£2500 budget - home theatre - what would you buy?

£2500 budget - home theatre - what would you buy?

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458man

Original Poster:

2,714 posts

206 months

Monday 25th April 2016
quotequote all
Hi Folks,

Can you recommend a good home cinema set up for circa £2.5k? I have had a BOSE lifstyle system for over 14 years and it's died so it's time to buy and set up a new TV and home cinema set up. The Bose has served me well and I have had a demo of the Bose Lifestyle Soundtouch 535 and it's awesome but at £3200 I'm sure we can do better. In all honestly we have probably listened to music more on the BOSE than use it as a home theatre so the same would apply for the new system. I need something that would sound good when playing music but also do a great job watching a movie.

I loved the discreetness of the BOSE wall mounted speakers and SWMBO does not want huge floor standing ones so I'm a bit stuck as to what I can get in this budget without overtaking the room.

Suggestions welcome. I'll pop in to Richer Sounds on the way back from work today and see what they say too..........

chasingracecars

1,696 posts

96 months

Monday 25th April 2016
quotequote all
Can you elaborate a bit more, do you also need a TV, are you going down the projection route, is this a dedicated Home Cinema room or living room tv.

What size is the room, have you consider sound bars and satellite rears?

458man

Original Poster:

2,714 posts

206 months

Monday 25th April 2016
quotequote all
chasingracecars said:
Can you elaborate a bit more, do you also need a TV, are you going down the projection route, is this a dedicated Home Cinema room or living room tv.

What size is the room, have you consider sound bars and satellite rears?
Sorry this is just a budget for the audio side of things. I have a 75'' on order already. The room is 18ft x 16ft. It's not a dedicated cinema room as such as we will be pretty much using it every day.

chasingracecars

1,696 posts

96 months

Monday 25th April 2016
quotequote all
Well, if it is just audio you can't go a million miles wrong with a Sonos 5.1 setup, Playbar, Sub and two Play 1's however if you want to stay in the Bose camp the system you mentioned is much cheaper here...

http://www.prcdirect.co.uk/details.php?nrd=1&p...

458man

Original Poster:

2,714 posts

206 months

Monday 25th April 2016
quotequote all
chasingracecars said:
Well, if it is just audio you can't go a million miles wrong with a Sonos 5.1 setup, Playbar, Sub and two Play 1's however if you want to stay in the Bose camp the system you mentioned is much cheaper here...

http://www.prcdirect.co.uk/details.php?nrd=1&p...
Good find! I can get it cheaper if I traded in my older Lifestyle system I can get this for £2200! Just been told this buy Bose via their phone line...

The SONOS does not cut it for me.

PieterLOL

58 posts

127 months

Monday 25th April 2016
quotequote all
Can the speakers be big? For that kind of budget I'd honestly be looking at a (used) high-end kit. You can buy a Q-Acoustics 3000-series or Monitor Audio Silver series 5.1 package and decent receiver new which is an excellent "budget" set (and will outperform the Bose kit), or you could look for used speakers that are one step higher. High-end speakers usually have had easy lives and you can pretty much find them used but in showroom condition. Just go and listen to some speakers in stereo setup with your local hifi store - difference with a Bose or Sonos setup is huge.

Lots of brands with excellent speakers, just browse on the What Hifi website to get an idea, and be sure to look for stereo speakers and not 5.1 sets, that will give you a better idea what's out there and almost all manufacturers have matching centers, rears & subs anyway even though they don't market them as a package.

Chainsaw Rebuild

1,997 posts

101 months

Monday 25th April 2016
quotequote all
Another vote for 2nd hand high end kit here. Suggest you subtly get SWMBOs head around proper sized speakers too; just to open your options up. In my option the sound better too!

458man

Original Poster:

2,714 posts

206 months

Monday 25th April 2016
quotequote all
Chainsaw Rebuild said:
Another vote for 2nd hand high end kit here. Suggest you subtly get SWMBOs head around proper sized speakers too; just to open your options up. In my option the sound better too!
She just won't let me have proper speakers - she hates the look of them redface

Red 5

1,021 posts

179 months

Monday 25th April 2016
quotequote all
£2500 for an amp and speakers?

I would suggest you go and listen to this.....

Denon AVR-X4200. Plenty of power for small speakers, with amazing room EQ abilities. Cheap offers now ie £779
B&W M-1 (white or black) The best sensibly price small speakers ever? £745
REL T9i offers of £100 off at the moment, so £799

That's £2743 retail worth of kit easily buy able for £2323, with some space left for cables, stands etc.

Given the offers available and the need for small speakers, I think this is most suitable.
The main bit you could save on second hand, is the amp, but that's the bit that I'd least like to be out of date or without warranty.

Do you think that might fit the bill 458?

458man

Original Poster:

2,714 posts

206 months

Monday 25th April 2016
quotequote all
Red 5 said:
£2500 for an amp and speakers?

I would suggest you go and listen to this.....

Denon AVR-X4200. Plenty of power for small speakers, with amazing room EQ abilities. Cheap offers now ie £779
B&W M-1 (white or black) The best sensibly price small speakers ever? £745
REL T9i offers of £100 off at the moment, so £799

That's £2743 retail worth of kit easily buy able for £2323, with some space left for cables, stands etc.

Given the offers available and the need for small speakers, I think this is most suitable.
The main bit you could save on second hand, is the amp, but that's the bit that I'd least like to be out of date or without warranty.

Do you think that might fit the bill 458?
Many thanks for the response - this is exactly the type of info I was after. I have the budget but no idea on what to get within our remit. I'll enquire about this set up and see how this sounds smile Thanks again


Edited by 458man on Monday 25th April 21:25

Red 5

1,021 posts

179 months

Monday 25th April 2016
quotequote all
458man said:
Many thanks for the response - this is exactly the type of info I was after. I have the budget but no idea on what to get within our remit. I'll enquire about this set up and see how this sounds smile Thanks again


Edited by 458man on Monday 25th April 21:25
You are welcome smile

Fire away if you have questions.......

allnighter

6,663 posts

221 months

Tuesday 26th April 2016
quotequote all
458man said:
Red 5 said:
£2500 for an amp and speakers?

I would suggest you go and listen to this.....

Denon AVR-X4200. Plenty of power for small speakers, with amazing room EQ abilities. Cheap offers now ie £779
B&W M-1 (white or black) The best sensibly price small speakers ever? £745
REL T9i offers of £100 off at the moment, so £799

That's £2743 retail worth of kit easily buy able for £2323, with some space left for cables, stands etc.

Given the offers available and the need for small speakers, I think this is most suitable.
The main bit you could save on second hand, is the amp, but that's the bit that I'd least like to be out of date or without warranty.

Do you think that might fit the bill 458?
Many thanks for the response - this is exactly the type of info I was after. I have the budget but no idea on what to get within our remit. I'll enquire about this set up and see how this sounds smile Thanks again


Edited by 458man on Monday 25th April 21:25
Sensible advice up there. You cannot go wrong with Denon/B&W/REL partnership. The results will amaze you.

Chainsaw Rebuild

1,997 posts

101 months

Tuesday 26th April 2016
quotequote all
458man said:
She just won't let me have proper speakers - she hates the look of them redface
Ah well never mind, all the best with your set up smile

wormus

14,509 posts

202 months

Wednesday 27th April 2016
quotequote all
After a great deal of research and advice from people here I've just bought a Yamaha Aventage AV amplifier to replace my Sony 1050, cost £900 and from a sound quality perspective, it's amazing. I'm another one who'd recommend some second hand audiophile speakers over new mass produced rubbish. I bought ProAc full range studio speakers and matching centre speaker for £600 on eBay. Have also ordered a BK 12" sub for £380. Add some quality surrounds and a pair of £150 Atmos speaker and you have a quality 5.1.2 system that sounds great with film or music. Takes longer but worth the effort imho.

A quality pair of speakers will make an average amp sound rubbish and the Yamaha is one of the best out there for the money.

Edited by wormus on Wednesday 27th April 19:01

Troubleatmill

10,210 posts

158 months

Wednesday 27th April 2016
quotequote all
OP... do you want a 5.1, 7,1, 9.1 5.2, 7.2, etc etc

PTE993

126 posts

214 months

Wednesday 27th April 2016
quotequote all
Another thumbup for mixing it up with second hand speakers and the latest you can get in AVR tech. Speaker tech hasn't moved forward 'that' much. I did that for my home cinema build re-using a Ruark set up I already had and augmenting with the other speakers, subs I needed from eBay. But spending the money I saved on a new AVR since I wanted this to be future proofed and Atmos enabled.

After doing my cinema room I'm contemplating something simpler and 'one box' for the lounge in a 5.1 config and as something to do both movie and music duties I like the look of the Solo Movie from Arcam. http://www.arcam.co.uk/products,Solo,Music-Package... It lists at £2K. You can build your speaker system around it. It doesn't do Atmos which might be an issue if you want the latest in surround formats but will go to 5.1.

If you can get small stand mount speakers past the SWMBO test then I listened to the LS50's from KEF recently and loved them. They'd be on my list. Offer a lot of bang for the buck have a small form factor and look pretty good. List at £800.

If you stick with 2 speakers and the Solo I reckon you'll squeak in under your £2.5K with a haggle at the shop or pick up the LS50's on eBay.

However as others have said you should consider investing in a sub too...will make all the difference when you're watching movies. So if you go with my recommendation and a sub you're over budget. But you can always start with the basic set up and add later. HTH.

gizlaroc

17,251 posts

223 months

Wednesday 27th April 2016
quotequote all
Haven't read all the replies, but don't bother with teh Bose or Sonos, far better value for money out there.

I would go for these...

https://www.hifix.co.uk/quad-lite-plus-5-1-speaker...

They are excellent at £1000, at £549 nothing really comes close, but you do need a decent amp.

If you like your music too, then the Yamahas are very good.

This...

http://exceptional-av.co.uk/home-cinema/amplifiers...

Or if you can, go for one of these.....

http://www.audio-express.co.uk/product.php?_YAM_20...


wormus

14,509 posts

202 months

Wednesday 27th April 2016
quotequote all
gizlaroc said:
Haven't read all the replies, but don't bother with teh Bose or Sonos, far better value for money out there.

I would go for these...

https://www.hifix.co.uk/quad-lite-plus-5-1-speaker...

They are excellent at £1000, at £549 nothing really comes close, but you do need a decent amp.

If you like your music too, then the Yamahas are very good.

This...

http://exceptional-av.co.uk/home-cinema/amplifiers...

Or if you can, go for one of these.....

http://www.audio-express.co.uk/product.php?_YAM_20...
He speaks the truth.

Red 5

1,021 posts

179 months

Wednesday 27th April 2016
quotequote all
PTE993 said:
Another thumbup for mixing it up with second hand speakers and the latest you can get in AVR tech. Speaker tech hasn't moved forward 'that' much. I did that for my home cinema build re-using a Ruark set up I already had and augmenting with the other speakers, subs I needed from eBay. But spending the money I saved on a new AVR since I wanted this to be future proofed and Atmos enabled.

After doing my cinema room I'm contemplating something simpler and 'one box' for the lounge in a 5.1 config and as something to do both movie and music duties I like the look of the Solo Movie from Arcam. http://www.arcam.co.uk/products,Solo,Music-Package... It lists at £2K. You can build your speaker system around it. It doesn't do Atmos which might be an issue if you want the latest in surround formats but will go to 5.1.

If you can get small stand mount speakers past the SWMBO test then I listened to the LS50's from KEF recently and loved them. They'd be on my list. Offer a lot of bang for the buck have a small form factor and look pretty good. List at £800.

If you stick with 2 speakers and the Solo I reckon you'll squeak in under your £2.5K with a haggle at the shop or pick up the LS50's on eBay.

However as others have said you should consider investing in a sub too...will make all the difference when you're watching movies. So if you go with my recommendation and a sub you're over budget. But you can always start with the basic set up and add later. HTH.
The LS50 are very good, but only really show their metal with way better equipment than a Solo Movie!
They can be bloody annoying if under driven. They are a loss leader for KEF with a low dealer margin attached. Think of them as a £1500 speaker and partner accordingly and they will amaze.



Red 5

1,021 posts

179 months

Wednesday 27th April 2016
quotequote all
Audyssey Laboritories room equalisation is where the good results are! Yamaha abandoned the THX standard years ago in the interests of cost saving and wouldn't pay to use any Proper room EQ!

http://www.audyssey.com/solutions/home-theater

All the amp manufacturers have the option to add this, but if they place profit and price point, too far ahead or sound quality, they don't do it! Instead, have to cobble something cheap together, that does the basic bits and doesn't step on any IP.
They will of course talk it up and come up with some catchy names and acronyms for it....

If Yamaha would stop pinching the pennies, they would have the best sounding amps I'm convinced!

Dirac also amaze with their abilities in this dpt, but you'll be needing to spend more to try that.