Could Someone Give me Advice for Upgrading My Home Audio Setup?

[lizaclarraa]

Hello there,

I am new to the world of high-fidelity audio; but I have recently started exploring how to get the best possible sound quality for my home setup. I currently have a basic soundbar and a subwoofer; but I am looking to upgrade to a proper 2.1 or 5.1 system to enhance both music and movie experiences.

I have been researching options; but the sheer variety of brands and specifications is a bit overwhelming. I have heard good things about brands like Yamaha; Denon; and Polk Audio; but I am open to other recommendations. I also wonder if it is worth investing in separate components (AV receiver + speakers) versus an all in one package.

Are there any particular speakers or systems you could recommend within my budget? Is there a significant advantage to buying second-hand equipment in this price range?

Also, I have gone through this post; https://www.hifivision.com/threads/best-uipath-setup-for-dolby-atmos-audio.96384/ which definitely helped me out a lot.

Should I prioritize specific features like HDMI ARC; Bluetooth; or Wi-Fi for future proofing? Are there any reliable dealers in India where I can demo these systems before purchasing?

Thanks in advance for your help and assistance.

 

[heliumflight]

Go for a 2-channel stereo only to get the best from Hifi sound.

 

[Phani24]

Hello there,

I am new to the world of high-fidelity audio; but I have recently started exploring how to get the best possible sound quality for my home setup. I currently have a basic soundbar and a subwoofer; but I am looking to upgrade to a proper 2.1 or 5.1 system to enhance both music and movie experiences.

I have been researching options; but the sheer variety of brands and specifications is a bit overwhelming. I have heard good things about brands like Yamaha; Denon; and Polk Audio; but I am open to other recommendations. I also wonder if it is worth investing in separate components (AV receiver + speakers) versus an all in one package.

Are there any particular speakers or systems you could recommend within my budget? Is there a significant advantage to buying second-hand equipment in this price range?

Also, I have gone through this post; https://www.hifivision.com/threads/best-uipath-setup-for-dolby-atmos-audio.96384/ which definitely helped me out a lot.

Should I prioritize specific features like HDMI ARC; Bluetooth; or Wi-Fi for future proofing? Are there any reliable dealers in India where I can demo these systems before purchasing?

Thanks in advance for your help and assistance.

Your budget pls

 

[JrM1]

Hello there,

I am new to the world of high-fidelity audio; but I have recently started exploring how to get the best possible sound quality for my home setup. I currently have a basic soundbar and a subwoofer; but I am looking to upgrade to a proper 2.1 or 5.1 system to enhance both music and movie experiences.

I have been researching options; but the sheer variety of brands and specifications is a bit overwhelming. I have heard good things about brands like Yamaha; Denon; and Polk Audio; but I am open to other recommendations. I also wonder if it is worth investing in separate components (AV receiver + speakers) versus an all in one package.

Are there any particular speakers or systems you could recommend within my budget? Is there a significant advantage to buying second-hand equipment in this price range?

Also, I have gone through this post; https://www.hifivision.com/threads/best-uipath-setup-for-dolby-atmos-audio.96384/ which definitely helped me out a lot.

Should I prioritize specific features like HDMI ARC; Bluetooth; or Wi-Fi for future proofing? Are there any reliable dealers in India where I can demo these systems before purchasing?

Thanks in advance for your help and assistance.

Hi, I can feel your confusion.. but honestly, you have to decide what system/setup you are looking for.

For Music, 2.1 is the way to go with an Integrated Amp. An AVR(5.1) will not match the musical sound of an Integrated Amp.
But 5.1 will be far more enjoyable while watching Movies. And please make it a 5.1.2 setup instead of 5.1.

So the decision is yours.

I will suggest a peculiar upgrade path. And, I request other members to correct me if I am wrong.

For now, go with an AVR(7 channel) with pre-out and get a good pair of front-channel speakers, apart from other speakers for the 5.1.2 set-up.
Later, when your budget permits, add one Integrated Amp to your set-up.
Once you add the Integrated Amp, pass through the front Left and Right channels from AVR to the Int Amp and connect the front speakers to the Int Amp.

This way when you like to play music, you can just use the Int Amp without AVR. And when you watch the movie, you can use AVR with Int Amp.

Cheers!!!

 

[mbhangui]

Hi, I can feel your confusion.. but honestly, you have to decide what system/setup you are looking for.

For Music, 2.1 is the way to go with an Integrated Amp. An AVR(5.1) will not match the musical sound of an Integrated Amp.
But 5.1 will be far more enjoyable while watching Movies. And please make it a 5.1.2 setup instead of 5.1.

So the decision is yours.

I will suggest a peculiar upgrade path. And, I request other members to correct me if I am wrong.

For now, go with an AVR(7 channel) with pre-out and get a good pair of front-channel speakers, apart from other speakers for the 5.1.2 set-up.
Later, when your budget permits, add one Integrated Amp to your set-up.
Once you add the Integrated Amp, pass through the front Left and Right channels from AVR to the Int Amp and connect the front speakers to the Int Amp.

This way when you like to play music, you can just use the Int Amp without AVR. And when you watch the movie, you can use AVR with Int Amp.

Cheers!!!

+1 to the above suggestion. Getting an AVR is a good way to go. You cannot enjoy movies with a 2 channel amp. movies sound insipid on two channel amps. With AVR you get very good movie experience and a reasonable music experience. You can always listen to music in 2 channel mode. And one can always add external amps to an AVR to get the power that 2 channel amps can deliver.

The other good things about AVR is that they come with auto calibration software that allows you to compensate for deficiencies of your room and speaker placement. I use Yamaha and that comes with a software called YPAO. With YPAO calibration, my AVR easily beats the quality that I get from my costlier 2 channel amp + speaker setup.

Get a good quality pair of speakers for the front and one good quality speaker for the centre. These 3 speakers are the most important. You should start exploring the different brands of AVRs - Denon, Marantz, Yamaha and others and decide which of them appeals to you the most. Then go to a showroom and audition the brands you like. You can start reverse too. First go to various showrooms and listen to different brands and decide what appeals to you. Hearing is like tasting wine. It depends a lot on what you like and dislike. No one else can decide that for you.

 

[sesharavind]

i started at the same place as you. got the LCR combo with the AVR first. then as days went I realized that I was listening to more music in stereo mode in the AVR than I was watching movies.
after some time, I got myself an amp and setup a 2 channel stereo setup just for music.
now I use the LCR setup through AVR for TV viewing and the 2 channel stereo setup for listening to music.
note - i don't have a sub and never felt the need for it. but if your primary usage is for movies you may want to look at adding subs as well.

 

[sivakumars]

Hello

Honestly it will take some time for you to decide between whether you want stereo setup or a surround sound system. I would say experience different setups from forum members lives close to your place and think through what would be your use case. Are you looking for a setup to listen to music or you are looking for both movies and music?
Based on that, take a decision.