MarbellaMogul
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- Sep 26, 2010
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I could really do with some helpful advice and opinions
I am looking to upgrade my Home cinema system, starting with the purchase of a 50" Plasma (I still favour Plasma as I have heard and read that Plasma screens can do better (read true) blacks where LCD (LED) cant as there is always a degree of light bleeding through from the backlighting, correct me if I am wrong.
Currently I have a Harmon Kardon AVR5500 Amp and also a Harmon Kardon DVD20 DVD player and a Harmon Kardon DAB/FM Tuner (I forget the model number) I have the KEF Eggs home cinema speaker package, I think its called the KHT2005 or something like that. What I want to do is first buy a decent screen, probably 50", then shortly after a blu ray player. I am still in two minds as to whether to upgrade my amplifier or not for reasons I will explain later. I am also considering getting a SACD/DVD-A player for high-def music unless a universal player will do a half decent job. Finally I am toying with buying a Network media player to stream content (music) from a NAS drive but unsure if its really worth it as I also plan to build a high spec Home Theatre PC.
I would normally look at reviews in magazines but after doing a little research online recently it seems several people are of the opinion / hinting that certain publications seemed to have developed certain biases (probably based on advertising revenue / brown envelopes), Is this the reason Sony seem to be getting some 5 star reviews of late for their screens and blu ray players? I am aware Sony use to make great CRT televisions but thought they hadnt quite cracked it with the flat screen marker (Plasma or LCD)? I also hear Sony use Samsung panels in the new TVs, is this true?
Comments please based on the below notes. Please bear in mind I have been living abroad for several years so havent been focussed on home cinema and therefore havent been following any industry trends or developments. I would mainly be watching films to picture quality is important to me but I feel that sound quality is probably more important as that is what I feel really "takes you there" in the movie watching experience. I will also listen to music but fully appreciate that an AV amp will never be as good as a dedicated stereo amp
SCREEN
I have heard that Panasonic & Pioneer make the best plasmas so a 50" Plasma is high on the agenda, however I would appreciate peoples opinions and suggestions on other worthy contenders. Must be 1080P!
Requirements
Great Picture quality
Sound quality unimportant (as will mostly use amp & speakers)
Built in tuners is probably not that important to me as I will be using a SKY+ HD box
Questions
Are Panasonic still at the forefront as far as Plasmas are concerned
Are Plasmas still considered better for movie watching (true blacks, better contrast ratio, response times, etc)
Are the new Sony Screens REALLY that good?
What other models should I consider buying with a budget upto £700 (maybe a bag ask on low budget)
BLU RAY
I like the idea of SACD and DVD-Audio compatibility BUT only if it does this well. I read recently that most universal disc players do a poor job of SACD playback since they convert the data to PCM instead of decoding it in its native DSD (bitstream) format which is better quality, or was it that they only do it in stereo instead of multi channel. Forgive me if I havent quite remembered this right but the technicalities of the piece I was reading was of secondary interest at the time. I am also unsure of when said article was published so maybe todays players do do DSD or bitstream decoding of SACD discs. Essentially what I am saying is if a universal player will do such a bad job of SACD playback then I would rather just get a dedicated SACD player, afterall, whats the point of having a high definition audio format if you listen to it through a pair of 1980s walkman headphones. Its kind of like the opposite of polishing a turd, covering a diamond in poop if you will.
Requirements
Blu Ray playback is most important factor
DVD Playback (and upscaling) is only important if it will better the performance of my existing HK DVD20
Ability to playback downloaded content from a USB stick or SD card would be nice but not essential
Models under consideration
Panasonic DMP BD85 (I like that this has multi-channel analogue outs good for my amp since it doesnt decode hi-def audio formats)
Sony BDP-S760 (thought about 770 but read it didnt have 5.1 analogue outputs why? SACD playback?)
Oppo BD 83 / 83SE (Read good things about this player in its own right but how does it perform against the above two models (SACD / DVD-A playback being the key factor to consider this player. Also would there be any benefit to getting the SE which is mainly audio upgrade if you didnt use the analogue outputs)
Cambridge Audio Azur 650BD (likewise read good reviews but how would it fair next to the Panny / Sony?)
Questions
Do you think I should consider any other models at this price point i.e. Sub £400 mark (ish)?
Which of the above players do you think would be best for me?
AMPLIFIER
I suppose ultimately I will upgrade this amplifier but although its quite an old model I am only just starting to use it again as its been in storage for several years whilst I was living abroad (I know wasted but hey). My main reason to upgrade would be as it doesnt decode high-def audio formats like Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio, however what I want to know is if I was to get a blu ray with 5.1 analogue outputs would this really matter. Also how would the audio performance of the Harmon Kardon stack up against todays modern AV amps like the Onkyo TX-SR608, Denon 1911 / 2310? These are the two models that spring immediately to mind but again my question is are there others to consider at this price point (£500). Also I am aware the features / spec. list on the new Onkyo 608 are phenomenal at this price point so I have to wonder just how well it does it all? I remember when I bought the HK I was told it did a fair job of stereo amplification so could be used for music listening too, something AV amps arent generally highly regarded for. Would you agree with this statement today in respect of the HK? Also if I upd my budget say, to £800 mark which puts me into the Onkyo TX-NR708 territory, would this buy me noticeably better sound? When I say noticeably I dont mean hand on chin, head leaning forward hmm thats a little more refined kind of better, I was thinking F?**k me! Thats sounds amazing kind of better. For me, thats the kind of improvement I would want to experience to make it worth almost doubling my spend on an amp.
Im sorry if its a long post but as you can see from the above I have many questions, your responses will of course be most gratefully received....
I am looking to upgrade my Home cinema system, starting with the purchase of a 50" Plasma (I still favour Plasma as I have heard and read that Plasma screens can do better (read true) blacks where LCD (LED) cant as there is always a degree of light bleeding through from the backlighting, correct me if I am wrong.
Currently I have a Harmon Kardon AVR5500 Amp and also a Harmon Kardon DVD20 DVD player and a Harmon Kardon DAB/FM Tuner (I forget the model number) I have the KEF Eggs home cinema speaker package, I think its called the KHT2005 or something like that. What I want to do is first buy a decent screen, probably 50", then shortly after a blu ray player. I am still in two minds as to whether to upgrade my amplifier or not for reasons I will explain later. I am also considering getting a SACD/DVD-A player for high-def music unless a universal player will do a half decent job. Finally I am toying with buying a Network media player to stream content (music) from a NAS drive but unsure if its really worth it as I also plan to build a high spec Home Theatre PC.
I would normally look at reviews in magazines but after doing a little research online recently it seems several people are of the opinion / hinting that certain publications seemed to have developed certain biases (probably based on advertising revenue / brown envelopes), Is this the reason Sony seem to be getting some 5 star reviews of late for their screens and blu ray players? I am aware Sony use to make great CRT televisions but thought they hadnt quite cracked it with the flat screen marker (Plasma or LCD)? I also hear Sony use Samsung panels in the new TVs, is this true?
Comments please based on the below notes. Please bear in mind I have been living abroad for several years so havent been focussed on home cinema and therefore havent been following any industry trends or developments. I would mainly be watching films to picture quality is important to me but I feel that sound quality is probably more important as that is what I feel really "takes you there" in the movie watching experience. I will also listen to music but fully appreciate that an AV amp will never be as good as a dedicated stereo amp
SCREEN
I have heard that Panasonic & Pioneer make the best plasmas so a 50" Plasma is high on the agenda, however I would appreciate peoples opinions and suggestions on other worthy contenders. Must be 1080P!
Requirements
Great Picture quality
Sound quality unimportant (as will mostly use amp & speakers)
Built in tuners is probably not that important to me as I will be using a SKY+ HD box
Questions
Are Panasonic still at the forefront as far as Plasmas are concerned
Are Plasmas still considered better for movie watching (true blacks, better contrast ratio, response times, etc)
Are the new Sony Screens REALLY that good?
What other models should I consider buying with a budget upto £700 (maybe a bag ask on low budget)
BLU RAY
I like the idea of SACD and DVD-Audio compatibility BUT only if it does this well. I read recently that most universal disc players do a poor job of SACD playback since they convert the data to PCM instead of decoding it in its native DSD (bitstream) format which is better quality, or was it that they only do it in stereo instead of multi channel. Forgive me if I havent quite remembered this right but the technicalities of the piece I was reading was of secondary interest at the time. I am also unsure of when said article was published so maybe todays players do do DSD or bitstream decoding of SACD discs. Essentially what I am saying is if a universal player will do such a bad job of SACD playback then I would rather just get a dedicated SACD player, afterall, whats the point of having a high definition audio format if you listen to it through a pair of 1980s walkman headphones. Its kind of like the opposite of polishing a turd, covering a diamond in poop if you will.
Requirements
Blu Ray playback is most important factor
DVD Playback (and upscaling) is only important if it will better the performance of my existing HK DVD20
Ability to playback downloaded content from a USB stick or SD card would be nice but not essential
Models under consideration
Panasonic DMP BD85 (I like that this has multi-channel analogue outs good for my amp since it doesnt decode hi-def audio formats)
Sony BDP-S760 (thought about 770 but read it didnt have 5.1 analogue outputs why? SACD playback?)
Oppo BD 83 / 83SE (Read good things about this player in its own right but how does it perform against the above two models (SACD / DVD-A playback being the key factor to consider this player. Also would there be any benefit to getting the SE which is mainly audio upgrade if you didnt use the analogue outputs)
Cambridge Audio Azur 650BD (likewise read good reviews but how would it fair next to the Panny / Sony?)
Questions
Do you think I should consider any other models at this price point i.e. Sub £400 mark (ish)?
Which of the above players do you think would be best for me?
AMPLIFIER
I suppose ultimately I will upgrade this amplifier but although its quite an old model I am only just starting to use it again as its been in storage for several years whilst I was living abroad (I know wasted but hey). My main reason to upgrade would be as it doesnt decode high-def audio formats like Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio, however what I want to know is if I was to get a blu ray with 5.1 analogue outputs would this really matter. Also how would the audio performance of the Harmon Kardon stack up against todays modern AV amps like the Onkyo TX-SR608, Denon 1911 / 2310? These are the two models that spring immediately to mind but again my question is are there others to consider at this price point (£500). Also I am aware the features / spec. list on the new Onkyo 608 are phenomenal at this price point so I have to wonder just how well it does it all? I remember when I bought the HK I was told it did a fair job of stereo amplification so could be used for music listening too, something AV amps arent generally highly regarded for. Would you agree with this statement today in respect of the HK? Also if I upd my budget say, to £800 mark which puts me into the Onkyo TX-NR708 territory, would this buy me noticeably better sound? When I say noticeably I dont mean hand on chin, head leaning forward hmm thats a little more refined kind of better, I was thinking F?**k me! Thats sounds amazing kind of better. For me, thats the kind of improvement I would want to experience to make it worth almost doubling my spend on an amp.
Im sorry if its a long post but as you can see from the above I have many questions, your responses will of course be most gratefully received....