Question Ideal AVR for my needs? First purchase.

radioektyf

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Hi guys.

I'm a first time buyer who'd like to upgrade his audio setup. I've been using the below soundbar for nearly 2 years, but I recently moved into a new flat and came to a conclusion I really need some nice speakers with a decent mid range and just a better overall sound quality. I've pretty much made my mind up on getting a pair of Q Acoustics 3050 (original version) as they seem to offer an incredible value for money at the moment (£329), they sound lovely (my friend owns a pair) and their musical performance will matter to me.
As you can see from the attached floorplan, the living room is an open plan into the kitchen which makes the room rather big - the dotted line is the imaginary border from which the measurements for each area start. I hope a couple of QA 3050s will fill the room nicely though, there is enough space at either side of the TV for them.

What would be the ideal receiver under £500 to power them?

Typical usage (varies each month to be honest):
  • 30% TV shows (Netflix, Freeview, BBC iPlayer)
  • 30% Music (mainly hard EDM off YouTube, Spotify, Bluetooth)
  • 20% Gaming (some weeks can be up to 50%)
  • 20% Movies (Blu-ray, Netflix)
So far, I've shortlisted the following models after hours of reading forums and reviews:
Sony STRDN1080 (Black) (hot favourite for me)
Marantz NR1510 (Black)
Yamaha RXV4A (Black)
Denon AVR-X2700H (Black) (too expensive but still tempting thanks to its great reviews)

Richer Sounds have suggested 3 models depending on the thickness of my wallet - the Denon X550BT, Sony DN1080 and Denon X2700H. I want the AV system to drive the two floorstanding speakers properly, because I may be stuck with the 2.0 system for a while due to space and renting. Upgrading to a 3.0, 3.1 or 5.1 system in the future is pretty much a given though. HDR capability is also important to me as I play video games a fair bit too, however I am not bothered about HDMI 2.1 for two reasons - one, my TV doesn't support it and I will keep my TV for a couple more years and two, I can always plug the console directly into the TV and use ARC if necessary. This would include the VRR function should the AVR not support it.
Btw, I am thinking a little about adding the centre speaker QA 3090C (Richer Sounds recommended this) but I'm unsure how the AVR would output/mix the signal for the third channel. Would that be a noticeable improvement if I turned it into 3.0 do you think? It would mean I'd have to get a new TV cabinet or alternative TV stand to accommodate it.

Grateful for your tips, knowledge and advice. Thanks in advance.

PS: I understand I'll need to buy speaker cables too, presumably with banana plugs? Q Acoustics recommend QED brand but they seem quite pricey.
 

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Last edited:
Very old thread, but curious to know what you ended up with, owing to your use cases.
 

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