Whether it’s the crash-bang surround-sound effects of an action movie or the stirring theme of an epic, audio is vital to the cinematic experience. So it’s a shame that many home theatre systems (a DVD player, a surround-sound amplifier and often speakers) sacrifice acoustic quality to keep prices low. You get plenty of somic boom for your money, but nothing subtle. That’s most evident when you want to enjoy, say, a Shakira concert, and is even more noticeable when playing albums in stereo.

Home cinema that sounds as good as a high quality CD system is appealing and negates the need for a separate hi-fi, reducing clutter. But penny-pinching aside, there are technical reasons why it is hard for one system to perform both tasks well. The five small satellite speakers plus subwoofer routinely employed by home cinema are not suited to producing a sophisticated performance in stereo, and nor are most surround-sound amplifiers and DVD players.

Audio purists insist that even a modest stereo hi-fi will outperform a surround-sound setup, and to find out if that’s true we selected six home cinema systems that make ambitious audio claims. There are two distinct types in this test: elegant British one-box devices (Linn, Arcam and Meridian) that each have a disc player, a radio and a multi-channel amplifier in one slim chassis, and the chunky home-cinema separates beloved of Japanese makers such as Denon, Marantz and Pioneer.

Even though these high-end separates use a newer type of audio connector called iLink, which reduces the number of cables, they still require a rat’s nest of wires behind the equipment. The upside of bulky separates, however, is the increased number of features and the greater flexibility in terms of the extra equipment that can be plugged in.

One-box systems have more limited sockets – a possible problem if you need to connect a wide range of ancillaries such as an Apple TV (see InGear’s review at tinyurl.com/3a6btn), an Xbox and Sky Plus. But they are more stylish and easier to set up.

In testing, we gave equal status to video and audio by playing standard audio CDs and movies, but we also assessed DVD recordings of live music concerts. As none of the systems apart from the Meridian includes speakers, the tests were conducted with the same high quality B&W loudspeakers. These were arranged as a 5.1 surround-sound setup but with the two front speakers larger for optimum performance in stereo-only use.

The results were surprising, but all the systems were impressive – certainly by the standards of budget home cinema. They were judged relative to each other and also compared with a midrange Audiolab stereo amplifier and CD player costing £800 together.

It may seem illogical to invest in a system based on a current DVD player in view of the advent of Blu-ray and HD-DVD high-definition (HD) discs, yet there are compelling reasons for doing so. There are still very few high-definition movies available, they cost a lot more, and there is still no outcome to the HD format war. Also, the first HD disc players don’t sound anything like as good as the audiophile-tuned systems we reviewed. However, InGear is testing a group of HD players and will report the results over the next few weeks.

Most current standard DVD players claim to eke out the best from existing discs by upscaling the video, boosting the picture to a clarity approaching HD if viewed on an HD-ready screen. Budget DVD decks offer only modest upscaling improvements, but all the premium-priced players here (apart from the Meridian and Linn) did a good job of providing far crisper video.

The special audio circuitry in these systems made the best of standard DVD soundtracks and several worked wonders with high-resolution DVD-Audio discs and SACDs – two audio-disc formats that haven’t really caught on. Playback from CD was more variable, but the one-box systems were all excellent.

With internet downloads and the ability to wirelessly beam movies or music throughout the home, the days of the silver disc are numbered. And if convenience is your raison d’être, these premium systems may not be for you. But if you own a large library of DVDs or CDs, hanker for top-class home entertainment and don’t want to faff with too many gadgets or a computer, a high quality system that squeezes the best from your discs is a good investment, and you can always add an HD player later.

JARGON BUSTER

5.1 Surround audio with five speakers and a subwoofer

DVD-Audio High-resolution audio disc (rivals SACD, below) which requires compatible player

iLink Convenient connector for digital audio, also used in computers and known as FireWire

HDMI (High Definition Media Interface) Digital AV connector for screens and projectors

Multiroom An amplifier able to play one source to one room, and a different one to speakers in another

SACD (Super Audio Compact Disc) High-res audio disc

Upscaling Boosting picture quality from current DVDs

MULTI-TALENTED MAESTRO

Arcam Solo Movie 5.1 – typically £2,000

www.arcam.co.uk 01223 203 200

Stylish and compact, yet a master of sound and vision

This understated one-box system promises top-class music and video without dominating the living room. The Arcam’s slimline case offers CD/DVD playback, a DAB/FM radio and 5.1 channels of surround-sound or stereo amplification. It is beautifully engineered with a high quality display and smooth controls – even the remote felt classy. Despite its modest dimensions the Arcam gave the biggest overall performance. Video was bettered only by the Denon and it trounced all comers for sound across every source, except compact disc, where the Linn edged ahead. The Arcam injected power and passion into music DVDs and CDs alike with a smooth, rich sound. Downsides were few, other than limited inputs, buttons that proved fiddly for adjusting volume – and it’s available only in black. That said, it’s a no-compromise, stand-out product.

SPARE-ROOM FRIEND

Meridian F80 – typically £1,500

www.engineeredtoexcel.com 01480 445 678

Charming, highly unusual music maker that plays DVDs

This unique arc-shaped one-box machine brings high-quality music to small or medium-sized rooms. It adds basic DVD video playback and a DAB/FM radio as well. There are built-in stereo loudspeakers and a rear-facing subwoofer, so the F80 needs no extras to make music. Classy audio components have resulted in a staggeringly good stereo-only sound considering its trim dimensions (16in wide). Good design made operation a breeze too. Casework is by Ferrari (in a choice of Ferrari paint colours), so the finish is flawless, the display was a pleasure to navigate, and the dinky remote is as cool as an Enzo dashboard. The downside is that – even compared with the other one-box designs here – it has limited inputs, and the video quality is only suited to a smaller bedroom television. However, for those it suits, this is a classy, head-turning gadget.

VIDEO STAR

Denon DVD-2930/AVR-3806 – typically £1,650

www.denon.co.uk 01234 741 200

Flexible combo with pristine pictures but unrefined sound

Denon makes solid-value home cinema separates festooned with features, and this system is no exception. It comprises a £650 DVD player and a slab-like AV receiver able to output 7.1 surround-sound. It is extremely well made, with a plethora of sockets. All of these separates systems can upscale DVDs to the highest standard of video, 1080p (see jargon buster). However, the Denon was the only model with noticeably better pictures than the Arcam, which offers slightly more modest upscaling. The Denon created pristine video almost regardless of source; it buffed up DVDs of old TV shows to near-HD quality and turned modern movies into visual feasts. But music was its Achilles heel. Ample power meant high-impact sound effects during Casino Royale, but the icy strains of Kate Bush’s Aerial album on CD left us shaken but not stirred. Great, but for movies only.

MUSIC SUPREMO

Linn Classik Movie System – typically £2,000

www.linn.co.uk 0500 888 909

Suave system with great CD sound but lukewarm video

This superbly sculpted one-box package is even more compact than the Arcam. In fact it made everything else – Meridian excepted – look a bit frumpy. The Linn outputs 5.1 surround sound, but it was the most focused stereo music-maker here and squeezed every last pip from conventional CDs in an infectiously musical way. It lacked the Arcam’s richness of tone, but turned every CD into a musical event. Conventional music DVDs fared less well, as did DVD-Audio and SACD. Pictures were decently clean and colourful through the Linn’s component-video outputs, yet it lacks upscaling or an HDMI socket and came second-bottom overall here. No digital radio was another disappointment. This suave Linn system plays CDs peerlessly for a one-box system but its video and features proved unimpressive for the money.

SONIC BOOM

Marantz DV9600/SR8001 – typically £2,500

www.marantz.co.uk 01753 680 868

Well featured and powerful but music lacks subtlety

Marantz boasts a proud audio heritage and this posh DVD player and AV receiver combo claims special audiophile tweakery. The system’s imposing size underlines its hefty price tag. There are copious features and inputs, plus 7.1 audio channels. Unlike the cheaper combos on test, Marantz’s careful attention to audio has created a sound of great physical scale and depth. It handled the breathtaking dynamics of a Kraftwerk concert DVD well, though ultimately it lacked the beguiling sound of the better systems. Video was impressive, but topped by the far cheaper Denon and Pioneer duos and the Arcam. The flimsy steel casework and rough fascias did not befit the Marantz’s price, and the remote control was shoddy. It excelled with banging dance music or high-octane movies, yet failed to beat the Arcam or Linn on subtler music and is poor value overall.

GADGET FAN

Pioneer DV-989AVi-S/VSX-AX4ASi-S – typically £1,600

www.pioneer.co.uk 01753 789 789

Jam-packed with gizmos but unconvincing musically

This DVD player and giant 7.1 AV receiver combination is clearly aimed at serious AV enthusiasts. The Pioneer is packed with technology. Indeed it’s so complex it came with two remote controls. Like the other separates packages on test, it can cleverly switch between external video sources, and an automatic setup system calibrated the audio settings to suit the room. However, this offered little benefit over the Arcam. The system is well built and video was excellent, second only to Denon in the way it painted bright, rich pictures from DVDs. The Pioneer also went extremely loud, but it’s a case of never mind the quality feel the force. Great for action movies or house anthems, less convincing with, say, acoustic music, which sounded thin. Power-hungry gadget fans will love the gizmos. Music lovers should avert their ears.

Reviews by David Price

Prices include Vat but not delivery