[Oimi]

Hello, I am loomking for some suggestions please.

I am moving soon and the new property will require a new set up for my PC and speakers. My main problem is that the PC (and 7.1 surround sound speakers) will be in the study (upstairs), whilst we will want to listen to music contained on the HDD whilst downstairs in the lounge. We don't want to upset the neighbours, so simply turning the speakers up is not an option. We want to entertain guests in the lounge and not necessarily the study. I know there are several options available but each at a different cost, quality and pros/cons.

The other thing is that it would be nice if we could benefit from using whatever solution is most practical (in terms of speakers) for the TV in the lounge.

I know of the:

* Logitech Wireless DJ Music System (but would need to buy a hifi)
* Logitech Z-5450 Digital 5.1 Speaker System 315 W RMS THX Dolby Digital & DTS (have no idea how I would set this up to work in a room on a different level of the house)

Any suggestions?

[Chris Frost]

You haven't set a budget specifically, but going off the price of the Logitec Z-5450 or their Wireless DJ plus a HiFi I guess £300 is about where you are looking as a start point?

The proper way to do what you want so that it works reliably and easily is with a wireless media player. IMO there are two products on the market worth serious consideration:

Logitech Squeezebox-Duet

Sonos

Both work on the same basic principle. Your PC acts as a file server for music. With the wireless media player remote you can surf and select tracks from your music collection. The music is played from a wireless media player attached to a HiFi. If you have broadband then you'll also be able to access hundreds of internet radio stations for free and also subscribe to online music libraries.

Squeezebox-Duet is the more basic of the two products but also the cheapest. You can buy a kit comprising of the remote with a charging cradle and the wireless media player for around £250 - £280.

It will use your existing wireless network. AFAIK it also needs some server software (supplied) to run on your PC. There's no mention of compatibility with uPnP NAS drives. Their solution is a 3rd party subscription service where you upload your MP3 collection to an online server. That way the PC doesn't have to be on to listen to your music, but you have to pay to use the storage. The other major thing that appears to be missing is the ability to use you PC as a second remote control. This is incredibly useful for library management and in creating play lists as well as doing basic functions such as selecting tracks from the study that play out in the lounge.

Sonos is more expensive but also far more comprehensive too.

Sonos has all the Squeezebox features plus compatibility with NAS drives. It doesn't need server software running on the host PC. You can remote control from your PC. You can play music in perfect time from several zones at once (party mode), control total volume or volume per-zone, and manage the music library from the controller or PC.

Sonos make two zone players. The first requires connection to a HiFi or powered speakers. This is the ZP90. The second has a built in amplifier as well as line outputs. It can be used with ordinary HiFi speakers or connected to a Hi-Fi. This is the ZP120. There is one controller model; the CR100. This is the landscape format remote with a colour screen and an iPod style jog wheel.

The Sonos equivalent of the Logitech kit would be:
1 x CR100 controller
1 x remote control cradle
1 x ZP90 zone player
1 x BR100 wireless bridge

Total: £627

A Sonos kit to work with HiFi speakers would be:
1 x CR100 controller
1 x remote control cradle
1 x ZP120 zone player
1 x BR100 wireless bridge

Total: £727

However, there is a Sonos bundle that gets you both types of media player for just £749 + £29 for the remote control cradle. Without the benefit of the bundle deal the kit would cost £877 + £29 for the cradle, so the saving is significant.

Sonos BU150 bundle comprising:
1 x CR100 controller
1 x ZP90 zone player
1 x ZP120 zone player
1 x remote control cradle

Total £778 (£749 + £29)

with this kit there is no need for the wireless bridge because either of the zone players takes its place connected to your router. A wireless bridge is £69. Buying one of these frees up the other zone player to be used elsewhere in the house such as the kitchen or master bedroom.

If you are interested I can supply either the Logitech or the Sonos systems. I also use Sonos at home myself.

I hope this is useful

Regards

Chris

[Oimi]

Woah, those are a bit steep!

Perhaps this is a nice idea?

* http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...00YL94CU302573 - Linksys by Cisco DMA2100 Dual-Band Wireless-N Vista Media Extender
* http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/...p1klkar94nc8e4 - AUDIOENGINE2 / http://www.lambda-tek.com/components...prodID=1461541# - Z CINEMA 2.1 SPEAKER W/ MEDIA CENTER REMOTE CONTROL IN

Combined with any router and my current PC with Windows Vista Home Premium installed (I am guessing that seeing as Windows Media Center is installed with this version of Windows that the PC is compatible).

[Chris Frost]

Actually they're not expensive when you consider what they do and how they work and how easy they are to set up. Have you seen the manual and what's involved with the Linksys extender?

Staying with price, you didn't state a budget. Nor did you say you were planning to use the TV for menu navigation (I assume you do realise you need to use a TV with the Linksys media extender in order to navigate the menus, right?). All you said was about using the speakers for the TV.

As for the Logitech Z-Cinema speakers, I think you'll find that the media centre remote control is absolutely useless to you unless you are sat in front of the Media Centre enabled PC. They'll work with the TV OK though.

At the end of the day you pay your money and take your choice. Some folk feel confident they can do all the patches, configure the firewalls, handle any issues caused by Windows updates and general feel quite happy to roll their sleeves up to keep a bit of technology working. Others want an easy life, no hassle from the missus and to know that when they press play that something will happen That's the great thing about having the opportunity to choose.

BTW, all the links you posted appear to be broken or pointing somewhere else.

Regards

Chris

[Oimi]

* http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...00YL94CU302573 - Linksys by Cisco DMA2100 Dual-Band Wireless-N Vista Media Extender
* http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/...p1klkar94nc8e4 - AUDIOENGINE2 / http://www.lambda-tek.com/components...prodID=1461541 - Z CINEMA 2.1 SPEAKER W/ MEDIA CENTER REMOTE CONTROL IN

I am sorry that I never specified price range. One thing to note is that TV navigation is not the only option that I am willing to use. I've seen systems from Logitech, that provide a remote control with a built in screen. Anything which allows me to browse my music is good (I think).

I may be better off getting a 5.1 surround sound speaker set though...

[Chris Frost]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oimi

...I've seen systems from Logitech, that provide a remote control with a built in screen.

Yeah, that would be the one I already posted in my first reply
Logitech Squeezebox-Duet hint: follow the link!!

FYI, anything with a colour screen two-way remote control is going to be at the top end or well above your budget. Using the TV as the display is the cheaper option - hence why the Linksys is around £100.

If you are open to the idea of buying something secondhand I can fix you up with a Philips wireless video & music streamer that I took in part exchange. It's near mint condition. You would connect it via RGB SCART to the TV and hook it up to speakers of your choice. It wouldn't cost you a lot either

It will play...[LIST][*]music flies: MP3, MP3PRO, PCM, WAV, and it supports ID3 tags[*]video files: Divx 3.11, Divx 4, Divx 5, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, XviD[*]photos and still images: BMP, GIF, JPEG[/LIST]

[JohnD2000]

If you're using iTunes as your library manager, then there's always the option of using an Airport Express (around £60) to stream the music to your Hi-Fi. I have 3 of them piping music around the house and they work brilliantly.

if you do go down this route, you'll need a means to browse and queue songs. I use either an iPhone (with free iTunes Remote app) or any wi-fi device with a browser (PDA, PSP etc) and an app called PlayerPal.

[Oimi]

First of all, I would like to thank you both for your suggestions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Frost

Yeah, that would be the one I already posted in my first reply
Logitech Squeezebox-Duet hint: follow the link!!

FYI, anything with a colour screen two-way remote control is going to be at the top end or well above your budget. Using the TV as the display is the cheaper option - hence why the Linksys is around £100.

If you are open to the idea of buying something secondhand I can fix you up with a Philips wireless video & music streamer that I took in part exchange. It's near mint condition. You would connect it via RGB SCART to the TV and hook it up to speakers of your choice. It wouldn't cost you a lot either

It will play...[LIST][*]music flies: MP3, MP3PRO, PCM, WAV, and it supports ID3 tags[*]video files: Divx 3.11, Divx 4, Divx 5, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, XviD[*]photos and still images: BMP, GIF, JPEG[/LIST]

Please provide a review and pictures.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnD2000

If you're using iTunes as your library manager, then there's always the option of using an Airport Express (around £60) to stream the music to your Hi-Fi. I have 3 of them piping music around the house and they work brilliantly.

if you do go down this route, you'll need a means to browse and queue songs. I use either an iPhone (with free iTunes Remote app) or any wi-fi device with a browser (PDA, PSP etc) and an app called PlayerPal.

I prefer Windows Media Player 11, don't want to have to buy an iPhone or similar for this...

[Chris Frost]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oimi

Please provide a review and pictures.

Philips SL300i

link to 5 star review by What Video when the retail was £200.

Text from the review:

Philips SL300i
There could be a lot of viable AV content sitting on your PC’s hard disk – old TV shows downloaded from peer-to-peer networks, digital photo collections and archives of MP3 music. Wouldn’t it be nice to
experience these goodies on an AV system, instead of relying on tinny PC speakers and a far-from-homecinematic
computer monitor?

These days, you can, thanks to a device called a multimedia client that hooks up to your home network (or directly to a PC) at one end, and to your TV and audio system at the other.

One of the latest such devices, the Philips SL300i, caters for both wireless and wired network connections. If your computer is on an existing Wi-Fi network, the SL300i can be configured to talk to it. If it’s not, then you might want to take advantage of a USB wireless adaptor sold by Philips. Should your computer equipment be more than 10m away from your AV equipment, then wired Ethernet is the only practical solution. Those trailing wires may be uglier, but Ethernet, in our experience, results in better video with fewer glitches. The SL300i supports DHCP for painless
integration with your network.

In terms of AV outputs, the SL300i sports a single Scart and stereo audio output (there’s, alas, no digital-audio connectivity). Once it has been wired up and configured via the sensibly-designed onscreen menus and substantial remote handset, two main options are available. T

The first, Internet, provides four online-content choices, provided your network has an internet feed. These include basic games, movie trailers, internet radio stations and public-domain photography. Once you’ve registered (a free process), this content can be customised via a special ‘myPhilips’ website.

The second main option, PC Link, gets your PC content into the AV world. Install the supplied Media Manager program on your PC and you can choose which video, still images, or music should be available across the network. Media Manager works under Windows 98 (competing products usually require Windows XP) and so you could give old PCs a new lease of life as media servers.

To this end, we tried a 266MHz Pentium II notebook successfully, although video would occasionally freeze when the computer was doing something else. If the system finds multiple PCs offering content, you’re given the opportunity to select the one of greatest interest.

Categorisation makes the content easy to select from the SL300i. On-line updating of the unit’s firmware (the internal operating software) is possible, and Media Manager will itself warn you when an upgrade is available. Unfortunately, our early sample crashed during the upgrade process, and took over an hour to repair itself!

In AV terms, the SL300i puts up a strong fight. Audio and video are both of a high potential standard, although the quality of the source material and encoding used are perhaps the ultimate restriction.

OVERALL VERDICT
A superb way of setting your media free – wirelessly

Martin Pipe

Here's a link to the Philips web page with downloads of the product brochure and jpeg pictures.

The last one sold on Ebay was a genuine UK model with a decent picture of the product and accessories so you knew what you were getting. Here's the link. It sold for £35 + £9.50 P&P so I'd be happy at that sort of price. I might stick mine on Ebay after the dodgy European one for auction is gone.

[RobAnt]

An empty MG-35 clone would do exactly what you want, and be able to access and play certain video files as well.

I have a Sweex MM130 with can host an upto 750Gb hard drive (some have even been successful with certain 1TB drives). I bought it without a drive, and it is perfectly happy accessing files on my computers. It was a lot less than £100. It came with a remote, of course.

It has YPbPr and S-Video and digital optical SPDIF to connect to your chosen speaker system.

If I had a reservation it is that you must turn on the Monitor/TV to get it started, but once it's playing your music you can just turn off the Monitor/TV again.

Modern versions are wireless and have better video codecs.

If you choose to you can, of course, install a hdd and make that the host for your music and access it over the network from your PC.

If you're prepared to string an Ethernet cable you could use this [click], for about £40.

[Oimi]

I've become quite partial to the idea of using a Logitech Squeezebox Duet, so that is what I am now looking for.

I've got my eyes on a second hand, nearly perfect condition set.

I just need to know what is compatible with the Squeezebox and would work alongside my TV, so that the sounds of the TV comes through whatever speakers I choose as well as music from the PC.

I have my eyes on these so far: [LIST][*]SONY DAVDZ260 DVD/HOME CINEMA SYSTEM (MULTI-REGION) - http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/p...roduct_ID/4027[*]Audioengine 2 Speaker System Colour BLACK - http://www.breezily.co.uk/products/a...m_colour_black[*]TANNOY SFX 5.1 SPEAKER SYSTEM - http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/p...roduct_ID/3804[/LIST]

[Oimi]

Cheapest I could find the SONY DAVDZ260 DVD/HOME CINEMA SYSTEM (MULTI-REGION) - http://www.24electric.com/detail.php...ferrer=froogle.

What about you guys?

[Chris Frost]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oimi

I have my eyes on these so far: [LIST][*]SONY DAVDZ260 DVD/HOME CINEMA SYSTEM (MULTI-REGION) - http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/p...roduct_ID/4027[*]Audioengine 2 Speaker System Colour BLACK - http://www.breezily.co.uk/products/a...m_colour_black[*]TANNOY SFX 5.1 SPEAKER SYSTEM - http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/p...roduct_ID/3804[/LIST]

Only one of those 3 will work with your TV and Squeezebox-Duet

[Oimi]

That would be the Sony setup?

What would I need for the others to work? An amp?

[Chris Frost]

Yep, an amp.

[Oimi]

This is all a bit confusing, I'm good with computer but this reminds me of a time when they were completely new to me.

Audio is really a completely different technology and taken for granted in IT, with built-in amps and the likes. I wish I felt like I understood a little bit better but this is all so complicated.

[Chris Frost]

It helps if you can define the following in very clear terms:
[LIST=1][*]what you absolutely need,[*]what extras you'd really like - the bells & whistles e.g. HD Audio, makes the tea etc[*]what restrictions you have - size, space, wires, colour, brand preference etc[*]what the base budget figure is - this needs to be realistic [*]how much you are willing to stretch it by (in £'s) to get more of the bells & whistles[/LIST]
Realistic budgets is the biggest challenge. Cheap AV systems are just like cheap computers. They're cheap because some corners got cut: Vista on just 1Gb of RAM, integrated graphics sharing the system RAM, slow disc drives, limited connectivity, barely capable power supplies, limited upgrade options and poor motherboards. None of this is an issue if you're surfing the net and writing the odd email. But start running some heavy weight Apps or doing some number crunching and all of a sudden the limits become apparent.

It's the same with AV. These all-in-one home cinema kits are like a sub £300 Celeron laptop. They're OK as long as you know what you are buying. But they're sold using language that makes them sound like a top-of-the-range Core 2 Duo or, worse still, they're bought on price and looks

The DAV-DZ260 is very much "budget laptop", but then again so are its competitors, so it's no worse than the rest in that respect. And like it's competitors you're buying a basic system with little in the way of upgradeability. Two digital inputs is OK, (one for the squeezebox + one spare) but no* analogue stereo input! That's kind of like having a laptop with two firewire but no USB.

(* There's a headphone jack for ad hoc connection of an MP3 player, and at least the SCART TV connector accepts the TV audio.)

There's no arguing with the value in terms of the amount of 'stuff' that you get. But like all these type of systems it's a case of quantity over quality because it's all just a little bit basic.

What you get is a scaling DVD player cum 6 channel amp cum radio tuner. You get 6 speakers (5 plastic boxes with a transistor radio type 2.5" diameter speakers rated at 3 Ohms to make the power figures look good, plus a basic 6.5" bass speaker in a chipboard/mdf box.) There's a USB input, some basic speaker cables and a set up mic with the impressive acronym - D.C.A.C - to hide the deficiencies in the speaker distance set up software. There is Lip Sync, but again it's pared down to a ridiculous choice of Off/Low/High because they saved a few pennies not putting in a proper DSP chip.

If this type of product were a car it would be a special edition version of the base model - Go faster stripes but a weedy engine, sunroof but it is manual tilt only, radio with an iPod jack but no CD, drivers side electric window...you get the picture.

If £150 is your maximum budget for now and you are happy to junk the system when you want to upgrade then the Sony is a reasonable choice. You can't do much better for the price, but that's because it's already at bargain basement level.

[Oimi]

Wow, you have really opened my eyes.

1. Impressive speakers (sound quality; both music and movies), although I'm not sure really what difference 2.1 channels or 5.1 channels makes. I do want the cinema type effect, you know what I mean. I also want a system that will perform well at volume, although this is not a primary concern because I will have new neighbours to consider (but if I know that they are going out or I tell them that I am having a party then I want to be able to have a decent system). Speakers will need to connect to my TV, Squeezebox and Wii for multiple uses. I need at least 2.1 channels, integrated bass is not really a good idea is it?
2. I want to be able to have friends come round and plug in a thumb drive so play their music on the system; I don't know whether if they plugged it into the computer the thumb drive would be detected by the Squeezebox... I wonder if the Squeezebox will allow me to watch DVD's that I insert into the PC and watch them on the TV downstairs? Otherwise I will need to buy a new DVD player.
3. These speakers are going to be in the lounge, which is a reasonable size. I can't see that any speakers would be too big! Because the place is rented it might be a pain regarding wires, because I wouldn't get away with nailing those plastic cable tidy clips thingies to the walls; although I suppose this is what stands are for. The other concern ofcourse is danger of lots of wires being a trip hazard. Black speakers are lush, although if push came to shove then colour could be forfeited for quality. Seeing as I don't know of many brands because I am new to this area of technology, I don't have a preference.
4. Budget for bass all depends on the rest, I really don't mind having a second hand system if that helps (so long as it isn't damaged and is in good condition). I am looking at £300 tops for the lot including seperate amp if need be.

I hope this answers you questions and that in turn you can help me further.

Thank you!

[Chris Frost]

You are welcome.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oimi

1. I'm not sure really what difference 2.1 channels or 5.1 channels makes. I do want the cinema type effect,
5.1 is the way to go if you want the surround effects such as bullets whizzing past your ears.

For the same price a 2.1 system should produce a better sound quality as long as we are talking about a stereo Hi-Fi amp and not 2.1 driven from an AV amp.

I also want a system that will perform well at volume,
If you mean be loud enough that you can't hear yourself think then £300 ain't going to do it; £3000 and we are starting to talk. But if you mean loud enough to impress your mates and worry their girlfriends then yes, we can probably achieve that.

I need at least 2.1 channels, integrated bass is not really a good idea is it?
A separate sub is definitely the way to go for lots of sound quality reasons. It lightens the electrical load on the amp, it's easier to make good sounding bookshelf speakers than large floor-standers, you can position the sub in the room for better sonic results; or simply hide it out of sight.

2. I want to be able to have friends come round and plug in a thumb drive so play their music on the system;
Do this via the PC.

I wonder if the Squeezebox will allow me to watch DVD's that I insert into the PC and watch them on the TV downstairs? Otherwise I will need to buy a new DVD player.
No, Squeezebox is music only. Buy a budget DVD player - your missus will thank you for it.

3. These speakers are going to be in the lounge, which is a reasonable size. I can't see that any speakers would be too big!
Good, that means you can buy bookshelf speakers rather than the tiny little satellite speakers that involve lots of sonic compromises.

I wouldn't get away with nailing those plastic cable tidy clips thingies to the walls;
There are better and more discrete solutions

4. Budget for bass all depends on the rest, I really don't mind having a second hand system if that helps (so long as it isn't damaged and is in good condition). I am looking at £300 tops for the lot including seperate amp if need be.
£300 might still be very tight. What's the s/h Squeezebox likely to cost, and what happens to the budget if you miss out on buying it?

Colour preference for amp - Black?

Where abouts do you live in the UK?

Regards

[Oimi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Frost

You are welcome.



Colour preference for amp - Black?

Where abouts do you live in the UK?

Regards

Okay, I'm not sure whether I want 2.1 or 5.1, perhaps you can give me a choice of products...

Colour preference is black, you are right about volume (I don't want something that will make me go deaf). Bookshelf speakers, yes! I am glad that there are more discrete solutions. Is £300 excluding the Squeezebox sufficient?

I live in Worcester, West Midlands (I have already purchased the Squeezebox Duet from a seller on eBay for £214.00 including P&P). I'm talking about £300 on top of this. Will they be able to plug their thumb drive into my PC and the Squeezebox software pick this up so that they can select it from the remote?

[Chris Frost]

£300 could be enough if you are sensible with your choices.

If it were me I'd be looking to get the best quality for my money. For speakers I would start by looking at second hand but also keep my eye on Richer Sounds / SuperFi / Sound & Vision etc for deals on packages. Richers do the Tannoy FX 5.1 package (5 satellites + sub) in black for £150. There's also the Onkyo SKSHT518 5.1 package in black for £170. That'll leave you some money for speaker cable or even a DVD player.

Amp technology is a tougher choice. Ideally you'd like all the bells and whistles such as HDMI and HD Audio even though you're not planning on adding a Bluray at this stage. Your lowest cost choices are:[LIST][*]A Sony STR-DG820 is about the lowest cost true HD Audio decoding AV amp you can buy. Trouble is they're so new that there aren't many (if any) secondhand ones, and even discounted through the floor they are still around £230 new which means very little left for speakers.[/LIST][LIST][*]a Yamaha amp discounted to £160 that can accept HD audio over HDMI as long as the Bluray player does the decoding. The Bluray players that do this are slightly more expensive than the entry level models[/LIST][LIST][*]Finally,a secondhand AV amp that has a different style of HD Audio input. You would use the same type of Bluray player as with the Yamaha amp. Say around £100 but with more power and inputs than the Yamaha above and possibly the Sony too.[/LIST]The other thing to consider is what the resale values. Buyer awareness and technology trickledown will push prices down. The depreciation curve will keep prices up. In short, I think your options pan out like this...[LIST=1][*]you blow your your budget on the Sony for features you won't use for ages, but then have to compromise the speaker choice. Nice amp but bad speakers - waste of cash because when you do want HD Audio the same spec amp might only be £150 to buy new.[*]you buy the Yamaha RXV363 for £160 - it''s a good choice but again you are paying for features you won't use for a while.[*]You buy a decent s/h AV amp where someone else has taken a spanking on the depreciation over the last 18 months. It might have been worth £300 - £400 new. Still works with HD Audio as long as you get the right Bluray player which will come on the market s/h in a year to 18 months time for well under £100. In the mean time you get great surround sound for your regular DVDs and it's probably a bit better for music than the budget HDMI equipped amp you might have otherwise bought.[/LIST]Here are some likely candidates that fill the latter category:

Yamaha DSPAX630 sold for £60 + delivery

Pioneer VSX D812s - wrong colour but it give you an idea - £80 + postage

Yamaha DSPX620 in black, currently on offer for £65 + postage

Marantz SR5300 in black sold for £100 inc postage

All of the above has a 5.1 input so they can be used with a Bluray player that decodes HD Audio at a later date.

If you are following any of the amp links (which would be a very good idea) then also have a look at the Classifieds sales for speakers on the same forum.

Any of the combinations above will kick the stuffing out of a Home Cinema kit at double the price

[Oimi]

Thank you once again, I really appreciate your help you know! I would be lost without it.

What is the difference between Tannoy FX 5.1 package (5 satellites + sub) in black for £150 and the Onkyo SKSHT518 5.1 package in black for £170? I'd definitely seriously be considering getting one of these alongside a second hand amp from option 3 (sounds great)! Which would you choose out of the four?

[RobAnt]

You might want to consider the Onkly HTX22HD [click]. It is a 2.1 package as it comes, but can be extended via an add on 3 speaker set. The advantage here is that it is HD Audio compatible, with only the remaining 3 speakers to add, when you're ready for them.

The SKS-11 Add-on pack [click] consists of a centre and rear pair.

The links are just the most convenient I could find, you might be able to get both packages somewhere else at a lower combined price if you look around.

You DON'T need a separate amp for this system, as it is built into the subwoofer.

[Chris Frost]

Re: speakers, I think you need to go have a listen.

The Tannoy FX5.1 have been around for a while. They started life as a £300 package. The Onkyo kit is a bit of an unknown to me, however the spec is pretty good on paper.

...STOP PRESS... STOP PRESS... STOP PRESS...

Superfi has the updated version of the Tannoys. It's the SFX5.1. They are on sale at £149 which is the same price as Richer sells the FX5.1


You should go have a listen to the Onkyo kit and the Tannoy SFX kit. Both should sound pretty good with movies. The acid test is music.

Here's a few tips for the demo:[LIST][*]Get the dem done with one of the AV amps in the £250 - £350 price range. Yam 363, Onkyo 506, Sony 820 and a decent DVD player.
[*]Have a look and feel of the satellite speakers before the dem. How solid do the satellites feel? Knock on the cabinet - if it sounds hollow and echo'y then it's not as well braced as a speaker that sounds dead and inert.
[*]Look at the sub connections and switches. Ideally you want a sub with volume and phase controls. The phase should be either a rotary dial (0-180 degrees) or a three position switch 0/90/180.
[*]The Tannoys are a bit more efficient than the Onkyos. They'll go louder at the same amp volume level. To make a fair comparison make sure there's a little extra volume from the amp when listening to the Onkyos.
[*]Take along a couple of music CDs that you know well. Choose something simple. A good demo track is Michael Buble "The Best Is Yet To Come" because the song starts with just his voice and finger clicks for a few bars, then the band kicks. Listen - are his words clear, does the finger click sound natural, is there a sense of space around his voice. Other decent demo tracks - David Gray Please Forgive Me from White Ladder; Newton Faulkner Teardrop from Hand Built By Robots; Marc Cohn Silver Thunderbird from the album titled Marc Cohn; Bjork Venus As a Boy from Debut.
[*]Make sure the amp is set in 'stereo + sub' for the music dem. Don't use surround modes, you won't hear what's going on as clearly. 'Stereo + sub' is what you want.
[*]For movie surround take along a film such as U571 and listen to the depth charging scenes. You are looking for a convincing surround effect.
[*]Listen at low, medium and higher volume levels. Does the speaker balance remain consistent, i.e. the centre doesn't take over or get drowned out.[/LIST]

Re the amps listed above, you do realise of course that two are already sold, right?

If all four were available then my personal preference would be Yam 630, Marantz, Yam 620, Pioneer.

regards

Chris

P.S. What's my commission rate on this

[Oimi]

RobAnt, if you don't mind I would like Chris's approval of that speaker set you linked to. Thank you for your suggestion, although I can imagine he may well disapprove?

Chris, where would I go to see these speakers in my LOCAL area? If the Onkyo kits is worth more but is on sale, should it not be a better set? I definitely agree that music is the real way to test speakers properly.

Regardless of the fact that some of those amps have already been sold, I am looking for specific models so that I can search for them online as I know that are compatible with my needs.

Hmmm, if I could come and do some work for you and know that I would get some nice speakers in return then I would have to work extra hard to pay your commission!