Changing a relatively old system - advice

[t-force]

Hi guys,

Please forgive the duplicate posting in two forums - I figure that some people check the amp forum more than the DVD one and vice-versa.

I'm going to be moving house soon, and I'm going to take the opportunity to refresh my system, as I haven't done so for a while.

Currently, I have Toshiba SD-900e DVD player, a TAG AV32r (5.1 only, no analogue bypass), 100x5R and T32R processor, power and tuner combo, M&K K series speakers, an SVS 20-39 sub, and a Panasonic 32PD30 TV.

I'm going to go for a flat panel display (probably a 42" plasma), and I'd like to delve into the world of EQ, as I can notice even in my current place that my room is having far more of an effect than I would like, but from here I'm not sure where to go.

My budget is not going to be huge, so I'm going to have to think fairly carefully about what I go for. Ideally I'd love to have an Audyssey equaliser, but that's way out of my price range (not to mention the fact that another 6 cables would be a distinct pain in the backside!), so I'm going to have to consider selling my TAG stuff. Music is a key consideration, and it would be nice to get a disc spinner that could cope with SACD & DVD-A. Have things come on a long way in the last few years, or am I going to notice a major drop in audio quality if I went for a Denon or Onkyo receiver? (The Onkyo 875 & 905 especially have caught my eye). As far as DVD players go, I was considering either the Denon 2930 or 3930, but now there are lots of people talking excitedly about the Oppo spinners. Would I see particular benefit in going for a Denon if I was going to let the Onkyo amp upscale my DVDs? Would a Denon - Denon pairing offer me anything extra?

My speakers and sub I plan on leaving as they are, for the time being, but any advice on source and processing/amplification is very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[t-force]

Anyone?

 

[trevor g]

hi, check out this months what hifi. there are tests on four 1k plus units
including the onkyo tx-sr875 which won the test by the way,there is also
a review on the onkyo 605 which also gets a good report.for sacd/dvd audio
check out the denon and yamaha range in particular, for denon the 1930 or
the new 1940 updated machine, and of cource the higher up denon units.
for speakers where music is concerned, the new kef kht3005se systems are
discrete and good also the tannoy mercury f1 system gets good reviews for
film and music.

 

[t-force]

Thanks mate, I may well have a look at WHF. Could anyone who's got an Oppo player let me know how well it deals with music? CDs primarily, but if they use the HDMI to carry the digital stream of SACD or DVDA to a compatible amp, I'd be intrigued to know what the end result is like.

 

[mephistophelean]

I doubt the Onkyo + other receivers reviewed in What HIFI are going to cope with music as well as your TAGs.

I demo'd the Onkyo 875 against my Audiolab 8000AV + 8000 X7 pre + power processor for CDs and there was (to my ear) a noticeable difference in favour of the Audiolab. And your TAG is a (few) step(s) up from my Audiolab.

Having said this, the Onkyo will obviously upscale better than the Tag(!) Depends on what is more important to you. Alternatively you could use the DVD machine that you will buy to upscale DVDs but unlike the Onkyo it will not upscale everything (e.g. TV and Sky pictures)

Urban T may be able to better advise - I think I read somewhere that he moved from the same processor as you to the Onkyo 875 (although from memory he had a different power amp - a Lexicon I think).

Both Denon DVDs will play CDs and play movie sound effects better than the Oppo. If you are considering the Denon 2930, go for the Marantz DV7001 instead. You can probably get it (slightly) cheaper and it plays CDs better.

The best advice might be to wait until Christmas if you can. The other manufacturers haven't really reacted to the Onkyo receivers. It may be that some of them produce something with similar features but better sound (as they now need to beat the new benchmark).

If nothing else, waiting will allow you to pick the items up more cheaply

 

[t-force]

Thanks for that mate. I'm probably going to have to give the amp situation quite a bit of thought over the next few weeks.