Buying a new Home Theater - Sony vs Mivi vs zebronics

[suku_patel_22]

I have checked the Sony HT-S40R in Samsung website where it mentions as 1 HDMI IN and 1 HDMI Arc Out.

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Link

Number of Input/Output
Input/Output: 0/1 (ARC)

This means 0 input and 1 output. That output is also a ARC input. Your TV doesn't have ARC, so this won't work for you.

Also, when buying something new get the latest (eARC and Atmos) That's my suggestion. Don't buy old technology. Buy once, buy good.

If you have budget issues, wait it out.

 

[Nairrk]

Number of Input/Output
Input/Output: 0/1 (ARC)

This means 0 input and 1 output. That output is also a ARC input. Your TV doesn't have ARC, so this won't work for you.

Also, when buying something new get the latest (eARC and Atmos) That's my suggestion. Don't buy old technology. Buy once, buy good.

If you have budget issues, wait it out.

I totally agree with your views. I can wait some time before finalizing the deal.

Meantime, I have seen the details and unboxing reviews of JBL 9.1, and it seems a nice product, but it looks a bit expensive for me now.

Also looking into JBL 5.1, but this model is not available now either at Amazon or Flipkart.

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[arunkvivek]

Yes agree. May be 30/40 km is ok, but 130/140 km one way is a bit high distance to service a product.



Marantz SR 5008 costs around Rs.70000, NR 1508 around Rs.65000/-. I believe these rates are for the receiver only, and we had to buy speakers in addition. My existing speakers (5.1) are in good working condition, but its jack plug size is a different shape which may not fit into the Marantz or Yamaha receivers.

View attachment 87450
speaker jack of Sony

View attachment 87453
Speaker jack of most of the other receivers
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I am fully aware that any day these Marantz, Yamaha, Harmon, Bose etc. brands are superior ones, but presently I do not want to spend a lot of these gadgets and to restrict anything around 30/40k including speakers.

Thanks

Those are just terminals. You can snip the wire and connect them to av receiver as well.
I had suggested you getting used AVRs - check this out - an open box AVR for the revolver club at 22K(this is as good as new).

Kochi and Mangalore are smuggling havens where AVRs are available at prices less than Chennai and Mumbai. You need to physically go down to the lanes where electronics are sold it keep looking online in Old, FB etc...

AVR + speakers can be bought at 35-40K if you put in hardwork.

 

[Nairrk]

Those are just terminals. You can snip the wire and connect them to av receiver as well.
I had suggested you getting used AVRs - check this out - an open box AVR for the revolver club at 22K(this is as good as new).

Kochi and Mangalore are smuggling havens where AVRs are available at prices less than Chennai and Mumbai. You need to physically go down to the lanes where electronics are sold it keep looking online in Old, FB etc...

AVR + speakers can be bought at 35-40K if you put in hardwork.

Thanks

I am not comfortable in buying any used electronic items, so prefer to go for brand-new products, even if I have to pay some more money.

Your suggestion to buy from places like Kochi/Mangalore seems a good idea (Mangalore is just 130km from my home), or even I can try Coimbatore where electronics items are available very cheaply, may be even cheaper than Mangalore.

Meantime, I have seen Pioneer HTP-072 from a Chennai based seller. Presume this is not a used product!

 

[arunkvivek]

Thanks

I am not comfortable in buying any used electronic items, so prefer to go for brand-new products, even if I have to pay some more money.

Your suggestion to buy from places like Kochi/Mangalore seems a good idea (Mangalore is just 130km from my home), or even I can try Coimbatore where electronics items are available very cheaply, may be even cheaper than Mangalore.

Meantime, I have seen Pioneer HTP-072 from a Chennai based seller. Presume this is not a used product!

You could be right about the used ones on the electronics side but speakers hardly have any electronics that perish that easily.

I currently own two pairs of speakers which are at least 20 years old and they don't sound old at all. Hence, I request you to be open about used speakers.

When you start looking out to buy, there is always an urge to buy quickly but going slow allows you get the best bang for buck.

Note: The open box AVR is a steal at 22K. Pls do consider if you can stretch your budget.

 

[Nairrk]

You could be right about the used ones on the electronics side but speakers hardly have any electronics that perish that easily.

I currently own two pairs of speakers which are at least 20 years old and they don't sound old at all. Hence, I request you to be open about used speakers.

When you start looking out to buy, there is always an urge to buy quickly but going slow allows you get the best bang for buck.

Note: The open box AVR is a steal at 22K. Pls do consider if you can stretch your budget.

I am not in a hurry to finalize something quickly. I will wait, compare few items and then decide which one to go for. May be as you suggested, I am also thinking to go only for AVR and then connect my existing speaker into the AVR.

Also, may drive down to Mangalore and explore electronic market (City Market/Dubai market) where we can see plenty of Home theater brands.

The open Box AVR at 22k is indeed a good deal, but as said I am not convinced to go in for a used product now (Sony BDV-E870, my existing system which is more than 10 years old and still looks very nice but two speaker ports not working).

 

[harryneopotter]

I am not in a hurry to finalize something quickly. I will wait, compare few items and then decide which one to go for. May be as you suggested, I am also thinking to go only for AVR and then connect my existing speaker into the AVR.

Also, may drive down to Mangalore and explore electronic market (City Market/Dubai market) where we can see plenty of Home theater brands.

The open Box AVR at 22k is indeed a good deal, but as said I am not convinced to go in for a used product now (Sony BDV-E870, my existing system which is more than 10 years old and still looks very nice but two speaker ports not working).

Open box AVRs usually come with full warranty. No harm in checking.

 

[Nairrk]

Have seen a couple of reviews about Danon AVR-X250BT 5.1 ch, and it is available on Amazon for Rs.30,390.
It has got 5 HDMI IN and one HDMI Out (Arc) port available.

The reviews suggest this as a good product and value for money etc.

Any opinion please?

 

[arunkvivek]

Have seen a couple of reviews about Danon AVR-X250BT 5.1 ch, and it is available on Amazon for Rs.30,390.
It has got 5 HDMI IN and one HDMI Out (Arc) port available.

The reviews suggest this as a good product and value for money etc.

Any opinion please?

AVR bought on Amazon do not carry any warranty. Go to any offline store and enquire; you would get it at least 3-4K lesser.

If you are heading towards AVR route, please visit shops in Mangalore, Kochi or Coimbatore and audition. I have seen owners offer good price on old exchanged AVRs as well.

 

[Nairrk]

AVR bought on Amazon do not carry any warranty. Go to any offline store and enquire; you would get it at least 3-4K lesser.

If you are heading towards AVR route, please visit shops in Mangalore, Kochi or Coimbatore and audition. I have seen owners offer good price on old exchanged AVRs as well.

Yes, I am planning to visit a couple of stores to see it in person before buying one.

In the meantime, in the description it is written as ''Full 4K Ultra HD, Dolby True HD and DTS-HD''. Does this mean it don't support Dolby Atmos?

Another thing is that my existing Sony speakers (5.1) rated power is 850W but when calculates individual speaker rating it comes as 782w (SW-140+Center-142w + Front 108x2w and Surr 142x2w). Will this okay for the above mentioned Denon model.?

 

[arunkvivek]

X250BT is an older model and supports 5.1 only. At your budget Atmos is not possible.

The wattage of BDP is all marketing gimic. Please check the rear of your BDP. It would show how much wattage it would consume. Total BDP wattage is 187 watts as an eBay image that I saw. The total wattage includes current needed for cd player, video processing as well sound amplification. So the speakers must be 20w (10w more likely) each. You can check and confirm total wattage as mentioned in rear panel of your player.

My intention is not undermine your gadgets but to forewarn you that you will understand the shortcomings once your audition HT in a showroom.

I think I should done this first. Can you post a few pics of the place with TV?

 

[Nairrk]

I think I should done this first. Can you post a few pics of the place with TV?

I am not fully understand what sort of pics is you want to take a look. Anyway, taken a couple of screenshots which are as under:


The ground floor living room where the TV/HT is kept. The room size is 13x14 ft with open entrance.
The TV kept on the left side corner of the room.






Rear side of the Receiver - it seems it has 170W power.

Thanks

 

[arunkvivek]

I am not fully understand what sort of pics is you want to take a look. Anyway, taken a couple of screenshots which are as under:

View attachment 87495
The ground floor living room where the TV/HT is kept. The room size is 13x14 ft with open entrance.
The TV kept on the left side corner of the room.

View attachment 87496

View attachment 87497

View attachment 87498
Rear side of the Receiver - it seems it has 170W power.

Thanks

Thanks for the pics.. You have a room big enough for a proper 5.1 set up. I can foresee a challenge of placing center channel with the current stand.

Also, the 5 inch and 6 inch subs coming in zebronics/Mivi/LG/samsung soundbar/5.1 kits are NOT going to do justice to your space. Your space needs 10 inch SW at the very least

Option 1: If you want to go with AVR route immediately , then you may go with the denon 250 or marantz 1508 (outdated tech but reliable hardware), buy 2 good but used floorstanders (pioneer FS52 + frugal horns + Dali zensor 5 + Yamaha NS71) for 15-20K. You can have a basic 5.0 setup with your existing speakers

Option 2: If you can save 50K-1L over next two years then defer AVR plan for now.instead buy good pair of used floorstanders for 15-25K and buy class D stereo amps with digital inputs (SMSL, Fosi, Douk audio) for 10-15K or used compact systems with CD players like Denon Ceol, Marantz CR5xx around 20K. Given the quote oom dimensions, you would have a brilliant stereo setup which wont allow you to miss the sony 5.0

Both of the above recommendations are huge upgrades to your sony BDP setup as well as packages shortlisted.

 

[mark2gp]

If you are comfortable with your current 5.1 speakers, you can get a denon x250bt and hook them up. Then upgrade over time.
Or you can also get local assembled 5.1 amplifiers with dolby/dts decoding (geestar, futech etc) for as low as 10k. Lot of kerala youtube electronics channels have videos on this.

Eg:-

 

[Nairrk]

Just came back after visiting 3 Electronics malls in my town and none have any brand AVR's. All of them have 2.1/3.1 sound bars. (Samsung/Boat/Zebronics/JBL etc. are the available brands. If anyone wants any particular 5.1 system, then they will get it from the company (or who knows, they do online purchase and give it to us with a margin?).

One shop has JBL- SB590 3.1 sound bar 440w and the MRP is Rs.39,999 (selling price Rs.26,999 - seems some more room for price negotiation).
One good thing I found on this set is that it has HDMI IN and HDMI Out (eArc) which I have not seen in any other soundbar model of similar category.

 

[suku_patel_22]

MLls do t have AVR's. You'll need to visit AV shops for fhat

 

[Nairrk]

If you are comfortable with your current 5.1 speakers, you can get a denon x250bt and hook them up. Then upgrade over time.
Or you can also get local assembled 5.1 amplifiers with dolby/dts decoding (geestar, futech etc) for as low as 10k. Lot of kerala youtube electronics channels have videos on this.

Thanks, yes, I am comfortable with my existing 5.1 speakers. Denon X250BT seems a good product, but it's a 6-year-old product (I know people are still buying it even in 2024).

I have also seen many videos of Geestar brand, and it also seems good among the other locally assembled amplifiers.

 

[Nairrk]

Hunt for a new Home theater system is temporarily stopped for a week. Starting next week, we are travelling towards Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari and I know for sure that there is Denon shop there and I can take some time to visit the shop and see if I can finalize something there.

If nothing available within my budget, then will settle for Sony or JBL Home theater set up.