Hi everybody.
Been reading here for a while, but am hopefully finally about to take the plunge into the world of REAL AV fun, and have set my heart on the Onkyo 605, mainly due to the reviews here.
I currently have a "kiddie" AV system in my lounge. A Samsung 40' LCD (Sorry, the exact model escapes me at the moment, but it was bought for around £1500 just over a year ago), and a Panasonic 5.1 surround system (again, no idea what model, but it doesn't matter)... No HD DVD of any format as yet, but have an XBox360, XBox (modded and wired to the PC for streaming video etc), PS2, DVD Recorder, Sky+ and, dare I say it... VCR...
I have just separated from the wife, and one of the things I was never allowed to do was spend money on things "we don't need". As such, to assert my independence, the aforementioned 605 will be bought (money considerations taken into account), and I am looking to find a good set of 5.1 speakers, preferably floor-standing for the L & R Front, and wonder if anyone has a suggestion for an almost complete AV noob. I'm not even sure if I'll know the difference between a low-grade set of speakers and a top of the line set, so if I want to go into a shop to listen to them, any pointers on what I should look out for?
Also, since buying the Onkyo will pretty much wipe out one months or more suplly of spare cash, would my current satellites (rated at, I believe, 65 or 75W) suffice for the time being, or would they be blown instantly by this beast of an amp?
Apologies for the various questions here, I'll wager they'll have most likely been answered before, but I didn't know what to search for.
Thanks in advance for getting me started on this journey.
Been reading here for a while, but am hopefully finally about to take the plunge into the world of REAL AV fun, and have set my heart on the Onkyo 605, mainly due to the reviews here.
I currently have a "kiddie" AV system in my lounge. A Samsung 40' LCD (Sorry, the exact model escapes me at the moment, but it was bought for around £1500 just over a year ago), and a Panasonic 5.1 surround system (again, no idea what model, but it doesn't matter)... No HD DVD of any format as yet, but have an XBox360, XBox (modded and wired to the PC for streaming video etc), PS2, DVD Recorder, Sky+ and, dare I say it... VCR...
I have just separated from the wife, and one of the things I was never allowed to do was spend money on things "we don't need". As such, to assert my independence, the aforementioned 605 will be bought (money considerations taken into account), and I am looking to find a good set of 5.1 speakers, preferably floor-standing for the L & R Front, and wonder if anyone has a suggestion for an almost complete AV noob. I'm not even sure if I'll know the difference between a low-grade set of speakers and a top of the line set, so if I want to go into a shop to listen to them, any pointers on what I should look out for?
Also, since buying the Onkyo will pretty much wipe out one months or more suplly of spare cash, would my current satellites (rated at, I believe, 65 or 75W) suffice for the time being, or would they be blown instantly by this beast of an amp?
Apologies for the various questions here, I'll wager they'll have most likely been answered before, but I didn't know what to search for.
Thanks in advance for getting me started on this journey.