B&W Home Theater setup

[ankur]

i am newly waking up to the world of home theater and need support with few questions:

 

[ankur]

i am newly waking up to the world of home theater and need support with few questions:

1. What are the receiver options with B&W 703; a friend suggested Anthem MRX but thats too expensive. Can you suggest something more reasonable with equally good sound output ?
2. With current configuration i am looking $19K spend (after a 15% discount offered on retail price) is it worth waiting Nov for thanksgiving deals ?

 

[ankur]

What are the receiver options with B&W 703; a friend suggested Anthem MRX but thats too expensive. Can you suggest something more reasonable with equally good sound output ?

 

[Gmoney]

you got 19k to spend on a setup?

 

[ankur]

you got 19k to spend on a setup?

Wanted to understand if kind of discounts around thanks giving

 

[Gmoney]

Marantz,Denon,Yamaha,Onkyo AVR’s go flagships of you can.

 

[Movie2099]

What are the receiver options with B&W 703; a friend suggested Anthem MRX but thats too expensive. Can you suggest something more reasonable with equally good sound output ?

With such nice speakers you should try going the separates route. I've read the Emotiva XMC-2 is nice processor. Leaves the door open for up to 16 channels. Has all the latest sound applications and video applications for your projector or TV. I believe it's going for $3000. Marantz has the AV7705 that's seems like a very solid processor.I believe that retails for around $2200. If you need amp selections, you can check out Outlaw, Emotiva, ATI, Rotel. Just to name a few.

 

[2channel lover]

1. What are the receiver options with B&W 703; a friend suggested Anthem MRX but thats too expensive. Can you suggest something more reasonable with equally good sound output ?
2. With current configuration i am looking $19K spend (after a 15% discount offered on retail price) is it worth waiting Nov for thanksgiving deals ?

I take it you've bought B&Ws already now looking to move on to an AVR.

Anthem MRX...they make several models...520, 720, 1120.

Are they all too expensive?...if so, something like a Denon 3600 gets you plenty of power now, pre-outs if you want to add amps later, and all of the current surround modes.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I would get something like a Yamaha RX-A1080, A2080 or A3080.

Many people would also recommend Denon/Marantz.

Bottom line, any of these AVRs will sound at least as good as Anthem, Arcam, or any other brands that don't sell as many units and have to mark up their prices due to economy of scale.

If you look at measurements (like from S&V and Audioholics), you will see that Anthem and Arcam don't measure any better.

Here is a thread on Denon/Marantz v Yamaha v Anthem:

Denon/Marantz vs Yamaha vs Anthem Thread

It seems DM, Yamaha, and Anthem are the 3 big AVR heavyweights these days. I think a lot of newbies would love to get some perspective on these three brands. What are their pros and cons? If you have owned all three brands of AVR, your opinions would be greatly appreciated. If you have at...

forums.audioholics.com

The SEPARATES vs. AVR Thread

The topic of using “Separates” vs. AVR is extremely popular. It seems like we see a new thread on this topic almost every week. Many people have asked, “Should I buy an AVR or a Pre-pro?” Many of us have used a variety of components through the years including Integrated Amplifiers...

forums.audioholics.com

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

And while you're at it, you might as well explore other speaker systems.

B&W speakers usually don't get the best love among the audio forums because B&W speakers usually don't measure very well and cost more than other speakers.

So unless you've already bought the speakers, you could start a separate thread on the speaker system.

Keep in mind that cost does not always equal quality.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

With current configuration i am looking $19K spend (after a 15% discount offered on retail price) is it worth waiting Nov for thanksgiving deals ?

As for discounts, I would aim for at least 25% off. The markup is usually pretty heavy.

 

[Gmoney]

yeah with 19k man a nice pair of RBH speakers would do it. Hell he could do a whole set with subs still have a lot left over for a Yamaha a3080 plus a 4K uhd blu-ray player

 

[ankur]

And while you're at it, you might as well explore other speaker systems.

B&W speakers usually don't get the best love among the audio forums because B&W speakers usually don't measure very well and cost more than other speakers.

So unless you've already bought the speakers, you could start a separate thread on the speaker system.

Keep in mind that cost does not always equal quality.

Havent finalized the speakers contemplating between cost vs value for B&W 600 series and 703. COst difference is substantial as 600 ones come for <1K while 703s are 2k .

 

[Movie2099]

Havent finalized the speakers contemplating between cost vs value for B&W 600 series and 703. COst difference is substantial as 600 ones come for <1K while 703s are 2k .

I think you should go with the 700's. You won't regret spending the extra money. I have the CWM703's for my theater and they are flipping amazing. The sound quality and experience is all top notch. Not only for movies, but for music too. Spend the most on your front stage.

Bowers and Wilkins speakers are high end speakers. Lots of people on here are not fans for whatever reason. They are very brand loyal to other things. B&W are very well respected speakers and I have not seen a single negative review on them at all over the internet. Each model has their pluses and minuses, but overall each speaker series is very well made and includes very nice materials and they do measure well when put to the test. You can't go wrong with them. I only wish I could afford their 800 D3 Diamonds!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Havent finalized the speakers contemplating between cost vs value for B&W 600 series and 703. COst difference is substantial as 600 ones come for <1K while 703s are 2k .

What other brands of speakers can you audition? Or what other brands are available for purchase besides these B&W?

If speaker measurements don't affect your decision or if these B&W speakers sound the best, then they are the right speakers for you.

Otherwise, B&W speakers usually don't have very good measurements compared to a lot of other good speakers.

For example, their $30K speakers will have on-axis and off-axis measurements that won't even look as good as some speakers that cost $300. This may bother some people. When people spend a lot of money, they might expect their speakers to not only sound good, but also measure great.

 

[BMXTRIX]

I will say that there is a certain love affair that many people have with B&W because they are a gorgeous speaker and most will say that they are still well engineered.

The USED market for B&W can offer some real deals as well. If I were to ever get B&W speakers, I think I would only look in the used market unless I really did have a lot of extra cash on hand. Then, I would likely go after some used Crown amps to power them. Hide the amps away and use quality 12+ gauge wiring for everything.

Could still eat up a lot of cash, but it would be much more bang for the buck.

 

[John Parks]

What other brands of speakers can you audition? Or what other brands are available for purchase besides these B&W?

If speaker measurements don't affect your decision or if these B&W speakers sound the best, then they are the right speakers for you.

Otherwise, B&W speakers usually don't have very good measurements compared to a lot of other good speakers.

For example, their $30K speakers will have on-axis and off-axis measurements that won't even look as good as some speakers that cost $300. This may bother some people. When people spend a lot of money, they might expect their speakers to not only sound good, but also measure great.

Do you have an example of the measurements of their $30K speaker? Not inciting anything, just genuinely curious.

 

[ankur]

I think you should go with the 700's. You won't regret spending the extra money. I have the CWM703's for my theater and they are flipping amazing. The sound quality and experience is all top notch. Not only for movies, but for music too. Spend the most on your front stage.

Bowers and Wilkins speakers are high end speakers. Lots of people on here are not fans for whatever reason. They are very brand loyal to other things. B&W are very well respected speakers and I have not seen a single negative review on them at all over the internet. Each model has their pluses and minuses, but overall each speaker series is very well made and includes very nice materials and they do measure well when put to the test. You can't go wrong with them. I only wish I could afford their 800 D3 Diamonds!

which receiver are you using with 703s ? i was considering mrantz 6014, will that be a good pair with 703?

 

[ankur]

As for discounts, I would aim for at least 25% off. The markup is usually pretty heavy.

Best offer i got so far is 15% are discounts around 25% during thanks giving or Jully 4th ?

 

[JerryLove]

I'm a pretty big fan of the B&W 800-series speakers I've owned in the past.

I am having trouble reconciling a $19k budget and B&W 703's (which max at ~$2k/speaker; but realistically a system won't average that high).

I agree with a Yamaha, Marantz, etc. Buy an AVR based on the features you want. If you want to future-resist; make sure the model has pre-outs and you can add an external amp if you wish later.

For my own home theater, I went with theater-designed speakers (Klipsch KL-650-thx) for their sensitivity and placement options. Elsewhere in the house, I'm a big Salk fan.

But regardless of speaker choice: resist overspending on the solid-state parts.