Anthony123 Posted March 10, 2007 Posted March 10, 2007 Hi Guys, well im in the market for a home theatre and have listened to a few different brand such as the B&W 600 series and Canton etc.... so anyways i went down to carlton audio today and had a listen to the Monitor Audio Gold Series.... Im looking at the bookshelves GS10 (rrp $2150) http://www.monitoraudio.co.uk/product.php?...1&product=1 the centre (rrp $1375) http://www.monitoraudio.co.uk/product.php?...&product=13 12inch sub which is in the silver the range (rrp $1899) (was told the gold range 12inch sub isn't coming out) http://www.monitoraudio.co.uk/product.php?...&product=17 and finally some in ceiling silver range speakers ($825) http://www.monitoraudio.co.uk/product.php?...&product=19 Total was $6249rrp... he said he could do $5500. He suggested the denon AVR-4306 but at $4000 is abit too much... i was planning on getting the yamaha 2700 but he says its a very bright amp and the denon's would be a better match. How much of an impact would the amp make to the sound... couldn't i simply turn down the treble if it was sounding too bright?? Also Has anyone got any of these or had this brand before..... any comments would greatly be appreciated. Anyone know where else they sell these speakers? I think a better price could be had. thanks in advance!
the-austrian Posted March 10, 2007 Posted March 10, 2007 Ideally, you want to listen to the combos (yam/mission vs denon/mission) and decide for yourself which one you like best. Audio purists would pour scorn on using the "treble" control with such fine equipment!!!
betty boop Posted March 10, 2007 Posted March 10, 2007 yes I agree demo combinations and come to your own conclusions rather than postulating as to what the result might be. the monitor audio speakers are really good I reckon not sjtu in soudn and build. also check out legend while in cav plus they have a few other brands as well. personally I wouldnt spend $4k on an avr right now. probably better to buy a 2ch integrated like the mf a3.5 or arcam a90, or ca 540A for $2k plus a $2k avr. that way can upodate the $2k avr down the track without as much loss and also get some good 2ch with a combo liek that.
glennb Posted March 10, 2007 Posted March 10, 2007 The MA speakers have a very nice sound and are also good value, but you should do yourself a favor and listen to a few more options in that price range. Also, i reckon you are selling yourself short by using a low end AVR with the GS series speakes. If you are stuck to getting an AVR (I wouldn't at this time), but at least check out the Arcam AVR-350 as it will sound much better than the Denons/Yamaha with the GS10's. Also, with an 88db sensitivity, the Denons/Yamaha's will struggle to drive all of these at once IMO. Even better would be to get a dedicated integrated amp for the mains, or power amp for the whole lot. You can actually pick up an Elektra Theatron (7Ch Amp) for close to $3k. Otherwise the Cambridge Audio and Arcam gear sound great with MA speakers. The MA sub is very good for music, but if your going for a HT system there are probably better out there. I ended up with MA RS8 mains, the RS-LCR, a SVS PB12+ sub, and will be getting the RSFX rears shortly. SVS and Velodyne subs will give a better HT experience IMHO.
Anthony123 Posted March 11, 2007 Author Posted March 11, 2007 i was told the GS10 and the RS1's are very easily driven... they dont need much power at all. Hi Wacko... How could a yamaha with 140w x 7 struggle to drive a 5.1 Monitor Audio setup??? how much was the SVS PB12 sub?
glennb Posted March 11, 2007 Posted March 11, 2007 i was told the GS10 and the RS1's are very easily driven... they dont need much power at all.Hi Wacko... How could a yamaha with 140w x 7 struggle to drive a 5.1 Monitor Audio setup??? how much was the SVS PB12 sub? They may not need much power, but not all power is created equal Ask CAV to setup the GS10's upstairs with one of the decent power amps and a Denon and switch between them and make up your own mind. Hearing my RS8's powered with a Denon, Arcam AVR, and Arcam power amp, there was a noticable increase in the quality of the sound at each step up. Yamaha can not produce anywhere near that amount of power for all channels, and that is what the Yammie AVR i'm currently using is rated at as well. I have listened to my speakers with a 7 x 140W Yamaha amp, and an Arcam 7 x 100W power amp, and I know which one sounded better to me. It's definetly something you should look into if you want to get the best out of your system. Also, with my 5.1 system, there was a significant improvement from setting my mains from large to small, as this takes a big load off the Yamaha AVR. Whilst it's not struggling to drive my MA RS's as such, the AVR is at the top of my list to get a power amp upgrade as it's the weak point in the system. I reckon you'd find the same thing with the GS10's but I could be wrong. The SVS PB12+ is $2,100 and available from www.deephzaudio.com
Anthony123 Posted March 11, 2007 Author Posted March 11, 2007 thanks for the info Wacko.... alot to think about.... theres just soo many things/factors to consider!... wish it was easier!! where did you buy your Monitor Audio gear?? thinking i could shop around for a better price?? $5500 is abit over what i wanted to spend... maybe i need to listen to the silver range RS1 with the silver centre... that would drop the price down by bout 1200 bucks!! tho i just love the look of the golds!!
Alfred Smee Posted March 11, 2007 Posted March 11, 2007 How much of an impact would the amp make to the sound... couldn't i simply turn down the treble if it was sounding too bright?? Amps sound very similar. If one sounds brighter, it would be very subtle. Tone controls are a sledgehammer in comparison.
ozcal Posted March 11, 2007 Posted March 11, 2007 Amps sound very similar. If one sounds brighter, it would be very subtle. Tone controls are a sledgehammer in comparison. "Amps sound very similar" , Not in my oppinion. "If one sounds brighter, it would be very subtle" Not true in my oppinion. "Tone controls are a sledgehammer in comparison." I don't disagree however the main problem with tone controls is that the circuits on the vast majority of mass market amps are poorly designed and as well as changing the relative levels of treble and bass they introduce phase problems which have a negative impact in sound quality.This is why you are far better to assmeble a system which will give you a pleasing tonal balance on the vast majortiy of your music/movies without the need for tone adjustment.The tone controls can be used to accomadate old or otherwise badly recorded material but should not be necessary all of the time. Gordon
ausnew Posted March 11, 2007 Posted March 11, 2007 The 4306 is an overkill, no doubt Have a look at the 2807 instead, but bi-amp the MA's. In this configuration this amp would be even good enough to drive the GS20's, and they are lovely speakers
brooksy Posted March 12, 2007 Posted March 12, 2007 The MA sub is very good for music, but if your going for a HT system there are probably better out there. I ended up with MA RS8 mains, the RS-LCR, a SVS PB12+ sub, and will be getting the RSFX rears shortly.SVS and Velodyne subs will give a better HT experience IMHO. Heh heh, nice setup Wacko I'm running MA RS8's, RS-LCR center, RSFX's with a Velodyne SPL1000R. What Yamaha amp are you using atm? I'm currently using a Yamaha RX-V3200 while my Denon AVC-A10SE is in the shop having some surgery. Despite its age I prefer the sound of the Denon over the Yamaha.
glennb Posted March 12, 2007 Posted March 12, 2007 Heh heh, nice setup Wacko I'm running MA RS8's, RS-LCR center, RSFX's with a Velodyne SPL1000R. What Yamaha amp are you using atm? I'm currently using a Yamaha RX-V3200 while my Denon AVC-A10SE is in the shop having some surgery. Despite its age I prefer the sound of the Denon over the Yamaha. I'm using an RXV-800 which is a few years old now and on loan from my sister while she's overseas. It doesn't do too bad a job, but once you've heard better AVR's with the RS8's, you know you can get more out of your speakers. I'm using a pair of JBL floorstanders as rears at the moment, and the setup is pretty good for movies.
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