Looking for advice on reviving my old 5.1 setup.

[firetrap]

Hi Guys,

I've had a 5.1 setup in my living room for the best part of 20 years. It's a bit of a mixture of speaker brands and was done on a low budget at the time. My trusty Sony STR-DB940 AVR finally gave up the ghost about a month ago and until I replace it i'm living with the audio from the TV speakers.

My initial reaction was to go out and buy the latest Sony amp in a similar price range to replace it (STRDN1080). However, I decided to do a bit more research on here as there didn't seem any point in spending £400 on a new AVR if my current budget speakers were going to let it down. I know, for instance, that my sub is next to useless and needs replacing.

My current set-up is as follows (don't laugh too much ) :

TV : Sony KD49X8505B (4K)
AVR : Sony STR-DB940
Front L/R Speakers : Eltax Symphony 4.2 (wall mounted) Eltax Symphony 4.2 Floorstanding Speakers user reviews : 3.6 out of 5 - 5 reviews - audioreview.com
Front Centre Speaker : Celestion F35C Celestion F35C - Manual - Center Channel Loudspeaker - HiFi Engine
Rear L/R Speakers : Mission 70DS
Active Sub : Acoustic Solutions SA750 (probably from Argos!)

All speakers are wall mounted just above the height of the TV (approx 1.5m). The room measures 20ft x 11ft and I've attached a layout of the room below.

I mainly stream video from my Virgin V6 box (Netflix/Amazon), but also have a PS4pro and PC connected via ethernet to a streaming box.

I'm thinking of trying to keep to a budget of around £1000. I'm swaying towards getting a Denon AVR2500H or Sony STRDN1080 and a BK sub. I'm not bothered at this point about Atmos, so hoping that the rear Mission speakers will suffice.
I'm not so sure about the front speakers as I realise they should really match, which they don't at present.

I hope i've provided enough info. Any advice or suggestions to revive my system and improve it at the same time would be appreciated.

Si.

 

[Joe Fernand]

If the speaker system worked for you previously there is no reason to think it still can't - the Sub yes that could do with an upgrade (BK is a good option) and ideally a matching Front LCR would be great.

AVR ensure the HDMI Inputs cover whatever Features you require to support between the Sources and the TV - HDR, DV etc

Joe

 

[firetrap]

Thanks for the reply Joe.

I've done a bit more research and I think i'm getting there slowly.

I've decided my current set-up is so dated and mis-matched that i'm going to replace the 3 front speakers, the AVR and the Sub.

I think i've convinced myself to go for a BK XLS200-DF Sub. I have a concrete floor with laminate, and with little kids around I think the DF will be the best option.

I'm leaning towards the Denon AVR2500H over the Sony 1080 due to some of the issues reported of laggy menus and lack of continued support from Sony regarding updates.

This should leave me with a £300 budget (possibly up to £500) to replace the LCR speakers.

I'd like to use my existing tilting wall mounts for the L & R speakers if possible. Could anyone recommend something suitable?

Si.