Page 1 of I NEED A HOME CINEMA!!!!!!!HELP PLEASE O YEE WISE ONES

I have recently started collecting dvds and am now gonna get my first home cinema set up.

My ideas -- - i have a 32" philips widescreen but am looking at getting either the pioneer dv340 or the sony dvp-ns 400 as the dvd.(quite a diff in price)

For sound I am looking at the sony pascals or eltax liberty setup.

For amp i tought id get the yamaha rxv420.

If anyone has any experience with the above or can suggest alternatives please do so. I know its better to listen to them but I live in the middle of nowhere and the nearest true music store is about 100 miles away.

PLease help, and cheers all............

I don`t know the Eltax set up but this may help re the Sony Pascal`s.

"Maybe cute but steer well clear of the Pascal, unless you don`t care about sound quality" What Hi-Fi, August 2000.

This is the only 1star review I think I have ever seen and having heard them I can say they are the worst thing since standing in dog poo with bare feet.

Hope this helps,

Andrew.

Cheers Andy,

I have heard and read conflicting reviews on the pascals.My friend has them and praises them.I have raed that they are generally good but the centre lacks a little in the mid-range.I have also read that the eltax are quality or even the missions. I know the best way is to listen but not really an option so im relying on reviews.

Clayts usually has some useful info - - -where is he these days?

How much wonga are you looking to fork out ? I`m sure me and Westy can devise a cunning plan between us ;-)

Dear Captain Shadwell,

This is a precautionary notice. I urge you,please please please whatever you do,NOT to go anywhere near the Pascal kit from Sony!!!
First,although recent advances have seen speaker drivers get smaller,home cinema is all about dynamics.The pascal drive units are about the same size as a domestic 2pence piece-what a joke.Coupled to the worlds most uncontrollable subwoofer,the sound is utter utter pants....PERIOD!!.
So,armed with my advice (and no doubt many others),try these;
Denon 1601 reciever-£300
Wharfedale Diamond Speaker package-£400
Having heard a demonstration of this frankly awesome set of speakers,i can whole heartedly recommend them! Also the Denon reciever is a top drawer product which has gained great reviews from across the board.
Dont forget to spend some decent wonga on your cables as well-makes all the difference believe me.
So for £700 you`ll have a kick ass starter system that`ll impress your mates and have the walls begging for mercy.Tops.

If this seems expensive then let me or some of the others on this forum know and we`ll get you sorted my boy!
Have a look at my system recommends at www.area450.co.uk (home cinema section),to get a taste of what you should be looking for.

Im here to help,fire away those questions boyo!

All the best

Westy

So from what u r saying the pascal is like a kinder egg -- - looks good at first but u r always guaranteed to b p***ed off with the goods inside - - -rather like a wonder bra. Im getting sidetracked.

OK the all important wonga or coin as we say. Right I was tempted by the pascal purely cos of speakers and sub in one for a not so bad price.

I am aiming to spend around the £200 mark on the dvd.

Then there is the sound. I could prob get the above wharfdale and denon but wouldnt mind seeing a few other set ups for a diferent price - -the cheaper kind would be good.

Also im not the most clued up geezer on the tick tock of systems. Do i need speakers and amp straight away or better to save and get seperate. Does the above do dts and all the other stuff that I can say to my mates - -"look it does this as well, its wicked" and then have no idea as to what I just told him.

I`ll let u boys go to work while I have a look at westys wizardry on his site.

Cheers boyos..............

for an AV reciever i GARANTEE u wont get a better buy than here.. http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/forums/thread.asp?Forum=211&Thread=50071
its obscene how good this is for the money,, it got a 5 star review in what hi-fi and that was priced at 450!! and its goin here for 300!!,, trust me, i got mine 3 days ago now ant it truly is an amazin bit of kit,,,,, go on,, u know u want to.... lol :0) Chivalry

This item was edited on Monday, 6th August 2001, 22:20

That one`s got Dolby ProLogic II as well (ie will attempt to make old NICAM VCRs and TV broadcasts into a pseudo Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound sensation) - could be worth a shot at that price.

It comes in luscious brushed silver and bombs out 110W per channel. The minus point is it doesn`t carry dts ES or DD EX, but at that price (£300) who cares !

What HiFi said in July 2001 "For : audio performance; build quality; spec and usability Against : Could be more rhythmic in stereo Verdict: One of the best in its class; a well-rounded, well made and thoroughly worth receiver" (Just out of interest the Yamaha DSPAX620 just pipped it to the post, by winning best in test against some real heavyweight competition : Denon AVR1801, Harman Kardon AVR4000, Kenwood KRFX9050D, Pioneer VSX810S, Sherwood R956R and Technics SADA10)

Good heads up, there, Chivalry

This item was edited on Tuesday, 7th August 2001, 00:17

I recently got the Yamaha RX-V620RDS (the tuner-equipped version of the DSP-AX620). Why? Well, I didn`t want to retain hi-fi separates AND home cinema separates systems. I needed a system that would do both with accomplishment. I put it together with Mission speakers (M74 - mains, M7C1 - centre and M7DS - rears). This little lot cost around £800 from hifijunkies (and about another £100 for cables) - BUT you could go cheaper and get a great system.

My initial look at home cinema (before I got seduced by the dark side) was the Videologic DTS - a bare bones system (ProLogic, Dolby Digital and DTS) which comes with a full 6-speaker setup (i.e. with a sub) and all for around £300. Now, I have to confess I haven`t auditioned it - but it regularly gets excellent reviews. What it didn`t have (for me) was my prime requirement of acting as a solid basis for a hi-fi - owing to a distinct lack of inputs for other kit (tuner, tape, CD, turntable etc). As a simple home cinema system it would be worth looking at (I believe a number of high street stores stock it - albeit at higher than web prices - but you could at least get to listen to it!).

You really need to look at your requirements - hi-fi or just home cinema - and your absolute top price.

Best of luck!

I have to say that my main use would be for home cinema but there may be a possibility that i would use it for other things (but doubtful). I have 100 or so dvds and only a computer to play them on -- - its cruelty.

Can someone give me a rundown on this dts ex and dd. Is it just plain dts or dts with a twist.

Need some sites where I can get these wharfdale diamonds westy mensioned and the denon amp.

What about the dvd player - -- pioneer dv340 or the sony ns400 or another.All advice is taken seriously so all is welcome.

Cheers people for all the advice - -- looking to do some serious shopping in the next 2 days

Off the point -- has anyone ever heard of a 32" philips widescreen code 32pw9631/25 - - -can only find a load of stuff in french on the internet..


Again cheers me muckers..........