Hi Thomas,
Well, if stereo performance is important to you then sticking with a dedicated stereo amplifier and add-on AV processor is your best bet. The Yamaha DSP -E800 is a great piece of kit and a considerable bargain at £300 (possibly cheaper through the usual discounters).
However, you say you want an all-in-one unit so there`s only really two options within your budget - NAD or Arcam. If you like the sound of NAD amps then their AV amps (T741/T751/T761) are more of the same. Differences between the models boils down to power output and inputs - I`ve heard the T741 & T760 and been mightily impressed with stereo performance. Nothing else at or anywhere near the price gets close, apart from .... the Arcam AVR100/200. There`s probably a good reason for this. I`ve heard that the NAD and the Arcam are both built at the same factory and are kissing-cousins if you lift the lid and look inside.
All have DD, DTS, DPL and 5.1 inputs but that`s about as sophisticated as it gets. No spurious surround modes (although NAD have a "Hafler" type matrix which works great with old Quad recordings) or 6.1 or 7.1 modes.
In my view, if sound quality is important, then less really is more...
One thing I forgot to mention. Do you have a DVD player with internal DD/DTS processing? If so, this is great news for stereo sound. Amplifiers hate the RFI that these things emit so AV amplifier manufactureres really have their work cut out trying to prevent them from compromising the sound. Also, video circuits in amplifiers are bad news for sound quality so, again, simple is often best... Obviously , the best solution is to have an outboard processor (or DVD player with a decent quality onboard processor - the Sony one`s are strong performers and more flexible than most) with an amp with no onboard DD/DTS decoding but with 5.1 inputs. You lose a bit of flexibility where home cinema is concerned but the gains in pure stereo are well worth it. Myryad have a very good AV pre-amp available for about £450. It only has DPL onboard but has the all-important 5.1 inputs. There is a matching 5 channel power amp available for the same price and the performance in stereo or on discreet SACD or DVD-A leaves even the best AV all-in-ones in the shade. The only drawback is limited power, about 40W/channel, but remember these are REAL watts and more money can but more powerful amplifiers from the Myryad range. It`s a bit over your budget but it`s been around for a few years so you might be able to strike a deal if you shop around some of the bigger audio chains.
If all that sounds too much trouble (believe me, if stereo sound is important, it really IS worth it), then stick with either the NADs or the Arcams.
Best of luck.
This item was edited on Thursday, 25th July 2002, 11:37
