60K Budget

[Mayank Shah]

Seasons Greetings to All,

I am just stepping into my dream of finally starting to build my own system. I am not very tech savvy but like most of us we have developed our own unique ear for music. Though we cannot have the same sound preferences, ultimately it is the brain which lets us hear what we want to hear and how we want to hear.

As of now my budget is around 60K, and slowly but eventually would like to build a 5.1 HT for my room. So, to start of with I plan to get a decent 5.1 AVR for around 30 to 35K and a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 (Costing 27K with wall brackets). I have heard them on different setups and suit my ears perfectly. Later on when I get proper floor standers, I would use them for rears.

I don't need any fancy AVR, but USB flac playback and sub out is a must. I have been surfing around and have landed into a lot of confusion with the different fancy names. (Now you can see I am not tech savvy).

I am even willing to give up on the idea of a 5.1, if I come across a 2 ch amp which can play flac via USB and has a sub out.

I am slowly learning about the technicalities, so I request all to guide me on whether I am on the right track.

Thanking you all.
Best Regards
Mayank (Chennai).

 

[magma]

this is a decent starting point
members will advice auditions of other speakers as well ( good advice )

however if youve heard something GO with that
rather than buying something you cant hear ( test )

Get an AVR with a good amount of power rather than something with stuff you dont need
a powerful 5,1 ch AVR from Denon or yAmaha or marantz - even pioneer would be good
All of these work with a warfedale

though there are amps that will do your usb and dac stuff like offering from NAD etc
they will be more expensive than an AVR
and if your aim really is 5.1 - take the AVR route itself

 

[elangoas]

There are stereo receivers which have USB functionality (Plays FLAC & WAV too).. Onkyo TX 8050 stereo receiver is one such one.. It also has pre-outs to subwoofer as well... Aval in India... Onkyo dealer chennai... This receiver is approx 35 ~ 40K...

TX-8050 | ONKYO Asia and Oceania Website

There is a similar offering from Yamaha as well, Yamaha R-N 500, but not sure of its aval in India..

Marantz has a smaller but similar offering too with support of FLAC playback via USB...

http://www.hifimart.com/marantz-m-cr603-network-cd-receiver.html?search=Marantz

Of the above, Onkyo TX 8050 has ample power... Never heard Yamaha (or) Marantz...

 

[Mayank Shah]

Hello Elangoas,

Many Thanks. The Onkyo TX 8050 is perfect. Has lot of inputs. Can connect TV as well.

It has a sub pre out so it means that I would need a powered sub woofer right?

I did see the Marantz what you mentioned. Has good features. Would have gone for it if it had DVD playback, so no need to connect additional hardware. Its good no doubt.

So initially would it be fine with Wharfedale Diamond 10.1??

Regards
Mayank

Regards

 

[elangoas]

Hello Elangoas,

Many Thanks. The Onkyo TX 8050 is perfect. Has lot of inputs. Can connect TV as well.

It has a sub pre out so it means that I would need a powered sub woofer right?

I did see the Marantz what you mentioned. Has good features. Would have gone for it if it had DVD playback, so no need to connect additional hardware. Its good no doubt.

So initially would it be fine with Wharfedale Diamond 10.1??

Regards
Mayank

Regards

Power consumption of the device is an indication of how much power it can produce.... Marantz is 60W Vs 295W for Onkyo... So clearly Onkyo is powerful here...

Onkyo offers more digital inputs.. So you can add any DVD player & connect it to Onkyo Digitally... If you happen to be Onkyo chennai, they would have ELAC speakers.. Try to audition there and see if you like that pairing...

If you like them, good chances that you might negotiate a good deal there...

 

[shibashis]

It is difficult to say whether Wharfedale will go with Onkyo, you can only answer that once you have heard the combo. I do not have much experience with Onkyo but they do make some great hardware.
Do not be so set on only Wharfedale, listen to other options as well and there are plenty.
Dali, PSB, Monitor Audio, KEF, Q acoustics and others. Listen to a few and then decide which one suits your preference and budget. This does not mean Wharfedale's are bad, but you should hear the other available options.

Most AVRs will have a sub out, but not all will have the playback feature.

 

[syednizamudeen]

If you go for a cheaper Onkyo HTIB, You may not find a sub-out. Onkyo 626 would suffice your requirements and you shall also upgrade to HT if you want to.

 

[Mayank Shah]

Hello all,

After humbly gathering a tiny bit the forum's vast expertise, I have concluded that it is better to go in for the best pair of speaker my budget can stand. Since my preference is only music, as of now I am very inclined to Monitor Audio MR6 or BX 6 with Cambridge Audio Azur 651A. (Has a sub out and an inbuilt DAC - though bit dated).

Any thoughts?

Regards
Mayank

 

[elangoas]

Cambridgeaudio Azur 651A has one 1 digital input (For connecting from PC) and has no digital inputs Co-Axial (or) Optical not UBS playback for FLAC (or) WAV/MP3 and no network playback...

Onkyo has all of them, offers more flexibility. Network playback comes in real handy when you want to play songs from mobile/tab for casual listening...

So choose depending on your needs....

 

[shibashis]

Great decision if music is really your preference, an integrated amplifier will easily outperform even quite a hefty AVR for 2 channel performance.

Cambridge Audio is a good choice, although I would pick Marantz 6005 over it, more musical for all genres.
If you do wish to stick with Cambridge Audio then must audition the Dali Zensor series with it, Zensor 3/5, it is a near perfect speaker-amp pairing in my opinion. In other words at this price range no other amplifier can bring the best out of the Dalis and vice-versa. I have owned the combo and so can say with confidence, if you get a chance to audition it do let me know how you find it.

 

[Mayank Shah]

Hello All,

Cant wait to come back and start auditioning. But looks like my budget is not going to cut it.

Audio People - Chennai are offering Monitor Audio entry level 5.1 package for around 52k. But cannot stretch by another 30-40 k for an AVR :sad:. + cables :sad::sad:.

Will have to settle for Sonodyne Sonus 2605 V3 (35 on the mart). ProFx quoting 36,490/ for Yamaha A-S500. Already 11k over + cables.....:sad: not including a sub....:sad::sad::sad:

FM's your valuable suggestions please.

Thanks and regards
Mayank

 

[jags]

Have you considered Pioneer AJ 5.1 package (around 48K) + Yamaha HTR-3067 AVR (around 25K). You can get MX speaker cables (around 3K) + decent HDMI cable & subwoofer cable from ebay (around 1K).

 

[drgb]

I would suggest you go for a simple stereo amp (with a sub out) without any digital inputs and pair that with a good DAC (that has all the inputs you want). This combination will sound better and will also allow you to upgrade according to your tastes/needs.

If your main use of this system is music then buying an AVR might not be the right decision. Especially considering your budget.

I'm currently using the Yamaha AS-500 paired with a MA Tubemagic D2 DAC. This combo is used to power a pair of Teeg 4-way custom Floor standers. The sound is gorgeous, accurate and very well balanced. I spent about 1.3L (interconnects included). IMHO the maximum money should be allocated to the speakers. But since you are on a budget you can make it amp=speakers.

Off late I've been recommending the following combos to those on a budget:

1. NAD C326BEE/Yamaha AS-500 + Schiit Modi 2 + Pioneer FS-52 + Interconnects(your choice)

2. NAD C326BEE/Yamaha AS-500 + Schiit Modi 2 + Pioneer BS-22LR + Mission MS-8 + Interconnects

3. Marantz PM6005 + Pioneer BS-22LR + Mission MS-8 + Interconnects

4. Norge 1200 Pre-Power + Schiit Bifrost + Pioneer FS-52 + Interconnects (very sweet sounding setup, just a tad mild though)

I think all the above should lie somewhere in your budget (plus-minus whatever deals you get. ALSO don't be afraid on going the pre-owned route for the DAC or the Amp).
BTW, the mission MS-8 is a front firing sub and is a very underrated piece of tech. Superb sound for the price. Pairs very well with the AS-500. The Pioneer speakers are a steal for the money if you ask me. Sound very good for music and movies alike.
The DACs I've mentioned are my common recommendations to anyone looking for a DAC below 30k. However if you need more connectivity options; do look at The Beresford Caiman, Tubemagic D2 or the Emotiva XDA-2 Gen2.
Please note that although the above systems are not exactly "audiophile" grade, but I bet you dollars to doughnuts that they will more than satisfy your needs.

Hope this helps! Best of luck with your purchase!

 

[Mayank Shah]

Hello All, Auditioned NAD 356 today at Rakhiwala Chennai. They are quoting 66k......wow I didn't know it would cost so much. They were absolutely brilliant with Focal 724 / 716.......but sadly both way out of my reach. Coming in second is Dali Zensor 7 (65k) and Klipsch RF 62 which was horribly damp and no highs......never heard a klipsch like that, probably some fault with the speakers.

 

[Mayank Shah]

Hi, Sorry, In my earlier post I forgot to mention that NAD 356 for 66K is with inbuilt DAC.

 

[Nikhil]

Hello Mayank,

I have been a very happy owner of an Onkyo TX 8050 for 4 years now.

The options you have are unbeatable and the sound is very good. Recently I had connected it to my reference amp and speakers and I was surprised at how well it played. It even has a phono section in case you ever move to vinyl down the road.

All you need is a set of speakers and a USB stick to get started. Plug in an iPad or Android phone via the front USB input and you are ready to go. I have used my amp with Wharfedale and PSB speakers. The Wharfedales were easier to drive as the PSBs needed more power although they would sound great as is. The Onkyo TX8050 + Wharfedale Speakers will easily come in your budget.

Some advice - don't try and do this all in one shot. Stick to your budget. Audio is a long journey. Start at comfortable place and upgrade as you listen to better gear you like. Take the effort to listen to good setups and learn. Your ears and tastes will resolve over time. Enjoy the journey!

 

[ttarasu]

Hello Mayank,

I have been a very happy owner of an Onkyo TX 8050 for 4 years now.

The options you have are unbeatable and the sound is very good. Recently I had connected it to my reference amp and speakers and I was surprised at how well it played. It even has a phono section in case you ever move to vinyl down the road.

All you need is a set of speakers and a USB stick to get started. Plug in an iPad or Android phone via the front USB input and you are ready to go. I have used my amp with Wharfedale and PSB speakers. The Wharfedales were easier to drive as the PSBs needed more power although they would sound great as is. The Onkyo TX8050 + Wharfedale Speakers will easily come in your budget.

Some advice - don't try and do this all in one shot. Stick to your budget. Audio is a long journey. Start at comfortable place and upgrade as you listen to better gear you like. Take the effort to listen to good setups and learn. Your ears and tastes will resolve over time. Enjoy the journey!

Am planning to go for wharfedale floorstanding speakers for my Onkyo AVR 590 with one center of same family.
Your advice for the same.
Thanks

 

[Nikhil]

Am planning to go for wharfedale floorstanding speakers for my Onkyo AVR 590 with one center of same family.
Your advice for the same.
Thanks

ttarasu,

Did you mean the Denon AVR 590? Very good receiver.
Do look at a bookshelf instead of floorstanders. Add a good sub for bass.

The Wharfedale 10.1 available on HifiMart is a very good speaker.
Use a matching Powercube subwoofer for very decent sound in a good value package.

 

[ttarasu]

Onkyo HT R590
It's a HTIB 5400 package
Velodyne Impact 12 Subwoofer is now in offer price for 22k,will this go fine with onkyo
My problem -vocal is not good when watching blu ray disc(player sony s590) though I use original blu Ray disc
Thanks for you suggestions

 

[Nikhil]

Onkyo HT R590
It's a HTIB 5400 package
Velodyne Impact 12 Subwoofer is now in offer price for 22k,will this go fine with onkyo
My problem -vocal is not good when watching blu ray disc(player sony s590) though I use original blu Ray disc
Thanks for you suggestions

Velodynes are very good subs. Yes, they should go well no problem.
A good matching centre channel will help improve vocals.