AV Receiver for HiFi?

[cpw13]

My trusty old cambridge amp's given up on life. Now, what with a nice big lcd i've recently bought, i'm interested in getting an av receiver for general dvd watching with surround sound, but i also need to replace the hifi amp. Are av's any good for hifi? Would i need to get a whole set of speakers for it or could i still use my floorstanders?

And if it is worthwhile, which one should i get for the £4-500 mark?

Thanks for anyone's help - as you can guess I'm fairly new to the game

 

[Cable Monkey]

You have asked one of the most asked questions here and the answer varies dependant on who you speak to. I would say if you are a discerning listener then your budget is not enough. Take into consideration when you make a really rough and ready comparision any money you spend on a stereo amp is £xxx divided by 2. Go to 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 and your budget is £xxx divided by 5, 6 or 7. It is a very basic calculation but gives you an idea what you are up against. To get good stereo performance you need to be spending more, and be quite discerning about what brands you choose to listen too. I have found Denon provides an acceptable balance. Other look to Arcam, Marantz, Nad etc. I am sure others would: a) disagree with my observations, b) make other suggestions. The secret is to shortlist and audition. Don't buy on the recommendations of anyone but the evidence of your own ears.

 

[Knyght_byte]

gosh, u do like sitting on the fence cable monkey dont ya ;-)

jush kidding

what the man says is correct tho, best to test it for yourself.....i can say if you like music more on the classical or acoustic lines then you might enjoy Denons approach at that price point.......but im biased because i own Denon equipment and need to justify the money it cost me....*grins*

if you really really like stereo CD sound, then you might find it worth getting a fairly basic surround sound receiver and a semi reasonable budget stereo amp, you will generally get better stereo sound that way than spending the same amount on a surround receiver.......but demo demo demo!!!...lol...or raise your budget...heh

 

[Knyght_byte]

actually, hunt around on Sevenoaks website sometime soon, once they get the new Denon 3806 surround amp in, you might find an ex-demo 3805 going cheap....or even the brand new one.....if u can get it brand new for £500 (or ex-demo for around £400) you should be fairly happy even with stereo sound....just use the external inputs so its like a power amp.... (for stereo purposes)

but wait and see what other people mention as well...then listen!

 

[Falp]

AV receiver for music duties too...

Marantz, Arcam, Rotel and NAD...

 

[SBanga]

For £400-£500 I'd be looking at a Yamaha DSPAX757SE. I think at that price point it has the best musical ability (in pure direct mode) of its immediate rivals from Denon or Pioneer. I also believe its surround performance is amazing; I can actually hear a discernable difference between it and my DSPAX750SE. The Denon equivelent will have a much smoother sound, which u may or may not prefer. The Pioneer sound is very crass in it's lower end models. However, all this is just to my ears. My friend swears his Denon sounds better than mine to him and it probably does. Only your ears can be the true judge.
However, if you can bear to wait, the next Cambridge Audio AV receiver looks very special, and should best anything musically at its' price point. I'm sure someone knows more information on it than I do so I'll let them explain, if you're curious!

 

[Nt016]

tell us more about the new cambridge please someone...

 

[Falp]

tell us more about the new cambridge please someone...

Yes, that would be nice!

 

[Nt016]

ive found pics on the cambridge site, looks really interesting but missing DVI & HDMI inputs. it has an OSD for the tv and looks very nice. Dot-matrix display sadly...

see: http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/gallery/azur/640r/640r-front.jpg

and: http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/gallery/azur/640r/640r_rear.jpg

and: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=58193

Looks like its due for release in November - i'd go for the What Hifi show for sure. Initial estimates put it slightly higher than the 540R. Knowing cambridge I think its musical ability should be good. I am looking for something for 60% audio and 40% video and under €1000 so this has to be a contender with the Yamaha 1500 (however I doubt its musical ability).

 

[Falp]

iIt's really a bigger 540R

I think I prefer a Marantz SR7500 or NAD 753 for the price...

 

[Nt016]

if its bugless and costs £350 - i'm having one!

 

[cpw13]

Strewth! Didn't expect quite such a reply! Thanks for all the responses... looks like I'm going to to have to save up for a little while i guess (or at least wait fo rthis cambridge to come out)

 

[Falp]

Try the Marantz 7500... trust me...

 

[Nt016]

id just like to say, i'm not a big fan of the marantz now ive listened to it!

 

[Falp]

What model and what speakers?

 

[Dankeech]

iIt's really a bigger 540R

I think I prefer a Marantz SR7500 or NAD 753 for the price...

Have the NAD T753, but recieved mine with a slight background hissing, audible from 1m away. It's under investigation as have taken it back to dealership to get sent back to NAD.

This is supposed to be uncommon issue (except earlier 2003 versions of it) and have to say that I do love the product. Sounds great in a movie, but does give a bit of magic to my audio discs too.

I'm happy & the setup doesn't require a PHD.

I don't know the other equipment suggest in this thread. I got my T753 from www.av-land.co.uk (based in Wellingborough, nr Milton Keynes). When I went into the shop, they took me really seriously and spent some time going through my issues. All in all impressed with them & the product.

Just my tuppence.

Dan.

 

[Falp]

That NAD hiss is a usual NAD feature...

 

[Robosapien]

I picked up a Yamaha RX-V1500(got a deal). After tinkering with it for two weeks I've come to the conclusion that while great for movies it has some serious shortcomings with music - even my modest 15 year old HK stereo receiver trounces it. Unfortunately the dealer that sold it to me doesn't carry Marantz so unless he can place a special order I would have to reluctantly choose between Denon or another(newer) Yamaha if I (hopefully)want better sound for music. Somebody mentioned in this forum that the newer Yamahas(ie RX-V1600, etc) had improved in the music dept. Can anyone confirm or dispell this statement?
My dealer also sells Rotel which I'm sure would not disappoint musically but would cost twice as much as a Japanese model and would probably be much less reliable.

 

[Cable Monkey]

I thought Rotel was Japanese!

I would consider a newer Yamaha first if you like them, but don't be put off by the prospect of Denon. Amplification is probably what they do best.