with the Sony DAVS880.

Seems to have all the features that I want, though it is rather expensive (for my pocket anyway) - £619.99 from unbeatable.

JohnW · 14-01-2003, 14:28

Quote:

Originally posted by kenny
Hi

I've been considering a Home Cinema system for some time, does anyone have any experience with the Sony DAVS880.

Seems to have all the features that I want, though it is rather expensive (for my pocket anyway) - £619.99 from unbeatable.

I bought a DAVS800 (which has now been superceded by the DAVS880) last year (multi-region from Techtronics) and I have been very satisfied with it. Sound is excellent to my untutored ear, but my 20-year old son (who plays in a rock group) racks up the volume and pronounces it excellent. My wife likes the speakers, because they don't look like speakers!

If you can afford it - go for it.

mooner · 14-10-2003, 07:15

Hi

I am contemplating between Sony DAV-S550 & DAV-S880.
If budget is not a constraint, can anyone advise which is more worth buying?
Thanks.

iain · 14-10-2003, 08:52

Quote:

Originally posted by mooner
Hi

I am contemplating between Sony DAV-S550 & DAV-S880.
If budget is not a constraint, can anyone advise which is more worth buying?
Thanks.

if budget isn't a constraint, then presumably the 880 is better specced?

although if money isn't a constraint, how about seperates? this is an absolute bargain compared to what the same specced amp would have cost a 18-24 months ago.

perhaps with a set of these? i'm not sure the audiophiles are completely convinced by them, but we've got these with a 1080 amp (last year's version of the one above) and it sounds fantastic.

Iain

Jay23Sx · 22-10-2003, 12:24

Has anyone seen the new Jamo home cinema system (DVR50 and speakers) in the flesh ?

I've seen it reviewed in a few places, none of the magazines can find a single thing to fault it and describe it being much better than you'd expect even at a £600 price point.

It pretty much plays anything I'd need it to, including DivX, and has those incredibuly good looking B&O style speakers. I've recently found it on-line for only £450 while most places are selling it at the full RRP at the moment.

Anyone got an opinion as this is seriously tempting ?

02-01-2003, 17:18	#1
leigho Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Billericay, Essex Posts: 209	A What System/Package Thread I'm Afraid The wife has finally agreed to let me buy a Home Cinema system after hearing one on New Years Eve. I've been checking online and in one of the magazines and recommendations seem to be hard to come buy. I've also looked on Richer Sounds and Techtronics and nothing is jumping out at me. Before I just go and order one made by a brand I know does anyone have any good suggestions? I'm looking for the £300-400 bracket and must have the right sockets to connect the DVD and a Sky+ Box i.e an optical input (I think) I already have a Sony DVD so the speakers and amp would be fine but I know I might be better getting a whole new kit. Also, preferably, I would like some kind of stands for the front and rear speakers. TIA Leigh

03-01-2003, 18:23	#9
Colin58 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 28	Thomson DPL915VD Hi, I was in much the same position and really did not have a clue what to buy, found it very difficult to get any info on the net re 300 pound system so went for the above purely because of its connectivity at the back. So far I am very pleased but to be fair I dont know much about these systems and have not a lot of experience in listening to other systems. I would say if anything the base power may be a little wekk but the system was very easy to set up. Pretty ugly remote thought it does work all my other JVC kit.

04-01-2003, 10:23	#10
Evolution Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 11	Choices Choices Hi, I purchased the Pioneers DCS303 before Xmas and am absolutely chuffed with it. Payed around £330 for the multiregion from hifistore.com and it was delivered in two days. I already have a Sony DAV500 Home Cinema system which is fantastic but that is in the spare room where the kids watch DVD's and play all their consoles with friends! I would have bought another Sony but the price and favourable reviews led me to purchase the Pioneer. I've connected the Pioneer up to a Toshiba 100hz 32zt29b via s-video and I can't notice any difference between that and straight RGB. The Pioneer also has all the latest sound goodies (PLII, DTS etc) with lots of options and the speakers are great with an oversized front centre and slimline subwoofer which looks and sounds the business. Over to you but the Pioneer is a great piece of kit. Evolution

02-01-2003, 20:58	#2
mdma Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 12,767	http://www.techtronics.com/uk/shop/5...vd-system.html i am going for this one this weekend.

02-01-2003, 21:49	#3
leigho Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Billericay, Essex Posts: 209	Yeah, I did see that and it looks good and has all the gizmos with it. I've read the sub is a bit weak on it so you may want to look into that. Also I presume you are aware the Techtronics prices are ex VAT. I've been looking at the Pioneer DCS-303 this evening at £330. Anyone got any first hand experience of that setup? Cheers Leigh

02-01-2003, 22:08	#4
JonMace Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 464	If poss seeing as you have a DVD player already I would go for a seperate amp + speaker the system you are looking at has draw backs mainly it does not have any scart outputs so you will lose RGB output to you TV unless you have a TV with component inputs also if you are going to use it as a AV switching device the only inputs are compersite (the worst). All so seperates will give you more options when it comes to upgrade. On your budget you should be able to get seperates

03-01-2003, 11:45	#5
wicket Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NE England Posts: 3,096	I am a bit of a Sony girl myself so I would recommend Sony products. I have a Sony 215 system which I have found excellent connected to a Sony 336 dvd player. I would definitely go down the separates trail if possible. Make sure you get a system that also plays dts because, in my opinion, this is a superior sound system to 5.1. Also worth considering is getting an amp that has Dolby Prologic II inbuilt which gives a pretend 5.1 sound to your tv, vcr and Sky broadcasts. If I were buying an amplifier kit I would also be on the look out for a 6.1 system which adds an extra central speaker at the rear of the room. There are some dvd discs with this sound at the moment (not many) which takes advantage of this system. It is also backwards compatible so will play 5.1, Dolby Prologic, etc.

03-01-2003, 15:41	#6
leigho Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Billericay, Essex Posts: 209	I've spent most of the day looking at separates but I reckon I'm looking at £500-600 for something decent. I know it will sound better and be expandable etc but I'm not sure I want to be spending that much. Also having a nightmare finding decent sub woofers at a reasonable price. I think for easiness for now I am going to go with one of the packages. I know it won't be as good but going from Nicam Stereo to anything would be good enough for me. I keep getting drawn to the Pioneer as it includes Pro Logic II, DTS, Optical In etc. The only thing missing, as pointed out by JonMace, is that it doesn't have the Scart output!! I'd need to connect my DVD via S-Video. Does anyone know if the picture quality between that and RGB Scart is really that noticeable. TIA Leigh

03-01-2003, 15:53	#7
Skysurfer2000 Inactive Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: United States of Europe Posts: 1,652	Quote: Originally posted by wicket I am a bit of a Sony girl myself so I would recommend Sony products. I have a Sony 215 system which I have found excellent connected to a Sony 336 dvd player. I would definitely go down the separates trail if possible. Make sure you get a system that also plays dts because, in my opinion, this is a superior sound system to 5.1. Also worth considering is getting an amp that has Dolby Prologic II inbuilt which gives a pretend 5.1 sound to your tv, vcr and Sky broadcasts. If I were buying an amplifier kit I would also be on the look out for a 6.1 system which adds an extra central speaker at the rear of the room. There are some dvd discs with this sound at the moment (not many) which takes advantage of this system. It is also backwards compatible so will play 5.1, Dolby Prologic, etc. I knew I could rely on you to extoll the virtues of the Sony HTK 215 Wicket! And I only just realised you were female. Please don't be offended but you talk so knowledgeably about this sort of thing I assumed you were a guy!

03-01-2003, 17:46	#8
leigho Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Billericay, Essex Posts: 209	Wicket / Skysurfer I have found the HTK215 and it does seem like a good package and means I could carry on using my existing Sony DVD Player. I am finding specs hard to come by (even the Sony website is kind of minimalist) so I wonder if you could confirm a couple of things to me. 1. Does it have at least one Optical Input 2. Does it handle Pro Logic II (although I suspect the age of it means it doesn't) 3. Can it handle DTS 4. Is £299+VAT a reasonable price to pay or do you know anywhere doing it cheaper 5. Is it really THAT good!!! Cheers for the help Leigh

04-01-2003, 11:43	#11
wicket Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NE England Posts: 3,096	Quote: Originally posted by Skysurfer2000 Please don't be offended but you talk so knowledgeably about this sort of thing I assumed you were a guy! No offence taken honey and a Happy New Year to you. Right leigho To me the HTK 215 is a very good system as well as being an extremely compact unit which was attractive when having to fit a load of equipment under the tv. To my ears and those of my family the sounds produced from it are fantastic and to anyone else purely into watching dvds and listening to their sound a great deal of enjoyment is derived from this set up. There is a very old thread somewhere all about the HTK 215 on this forum if you want to run a search on it. However, this is not to say this is the best system available but for the price you cannot knock it. I paid £350 for it a couple of years ago but other people of this site had used unbeatable to get it for about £250 so it may be worth having a look on the internet. The system does have two optical inputs but NO coaxial inputs plus two sets of phono inputs and a set of 5.1 inputs. It doesn't handle Prologic II but a lot of the newer Sony models do. It can handle dts beautifully and is my preferred choice of listening if dts is available on a disc. It is hard to describe why it sounds better, some people say it is more dynamic but believe me there is a difference and it is a must on the system you eventually settle on. I don't honestly think you could fault the HTK 215 for the price and think you will be more than impressed if you buy it. The other good thing is it is a doddle to set up, all nicely coloured coded.

04-01-2003, 15:07	#12
Skysurfer2000 Inactive Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: United States of Europe Posts: 1,652	and it can be vertically stacked!

04-01-2003, 15:13	#13
wicket Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NE England Posts: 3,096	On another thread Exulus has posted this link to a newer Sony kit http://www.techtronics.com/uk/shop/6...ma-system.html this looks like an updated version of what I have but with the added attraction of Prologic II, definitely looks promising.

13-01-2003, 16:22	#14
shaunashott Forum Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: london Posts: 86	I heard the HTK25 live and indeed it is awesome and includes Dolby Pro 2, i paid 260 for mine including delivery. (should arrive soon) Another good alt is the sony hbte1 for 209, its only 100w but a very good preformer.

14-01-2003, 13:04	#15
kenny Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 40	Hi I've been considering a Home Cinema system for some time, does anyone have any experience with the Sony DAVS880. Seems to have all the features that I want, though it is rather expensive (for my pocket anyway) - £619.99 from unbeatable.

14-01-2003, 14:28	#16
JohnW Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2000 Location: Loughborough Posts: 502	Quote: Originally posted by kenny Hi I've been considering a Home Cinema system for some time, does anyone have any experience with the Sony DAVS880. Seems to have all the features that I want, though it is rather expensive (for my pocket anyway) - £619.99 from unbeatable. I bought a DAVS800 (which has now been superceded by the DAVS880) last year (multi-region from Techtronics) and I have been very satisfied with it. Sound is excellent to my untutored ear, but my 20-year old son (who plays in a rock group) racks up the volume and pronounces it excellent. My wife likes the speakers, because they don't look like speakers! If you can afford it - go for it.

14-10-2003, 07:15	#17
mooner New Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 1	Hi I am contemplating between Sony DAV-S550 & DAV-S880. If budget is not a constraint, can anyone advise which is more worth buying? Thanks.

14-10-2003, 08:52	#18
iain Guest Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 62,990	Quote: Originally posted by mooner Hi I am contemplating between Sony DAV-S550 & DAV-S880. If budget is not a constraint, can anyone advise which is more worth buying? Thanks. if budget isn't a constraint, then presumably the 880 is better specced? although if money isn't a constraint, how about seperates? this is an absolute bargain compared to what the same specced amp would have cost a 18-24 months ago. perhaps with a set of these? i'm not sure the audiophiles are completely convinced by them, but we've got these with a 1080 amp (last year's version of the one above) and it sounds fantastic. Iain

22-10-2003, 12:24	#19
Jay23Sx Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 1,948	Has anyone seen the new Jamo home cinema system (DVR50 and speakers) in the flesh ? I've seen it reviewed in a few places, none of the magazines can find a single thing to fault it and describe it being much better than you'd expect even at a £600 price point. It pretty much plays anything I'd need it to, including DivX, and has those incredibuly good looking B&O style speakers. I've recently found it on-line for only £450 while most places are selling it at the full RRP at the moment. Anyone got an opinion as this is seriously tempting ?

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A What System/Package Thread I'm Afraid