2. home-theater
  3. 1071679734

2 ch HT/music...hope to hear from the 2 ch purists

I myself do not have separate systems for music & HT...however, this is my quandary.

I'm currently home in Los Angeles visiting my father. He & my late mother purchased a Denon 5700 and a couple Pioneer Elite combi players that include laserdisc (dont ...these were of course purchased a few years ago and have never been taken out of the box. (Mom got sick & passed away, so for years he was focusing on caring for her rather than putting a system together) He now wants help with speaker selection. I think that he definitely put the cart before the horse on this one. He says he really doesnt care about surround sound and hearing bullets whiz past him, and his collection of 300 or so Laserdiscs are all 2 channel opera & classical.

So here's the deal...I was thinking that he should just get the LR speakers (probably B&W 703's...he does want floorstanders) and a sub. I also suggested that rather than getting a center speaker, to get a new dvd player that does the "phantom center" and would also end up having SACD to boot. I have a feeling that he will be just as satisfied with watching movies in 2 channel mode as I am, so I think that the next step should be to dump the Denon AVR-5700 and get a good integrated amp or pre/power setup for better sound and stick with a 2 channel setup.

Price is not the major concern here, but he is the kind of person that doesn't "need" nor want the Rolls Royce's of stereos. Please no over the top recommendations...hoping to keep everything at the 6-8k point including everything but the TV...and dont worry...that will be a projection system so there won't be a big box inbetween the speakers.

If it were me, being that I am happy with my Bryston B-60/B&W cdm1nt setup, I would recommend a used BP25/3Bst combo.

He says he likes a crisp, detailed sound, but this is coming from a 75 year old guy that has been listening to a Fisher 500c with EMI speakers from the 60's so I think that might be a moot point.

I'm sorry for the length of this post, but any replies would be greatly appreciated...what do you guys suggest?

Thanks for all your help on this one

Ellery
ellery911
ellery911 OP
549 posts
 
Hey everyone...thanks for your replys...SD in particular...funny thing is that I once had a pair of Vandersteen 1b's and my dad is familiar with Vandersteen but only through the rave reviews...so...we're going with your recommendation...I just hope he realizes that the sound will be much better with the Bryston gear than with the Denon.

Uncle...I'm not sure what exactly you are recommending...I always thought good guys was mass market. My dad is actually quite perCeptive without my pat on the back...he is the wiser of the two of us.
wccoe
75 posts
 
Check out the amps, preamps and speakers at odysseyaudio.com
Best bang for the buck.
steveallen
54 posts
 
Just a suggestion. Try the speakers with the Denon and a better amp before you spend a wad on an amp. At your Dads age he may not, may not, but he may, hear no difference in the two.

Funny how age srcews up your hearing.

I say this because my Dad cant hear any difference. But then he listens to music to enjoy, not disect the eqiptment.

Again, just a suggestion.
avguygeorge
2,300 posts
 
In that LD is a 44.1 format--- Then hoping the LD transport has a digital out--- a good 2ch dac will do much, in such a setup.
gonglee3
304 posts
 
I share your father's taste in music - I wish I had 300 software on it like him! May be by the time I am his age...

I too like B&W and Tannoy for classical music - sounds crisp and realistic to me. No offense to fastguy, but Soliloquy sounds a little mushy to me (although a beautiful speaker on vocals), and will not do it for him on strings and brass.

It is true that we lose hearing with age, but we can still appreciate quality. It just may be his last system, so you two might want to visit a few Hifi shops together, with his Laser disk player and his favorite music.

I too live in LA area, and there are many around this area.

Let me suggest to you what I like :

Old marantz receiver 2270 (on ebay for $200)
Old McIntosh Amp like this one (100 watts or over)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3068329962&category=39783

A used krell on here gon or ebay.

On the new pieces,

Arcam Diva A75 Plus
Sugden A21A
Exposure XXIII/XXVIII
Bryston Bp20/4BST

On the speakers:

Axiom - m22ti with a sub.
Tannoy Revolution series and up.
B&W 800 series

Classical music lovers tend to know what they like - having been to live concerts. Hopefully he will like something he hears in a shop.

That reminds me - I should give nice things to my folks too.



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