Following your brilliant feedback for our article on ‘Top picks for high-end Hi-Fi’ we thought it was only fair to share the love and take a look at high-end Home Cinema tech.
Here are our top picks for anybody with a sizeable budget looking to get the best from their movies at home, or if you’ve just come to drool over some lovely kit, fear not – you’re not alone!
The Projector – Sony VPL-W1100ES
This Sony offers 4K Ultra HD and 3D projection.
Starting right off with the big guns, this Sony is as high-end a projector as you’ll find. With a full 4K Ultra HD resolution output and the matching HDMI 2.0 inputs to go with, this is one for the truly serious film fan or gamer. On that note, the lens used on this model allow easy switching between 21:9 and 16:9 aspect ratios, meaning no compromise for either form of entertainment. Sony have implemented their SXRD (Silicon X-tal Reflective Display) panel and Iris 3 technology to achieve the very best picture possible. Positioning won’t be an issue either, as the W1100ES features lens shift capable of 80% vertical and 31% horizontal adjustment.
This super LG uses the latest Curved screen technology.
For those times that a 300″ screen is just a bit too much, this fabulous LG offers a more subtle (77″) alternative – well it’s huge rather than gigantic! Offering the very latest in TV technology, LG’s biggest screen uses a second generation OLED panel. With no LEDs used, OLED sets are able to offer unrivalled colour balance distributed across the whole screen and unprecedented black levels like never seen before on a TV. With 4K resolution it really is cutting edge and one of the finest options out there for those who want the best picture regardless of lighting conditions. A worthy adversary to the high end projector!
The Amplifier – Onkyo TX-NR3030
The TXNR3030 takes you to the heart of the action with Dolby Atmos surround sound.
Taking full advantage of Dolby Atmos, the Onkyo NR3030’s 11.2 channels are guaranteed to give you total audio immersion! The spec list on this amp is unbelievable, capable of 150w per channel (across 11!) into 8ohms. It offers eight HDMI inputs and 3 outputs – perfect for running a TV and the above-mentioned projector. This goliath can serve as a highly capable stereo amp too with wireless audio streaming capabilities. Onkyo’s own ‘Three-Stage Inverted Darlington Circuitry’ is implemented, ekeing every last drop of power from the enormous Toroidal transformer, and making sure this is an amplifier to rule them all.
The Speaker Pack – DALI Ikon Mk 2
The Ikon Mk2 series features some of Dali’s most advanced engineering.
As good in our dream Hi-Fi as it is in our dream Home Cinema, the Ikon package from Danish manufacturer Dali is more than fit to take its place among the greatness we’ve so far witnessed. Using their trusted hybrid ribbon tweeters alongside built-in-house wood-pulp drive units, these speakers can climb the highest heights and plumb the very depths of sound. Low frequencies are a specialty, Dali’s subwoofer has a built in 250w amplifier and a monster 12″ driver – be warned your neighbours will definitely know about this one! Nothing will take you closer to the heart of the action, just remember that you’ll need a few extra Ikon speakers if you want to make it all the way up to 11.2 surround sound!
The Blu-ray player – Pioneer BDPLX88
The BDPLX88 offers a huge range of Smart features and 4K Upscaling.
£60 Blu-ray players are capable of offering excellent value for money these days, but for the serious movie buff, the Pioneer BDPLX88 is the real deal. Built like a tank and weighing an astonishing 13.4kg, this Blu-ray player uses a three-chamber construction separating the digital, analogue and power sections for the absolute minimum noise and interference.
It’s compatible with virtually every major digital audio and video format. Video is an absolute priority, but the inclusion of Sabre’s ES9018 DAC chip means that sound quality is of the upmost importance, too. Throw in Pioneer’s own jitter reduction system and you’ve got a machine that is will excel with absolutely anything you can throw at it.
3,2,1, and you’re back in the room! So there we go, some of the best Home Cinema equipment that’s out there right now. Remember though, a decent Home Cinema system doesn’t have to cost the world – but if you’ve pockets deep enough to fund your big ideas than of course pretty much anything is possible.
Author – Chris, Liverpool store
