"Anthony Edwards" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 1 Aug 2003 20:23:14 +0300, JMB wrote:
Does anyone have any opinions on this combination? My local dealer
has
today sent an e-mail recommending this particular setup. Does this
seem
a sensible combination, from both a sonic and economic perspective?
The
B&Ws are about £200.

Presumably the 22W, 6 ohm Denon amp will drive the 8 ohm, 88dB spl
B&Ws
without a problem? For what it's worth, the B&W specifications
state:
"Recommended amplifier power 25W - 100W into 8 ohms on unclipped
programme".

If you haven't done so already, you might like to buy a copy of the
August 2003 issue of Hi-Fi News (formerly Hi-Fi News & Record Review)
in which Ken Kessler reviews the D-M31 system. The system is first of
all reviewed using the SC-M51 Mission built loudspeakers which are
supplied with it (although it can be bought without of course) and
then
(perhaps surprisingly) it is reviewed being used driving a variety of
high end exotica, including the Wilson Watt/Puppy combination and a
pair of top line Sonus Fabers.

Ken Kessler is extremely suprised by the Denon system, and expresses
the view that the power amplifier section is of particularly high
quality, driving both the Wilsons and Sonus Fabers exceptionally well
at all but the highest sound pressure levels. That being the case,
and Kessler being (in my opinion at least) a reviewer whose word can
be
trusted, it appears to me that the little Denon system would benefit
from better speakers than your dealer's recommended B&Ws.

Whilst budget is probably a concern, I would recommend considering a
jump again to the Quad 11Ls. These really are a fine loudspeaker, and
they are fairly accurate and neutral in their price range, but
particularly musical and well suited to a wide variety of source
material. They are frequently reckoned to perform as well as many
speakers up to the £1000 price bracket, and seem an ideal partner as a
result for the similarly giant killing Denon D-M31 system.

http://www.quad-hifi.co.uk/lseries.htm

The Quads are apparently in the region of £375, so if the budget will
stretch to it, they may be well worth considering.

My main concern is that these B&W speakers seem to be marketed as
one
part of a multi-speaker surround system. Should this be of any
concern?
I only want to listen to music, not DVD movies.

I own a pair of B&W Matrix 805Vs, the forerunner to the current
Nautilus
805 model. I am a fan of the high end B&W sound, but less so of the
B&W
products at the lower end of the scale, believing that other
competitors
in that marketplace offer better value for money.

--
Anthony Edwards



Many thanks for this comprehensive reply, Anthony. Much appreciated. Of
course, I'm very glad to hear of the Denon receiving such a positive
review, and the Hi-Fi News article certainly sounds most interesting.
However, I am currently living in Finland, and unfortunately I am unable
to purchase the magazine here. I assume Ken Kessler found a marked
improvement when using the high end speakers, compared to the
Missions...

Thanks for recommending the Quads. I will most certainly add those to my
shortlist, although they are at the upper end of my budget.

Thanks again.