I'd use the speakers and amplifiers in the Avant if possible - remember the BV5 is really an Avant with a flat screen.

Don't get carried away with the supposed increase in power of the 4500 over the 2400. These are both what I would regard as 30W amplifiers. To be fair, neither are as good as the splendid amplifier in the 7000 series music centres.

I would not get one from eBay - go to a recognised re-seller or a local dealer so you get so warranty. There have been quite a few faults noted with the BV7 and that could be a reason it might be on eBay in the first place. The 7 has superior sound to the 8. The 7-32 uses the same basic chassis design as the BV8-40 but the 8-32 uses the same as the

Interesting decks - I too have one. The problem with them is that they were created to solve a problem that had just about gone when they were released! Tape manufacturers had agreed on the specs and these were more closely followed by the time the 9000 arrived. However they do have the excellent Dolby HX Pro circuit and are nicely built. There are

If you are unlucky, the magnet is falling off the back. I would take the woofer out and have a look. Changing the capacitors will certainly make a difference if they are dull. They should be crystal clear. If you are lucky, you have a loose connection.

You don't need to. Just connect the RF feed to the TV - the control all goes through the MCL cable. Some US model MCL2AVs have an RF in and out but I don't really know why! I think it is so you can link a number of sets on a system. If you are just linking the one then there is not an issue.

[quote user="thavn"] Thanks for your nice review. Having ordered a BV10 I get a bit conserned about the sound of the set compared to my Avant. However I never use the Speaker 1 option, and my main consern is how the BV10 will work as a centre channel speaker in surround 5.1. Most 5.1 movies or music conserts use the centre channel to reproduce

Tv is in a corner of our sitting room - we have one area to watch TV and the other end is more music orientated with instruments - a piano and my daughter's cello and trumpet along with a different music system. So TV certainly doesn't dominate but is there when we want it. Only disadvantage is that you have to squeeze past to get to the whisky

It is the same chassis - you can make the connected speakers louder but not the centre speaker quieter. Domehow it just doesn't have the oomph that the Avant did in surround. If playing the Lord of the Rings DVD, the explosion as Sauron's finger lands is just not as dramatic. I'll keep playing!

The BV10 on the floorstand is almost exactly the same height and width as the Avant. Cerainly no more dominating and even less so when wall mounted.