What's your home audio-visual set up? I'll soon be leaving a flatshare to get my own apartment and one of the big incentives to do so is the ability to go a bit overboard in this area.

TV

I will be getting a 55 inch TV. It would be tempting to go up to a 65 inch for a really cinematic effect, but I'm also putting thought into compatibility with future living situations. Just because the apartment I'm looking at now has a large open plan living area, it doesn't mean that I'll always have that. I don't want to have to get rid of a TV down the road because it doesn't fit in the house I buy.

The big choice for me was between the LG OLED55CX (£1,400) and the Sony KD55XH9005 (£1000). Both support HDMI 2.1, eARC, Dolby Vision HDR, etc. - all the latest toys. The LG, however, is an OLED, meaning better picture quality, especially in video which benefits from high contrast. They have similar peak brightness so similar HDR performance.

The LG is the better TV, but the real question was whether the LG is £400 better. Having watched this comparison between the two, I concluded that it is not, so have decided to opt for the Sony.

TV: Sony KD55XH9005 (£1000)

Speakers

The first choice here was soundbar vs. discrete speakers. The benefits of a soundbar are simplicity of set up and that it takes up less physical space. The downsides are that the sound quality from a soundbar is much lower than discrete speakers, and that a sound bar is not really capable of later upgrades.

If I was just spending a couple hundred pounds, I'd probably go for a sound bar, as even a £200 soundbar is a dramatic improvement on a TV's internal speakers. But I wanted to get truly cinematic sound which will fill a space, and also I wanted speakers which will be great for music as well as movies. So discrete speakers it is.

The next choice was number of channels. I immediately discounted surround sound (i.e. 5.0 and upwards) because (i) I'm not going to have the physical space to place the surround speakers and (ii) I don't want to run the cables from one side of the room to the other.

I'm going to start off with a 3.0 set-up (right, left, centre). For the RL speakers I'm going floorstanding speakers which are capable of putting out a fair amount of bass, which will hopefully compensate for the lack of a subwoofer. Then a matching centre speaker to get crystal clear dialogue in movies.

And of course I can always add a subwoofer later if I'm feeling like I'm missing that cinematic rumble. But in an apartment you gotta think of the neighbours. There's no point having a powerful sub if you can never use it.

I narrowed the choice down to either:

1. Q Acoustics Q3050i floorstanders (£599) + 3090Ci centre speaker (£199)

2. Dali Oberon 5 floorstanders (£699) + Oberon Vokal centre speaker (£299).

In terms of sound quality, by all accounts these two systems are more or less on par, with the Dali perhaps being an edge superior. If it was just on that basis, I'd save the additional £200 and go for Q Acoustics. But the Dali has one really significant advantage: for the same sound quality, their floorstanding speakers are substantially smaller. They're also designed such that you don't need to point them inwards towards the listening position. That gives me the most flexibility going forward in terms of placement.

Floorstanding speakers: Dali Oberon 5 (£699)
Centre Channel speaker: Dali Oberon Vokal (£299)

AV Receiver

Obviously you need something to connect all this together and power the speakers, which is where the AV receiver comes in. By all accounts the Sony STR-DN1080 (£429) is an excellent receiver and punches well above its price. It supports everything I would want e.g. 4K TV, HDR, up to 7.2 channels for future expansion flexibility, various surround sound formats, a decent user interface with streaming services like Spotify integrated, HDMI pass through, auto-calibration.

It doesn't support HDMI 2.1 or 8K. But the receivers which do support those have all had serious issues to the point that they're not even usable until the manufacturers fix the problem via a firmware update. So I'm steering clear of those.

AV Receiver: Sony STR-DN1080 (£429)

Right now I'm just trying to figure out speaker wire/cable and banana plugs, which I've never dealt with before. Suspect I will have to wait until I have the objects physically in front of me before I can really get my head around that stuff.

Sources

Keeping it simple here. The sole source is my PS4, which will be upgraded to the PS5. Mostly I am upgrading to the PS5 for the ability to play 4K Blu Ray. An UHD Blu Ray player will set you back at least £150 so at that point I figure I might as well spend the extra money for a console.

Potential to add a turntable down the line if I really want to get hipster and spend a stupid amount of money on vinyl.

Source: PS5 (£450)

Stand

This was surprisingly one of the most difficult parts of the whole process. The problem is the centre channel speaker. If you put it on top of the stand, in front of the TV, then it will obscure the screen by a considerable amount - those speakers are 16.5cm tall. And mounting the TV on the wall is not an option.

So I need a stand that can fit a large centre speaker. It needs to be placed in the centre of the stand, which rules out all stands which are divided into two sides. And it needs to have plenty of space around it to prevent the compartment messing with the sound, which means you need an open shelf rather than a cubby hole.

It's remarkably hard to find a TV stand that fits those requirements, and even harder if you want something that's relatively solid wood rather than a cheap metal and glass contraption.

In the end I realised that I would have better luck looking at low profile bookcases rather than TV stands. And hey presto, I found the Borough Wharf Augustus Bookcase (£140). It's a "Made in China" job but there are a lot of verified reviews (including photos people have taken of their set-up) so I think it's a safe option.

 

OLED T.V's are undeniably better, however a large amount of that betterness is reliant on very ideal lighting conditions. If you plan on watching televsion at all in a lit room a QLED is the better option, and a normal LCD might well be as well, and this is clearly visible in that video where any ambient light is a killer. That said, if you plan on engaging in competitive video gaming on that screen the response rate of an OLED is second to none.

 

Indeed. I also think it's notable that the superior nature of the OLED technology is most noticeable on test visuals specifically designed to push the screen technology to its limits, like the high contrast black/white video in the YouTube review linked above, or the classic scrolling white box against a black background. In contrast, when you play "real world" footage like a normal movie, the visuals are much closer together in quality and it can be hard to tell the difference.

 

I'm not sure if you have purchased the television or not, but another to consider would be the Samsung Q90T, which should be gettable for approximately the same price as the Sony.

 

Yes I've had my eye on the Q90T as well. The higher peak brightness, light room performance and anti-reflective coating is tempting. However, in the various side-by-side tests I have seen, the Q90T always seems to have the worst colour of the three, with greys/whites often taking on a slightly pinkish tint. The brightness also seems to be as much of a weakness as a strength, because the Q90T seems to overdo it a bit resulting in loss of detail due to areas being over-brightened.

 

On size of TV I think it's important to consider the size of room it's going into. I have a moderate sized living room and my 39 inch TV is plenty large enough, anything much larger would be too large for the space and the distance I am from the screen.

 

Have they solved the burn in issues with the OLED TV's? From what i understood it might be a fundamental issue with the technology

 

The risk of burn in is a largely theoretical risk at this stage. For normal users who watch varied content, they're not going to see burn in even after years of use. It's only really a risk for people who have the TV playing CNN 10 hours a day.

For me, the much bigger issue with OLEDs is their lack of brightness which affects their ability to perform in brightly lit rooms.

 

I play to buy the LG CX OLED to use as a sole desktop monitor, because while I love my ultrawide, 4K @120Hz is the ideal resolution and refresh rate for me, since it's actually driveable now with the RTX 3000 series cards, and there will be an improvement in image quality versus even the best monitor. But because of my usage, which is significantly skewed toward typical desktop/web browsing/office use, burn in is almost a certainty after a while. Fortunately though, certain retailers now offer a warranty that covers for burn in, so if it does happen after 2-3 years of constant heavy usage, I'll happily just get a replacement for free.

 

If you're going to treat yourself to some sweet Dalis I expect you have a decent listening room (at least 25 sqm) and plan to save some of your budget for professional acoustic treatment. Otherwise, you're buying a fine wine to go with a shitty McMenu. A decent beer will do, some $200 Boses or something.

A small room without acoustic conditioning will create all kinds of shit (reverberation, comb filtering, standing waves...) that will fuck up sound to the point a high quality system is just wasted money.

 

So in the end I ended up going for...

TV: LG CX 55 inch

Managed to get this on sale for £1300 plus £140 for a 5 year warranty that covers burn-in. What pushed me away from the Sony was the problems it's been having with its HDMI 2.1 firmware update, especially its problems with eARC. For a time I then moved towards the Samsung Q90T but ultimately I decided that my main use for the TV would be movie nights/gaming nights with friends in the evening so I should prioritise a TV with the most cinematic quality. In my price range, that was the LG CX.

The guarantee is pricey (it basically wipes out the discount from getting the TV on sale) but it gives good peace of mind. It also covers accidental damage in case one of my nephews kicks the TV in when they visit.

AV Receiver: Denon AVR-X2700H

I ended up going for something a bit more expensive (£599) and a bit better than the Sony STR-DN1080 (£430). I was initially reluctant to go for the Denon due to reported problems with HDMI 2.1 but it turns out that's just with the Xbox Series X, which I'm not planning to get. It works fine with the PS5.

The Denon is generally considered to produce a better sound than the Sony and, being 3 years more up-to-date, is more future proof. It also gives me the option to add wireless surround speakers at some point in the future if I want.

I was helped along in my decision to buy the Denon by the fact that it was part of an offer where you got 10% off all speakers.

Speakers: Dali Oberon 5 (Floorstanders) & Dali Oberon Vokal (Centre Channel)

It was between these and the Q Acoustics 3050i floorstanders & 3090Ci centre. The Q Acoustics would have been cheaper and have more bass, which perhaps would have worked better in my 3.0 set-up. But I may well get a separate subwoofer at some point in the future so I decided not to make the decision on the bass output.

The Dali floorstanders do what floorstanders are supposed to do better than the Q Acoustics, and more importantly they have a smaller form factor and are less particular about positioning. Those benefits, combined with the 10% discount, pushed me towards getting the Dalis.

As for the room they will be in: it's about 30 square metres and the speakers are going to be positioned equidistant from the walls. I have two rugs in place to dampen reflected sound off the wooden floor. The right speaker will have bookcases between it and the wall, and the left speaker will have a desk plus computer equipment. Sofas in front. So I think the space is decent enough. I'm not going to get anal about it and start sticking things to the walls though.

Sources

I failed to get a PS5 when they went on sale so I have got myself a second-hand 4K Blu-Ray player that supports Dolby Vision, the Sony X-700. Picked it up for £120 which isn't a bad price at all, especially given that the seller sold it with a 2 year warranty despite its second-hand nature.

Now that I have that, my need for the PS5 is somewhat diminished so I'll probably get one when the price drops for the first time, whenever that is.

Other

Got a pair of HDMI 2.1 cables for £25. Who knows if they are genuine 48Gbps cables - made in China. But if things start going wrong that is where I will look first.

In terms of speaker cable, I was incredibly lazy and got some with banana plugs pre-attached - Amazon Basics. That's another £30.

TOTAL SPEND: £3,113.83

Not including furniture, rugs, etc.

Bank account is hurting but hopefully I won't even be thinking about replacing any of this stuff until 5 years' time.

 

And it's all in place:



Sitting here grinning from ear to ear. So what if I don't have a bed and am sleeping on a camping inflatable?

Music from these speakers sounds amazing. I've been sitting here just listening to music all afternoon - I never do that. But from these it's just a transformative experience.

And by god, the TV. So glad I went for the OLED. Zero problems with lack of brightness or reflections. I've got the settings tweaked and have it playing nicely with my AV receiver and The Crown is blowing me away.

The only little thing I need to adjust is that I think the centre speaker needs to be angled up slightly, to feel more like the dialogue is coming from the TV. Currently trying to figure out a solution for that which is more attractive than using door stops.

 

For tilting the speaker up, maybe try some black rubber washers? Should fit in with the colour scheme and give you plenty of control over height?

Looking good though!

 

Somewhat predictably, mission creep has occurred.

Firstly, I have completed my conversion to hipster wanker and got myself a turntable to play vinyl records.

I won't pretend that I can hear an audio difference playing records vs. streaming from Spotify. For me it's not about the audio quality. Rather, the attraction is:

1. Possessing a physical copy of the music which is yours forever.

2. The ritual of placing the record on the turntable, lowering the tonearm, and watching the record turn.

3. The act of collecting; enjoying the record artwork and going through the collection with people who visit.

Secondly, as I have been playing records, I have found myself craving more bass. The Dali Oberon 5s are great speakers but they're not subwoofers; there's only so much they can do at the bottom end. And a lot of what I listen to is EDM/House, which benefits a lot from good bass. So... a subwoofer is on the way to complete my set-up. Mostly bought for music but it will of course also complement home cinema. Picked a relatively small subwoofer which will fit under my desk in the corner of the room. Wincing at the price but telling myself that it's better to pay £500 now for something that I will be happy with than £300 for something I immediately want to replace with something better.

Now I just need some records to play. Going to make a separate thread about that.

 

If you are in the mood of experimenting with your sound setup, I suggest a little party trick: play a pure 130 Hz sine wave through your speakers (you can use free PC software like Audacity or free apps like Function Generator.) While it's playing, take a little stroll around your listening room. Be sure to go near the corners, see if you hear something funny.

 

So when I move house (if the purchase ever completes...) I will likely have a living room space where, if I wanted to, I could also put speakers behind the sofa.

I currently have a 5.1 set up. It wouldn't cost a huge amount to buy the extra speakers and wire to make it 7.1 if I wanted to. The greater inconvenience is the extra stuff cluttering up the living room, including running the wires across the room.

The question is - is the difference between 5.1 and 7.1 worth it? Anyone with a 7.1 system want to chip in on the subjective difference to 5.1?

 

7.1 for me requires unreasonably ideal positioning within a room to be noticed. As in you're in the middle of the room with 2 speakers either side of you and 2 behind.

Unless you have a specific theatre room, it's probably overkill.

I'm more than happy with 5.1. But I spent a lot on quality speakers.

 

Further down the rabbit hole I go. I am still in the process of buying a house (a different house to the one mentioned above) and with that will likely come certain changes.

Right now I have a single open plan living area, which is living room + home office + dining room + kitchen all in one. I have a single AV receiver connected to a 5.1 system which works for both the TV, turntable, and Spotify Connect for watching/listening whether I am on sofa, at my desk, cooking in the kitchen, or sitting at the dining table. All very efficient.

Post-move, things will change somewhat, as I will have a separate living room, a separate dining room adjoining the kitchen in a semi-open layout, and then my home office will be a spare bedroom upstairs. Additionally, the living room layout is difficult to run speaker wires across due to the placement of the door and fireplace. Additionally the walls are solid brick which means you can't really run anything through the walls.

So, I will probably cannibalise my current system as follows:

1. Floorstanders (x2) and subwoofer, receiver and turntable will go to the dining room for listening to music in a 2.1 set-up, either off Spotify Connect or the turntable.

2. Bookshelf speakers (x2) will go upstairs in the home office, to be paired with a new stereo amp which is Spotify Connect compatible and can connect via bluetooth to computers, for computer audio and listening to music at my workstation.

3. Centre speaker will be put in storage. Feel like I should keep this in case I ever want to revert to 5.1 set-up.

That means I need a new system for the living room. Because of the layout, I am probably looking at something wireless. There are two main contenders at the moment:

1. Sony HT-A9 (£1,600) plus Sony SASW5 subwoofer (£700). Total price: £2,300.

2. Sonos Arc (£900) plus Sonos Sub Gen 3 (£750) plus x2 Sonos One SL rear speakers (£360). Total price: £2010.

Does anyone have any thoughts on these systems?

From the reviews, the Sony would seem to have the better sound quality, though I haven't been able to find a direct comparison of the two full systems. The Sony also has the bonus of more flexible placement around the room.

The downsides to the Sony are: (i) there are some reports of the wireless connection dropping out, which could be very annoying, (ii) there's no centre channel. The reviews all say that phantom centre channel is effective but I struggle to overcome my scepticism, (iii) it's more expensive, and (iv) Sony has a habit of dropping support for its products, especially novel systems like the HT-A9 which may prove to be a one-off experiment rather than a continuing product line.

The benefits to the Sonos system are basically the mirror of the Sony downsides: greater reliability, a proper centre channel, a physical connection between the sound bar and the TV, they're part of an established ecosystem of products which allow for expandability and continued support, and they are cheaper. But the sound quality is reportedly worse.

I think it's going to be a case of needing to have the two systems demoed for me so that I can hear the difference in sound quality for myself and decide whether the Sony's downsides are worth it.

 

I would also be skeptical of center channel 'magic.'

I can't imagine superior sound quality mattering to me if the center channel is bunk.

 

Yes, scepticism is definitely warranted, but I don't rule it out as possible that the phantom centre channel is adequate.

The main reason why I am willing to entertain the idea is that Andrew Robinson, who is a major audiophile nerd, gave the HT-A9 a glowing review.