Hey, Cooke, how about serving Canadian bacon (i.e., NAD) with those eggs? Do a search on this forum on KEF and you should come up with some receiver recommendations. BTW the KEF "eggs" are tasty!
Had a quick search but am still a little confused. It looks obvious that I need to use a lot of power but how much do I really need?
I want to spend less than £1000 (£500) If possible on a quality 7.1 Amp. Should it be NAD, Denon? All these choices... come on guys... I know someone out there has just the answer Im looking for :-) Any help would be greatly appreciated - As I said, I mainly watch films through my computer (& TV) - but would also like Component video for my DVD player.
Do I need THX? Is Pro Logic II the best to watch stereo programs so that the sound is sent to all 5 speakers?
Ralph, I matched my KEF 2005.2 with the NAD T753 AV receiver and the NAD 513 DVD player. I have had it up and running one week and the sound is great. I also have had no problems with any hum from the receiver. That was a concern I read about on this site. The room is 15x 28 with 14'ceilings and the room is full of crisp sound. The Sub needed to be adjusted for different movies. The receiver has multiple listeng settings preference. I also ran my Xbox thru the system and it is intense. The remote control has the ability to learn your other remotes codes this has been a problem for me, I hate directions. I got the system from SaturdayAudio in IL,for 2400 and change with the cables and they were kind enough to walk me thru the set-up. Less money than the Bose L28 or 35 and better sound with more options to expand on to the system. Glenn
I recommended a NAD receiver in a previous post, as did others. I don't think you can go wrong matching the NAD with the KEFs. I've done it myself.
Last weekend, I had a chance to listen to the KHT2005s driven by a Denon receiver. That sounded good as well. The sound was slightly more on the lean and cool side, but it was no less detailed than with the NAD. I prefer the NAD/KEF combo, but I can see how someone else might prefer the Denon/KEF combo. You should listen for yourself if you have the chance. If you do go with a Denon receiver, I would advise getting the most power you can afford.
BTW you have the basis for a wonderful HT system, with the Panny plasma and the KEF eggs.
The NAD is the best choice for the KEF "eggs" IMO, because not only is it a great sonic match, but those KEFs do not do well with small amplification. By "small", I am talking about those receivers that have an undersized power supply for their rating that don't have a real high current capability (that is, a receiver with good IHF Dynamic Headroom). I have heard the KEFs several times, the first when they were being driven by an Onkyo TX-SR600--they sounded totally lifeless. I was less than impressed. I later heard them driven by a Yamaha RX-V630. Pretty much the same result--boring. When driving the whole system, the sound was just washed out--a major yawn.
Then I heard a friend driving them with an NAD T742, rated at a mere 50 wpc. What a difference. It appears that the NAD has a much larger power supply that reacted faster to the changes in the musical information. The result was that the KEFs really opened up and created a great image. I was able to hear why they have won so many awards--it isn't just that they are small and cute, they sound great, too. But it was apparent to me they need quality amplification to get the sound they are capable of producing. I have often remarked on this board that the KEFs are power hungry and this is the reason why. Perhaps it isn't a case of needing a lot of power so much as it is a need for a lot of current capability.
I have also heard the KEFs driven by a Marantz 7300 and they sounded very nice with that receiver, too. I don't know about the lower powered Marantz receivers with those speakers, but I do know the 7300 (and hence the newer 7400) has the oomph to get the job done with those speakers.
thanks Hawk and everyone else.. your comments are truely helpful.
I have decided on NAD T763 (100watt). Was going to get the T753 (60 watt) but decided that the 2nd zone Video output was quite cool and would come in handy!
Anyone know much about problems with the T763 or should it be just fine!
I don't want to open the hornet's nest again, so I will be brief. You will likely have no problems whatsoever with a T763. As you have probably seen, there have been some reports of NAD "bugs" recently(although this has seemed to die down a little in the past weeks). However, I am still firmly convinced that these problem units represent only a very small percentage of those sold by NAD. I would not hesitate buying one in the slightest. Just make sure you buy from an authorized dealer and you really have nothing to worry about.