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I'm after a new AV Amp...
McLannahan - 26/8/09 at 07:41 PM

Evening all - I'm hoping to pimp up my lounge and move the TV onto the wall. I've bought some speakers too for it - Bose Acoustimass 15 but I now need an AV Amp to power them.

Does anyone have any recommendations or anything to sell?

Harmon Kardon looks like it has all I need but I'm unsure if it's worth the money?

http://www.richersounds.com/product/av-receivers/harman-kardon/avr355/harm-avr355

Budget is slim after my recent wedding!

Thanks all

main82000 - 26/8/09 at 07:44 PM

hi just make sure the hdmi carries the sound as well as the pics saves on cables

NothernMonkey - 26/8/09 at 08:29 PM

Check put the 'onkyo' range. They have all you need tech wise and are excellent for the price!
This one- low end:http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/5235
or more bells and whistles :http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/5174

They are not the best looking but offer great value and no, i don't work for onkyo or superfi! :-0

Blackcab - 26/8/09 at 08:39 PM

Yamaha do some really good value amps -I use it to power my bose - must be going on for 8 years old now and still sounds bloody ace !
My pal uses an Onkyo or whatever its called and looks a good bit of kit for the money

Get the garden speakers as well if budget permits, green mushrooms ! awesome ( till they got nicked !)

iceman26 - 26/8/09 at 09:29 PM

was looking at that same amp but after a listen of the onkyo amp got that 1 instead
much better amp just look at reviews

flak monkey - 26/8/09 at 09:33 PM

Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha are all good AV recievers.

I have an old Yamaha one, and its sounds OK, not hi-fi, but not bad either.

McLannahan - 26/8/09 at 09:52 PM

Thanks all - Onkyo looking good, free postage too!

franky - 26/8/09 at 10:08 PM

Best thing you can do is get a what hifi mag and read the reviews then shop around.

blakep82 - 26/8/09 at 10:33 PM

i got the yamaha one last week, best value for money i think, especially at the price richer sounds have them

MikeRJ - 26/8/09 at 10:50 PM

You could have saved an absolute shed load by buying speakers from someone other than Bose, and they'd very likely have sounded better.

HK stuff is pretty good, but Yamaha and Onkyo made some cracking bits of kit.

Steve Hignett - 26/8/09 at 11:03 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
You could have saved an absolute shed load by buying speakers from someone other than Bose, and they'd very likely have sounded better.


I know!
My Tesco's have got THESE IN, they must be better than Bose cos they must be better than Bose.

flak monkey - 27/8/09 at 07:06 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Steve Hignett
quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
You could have saved an absolute shed load by buying speakers from someone other than Bose, and they'd very likely have sounded better.


I know!
My Tesco's have got THESE IN, they must be better than Bose cos they must be better than Bose.


Lol, a set of mission or AE are likely to have sounded better that a set of Bose for less money TBH.

Bose dont make particularly good hifi kit if you compare them to other makes arount the same price bracket. Infact, I dont really know why that have a reputation for being good, other than they are very expensive.

David

franky - 27/8/09 at 07:42 AM

the reputation is all from style really.

You can't beat KEF's and then you're buying the best of British too. Great aftersales service also.

tomprescott - 27/8/09 at 09:14 AM

Bose is pretty similar to B&O in my opinion, it's good quality, but not for how much it costs.
Richer sounds are well worth a browse, most of the time they stock decent equipment (such as onkyo, yamaha, sony etc) and are cheap too. If you can make it into a store even better; staff know what they're on about and are really helpful - not just pushy salesmen! Good luck

blakep82 - 27/8/09 at 10:12 AM

whats peoples thoughts on cerwin vega speakers?

McLannahan - 27/8/09 at 11:46 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Steve Hignett
quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
You could have saved an absolute shed load by buying speakers from someone other than Bose, and they'd very likely have sounded better.


I know!
My Tesco's have got THESE IN, they must be better than Bose cos they must be better than Bose.



SOLD on those!! Spot on....

I have a set of KEF's already - about to sell them now in fact, more details soon!

I bought the BOSE package as I have always wanted them. They look smart and sound superb too. I bought them on 0% APR and spread the cost over minimal payments. I know many don't like BOSE and I'm sure that I could have bought better sound for less money but I'd argue not a lot less than I'm paying.

I'm getting rid of my larger and mid budget HiFi now for space too- There's not too many speakers that can compete with BOSE for size and in direct relation to that size - sound in my opinion.

Having had some very decent HiFi in the past and having now listened to different BOSE setups (not in the shop but in realistic home setups) I'm happy I've bought BOSE - to me an upgrade but perhaps not to others!

Did find an amplifier in the end so many thanks for everyone's help - much appreciated!

McLannahan - 27/8/09 at 11:50 AM

quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
quote:
Originally posted by Steve Hignett
quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
You could have saved an absolute shed load by buying speakers from someone other than Bose, and they'd very likely have sounded better.


I know!
My Tesco's have got THESE IN, they must be better than Bose cos they must be better than Bose.


Lol, a set of mission or AE are likely to have sounded better that a set of Bose for less money TBH.

Bose dont make particularly good hifi kit if you compare them to other makes arount the same price bracket. Infact, I dont really know why that have a reputation for being good, other than they are very expensive.

David


My current setup is AE and although they've been a great set, I know the BOSE sound and respond better. I've got Missions and KEF's too so I can compare quite equally. I have bought the BOSE for TV/Film audio too - not music so much. Sadly I get less and less time to listen to it!

Steve Hignett - 27/8/09 at 08:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
Lol, a set of mission or AE are likely to have sounded better that a set of Bose for less money TBH.

Bose dont make particularly good hifi kit if you compare them to other makes arount the same price bracket. Infact, I dont really know why that have a reputation for being good, other than they are very expensive.

David


I know what a lot of people think of Bose and a lot of people are right. And then there are A LOT of people that just go along with what others say because of pre-conceived notions.

When I bought my Bose system, I also listened to a set of Miller & Kreisel (sp?) that day adn they were phenomenal. But wouldn't fit in the lounge space that I had and at around £3000 were way way way out of my price range.

I bought my Bose from an outlet store with full warranty. they cost me a lot less than anything I could find anywhere nearing the sound quality for the money and size (I've had mine for about 6 years!) and have lasted in brilliant condition sound wise for that time too.

I am sure that a lot of people have caught up nowadays, but I still think if you can get a deal on them, that there isn't a lot too touch them in a real listening environment.

To be fair, if I had the money to spend what I wanted on AV and HiFi then I would not even look at Bose, but then I would be sitting in my own cinema which would of cost over £200k to kit out (like a lad I met last summer at oulton one day!!!) (Oh and he was 21 )

It's swings and roundabouts really, I think they are very good for the money if you can get a good deal on them!

bimbleuk - 28/8/09 at 01:57 PM

quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha are all good AV recievers.

I have an old Yamaha one, and its sounds OK, not hi-fi, but not bad either.


I was going to write something very similar. My current amp is over a decade old but was a flagship Yamaha model when I bought it, still works fine but no HD audio support.

v8james - 28/8/09 at 08:16 PM

I just go a Denon avr-1910, very good sound and video upscaling.


What hifi

James

wilkingj - 29/8/09 at 08:38 AM

You have a U2U.