I'm trying to get back into a high-quality system after a long dry spell. I'll try to be concise - here's what I'm looking to do and I'm interested in any words of wisdom as I have a lot to learn and this exercise has brought up some interesting questions I did not face 25 years ago in assembling a "blast center" :-)
I've acquired a pair of B&W Matrix Series 3 and a Carver TFM-35 to drive them (should be a good power match @ 250w ratings on both items). Last time I had a higher-end system I had an older Carver driving Allison-One speakers and I LOVED the sound, but Sadly Allison is not the same company and does not have it's act together these days...
Based on what I've heard in showrooms having (newer) B&W Speakers, I'm leaning towards using a Marantz, perhaps the 7400 as a basis for a HT system. The Marantz would drive a Matrix center and a pair of newer B&W (CDM 1NT) speakers. Maybe a sub in the future but I'll see how it all sounds in a small room first.
Now the questions:
1) Am I on the right track obtaining the Marantz 7400 and use the pre-outs (perhaps pure direct mode) out to the Carver for stereo listening? Is this the optimal approach for getting the high-power stereo thing going and stil be able to fire up all the speakers for surround/SACD without going to seperate components and lotsa $?
2) The Marantz has a warmer sound that should go well with the Carver for the surround sound and SACD listening. Anyone have any experience with this or think I should audition other AV receivers in the general price range? It sounds like the Marantz Room Acoustic Calibration microphone system will also be a help in balancing the sound.
3) I want to play my vinyl, but I can't see a low-level phono input on the back of the Marantz. Am I mistaken here? (Sorry this is a lazy question, but it might provoke some good discussion or info).
4) Anyone have experience with the B&W low-pass filter which is said to increase response in the Matrix series down to 20Hz without the big roll-off (if so, who needs a sub)?
5) Finally, should I biware? All the B&W are fitted for biwiring/biamplification. Does biwiring really do anything since the circuit will be bridged at the amp even if it is not bridged at the speaker posts? I've seen various claims on that, but has anyone heard the diff with higher-end B&W's or similar category speakers?
Since nobody's terribly interested in answering my questions, I'll take a stab at answering them myself after further research! Maybe you can let me know if you disagree:
Yes, you are on the right track using the Carver as an outboard to power the mains, however you might want to at least check out the Dennon AVR-3805 - it's made by the same company basically, has a bit more power and has a low-level phono input. It's also said to have a relatively "warm" sound, but you need to audition it for yourself - it can even be bi-amped to the main, since you'll have two unused channels! If you go with the Marantz you can always get a nice phono amp.
B&W low-pass filter - I don't know.
Biwiring may or may not result in an audible change in quality - this might be a subjective thing, but why not biwire just the mains and the center?