Help! Cant have floor-standers, want the best Movie setup for 1.4L

[Bunn999]

Hey Guys,

Hi firstly i'm a newbie to the world of audio & after getting rid of by Bose Accoustimass 10 with yamaha amp which i sold cuz of lack of bass am now on the look out for a true hometheater 5.1 setup, but am really confused and cannot make up my mind, maybe you guys can help me find the best in your face movie experience inbetween 1.2L to 1.4L with AMP. now the setup is gonna be used 95% for movies.. music hardly.. ! the prob is i dont have space for floorstanders, my halls abt 12 X 20 and i am on the look out for either a bookshelf type of setup or sat's . have auditioned a range of speakers like;

1. Bose V20 5.1 channel ( it has a built in Amp )
2. Kef Eggs 3001 i think
3. Polk audio ( small horizontal speakers )
4. b&w 685/686/c1-center/200 watt small sub
5. Jamo THX D 6ptx 5.1 with 15'' Sub

I liked the Jamo the best so far and its cool looking too but sadly way outta my budget. is there something brand that i'm missing? or i should consider?
maybe you guys can help me decide the best Setup for movies only which fits in my budget.thanks.

 

[unleash_me]

Get the 3000 series from Kef and add the latest Onkyo TX-SR606 - you are done!

KEF Home Theatre 3000 Series
Onkyo Europe - Imaginative Sight & Sound

Best Regards.

 

[mridulgoel]

Hey Buddy

There are a lot many that will fall in your budget...
But my suggestions for you would be go for a good amp, when you are going 95% for movies...
Onkyo SR-606 is a good amp...
But dont plan any amp, for upscaling purpose...
I have never seen an amp upscaling picture quality better, than what it was...
if you upscale picture in one way. the other way round the PQ will go down...
yes, but new Onkyo SR605 has for HDMI inputs as well...

But, i would like to suggest you one thing, try getting an amp with multiroom audio facility. An average amp will fall in your budget of some 50-60K...

Anyhow just tell me buddy, what are you using for video...???

Projector, is the best option anyways...with a Dalite Screen, depending on your room size...

Check out the following :
Q Accoustics
Its not that i favour that only, but i really favour the set which is at par...in its range...
I have never seen such quality under 75K....
And its being awarded 5 star by What HiFi, for Best Speaker Package under 75K... Even last months What HiFi & AV Max, has recommended it under the best buy HT 5.1 packages...

Anyhow, if you are looking for complete AV setup in Rs.1.4L, the split up goes as...

PJTX100 - Hitachi - 720p - HT Projector - 10000:1 Contrast Ratio : Rs.50K...
Dalite - 6 x 8 - Matte White - Projector Screen - Rs.15K
Amplifier - Onkyo SR-606 - Rs.30K approx (Bargain Deal)
HT 5.1 - Q Accoustics - 1010i - Rs.48,560...

Total Budget Comes to Rs.1,43,560 only...just 3.56K above your budget...

Now if you only wanna go for Audio then...

Q Acoustics : 7.1 Channel - 1020i - Rs.1,03,760
Amplifier - Onkyo SR-606 - Rs.30K approx (Bargain Deal)

OR

Q Accoustics : 7.1 Channel - 1010i - Rs.60K
Amplifier - Denon/Onkyo/NAD/Marantz/Cambridge Audio
Get one nice amplifier for 50K to 60K and spend 5K-6K for cables and connectros...
Keep the 10K for some original movies and other interioirs...
And spend the rest 10K on your GF... You HT will rock...lol...

Do let us know, if you need have any querries, our GURUS are too good to assist you, even am learning from them...
Hats off to you guyz...

Thanking You

Mridul Goel

 

[pnredkar]

Hi,

If you are looking at sub-sat system, Quad L-ite and Acoustic Energy Aego T seems to be at the top of the heap for both movies and music. The speaker sizes are more towards bookshelves than typical satellites. However, Quad L-ite has been discontinued, so it may not be available (or you may also get them for real cheap). Monitor Audio Radius series is also well rated. I think all these sets are available at about 75k to 95k.

Sub-sat for only movies would warrant you to look at B&W MT-10/20/30 (the last out of your budget) in addition to KEF 3005. For KEF check whether the latest 3005SE are available as they are rated better than 3005. Mordaunt Short Genie or Alumni and Mirage nano-sats are other cheaper options.

Now, if you are comfortable with bookshelves also, the options are much larger. The B&Ws that you mentioned, Jamo (there are more options than you mentioned), Wharfedale HCP, Mordaunt Short Avanti are some other options.

The advantage with bookshelves are that you can slowly grow your system. Buy 2.1 or 3.1 right now. Upgrade to 5.1 later and 7.1 (if you really want) still later.

I have given you lots of options, but don't go auditioning all of them. Select 3 or 4 based on reviews/recommendations, take your own DVD's and go auditioning them.

All the best with your search.

For Mridul: If a person does not have space for floorstanders, suggesting projector is not good. Anyways, the original poster has not asked for the display in the said budget.

Regards,
Prasad.

 

[mridulgoel]

Hi,

For Mridul: If a person does not have space for floorstanders, suggesting projector is not good. Anyways, the original poster has not asked for the display in the said budget.

Regards,
Prasad.

Dear Prasad

I agree, not to propose video, but i just gave an option, and that to for a roof mounted one...

Dont mind...

 

[pnredkar]

Dear Prasad

I agree, not to propose video, but i just gave an option, and that to for a roof mounted one...

Dont mind...

Nothing against you personally Sometimes even I do get carried away with what I like

Also, with respect to the bookshelves, I forgot to mention Quad 11L (which I own ) and Ushers which have excellent reviews. Both of these can be expanded to a full 5.1 or 7.1 sets.

 

[odyssey]

The 5.1 configuration should you be interested with Ushers (front, back, center and sub) can all be had for under Rs 90K. This combo would be with the S-520 that people mentioned has been reviewed extremely well

cheers

 

[Bunn999]

Thanks for the Quick response guys well i want to first prob buy the speakers and then match the amp, however i see here that you guys are very impressesd with Onkyo - SR 605/606 , Isnt Marantz a better AMP than Onkyo ? anyways we'll get to that later as for the speakers Q accoustics looks interesting had never heard of the brand but do u know where i can listen to them in bangalore? By the way the budget is for Audio Equipment only , for video i have a 29 '' CRT which is working fine but will be replaced in the next few months with a flat panel TV. In my weeks of Auditoning these were the products i found here in bangalore Quad L-ite ,Accoustic Energy Aego T just dunno where to find them. Also i have heard the B&W MT - 20. Didnt like them!
How's Mordaunt-Short range anyone have any experience with them they have alumuni/mezzo. there is a guy willing to give me an auditon on alumni range. i have an inclination towards the bass heavy systems.. just wanna a good 5.1 Setup which makes watching movies a rush everytime!

 

[mridulgoel]

however i see here that you guys are very impressesd with Onkyo - SR 605/606 , Isnt Marantz a better AMP than Onkyo ?

Buddy there is nothing like we are flewed up with Onkyo...but its price vs output...
I still have never experienced Onkyo SR605 in a manner of comparison...
Even i prefer Marantz/Denon/NAD/Odyssey on Onkyo...
But i am impressed and carried away by the GURUS reviews...
Buddy, just look out, if you get Marantz in comparitive price range...

for the speakers Q accoustics looks interesting had never heard of the brand but do u know where i can listen to them in bangalore?

Yes you can have a demo of it in Whitefield...
Armour Home have a demo flat ready out there...
You can contact Sagar Nandi @ +919986732234...

How's Mordaunt-Short range anyone have any experience with them they have alumuni/mezzo.

Yes Mordaunt - Short range is good one too...
Ask Sagar, he will arrange for the Demo of the same too...
How about Wharfedale...You can try them as well...
PM me i will give you the number of Bangalore Distributor Vector Projections...

Select the speakers first and accordingly select the amp as well..
Marantz SR 6001 - will cost more than 60K... not sure of xact price...

Do let us know for anu of your querries...

Thanking You

Mridul Goel

 

[lakshmant]

You can get a killer THX Select setup for this amount if your room is 2000-2500 Cu ft.

Crystal Acoustics THX-3D12 5.1 THX select speaker package-85,000 from cinemafocus chennai.

http://www.crystalaudiovideo.com/product.aspx

Onkyo THX select SR-705 or marantz SR8001 or 8002 7.1 Reciever. 40-50K


Set it up right and you are in HT heaven. for movie soundtracks it is very difficult to get better performance than from a THX system which is engineered and designed for film sound playback.

If you go for onkyo you will still have some change left for cables.

Laksh

 

[smsrini]

Mordaunt short Bronze series.
Wharfedale Diamond 9.0 bookshelves.
Acoustic Energy AELite

Onkyo SR605/705 Amp.

 

[particleman]

Mordaunt short Bronze series.

I guess you meant either:
Monitor Audio Bronze series (or)
Mordaunt Short Avant series

 

[Bunn999]

Firstly thanks mridul for the number of Armour Home will call them tomo for a Demo on Q acoustics, maybe even mordaunt - short, checked thier website the speakers look amazing with good build quality but its the sound that matters. As for what Lakshmant suggested Crystal Acoustics THX 3D 12 5.1 these are floor-standers, as much as i would like to buy them i dont have space for floor standers. someone even asked me details abt the room if its a dedicated HT room well to answer that its not a dedicated HT room its a Hall of 12 X 20 which is open on one side with average hall furniture i.e sofa, tables and one Lazyboy kinda Arm chair right inbetween the Room ( for the sweet spot , the flooring is Carpeted and no special Acoustic treatments done to the room. Now a new question that arises is since my HT setup is gonna be used ONLY for movies should i be looking at THX certified speakers??? i have noticed that mostly these THX certified systems have a big sub? Even the JAMO d6 PTX had a Huge 15'' SUB..any views on why is that? i think a good sub has a vital role to play in a good HT setup.. THX is for movies only right? so maybe thats what i should be looking at.. I have got a lot of options from this forum so will get time out and auditon them all one by one.. Montitor audio bronze series, mordaunt short wharfadale Q acoustics.. Anyone owns Klipsh Speakers here? I rememeber hearing them at Onkyo but they werent impressive but he didnt have the range considering their website has a full range of small 5.1 setups. i would love to hear from PPl who have similar HT setups and what they think is good. after all buying these equipments is a costly affair and after the disasterous start with BOSE Accoustimass i wanna make sure i get it right this time. thanks for all your help!

 

[lakshmant]

THX is very good for music, i do not understand what people mean by musical and non musical speakers. All speakers are made to reproduce sound, how accurately depends on design goals. THX speakers reproduce them in a very specific and predictable way with very low distortion. Many new music DVD's with 5.1 sound have been mixed in THX certfifed studios under the most precise conditions. Also 80% of movies contains music. Some People blindly conclude that THX is bad for music, cant help them. A good sub is needed to produce clean bass at high levels . This adds impact to music and movies and increase the dynamic range of the system. Read here for more on THX.
Feature Article

The crystal acoustic speakers are not very large so would be good buy

I have a living room similar to yours and yes THX would work

 

[smsrini]

THX is very good for music, i do not understand what people mean by musical and non musical speakers. All speakers are made to reproduce sound, how accurately depends on design goals.

IMO musical speakers will need to produce a wider range of frequencies, since the soundstage for a musical performance will mostly be in the front i.e. limited surround sound. I know there are music videos mixed in DTS/THX formats as well. However pure music is typically stereo.

Also in a music performance, you need more neutral sounding speakers rather than ones that accentuate a specific range of frequencies.

Having said that, a good speaker for music should do duty in a movie setup. How true will the reverse be ? I'm not sure. I do believe a speaker that sounds good with music will be good for movies as well.

THX requires the LR surrounds and rear surrounds to be bipolar, to ensure better spread. So this is something you may want to consider when setting up a HT specifically for Movies. Mate it to a THX certified receiver like the onkyo 701/801 and you will have a sweet sounding system.

 

[lakshmant]

My replies in red text

IMO musical speakers will need to produce a wider range of frequencies, since the soundstage for a musical performance will mostly be in the front i.e. limited surround sound. I know there are music videos mixed in DTS/THX formats as well. However pure music is typically stereo.

THere are movies and DVD's encoded in DTS. There is no THX encoding for any movie. Only THX Quality Control is found in DVD's which is done at the mastering and replication stage or the allbums are mixed in THX certified studios. THX also specifies a very accurate soundstage for front LCR speakers as well with a very small window for variation. When you experience movies in a THX setup you will see how timbre matched all the 5 speakers are for surround which also translates to perfect timbre matching for stereo as well.

Also in a music performance, you need more neutral sounding speakers rather than ones that accentuate a specific range of frequencies.

Can you explain this further with examples? Your statement says that THX speakers accentuate a part of the frequency spectrum. If that is your opnion, kindly show me the spec of 1 thx speaker which does that.

Also in THX, LCR and LS and RS are crossed at 80Hz so that the rest of the spectrum is reproduced by the subwofer which is built for bass. A THX system response at many magzine reviews has been measured to be quite flat in a given room. This 80 hz cross over increases dynamic range of the speaker system as a whole. Please refer the THX article.

Having said that, a good speaker for music should do duty in a movie setup. How true will the reverse be ? I'm not sure. I do believe a speaker that sounds good with music will be good for movies as well.

Yes it would and speakers always do double duty in many setups.

THX requires the LR surrounds and rear surrounds to be bipolar, to ensure better spread. So this is something you may want to consider when setting up a HT specifically for Movies. Mate it to a THX certified receiver like the onkyo 701/801 and you will have a sweet sounding system.

Yes THX specified this you also use monopoles depending on the room as per THX spec.

 

[Bunn999]

THX or No THX?

Lakshmant good article on THX .. hmmmm but two divided opinions here, Thx good for movies & music or THX speakers only good enough for movies.. No matter what the reviews say there are a so many speakers even high end which arnt THX certified so maybe the manufactures think its not worth paying the extra bit for THX certification since most of thier equipment is of high Quality anyways.. do you guys know of any Sub-Sat THX models out there? i Checked Again lakshmant but cyrstal acoustics is still wont do cuz those arnt very big but nevertheless the front R/L speakers are floorstanders..
One other question that comes to my mind are OHMS some speakers are 4Ohms while others are 6 and 8 Ohms do these specs matter?? what exactly are these parameters? should i be considering 4 OHms speakers for my kinda Setup or 8 ohms?
Smsrini maybe right by saying musical speakers should be good for movies but its not only the fronts that matter right? center / sub and surrounds all should be of the same good quality,similar output,timbre to make a good HT.
Bipolar as surrounds shouldnt be a problem in my case..Anyone have similar HT setups at home would love to hear from them..!!

 

[mridulgoel]

Buddy...

Yes these specs do matter...

Your main, purpose for a HT setup is movies, and for that 4Ohms is more suitable for that...as less the Ohms be. more the bass/power will be, which is more preffered in for movies...

 

[audiodelic]

Buddy...

Yes these specs do matter...

Your main, purpose for a HT setup is movies, and for that 4Ohms is more suitable for that...as less the Ohms be. more the bass/power will be, which is more preffered in for movies...

That is not entirely accurate nominal impedance(4,6,8 ohms) will not tell you how much louder your speaker would play that depends on other factors.
Although what that will tell you is what kind of an amplifier you need to drive it with.If its a 6 or an 8 ohm fairly efficient speaker it would sound good with a receiver.
If its a 4 ohm speaker it might need a power amplifier since there are lot of sudden impedance dips when the bass hits and thats why you need a quality amplifier to be able to have enough power during these impedance dips.

Sensitivity of a speaker would also tell you more about the speaker whether it is easy to drive or hard. 90db and above are considered efficient and mid line receivers power them fine.

 

[Bunn999]

If its a 4 ohm speaker it might need a power amplifier since there are lot of sudden impedance dips when the bass hits and thats why you need a quality amplifier to be able to have enough power during these impedance dips.

So what ur saying is 4 ohms speakers are harder to drive than 8 ohms ???