View Full Version : Best DTS AMP and speaker packages for £400(anyone have a STR-DB940 DD/DTS receiver)
This is just a bit of pre-decision making research. What would be the best set up to buy for £400 that does DD/DTS and is a bit future proof. I need an AMP I believe, speakers and cables (prefer silver coloured kit or at least silver speakers).
Im thinking of upgrading next month maybe from my DD Digitheatre.
Thanks for your help.
Mr Flibble
27-09-2001, 12:38
Here we go again ;)
One day I'll reply with a post that actually helps you mate :)
Originally posted by Mr Flibble
Here we go again ;)
One day I'll reply with a post that actually helps you mate :)
Yea, wherever I go Flibble follows ya stalker:D ;)
What do you reckon Flibble my main man, can you tell DTS from DD. What exactly is the difference.
Mr Flibble
27-09-2001, 13:24
Stalker indeed - cheeky get!!! ;)
But I can actually answer this question for you:
In my opinion - DTS soundtracks can be either mind-blowingly different or have no real difference at all.
I'll give you an example: I own an R2 player unfortunately, but I've got Gladiator and Seven. Both of these have DD and DTS tracks on them. If you listen to gladiator with DD then DTS the sound difference in DTS is amazing. Many people think it just sounds louder - it does, in a way, but it does sound clearer and more of a 'realistic' sound in a way. A good example I think would be when catapults are being cranked back - it just sounds great :)
Seven is a different story however. On this disc you can swap between DD and DTS during the movie by pressing the 'Audio' button and I couldn't tell a difference really.
If I were you, I'd still get the DTS amp - if you've got a R1-capable player then you will probably find DTS soundtracks that are very impressive. Besides, its always nice to have the option isn't it.
Mr Flibble - Forum stalker
Got a Tosh SD100E Multiregion player, a few of my disks ar DTS region 1 anyway.
Mr Flibble
27-09-2001, 14:16
Experimenting is often the best way mate - get yourself down to your nearest Richer Sounds and try out a few different amps/speakers - take some of your own favourite movies too to try things out for yourself.
If you give them your budget then perhaps they could make a few suggestions :) Depends what else you want too, would a radio tuner be handy? Ours certainly is, so maybe thats a consideration too.
15 minutes then I'm off for the rest of the day - Superman here I come :D
Originally posted by Mr Flibble
Superman here I come :D
LOL ya big kid Flibble:D :D
You can't go wrong with the Mission Cinema 6-Pack for 259.99 from Empire-direct (http://www.empire-direct.co.uk). These speakers blow the digitheatre stuff away. The sub is amazing.
You can get you amp from Richersounds with the remaining cash. Might go a bit over your budget but for not much extra cash you'll get a much better sound.
splobber
28-09-2001, 00:50
Get a Sony STR-DB940 DD/DTS receiver. Funnily enough, I have a silver one for sale if you are interested. :)
Originally posted by splobber
Get a Sony STR-DB940 DD/DTS receiver. Funnily enough, I have a silver one for sale if you are interested. :)
price/review if you please Splobbs.:)
splobber
28-09-2001, 11:49
Review here (http://www.home-entertainment.co.uk/firstlook_read.asp?ID=872)
http://members.tripod.co.uk/splobber/pics/sony-str-db940.jpg
http://members.tripod.co.uk/splobber/pics/h156STDB940_MT.jpg
It's boxed with remote and instructions, and is as new (used about once a week). £265 inc postage or £250 if you want to collect, although Lake Titicaca is a bit far from Yorkshire. ;)
LMK. :)
£265 you say. What speakers would you recommend for this, and would it outperform a videologic DTS system.
splobber
28-09-2001, 13:20
Have look around on the search button for speaker recommendations - they are two a penny on here. ;)
I've got a set of silver Sony SA-VE705 speaker + sub kit which I used with the amp, but they go for about £400 and aren't that great for listening to nomal music. It wasn't really a factor for me though, as I exclusively use the amp for home cinema (I use my PC for everything else).
And as for outperforming a Videologic system....is the Pope a Catholic? :)
Im not really bothered either about the music side of speakers, just use mine for cinema.
How much you reckon for my 4 months old digitheatre in silver, its the newer version that had come out that week.
I paid £260 I think. Still got receipts, box etc.
splobber
28-09-2001, 14:38
£180-£200 maybe?
How old is it Splobber? Reason for sale? Would i get an amp (any make) as good as yours, brand new for the same price.
splobber
28-09-2001, 16:40
How old is it Splobber
A year old
Reason for sale
Upgrading my equipment. My Sony DVP-725 DVD player is next on the list.
Would i get an amp (any make) as good as yours, brand new for the same price.
You should be able to get an amp for this price, but I would have thought that the 940 would probably outperform anything in this price range and wouldn't look as classy. Bear in mind that this amp cost £500 when new. The sheer weight of it is an indication of it's quality. (it weighs over 15 kilos) :eek:
If you were offered a brand new Alba (:o) receiver for £250 or a quality used Sony for the same price, which one would you go for? You get what you pay for in my experience. :)
Radiohead
28-09-2001, 16:51
He's right Brad - the 940 is a cracking unit and very well built.
Compared to the Videologic it's a winner all the way and well worth the money.
(Splobber - cheque to normal address :))
And it would kick arse on the Videologic DTS system then would it???
If I bought Splobbers then all I would need is a speaker set (silver or wood only) and some cables. Would you recommend I get a subwoofer as well.
splobber
28-09-2001, 17:20
And it would kick arse on the Videologic DTS system then would it???
Easily! :)
Would you recommend I get a subwoofer as well.
You don't actually need to get a subwoofer - I rarely use mine as I live in a flat and I don't think that the people living below me would appreciate it if I had mine on late in the evening when I tend to watch movies. If you have got the cash to spend though - why not? It will only enhance the aural experience. :)
Radiohead
28-09-2001, 18:19
And it would kick arse on the Videologic DTS system then would it???
Big time - no question about it at all. The Videologic stuff is good kit but it has limitations. A separates sytem based around the 940 will murder it.
If I bought Splobbers then all I would need is a speaker set (silver or wood only) and some cables. Would you recommend I get a subwoofer as well.
How about the mX Mercury range from Tannoy. These can be had in maple with light grey grilles - very nice an excellent for music and movies.
Re: the subwoofer, I don't run one. I had one, but sold it when I got my mX3's. They go plenty low enough for me and I don't want to fall out with my neighbours just yet. Personal choice - if you have the cash and can use it properly then get one, otherwise I wouldn't lose any sleep over it - particularly if you get some half-decent floorstanders.
See MilesBennettDyson's set-up for pics of the mX range (mX3 fronts, mXC centre and mX2 rears) here http://www.cyberdyne-systemsweb.com/
:)
dtsrules
28-09-2001, 19:25
Stupid bloody forums making me double post :p
dtsrules
28-09-2001, 19:32
Brad
The sony is stunning for movies. People go on about how bad music sounds with the sony 940 but ive got one and on mine it sounds spot on.
I think a lot of it depends on the speakers (im using B&W ).
If i didn't have one i would rip splobbers hand off at that price.
Sell your videologic and buy some decent speakers and you wont go wrong.
As for a sub ive not got one and don't miss it.
I have a 940 and a set of Tannoy's, may I suggest a silver 940 for you with the light or dark oak tannoys (which have silver/grey material fronts) and you'll be laughing at that toy videologic setup :)
MXC / MX3 / MXR's approx £270 off the net for the full set and you can always add a sub on later, I intend on upgrading with a sub sometime over the next couple of weeks.
I have no regrets, I have optical out on my ps2 and digital coax on the dvd player + just using standard RCA from the TV(for sat etc) Everything sounds great, but I have concerns over the cd audio playback from the dvd player as my player also plays mp3 cd's which probably sound just as good if not better than cd's for some strange reason!
Incidentally, I got my 940 as a display model in my local sony centre for £290, but I think I was very looky as the only places still holding stock are still asking 350-400.
I upgraded from a Digitheatre to a Sony 940 and Mission 6-pack, the differance is astonishing.
Currently though I'm using Eltax C205 floorstanders for the fronts instead of the Missions. Not much difference with films, but much better for music.
splobber
30-09-2001, 14:12
Brad? You around?
As for the 'mutual' price - that is the lowest I would go to. I was going to ask more for it originally, but I thought I was doing you a favour.
Hi Splobber haven't forgot about this, im trying to sell my digitheatre desperatly. Asking around £190 for it. Ive also been thinking if I had floorstanding speakers at the front I could re-position my room better as little speakers on stands that my digitheatre has at the sides of my tv would be prone to being knocked over if i had the speakers where i wanted them, but with floorstanders you can hardly miss em can you meaning i can place them wherever i wanted!!!
What speaker package do you recommend, must be silver or beech in colour, prefer sub as well ( i know this is thinking ahead but im trying to get prices in my head)
Thanks
splobber
01-10-2001, 10:42
Brad - have a look at the suggestions above for speaker recommendations. Unfortunately, I don't have any personal experience with other brands apart from my Pascal kit.
You can get some good deals and some quality kit at Richer Sounds (http://www.richersounds.co.uk)
Quite like the eldorado solver speaker package £199 at richer sounds but i think at QED its £109.
If the amp you are selling is 100 watts per channel do my speakers each have to be able to be 100 watts also to get the best out of the amp. I mean if my speakers are 80 watts each and the amp can do 100 watts will i miss out to a certain degree.
I presume its best to get speakers that can do 100 watts each, am i correct.
Radiohead
01-10-2001, 11:07
Originally posted by Brad123
Quite like the eldorado solver speaker package £199 at richer sounds but i think at QED its £109.
If the amp you are selling is 100 watts per channel do my speakers each have to be able to be 100 watts also to get the best out of the amp. I mean if my speakers are 80 watts each and the amp can do 100 watts will i miss out to a certain degree.
I presume its best to get speakers that can do 100 watts each, am i correct.
Brad - I'd pay a bit more and get Mission/Tannoy etc - it's a good amp and you want speakers that will make the most of it.
As far as the power of an amp and speakers - you're on the wrong track there. You'll damage speakers more easily with a low power amp as the amp will struggle at high volume and start to "clip" (ie. distort) - this damages the speaker drivers. Go for an amp with plenty of power ( the 940 is more than ample for this). Also - bear in mind that power outputs and power handling ratings are opften measured using different methods (4 ohms, 8 ohms, RMS, peak power etc) and serve only to confuse. The 940 will comfortably drive any reasonably efficient speakers (such as Tannoy/Mission and so on).
Beware of false economies with speakers - but I guess it depends whether your main criteria is the speaker colour....?
splobber
01-10-2001, 11:08
I suppose it's always a good idea to go for speakers that can handle more than the amp can throw at them, but if you don't crank up the volume too much, then this shouldn't be a problem. I can't see how the sound quality would be any different, but then again I'm not the best qualified person to give you advice on this sort of thing.
splobber
02-10-2001, 18:21
Hello? Anybody home?
Hi Splobber, Im still having trouble shifting my Digitheatre as I beleive you can now get them for £200 meaning Ill have to sell it for £150 ish which leaves me a long way off what you want. Im asking around friends and family as we speak.
:D
Greenstead
03-10-2001, 12:46
Just my twoppence worth.
You'll do great with that Sony amp - go for it.
I note you guys don't seem to place much worth on the sub - and I think if you live over someone or have sensitive neighbours then you need to be careful with the noise.
But Brad - if you don't have neighbour concerns I've gotta say that a good sub stood on the floor makes a whole world of difference. The opening scence from Gladiator is awesome with the sub running (and flat without it). Or try the gun fight in HEAT.
Not essential but its part of what 5.1 is really about.
Good Luck.
;)
Well I have both the Sony Amp and the Mission Speakers that you mention, and together they sound amazing!
(The DB940 and Mission Cinema 6, that is).
dean richardson
03-10-2001, 16:29
i recently was looking for an amp/speakers all in one and got a yamaha vs 10 cinema station. DTS and DD, silver and speakers small and attractive and using my ears it sounds very good. And when you crank it up it sounds excellent. Sure there maybe a slightly better sound elsewhere but this sounds good to me.
Cost £309 delivered from leconcepts.co.uk or is available from linkonline.co.uk
splobber
04-10-2001, 10:45
You want it or not then Brad? How many more recommendations do you need to convince you this is a cracking deal?
Bapapapa
04-10-2001, 11:05
Erm..
This is Brad we are talking about...
http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/Eyecrazy.gif
Hi Splobber, unless I get a good price for my Digitheatre im knacked. Paid £260 for it 4 months ago, need to get £190 ish for it to add to what i have in bank for your amp.
Im not holding my breath though as most of my mates and family still think betamax is the way to go!!!!
If you can get a buyer I think its wise to sell it to them but if I sell my digitheatre and you still have it i will buy it.
splobber
04-10-2001, 11:23
Originally posted by Bapapapa
Erm..
This is Brad we are talking about...
http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/Eyecrazy.gif
Yeah, I know. :D
Off to the classifieds we go....
No need for that sarcasm fellas, I neve said I would buy it. I said if I can get rid of my Digitheatre for a decent price I can afford Splobbers amp and would then buy it.
Jeez you make it sound like I backed out of a handshaken deal.:rolleyes:
splobber
04-10-2001, 11:35
It's only a bit of friendly banter Brad! You even started up a thread to tell us how indecisive you were only the other day.
I never once assumed the deal was done - I just thought you knew a good offer when you saw one. :)
Believe me I know its a good deal. What about my digitheatre for your bedroom and £50 cash. C'mon you know it makes sense, a nice digitheatre in silver for your bedroom for when you "entertain".
splobber
04-10-2001, 12:12
Sorry. I't won't look good under the flashing red lights. :(
Originally posted by splobber
Sorry. I't won't look good under the flashing red lights. :(
:confused: :confused: huh??
At The Gates
04-10-2001, 14:49
I'm in exactly the same position as you. I have the following products listed:
1. Videologic Digitheatre DTS - 350 quid
2. Sony HTK475 (STR-DE475 receiver and SA-VE225 Pascal speakers) - 320 quid
3. Sony HTK215 - 280 quid
4. Yamaha HTIB40 - 340 quid
5. Yamaha VS10 Home Cinema Station - 299 quid
6. Scan AV6 (hehe erm well its on the long short list) - 150 quid
All have DTS/DD decoding and at least one optical in.
The only one i can find reviews of is the Scan and the Videologic :(
Does anyone else have any suggestions? My budget is 400 quid too.
BTW what is your digitheatre like? Its quite cheap now, is it any good.
Thanks
Originally posted by At The Gates
I'm in exactly the same position as you. I have the following products listed:
1. Videologic Digitheatre DTS - 350 quid
2. Sony HTK475 (STR-DE475 receiver and SA-VE225 Pascal speakers) - 320 quid
3. Sony HTK215 - 280 quid
4. Yamaha HTIB40 - 340 quid
5. Yamaha VS10 Home Cinema Station - 299 quid
6. Scan AV6 (hehe erm well its on the long short list) - 150 quid
All have DTS/DD decoding and at least one optical in.
The only one i can find reviews of is the Scan and the Videologic :(
Does anyone else have any suggestions? My budget is 400 quid too.
BTW what is your digitheatre like? Its quite cheap now, is it any good.
Thanks
Its the newer silver version, the old ones sell at around £180 this was £250 5 months ago. Its an upgrade from the old DD set.
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