Mordaunt Short Avant 903I

Advantages: Highly spec'ed, great value for both cinema and stereo
Disadvantages: Doesn't play stereo like a dedeicated stereo amp.

...I bought this a few months ago as my first foray into true home cinema surround sounds. I matched this to a Marantz CD/DVD/SACD player, and a mordaunt short speaker package - WOW! You will not know what hits you - first play was Gladiator, I was blown away by the tremendous but composed bass, sounds coming from behind and around me! The Amp itelf is dead easy to set up using the menus displyed on screen and the set up tones for the speaker, A sound presssure meter is an idea but not needed (so the speakers are not over powering each other). It even puts in a storming performance with your stereo CDs, it far outshine my prevous amp (a dedicated sereo amp - again from marantz) I'll be holding on to my SR5400 for a while yet! Recommended... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Size, wall mounting, sound, finish
Disadvantages: price

...I have been using these for a couple of months now to replace an ageing floor standing system. The sound from these units is superb, and recommended for anyone wanting to save space. Best of all is the fact that the satellites can be attached to the wall, making them very unobtrusive. Price is the only downside, but they are getting cheaper. Finish is excellent. They are partnered with a Yamaha surorund amp. Playing back DVD's encoded with DTS is superb. The subwoofer can be set to auto / standby, meaning it can be hidden away and will only switch itself on when needed. Which is a pity as the finish on it is superb. All the satellites are packed well, and a sound meter is included for correct setup.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Looks, smoothness of bass, crispness of treble
Disadvantages: Look to nice to leave to grilles on all the time

...I can't begin to descirbe how much i like these speakers. The sound quality is incredibly clear. Very occasionally, older/lower quality recordings can sound a bit nasal, but this is not an issue. Everything from Led Zeppelin to Madonna is reproduced with almost frightening clarity and realism. These speakers sound incredibly open and warm, and are incredibly musical Bass is something that Mordaunt Short have always done very well. These speakers go down to 55Hz, although in-room this is far lower. The bass is very flexible, yet still dry. They can do the deep sine sweeps often found in music by bands like the chemical brothers, but a bass drum in music by the white stripes is reproduced with equal weight and drive The treble that comes from the aluminium dome tweeter is fantastically clean. It sounds very sharp for an acoustic guitar... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful