Advice on AV Amp and Speakers? Thanks

[crazymac680]

I just had a impulse buy HD65 projector and its opened a big can of worms that i hadn't considered.
Since i got the projector I've bought a Blue-ray player(sony bdp(s300). I now need a surround sound amp and speakers.

Since i only have one HD input. I dont think i really need to get a HDMI amp. I would run a 8m hdmi lead, blue-ray to the projector and Optical to the AV amp.
Connections i would need include.
1. Optical in for BR dvd
2. Component in for Wii
3. Scart for freeview PVR(Scart to suitable adapter?)
4. Red and white audio leads for CD player and wireless audio streamer

Im strongly being drawn towards a second hand system. Since the market is being flooded with everyone replacing their quality amps and replacing them with HDMI amps.

My questions and worries are
1. Could i use my Mission 702e(floorstanders) as my front speakers. What specs would i need to match them with the rears, centre and sub? With regaurds to Impedence and oms?
2. What are your thoughts on my possible second hand AV amps on ebay? Sony SDR DA1200ESB, NAD T760, Denon AV-F100, Dennon AVR 3803, Denon AVR1906, Pioneer VSX-D811S-S. My limit is 100bucks on a second hand amp without HDMI.
3. I've been thinking about getting freesat HD but not planning on it anytime soon. Maybe a years time when the HD freesat pvr boxes have got a bit cheaper. Should i just get a entry level Av amp with HDMI now or get at least a year out of a second hand amp and get a HDMI amp when the prices fall?
4. I'd like the speakers i get to last me a while. If i buy the second hand amp now and replace it in a years time. I dont want to have to replace my speakers. I'd happily buy second hand speakers also, if they were good quality. My room is a good size but i dont want anymore than 2 floorstanders. If the performance of my new system doesn't match the musical performance of my current( Arcam 7R amp, Cambridge audio CD, Mission 702e). I'll need to keep the missions. So it would be nice to make them part of my Suround sound setup also. Not essential however. Id happily have satelites all round and a boom box in the corner.

So there we have it! All my worries laid down.
Now i suppose i should tell you all my budget.
Amp 300, Speakers 200-250.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions. Just throw them into the melting pot and hopefully i'll be able to make a decision in a few days. This trawling ebay for bargins is killing me but i'm already delighted with my projector and blue-ray buys. It just needs surround sound to be the finished article.
Thanks very much. I really need some sleep now

[dwhite]

Is it only the bluray you want to run to the PJ or all your video sources (freeview and Wii). If it is you may find it better to get a amp with HDMI upconversion, this would allow you to connect everything to your amp and then it would upconvert all the outputs to HDMI for output to your PJ. Allowing you to run a single HDMI to your PJ, instead of HDMI, component and composite for all your sources. However, this may mean you have to up your budget slightly.

[davepuma]

You could use your current Missions for front speaker duties, the easiest and best thing to do would be to add a matching centre from the same range or at the very least a Mission centre with similar drivers. This should ensure a tonal balance at the front. The sub and rears don't matter so much. If you bought a receiver with front pre-out connections, you could integrate that with your current hifi setup whereby the front speakers would continue to be driven by the Arcam and the AV Receiver/Amp would drive the centre and rear and output to the subwoofer.

[crazymac680]

Originally Posted by dwhite

Is it only the bluray you want to run to the PJ or all your video sources (freeview and Wii). If it is you may find it better to get a amp with HDMI upconversion, this would allow you to connect everything to your amp and then it would upconvert all the outputs to HDMI for output to your PJ. Allowing you to run a single HDMI to your PJ, instead of HDMI, component and composite for all your sources. However, this may mean you have to up your budget slightly.

Thanks i really like that idea. I didn't think that an amp could upscale all my inputs. That would be awesome.
Have you any ideas what Amp could do that. None of the Amp's in my price range seemed to mention upscaleing to HDMI.
Thanks again. I'll have a lookout for that option

[crazymac680]

Originally Posted by davepuma

You could use your current Missions for front speaker duties, the easiest and best thing to do would be to add a matching centre from the same range or at the very least a Mission centre with similar drivers. This should ensure a tonal balance at the front. The sub and rears don't matter so much. If you bought a receiver with front pre-out connections, you could integrate that with your current hifi setup whereby the front speakers would continue to be driven by the Arcam and the AV Receiver/Amp would drive the centre and rear and output to the subwoofer.

I like your style. I hadn't thought of using the New amp as an imput to my Arcam. It would be nice to intergrate my Arcam and Missions as they have served me well over the years and I love the sound musically.
It would also save me a bit of cash not to replace the Missions.
When you say match a centre with my Mission 702's. What is the important statistics?
My missions say 25-100 W/PC. Impedance 8.
Does this mean that if i get a mission speaker with the same stats that it should match? Or is there other stats i need to look out for?
Thanks again

[dwhite]

Originally Posted by crazymac680

Thanks i really like that idea. I didn't think that an amp could upscale all my inputs. That would be awesome.
Have you any ideas what Amp could do that. None of the Amp's in my price range seemed to mention upscaleing to HDMI.
Thanks again. I'll have a lookout for that option

You may have to up your budget slightly, but look at the onkyo 606 (now superceeded by the 607) and the Denon 1909 (also about to be superseeded by the 1910).

BTW Upconversion and upscaling are two different processes.

Upconversion all is converting video input to a different output (component input to HDMI output for example).

Upscaling is changing the resolution of a signal (480p to 1080p for example). However a lot of amps can upscale at the same time as they upconvert, but you can let them only upconvert if you want.

[davepuma]

Try and get the matching centre for your fronts i.e. 70c1, 70c2 or 70c3. Speaker manufacturers try and get the centre to match the fronts in terms of drivers etc. but as they're not at the same height and the centre is a totally different design so that they can fit below a TV in an AV rack, they aren't an exact match. The only way to get an exact match would be to use the same speaker and place at the same height so that all 3 speakers are level. I take it that these speakers are quite old, so perhaps sourcing one might be problematic. If that is the case another Mission centre should hopefully be 'near enough'. Check the speakers forum for more information.