Sound Bar

Hairy I have thought about getting one of the usb turn tables to play my vinyl on

My kids would destroy LPs - it's just not worth even entertaining.

hairy j wrote:

They do actually. They make a budget one but it's actually over-priced and it's bundled with really crap speakers.
http://www.richersounds.com/product/1-box-home-cinema-systems/lg/sr906/lg-sr906

If you live near a richersounds, go down there as they have demo rooms - you'll get good service... if you do, do NOT buy any speaker wires or hdmi cables from them - get them elsewhere online or from Maplins.

I just spotted this, it's a great price but it is a 5.1 speaker set
http://www.richersounds.com/product/1-box-home-cinema-systems/yamaha/yht398/yama-yht398

There is so much choice, it's hard to recommend a perfect set-up.

I await the "I am confused about aV receivers" thread.

I like that one!

Which one? I would seriously advise you not to get that LG. Not because it's LG but because the speakers are no better than pc speakers.

The Yamaha set is pretty good for the cash - if it's stocked at your local Richersounds, go and have a look. It has an active sub which, at that price is pretty amazing. The speakers aren't that big so it might be 'wife friendly' too.

If you meant my picture - it's £5,000 worth and a 9.2 amp. If you have that kind of cash, I will happily set it up for you and re-wire your front room just to hear it.

Just get a decent amp (Cambridge are good) and a pair of Mordaunt Short speakers. You can play everything else (telly etc) through them - and the first time you stick on one of your beloved old LPs, the sound will make you want to cry for its beauty.

Peggy * wrote:

Just get a decent amp (Cambridge are good) and a pair of Mordaunt Short speakers. You can play everything else (telly etc) through them - and the first time you stick on one of your beloved old LPs, the sound will make you want to cry for its beauty.

You can't do that with a stereo amp without putting everything through the tv and then putting everything to a stereo amp via an rca or optical cable- neither rca or optical will do hd audio.

Stereo amps are great for music from a stereo source but GOB needs audio for loads of sources.

A bit of trivia re: Cambridge Audio, they're only available through Richersounds in the UK so they tend to be a bit overpriced as there's no competitive retail pricing in this country. They're marketed as being niche products but they aren't.
Real music enthusiasts would recommend a Roksan amp.

If sensiblegreeny is reading this, I'd like these
http://www.avland.co.uk/aasp/dali/1320/epicepicon/epicepicon.asp
And this
http://www.harrowaudiohifi.co.uk/products/153-arcam-avr600-51-av-receiver-avr-600.aspx
For my birthday.

Hairy - having never met me, I suggest you don't try to say I'm not a music enthusiast.

Peggy * wrote:

Hairy - having never met me, I suggest you don't try to say I'm not a music enthusiast.

I meant very wealthy music enthusiasts. I'm more into the equipment than the music. I listened to a Bjork album once that I own on a £7000 system (that I don't own)- there were sounds I'd never heard before.... it was awe inspiring.

Are you into Skillrex Peggy?

Not my thang, Hairy. Currently, my enjoyment's being provided by the likes of Public Service Broadcasting and British Sea Power.

Quirky indie bleurgh music that is.

My top 5 at the moment from my recent Spotify activity

Pig Destroyer
Ah-Ha
Mr Bungle
Roots Manuva
The Wildhearts

We can all be 'eclectic' - nothing more dull than a muso-snob. I like LMFAO.... so there!

Happy Daze wrote:

I will stick with HMV record player the only downsides are it's a pain having to wind it up and changing the needle

I have a portable one of those. I have a bigger version of one of these though the mainspring broke recently. And I have a very early electric machine.

Better than all this modern rubbish.

Why buy all that OTT equipment only to play Justin Bieber or Sex Pistols?

Wash your mouth out, Knecht! Mentioning Bieber in the same breath as the Sex Pistols, indeed.

Next thing you'll be comparing Shostakovich to Bobby Crush.

Bobby Crush's 5th Symphony is superb and his string quartets are a masterpiece of the genre.
Shostakovich .... meh!

PS
one of the very best concerts I have ever been to was The St Petersburg Quartet playing Shostakovich.

I have never seen Bobby Crush but I hope to one day.

Just to add - in case the purchase hasn't yet been made - the soundbar market is pretty fast moving & there are a couple that may be worth listening to, if cables & speakers are problematic....

Sonis have just released their new 'PlayBar' which like most (but not all) good AV products can be bought at Richer Sounds for £599. John Lewis do it for the same price mind & a couple of their stores have them out on demo.

The SoundBar has some genuinely useful tricks (in addition to sounding good) - including internet connectivity (internet radio, iTunes & providers like Spotify, etc), full I-stuff connectivity and the ability to stream direct from your PC.... You can also add a sub & rear speakers later if so desired & the rears are wireless (albeit expensive).

Yamaha's 2200 is still industry's award winner though, but is pricey at £799 ish. It doesn't stream, either.

If you can bear a few speakers, I'd agree with Hairy - a proper 5:1 system will knock soundbar into a cocked hat any day of the week. You could always start it out as a 3:1 system & add rears at a later stage.... A modern AV amp has far more connection options than a soundbar as well.

As Hairy says, your home cinema amp will produce good 'simple' stereo results as well. The current 'What hi-fi' award winner for budget systems (a stupid term, they still cost monster money) is the Yamaha V373 which you can pick up for between £200 & £250. Sony's budget AV amps are always rated highly too; if you can pick one up for the same sort of price I'd be swayed (but I am a Sony zealot).

Although they're now considered a little dated, Wharfedale Diamind 9's are fantastic speakers & if you hunt around you can still pick up a Home Cinema set including a good centre speaker & brilliant sub.

In fact I bought these speakers around 9 years ago - they cost me £700 then for the full set, but Richer Sounds currently have some stock of the standamounts at an astonishing £49 a pair.

If you can stretch further, I have also bought a pair of Q Acoustics 2020i s (they must be the 'i' s!) & they are significantly better than the Diamond 9s.

If you're going for separates, you really should stick your front speakers on proper stands - Soundstyle Z1's (I think I'm remembering that correctly) are wonders at around £50.

One last thing - good cabling does make a difference.....

I almost bought the Q Acoustic 2020s but they're so deep, I couldn't have fitted the rears in so had to go for bipolar rears.

In terms of dated Wharfdale Diamond 9s, speakers don't really date. A good speaker is a good speaker.
If I had the cash though, I'd go for some pmc speakers.
http://www.divineaudio.co.uk/pmc-mb2i-loudspeakers?sa=X&ei=HY1xUZ3VDYaw0QW604CYAQ&ved=0CBwQ-RIwAA
They're better than what they use in most cinemas.

The Yamaha 373 is a good shout but if you go up just one more model, you'd get an exceptionally good receiver in the 473 with airplay.

Here's another suggestion that's similar to a'soundbar - the amp is built into the sub and it'll act as an av receiver.
http://www.exceptional-av.co.uk/product.php?fdProductId=601

JonB wrote:

.......
Although they're now considered a little dated, Wharfedale Diamind 9's are fantastic speakers ........

Yay!!!! I'm cool at last! I've got those!

Having not understood a word of any of this you will get a card from your Mum and birthday tea (jelly and all) as usual.

Sensiblegreeny wrote:

Having not understood a word of any of this you will get a card from your Mum and birthday tea (jelly and all) as usual.

Jesus. Boxes make noise - noise make ears happy.

So GOB, have you made any progress?

Just bumping this one for GOB as I've spotted an absolute bargain online.

http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/product/5259/monitor-audio-vector-5-1-av-speaker-package-black/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-extensions&gclid=CKrsvq6l5rYCFfQetAodf1AApg

£299 for these is mental cheap.

hairy j wrote:

Just bumping this one for GOB as I've spotted an absolute bargain online.

http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/product/5259/monitor-audio-vector-5-1-av-speaker-package-black/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-extensions&gclid=CKrsvq6l5rYCFfQetAodf1AApg

£299 for these is mental cheap.

Thanks Hairy and good timing, I'll be shopping tomorrow but it could well be Internet shopping now!

They were this price on another site a while ago until they sold out. A lot of people on my videogame forum bought them and they're delighted. The sub alone is worth £200.

Here's an AV Forum thread on them
http://www.avforums.com/forums/speakers/975847-monitor-audio-vector.html
This was when they were £700

I'd suggest a Yamaha amp to match them rather than an Onkyo

They're quite little but they're really powerful and they look lovely - i . e . Woman friendly.

you were doing well until the last two words.

No sexist innuendo intended, just humour at the expense of our breasted opposition partners

GOB wrote:

you were doing well until the last two words.

No sexist innuendo intended, just humour at the expense of our breasted opposition partners

You wait until you get older - you'll have breasts as well......