Sony BDP-S350....which amp?

[MrSpeed]

Trying to find out what amp would be a good pairing for the Sony BDP-S350.

Cheaper end of the scale the better please.

Any help much appreciated :thumbs:

[rwniel]

Given the lack of in-player DTS-HD Master Audio decoding (which is used on a lot of Fox blu ray movies as the 'hd' soundtrack of choice), a good match would be the Sony STR-DG820; Play.com (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=2&url=http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/5749543/Sony-STR-DG820-7-1-Channel-Receiver/Product.html) are doing the black version for £229.99 delivered. It thus provides good compatibility with the Sony BDP-S350. In theory if you're near a Richer Sounds (http://www.richersounds.com/information.php?cda=static&cst=pricebeat) store, you should be able to get it for £219.99.

Robert

[MrSpeed]

Thanks Robert :thumbs:

[LordoftheDance]

What's the upper limit of your budget, MrSpeed?

I have an Onkyo 606 which I think sounds excellent alongside the S350 (since I turned on the Audyssey equaliser which I'd had turned off for about 4 months... :brickwall ) - but it costs around £350

[RickyDVT]

Hi,

Sorry to jump in on this thread, but ive just bought a Sony 350 and bought the Sony S1300 Surround last week. Are these 2 going to be ok together?

Ricky

[charlie angel]

Hi,

Sorry to jump in on this thread, but ive just bought a Sony 350 and bought the Sony S1300 Surround last week. Are these 2 going to be ok together?

Ricky

They'll be fine - for hi-def audio via HDMI you can let the 350 decode TrueHD & pass it to your surround as uncompressed PCM. You'll miss out on DTS-MA though as the 350 can't decode it; what you'll get will be 1.5mbps DTS which will still sound very good :)

In regard to the OP's question, the big hitters in the 'budget' (i.e. sub-£400) market are -

Sony DG820
Onkyo 606
Yamaha DSPAX763
Denon 1909

[General Zod]

Been thinking of the DG820 myself, presumably it would be a better buy longterm than something like the Onkyo HTX22HD all in one?

[MrSpeed]

I remember spending £1,700 on the Yamaha 3090 when it first came out (1995ish I think)...and it's still the amp I use :nuts:
Only pro-logic and DD 5:1 though...or AC3 as it was known back then :D

With the advances in technology, I'm sure even the cheaper amps sound pretty good. I'm a (mature) student and so cost is a BIG issue. The Sony STR-DG820 seems to have all I'd need and at a decent price too.

I'm still harboring dreams of a dedicated cinema room with all top notch kit eventually though :)

[rwniel]

In regard to the OP's question, the big hitters in the 'budget' (i.e. sub-£400) market are -

Sony DG820
Onkyo 606
Yamaha DSPAX763
Denon 1909I would add the Sony STR-DA2400ES to that list as well; it differs from the STR-DG820 in offering upconversion/upscaling of the analogue video source inputs so they can be output over hdmi. That's useful if you just want to run a single hdmi cable to your television (and have component sources such as the Wii or old-style Xbox 360), or via a hdmi splitter to a television and projector. It also has a PS3 style setup menu compared to the more text-based one of the STR-DG820.

Been thinking of the DG820 myself, presumably it would be a better buy longterm than something like the Onkyo HTX22HD all in one?It depends on your maximum budget really, but a separates system is more flexible in terms of tailoring to your needs or upgrading. Realistically, you're looking at £450+ for a home theatre system based around the Sony STR-DG820 compared to ~£300 for the HTS22HD with the optional speaker package to bring it up to 5.1

Robert

[charlie angel]

I would add the Sony STR-DA2400ES to that list as well; it differs from the STR-DG820 in offering upconversion/upscaling of the analogue video source inputs so they can be output over hdmi. Analogue multi-channel pre-outs (for hooking up an external stereo amp for use as a power amp) plus one extra coaxial digital input, better build quality.

Definitely - that beauty slipped my mind :)

[rwniel]

Easily done, because of the all the delays in its release - however, it slots in quite nicely between the Yamaha DSP-AX763 and DSP-AV863se models I think.

Robert

[MrSpeed]

I've already got a well specced 5:1 speaker system...thankfully! So it's just something to pump out decent sound through them. I've had 5:1 DD for 13 years now but never even had DTS. I'm guessing the new HD sounds will impress me? :)

[General Zod]

It depends on your maximum budget really, but a separates system is more flexible in terms of tailoring to your needs or upgrading. Realistically, you're looking at £450+ for a home theatre system based around the Sony STR-DG820 compared to ~£300 for the HTS22HD with the optional speaker package to bring it up to 5.1

Robert

Yeah, after doing a bit of research this pm, I've settled on the DG820 with the Jamo A102HCS5 speakers, which should be around £400 all together.

[rwniel]

A popular compact speaker surround combination, but don't forget you'll need speaker and sub interconnect cables if they're not being supplied as part of a bundle.

Robert