Hi, i am buying a Panasonic TH42PZ700 plasma soon. At the moment i own an Arcam Alpha 9 integrated amp ( this is an old amp now although still fantastic ), and was wondering if a manufacturer has made a cable for connecting both. The speakers i am using are Bowers & Wilkins ( B&W ) P4 floorstanders. Hoping the sound of a blueray dvd player movie will come through it will sound awesome. Can it be done ?.

Nathan.

 

An aside point, why bother with the 700? Get the 70 if you've got proper speakers etc.

 

^^^ Wot 'e sez

Pana 700's are the same panel as the 70's but with better speakers and some SD card slots for way too much of a price difference.

The BDP should have some stereo audio out phono connections, but you'd be better investing in an AV receiver to benefit from the new hi-def audio formats. The Alpha 9 was and still is a superb stereo amp, but if you're moving into movies it will detract from the enjoyment of your investment in the screen and player IMHO. I used to be really into hi-fi with some serious Mission/Cyrus gear, but I hardly ever use it these days due to some relatively cheap AV equipment that just blows me away. It isn't the quality, it's the excitement and sheer entertainment value that grabs you. I haven't moved into BD or HDDVD yet, but I expect there to be some significant audio gains on top of the awesome PQ. Dig deep and invest, I'm sure it'll be worth it

 

The reason why is the ratings about screen quality. Which model are you talking about PX70 or PZ70 ?.

 

Just had a quick look at the outputs on all the BDP's at AVLand and they all have analogue line-out, so your Arcam will be OK.

 

Thank you Corradoboy, which receiver do you recommend ?. The Arcam av's are out of my price range.

 

Great i could save £500 - £600 on buying the plasma, got enough money to buy some good cables and maybe buy a top notch receiver, plus a blueray player.

 

Slippery slope....

 

Why do you say slippery slope ?.

 

You could get a Yamaha DSP amplifier with the change, but you'll need more speakers, at least 2 for the rear channels and a centre.

Hence the slippery slope comment I think !!

 

To get the best from BD you need Dolby TrueHD and dts HD Master Audio, but these features being very new on amps they are still expensive. I have always been impressed with Pioneer's budget AV equipment, so you could have a look at THIS. To get the best out of this you'll need 2 sets of surrounds for side and rear along with a centre. In my experience of surround you don't need to spend a fortune on the effects speakers, certainly to get you up and running anyway. I'd have a look at Richers and just get something half decent but on offer. I recently got a new Mission centre for just £30 from them, be sure to look at their clearance lines at the foot of each page You won't be needing a sub just yet with the P4's as the main front pair, I run some Mission 764 floorstanders out front and can shake the street

 

Just looked at the specs of that Alpha 9 and it can take line in but not much else.
So you'll get a reasonable sound from it but it wont blow you away..
better off saving the money on the better plasma as above and forking out for an av amp with HDMi inputs... proper TrueHD quality sound.


Andy

 

I've been into home Cinema since the days of laser disc and the early days of Dolby Surround and pro-logic, hence my user name and why everyone at work knows me as logic.

I'm on my 7th AV receiver and would say Denon all the way. The higher spec ones 3808 and above are awesome and make a decent job of music as well as HC. I'd be tempted to sell the Alpha9, invest in a Denon amp and buy some B&W surrounds and a centre.

Cheers
Lee

 

Clearly a discerning audiophile

Arcam is rock solid, copper bottomed, 24 Carat quality gear.

GOOD CHOICE

 

**** - have you guys been looking thru my window?

B&W XT range here - With the Arcam AV 700 feeding it - It's Sccchweeeet