AV Amplifier for up to £1750. Any suggestions?

skap7309

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Straightforward question - whats the current deal on getting the best out of £1750, give or take £250?

Usage is as follows - 60% SD TV freeview, 30% music, 10% HD/SD 5.1 surround

Looks are important, however for £1750 SQ has to be as good as possible!

Any thoughts?
 
Yamaha DSP-Z7

I don't think there is a competitor with a price tag of £1700 that can match it?

I think a telepathic Yamaha retailer may have been sending you subliminal messages? :D

Your budget is almost spot on!
 
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Try the Rotel RSX1560 a great improvement over your Japs types for music and does an excellent job for SD surround as well. Bit more expensive at £1854 but worth the extra few bob!
 
Another vote for the yamaha
 
You didn't mention what speakers you have or propose to have. I'm sure that any of the current crop around that price from Yamaha, Pioneer, Denon, Rotel etc. would be fine, just make sure you demo, preferably with the speakers to ensure you like the sound. After all it's your ears, not ours and £1750 is a lot of money to spend.
 
You didn't mention what speakers you have or propose to have. I'm sure that any of the current crop around that price from Yamaha, Pioneer, Denon, Rotel etc. would be fine, just make sure you demo, preferably with the speakers to ensure you like the sound. After all it's your ears, not ours and £1750 is a lot of money to spend.

How do you know that he hasn't got someone else's ears?

I don't even think you need to spend that amount of money to meet the requirements you've so far stated?

Why £1750? Seems like a strange figure to arrive at.
 
The Sony 5400es seems to have got a lot of good reviews. Not that a review should be the final word on anything but one to add to the mix maybe. Good luck! :smashin:
 
"Looks are important" - and no ones recommended an Onkyo? I'm surprised :devil:
 
You can go ..hear... test.. audition for yourself a few models. However the Yamaha Z7 is the very best !!! GO FOR IT!
 
thanks for all the replies guys, ive looked into the yamaha and it certainly fits the bill, need to get round to demoing a few as suggested. I have read some good reviews about the sony 5400 but i have also read some shocking things about it to about resetting issues and power leads that dont stay put etc... Slightly put me off it.

Regarding a strange figure at £1750....why not? ;)

Speakers are yet to be bought, but certainly looking at the tannoy revolution signature set as a possibility.
 
for 10% HD movies only ...

I'd go for an Arcam AV9 + P7 Combo - not HDMI HD formats compatible (but does act as a HDMI switch for convenience) - but so what

would completely blow the Yamaha Z7 SQ wise out of the water IMO

The Z7 uses pretty average components at its pricepoint to be fair (but get a demo and hear for youself its your ears that need to be satisfied)

<edit> the AV9 + P7 is now 2500 new, but the AV9 is still only 999

http://www.sevenoakssoundandvision.co.uk/store/southeast/brighton/3637/content.aspx

that plus a decent 2nd hand power amp and you'd be sorted at <1500 total

or just save your money and go 2nd hand .... if SQ is your top priority there are some stonking bargains out there. I bought an old-school Pioneer AX10Ai-S on here for less than 500 - and previoulsy I'd had a Yamaha 3800 and a Pioneer SC-71 - sound quality between these 2 and the old school Pioneer was not even in the same stratosphere - and I'd consider (jn my opinion) the Z7 a hot-rodded 3900 (think modded 3900 with bigger PSU and some more features (like a decent video scaler etc)

with the new amps you're sinking a lot of money into features .. do you need playback of audio via a network ? do you need IPOD compatibility ? do you really need a decent video scaler inside the amp etc etc In my opinion all the current HD amps sub 2K have lost the plot in a way in playing feature one-up manship - and the SQ has lost out.

that said - if you want an amp that can do everything including making a cup of tea and acting as an alarm clock in the morning - then go ahead - just don't expect the SQ to be as good as you could get ...

all depends on what is important to you ...

SQ was important to me .. thats why I sold the 2 HD amps I bought and bought a 2nd hand high-end non-hd AV amplifier instead - was half the price (at least) and sounds a heck of a lot better - even for HD movies

one thing I did learn in this (quite expensive process!!) was that in-store demos - while useful can be quite limited, as its not your living room, its not your speakers etc. So buyer beware - may be worth finding a dealer who is prepared to give you a home-loan first - I mean 1750 is a lot of money
 
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if it was my money I'd get one of these

supports LPCM - so you'll get HD audio support, and is very high quality - SQ wise

these amps were 2700 new - so <1500 is a billy bargain

note I have no association with the shop

https://www.forumhifivisual.co.uk/H..._AVC_A11XVA_THX_REFERENCE_AMPLIFIER_1740.html

Can it handle 1080p signals at 24fps? Yamahas of a similar production year had problems with the 24fps bit and required a BR player that would force 24fps, ruling out the popular Panasonic players.
 
I don't know - but the A varient was to support 1080p - so I'd be amazed if it doesn't

bet a search would provide the required answer on here :)
 
I don't know - but the A varient was to support 1080p - so I'd be amazed if it doesn't

bet a search would provide the required answer on here :)

I think a lot of people were surprised the Yamaha 2700/1700 didn't :D. Definitely worth a check.
 
thanks for all the replies guys, ive looked into the yamaha and it certainly fits the bill, need to get round to demoing a few as suggested. I have read some good reviews about the sony 5400 but i have also read some shocking things about it to about resetting issues and power leads that dont stay put etc... Slightly put me off it.

Regarding a strange figure at £1750....why not? ;)

Speakers are yet to be bought, but certainly looking at the tannoy revolution signature set as a possibility.


Might I suggest the Arcam pre power amp combo of the Av9 and the P7. Discontinued now but very highly rated, and can be had from the likes of Sevenoaks for around £2k for both. :thumbsup:
 

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