Advice needed to setup HT

[bhavin.patel]

Hi Members,

Hope you all would be doing fine.

I needed piece of information from you guys and so just dropping few lines here. I am novice when it come to AV technology. I am planning to setup HT at my home where room size would be 11*11*10 (ft) (LBH). It is pretty dark room where I would be able to control lights with my curtains smile.gif

Can you please suggest me good AVR and projector for this size of room. This room can be called perfect square room with wooden flooring. Before I did thought of HTiB but then after referring to forums like AVS I did make my mind to purchase items separately and then to connect them (hope this is not that technical that I can't handle).

I had sort listed AVR like X4000 & 4250 (Denon) and for projector I did have preference to BENQ 1070 (as it is under 1000$). Can I have further choices of projectors which comes to near by range of 1000$ and are capable of giving good quality images. I require to understand that are these AVR too professional for simple guy like me to handle it. Can I get good result with simpler AVR as well. Problem here is I am from INDIA and have limited choices to shop these items as they are not easily available here. Even it is hard to find them for audition. Can someone help me to find place in New Delhi for such audition. Also are their any trust worth partners who can ship these items from UK/US to India.

I understand that my questions would be too simpler to be answered though support from you guys would be appreciated

Regards
Bhavin

 

[bhavin.patel]

Hey,

Can I expect someone to help me off this front......

 

[GeorgeO]

Expecting a near instant reply may not be practical, especially when you havent given us your budget.

 

[bhavin.patel]

George,

Thanks for taking care of my query here.

My budget is somewhere near INR. 1.5L. Also please understand that em totally newbie and novice in AV field. Support and advice from you guys would be of great help.

Thanks

 

[baijuxavior]

Your budget of 1.5L includes AVR+Speakers+Projector?

A good 1080p projector alone will cost you around 1L. That leaves only 50K for AVR and speakers. If you don't need 1080p then look for Epson TW550 a 3d ready 720p projector. It is priced around 52K. You can save considerably if you are able to buy the projector from abroad. Buying speakers from abroad is not recommended as they are heavy items and you will have to spend on shipping.

Can I get good result with simpler AVR as well. Problem here is I am from INDIA and have limited choices to shop these items as they are not easily available here. Even it is hard to find them for audition

You will be amazed at the range of AV products available here in India.

 

[bhavin.patel]

Hey baijuxavior,
Thanks for guiding me.
Can you guide me to online shopping websites which can help in purchase of my AVR/Projector system.
I would be buying wharfedale or Polk speakers from India itself as one of my friend have contact of person dealing with them.
Do you suggest buying AVR and projector from abroad as I guess it might make some sense.

thanks for your support

 

[baijuxavior]

First check the price of AVR here and AVR. If there is not much difference then buy it from here itself as you will get warranty and 220V device. US AVRs are 110V and you will need additional step down transformer. Projector can be bought from abroad as the price is cheaper their. Someone recently bought Acer 3D model for just 24K.

There are lots of online sites dealing with AVRs.

hifimart.com (from hifivision.com) They have AVR+speaker combo offers.
technoguru.in
profx.in
htstore.in

For projector, look at flipkart and deltapage.com

 

[007india]

Hey baijuxavior,
Thanks for guiding me.
Can you guide me to online shopping websites which can help in purchase of my AVR/Projector system.
I would be buying wharfedale or Polk speakers from India itself as one of my friend have contact of person dealing with them.
Do you suggest buying AVR and projector from abroad as I guess it might make some sense.

thanks for your support

I have wharfedale Diamond 9.6 which according to me is best if you like the particular class of audio it outputs. AVR, I have ONKYO 609. I got my AVR from aborad and speakers from india. I have done the setup on my own including wiring and placement of speakers.

For your room size, you can go mid range setup like diamond 9.5 with SUB SW150. I would suggest 1st set the home theater properly and then go for projector. For AVR try any ONKYO or Yamaha with USB, Ethernet and Zone2 & 7.2ch option. A typical 90-120W RMS per channel would be ideal.

Once you identified the AVR model, download the manual and read it thorougly. It would be cheaper if you get speakers and AVR as a package, but bundled stuffs are usually not well mated for each other. You can also try this, get a AVR with 5.1 package. Buy a good floor stander speakers for FRONT LEFT and FRONT RIGHT and with this you will have 2 speakers redundant which you can use for zone2 or 7.1ch.

You don't have to buy the entire setup in one go, but if you have a good AVR, you can add things in future too. Perhaps AVR lasts long even for 10+years if maintained properly. Start with AVR, then speakers and finally projector(DLP). Check Optoma, Epson and Viewsonic.

Before starting anything, Check with a multimeter the quality of electrical supply in your home at different timings. It should be stable at 230V or anything in the range 220-240v but should not oscillate. This is important as equipment damage due to faulty electrical supply may not be always covered. Also if you are importing stuff, then its highly risky. Don't import AVR from US unless it has got a auto transformer. Having a step down transformer is OK, but not recommended for such sensitive electrical equipment in my personal view. Use a good stabiliser with atleast 1KW rating. I'm using V-Guard 1KW(Digi200) digital stabiliser which is OK for this setup.

For projectors, you can import from frys from US directly to india. Models & price can be checked from http://www.deltapage.com/list/projectors.pdf

 

[bhavin.patel]

Dear Gentlemen,

Thanks for your inputs. A person like me who is novice in technical terms in field of A/V gets lot of knowledge from forum like this and support from guys like you.

Yes I would be setting up my home theatre in steps also the biggest problem for me is I am staying in rental flat and so cannot setup permanent HT at home. While thinking of purchasing projector I always fear that in case I move out of this place and have to relocate myself how would be I able to adjust my projector and screen. Through replacing AVR/Speakers and TV wont be great deal.

Currently I plan to for go with Denon AVR X4000 which I adore due to its feature and it makes future safe plans as AVR up-gradation frequently is not possible (also it may hit me financially badly :-( ). Also I would be probably importing this item which may result in lapse in warranty. Though I will get this product registered from the place I buy but need to send this item back to US in case I find problem with it. I would be planning to buy projector in later stage ( I have 42" LED HD TV so no problem enjoying stuffs on them).

Can I get details in specific with speaker selection. I had read few forums and heard from few guys that speaker sensitivity, cross over, active/passive, bipole/dipole speakers, peak output, Ohms etc matters when selecting speakers. Can you please help me understand these specifications or else I just need to do audition and whatever pleases my ears should be finalized.

Also I hope that with current room size I had mentioned earlier I don't require to have separate amplifier for the system. Also will you advice me for stabilizer and UPS to go or normal supply would be fine. I live in Delhi-NCR region where we have atleast 4 hrs power cut (though we have generator but I don't understanding whether output is constant or oscillating one). I need to purchase step-down converter if I get AVR imported from US.

Thanks in advance for all your support and cooperation/

Regards
Bhavin

 

[007india]

Yes I would be setting up my home theatre in steps also the biggest problem for me is I am staying in rental flat and so cannot setup permanent HT at home. While thinking of purchasing projector I always fear that in case I move out of this place and have to relocate myself how would be I able to adjust my projector and screen. Through replacing AVR/Speakers and TV wont be great deal.

For time being, just forget about projector

Currently I plan to for go with Denon AVR X4000 which I adore due to its feature and it makes future safe plans as AVR up-gradation frequently is not possible (also it may hit me financially badly :-( ). Also I would be probably importing this item which may result in lapse in warranty. Though I will get this product registered from the place I buy but need to send this item back to US in case I find problem with it. I would be planning to buy projector in later stage ( I have 42" LED HD TV so no problem enjoying stuffs on them).

Can I get details in specific with speaker selection. I had read few forums and heard from few guys that speaker sensitivity, cross over, active/passive, bipole/dipole speakers, peak output, Ohms etc matters when selecting speakers. Can you please help me understand these specifications or else I just need to do audition and whatever pleases my ears should be finalized.

Don't worry about the specifics of speaker by now. Try to buy a AVR with speaker as the bundled package. The bundled speakers will be like all satellite speaker with a woofer. All in one box. If so, then you are lucky.

If not, once you get the AVR without any speakers. Then buy a pair of floor stander for FRONT LEFT & FRONT RIGHT. Don't worry about Ohms & cross over. Most AVR's has the option where you can choose speaker Ohms like 4/6/8ohms. Similarly, the cross over is something you can set from the Amp itself. Our human ear can distinguish signals between 20Hz to 20000Hz and almost all speakers fall in this range. Once you had the front speaker, then you start to add the center & SUB, followed by Rear-left, Right and front High. For smaller living rooms, bipolar is not required. Hope this helps, but what is more important is
1) Do a audition atleast 3different varieties.
2) Make sure the speakers are more powerful than the Amp.

Also I hope that with current room size I had mentioned earlier I don't require to have separate amplifier for the system. Also will you advice me for stabilizer and UPS to go or normal supply would be fine. I live in Delhi-NCR region where we have atleast 4 hrs power cut (though we have generator but I don't understanding whether output is constant or oscillating one). I need to purchase step-down converter if I get AVR imported from US.

Go for a servo stabiliser with min 1KVA rating. This is must where ever you are in india. Also buy a surge protector like MX brand with 6power sockets with individual fuse.

On top of all, I don't recommend buying it from US as its 110V. Its a very sensitive item.

 

[bhavin.patel]

Very experience friend. Tried purchasing one Denon X4000 from international reseller today but I guess due to security reasons paypal is rejecting all my payments. Now I had changed my mind and thinking of purchasing AVR from India itself. Can you guys suggest me some good quality AVR that can give me Audyssey XT32 feature. My budget can go upto 70K (including taxes/shipping & Handling). Also I prefer website that can offer me EMI option.

Do Audyssey XT32 feature have something outstanding against YPAO from Yamaha. Also with these feature from Audyssesy and YPAO can I EQ SUB, Dynamic volume control etc. Do DTS NEO X something tremendous!!!

I guess things do happens or good reason. I was purchasing unit from US which would have came without warranty. Purchasing it locally will solve power supply and warranty issue altogether.

Help guys.

Regards
Bhavin

 

[007india]

Very experience friend. Tried purchasing one Denon X4000 from international reseller today but I guess due to security reasons paypal is rejecting all my payments. Now I had changed my mind and thinking of purchasing AVR from India itself. Can you guys suggest me some good quality AVR that can give me Audyssey XT32 feature. My budget can go upto 70K (including taxes/shipping & Handling). Also I prefer website that can offer me EMI option.

Did you checked with paypal for the reason? I know for some credit cards, you have to call the card company and inform them that you are going to make an international transaction and ask them to make provisions for it. This happened for my citibank card, then I called the international support and they enabled it for 1day where I completed all my transactions. Please PM me.

For AVR, think ONKYO or Yamaha which is my choice when I shopped for a AVR..

Do Audyssey XT32 feature have something outstanding against YPAO from Yamaha. Also with these feature from Audyssesy and YPAO can I EQ SUB, Dynamic volume control etc. Do DTS NEO X something tremendous!!!

YPAO is an auto sound calibration based on your room arrangement. Its a one time setup. It will work mostly well only the room is acoustic ready. In my case, I ran the setup and manually adjusted the settings be it volume per channel, cross over and gain per channel. End of the day it matters what your ear's love.

Dynamic volume is helpful only in night, but it has its own disadvantages. When the setting is at MED, then it depresses some of the low frequencies. I keep it at LOW.

DY-EQ: This I have to check, we have to make sure what will enable these settings, by default you don't get these settings enabled. There are some minimum requirements which your manual will list out.

Above all, a DVD/BD will be at peak when original factory settings of DVD is used like DTS-TrueMaster, provided its a original DVD/BD. Even most movies are in 5.1ch, but if you try to hear them with 7.1, I'm not happy with the result, even though I have a 7.1setup. Still I use 5.1 alone.

Having 2 SUB woofer's will improve the output lot, but for your room size, it will be boomy.
Invest on good AVR and add things one by one as I said before.

For AVR, don't take the top end model since it will be always expensive, take the next model from the top end.

I guess things do happens or good reason. I was purchasing unit from US which would have came without warranty. Purchasing it locally will solve power supply and warranty issue altogether.

Price in INDIA will be hell lot high. When I bought my ONKYO609 including jamo 101(5.1) it cost me 36kINR when bought in dubai. I set it up after 6months, by the time when I enquired a local ONKYO dealer, the AVR alone is 54KINR. If you get a piece from abroad which has the 220v system, then its a best bet. Buying speakers will be prudent in india since the size and weight will make it less practical to ship it.

I would suggest think again. Did you tried frys website or amazon UK?

 

[jagdish_p]

Dont hold back buuying an AVR from USA due to Voltage considerations. Just budget an additional 3K for the step down transformer.
It works- I and many FMs have been using AVRs sourced from US

 

[bhavin.patel]

Thanks for inputs,

I did cancel my order for AVR as it was not at all covered under warranty and return back offer was only limited to 14 days. Further even the shipment was not insured. Also we have problem with power supply as it is different in US and India.

Can anyone help me with website that can provide AVR with 220V and also covered with warranty???

Thanks
Bhavin

 

[bhavin.patel]

Hey Gentlemen,

Do you guys have some feedback on ishopinternational.com. Can I have trust on guys and expect that my shipment would be delivered safely?

Thanks

 

[prosenjit]

ya its good..

inside india..check it..
as its us price is not that differebt than here..
quality much higher than denon or onkyo..
you can ask any audiophile
and with pre out so future proof..can be used with any size speaker adding power amp
where as denon and onkyo pre out modesl are highly overpriced in india..
Marantz SR6006 AV Receiver
Marantz SR6007 7.2 Networking AV Receiver
Marantz SR5007 7.2 AV Receiver

 

[bhavin.patel]

Hi Prosenjit,

I am sorry but em not able to understand your post. Are u telling me that ishopinternational is costly or you are trying to recommend some Marantz model!!!!!!

 

[jagdish_p]

Bhavin: Have you actually checked and compared the cost of any item purchased online in USA for shipmet to India Vs the Indian Price?
I am sure that after you add the cost of shipping + Customs the cost difference will be marginal. Bear in mind that you will loose the advantage of Warranty. Purchase from US is attractive only if some one is carrying it for you as personal baggage.

 

[bhavin.patel]

Bhavin: Have you actually checked and compared the cost of any item purchased online in USA for shipmet to India Vs the Indian Price?
I am sure that after you add the cost of shipping + Customs the cost difference will be marginal. Bear in mind that you will loose the advantage of Warranty. Purchase from US is attractive only if some one is carrying it for you as personal baggage.

AAAhh Jagish what if I get deal for Denon 3313CI (US Warranty for 1 year) for 61K. Do you advice me to go ahead with it.

Secondly can my respected friends can tell me what are major difference I should keep in mind when comparing Denon 3313CI and X4000?

Bhavin

 

[bhavin.patel]

Hey guys,

I am settling between 3313CI or X4000. Hmmmm both would be sourced from US. Now the only point I need to understand is that can I trust Refurbished product. I am getting Denon 3313CI refurbished with 1 yr warranty and similarly Denon X4000 New sealed pack with 1 Yrs warranty. Which way should I move ahead?

Thanks
Bhavin