HT upgrade recommendations

[fLUX]

If you're open to upgrading on the video side, one option would be to combine the Epson TW9400 with a HD Fury device to emulate dynamic tone mapping( that is currently natively available only on the JVC PJ's): https://www.avsforum.com/threads/do...hdr10-conversion-w-dtm-on-projectors.3097934/

Might have to stretch your 2L budget slightly, but this (4K + dynamically tone mapped HDR) will be a serious upgrade on the 1080 P Benq, IMO.

Not very keen on upgrading the project for some time since its out secondary source for regular watching and also the PQ seems good enough. Will certainly keep your suggestion in mind whenever i think of a projector upgrade.

I got a Denon X4500H today as many of you suggested to start of with (3600H was out of stock and 4500H was supposed to be having similar setup as the higher line 6500H and so forth). Still boxed as a part of precaution. Wanted to check if 18 AWG wires are ok for rear Atmos speakers since i will need route it all the way across the room from the top and 14/16AWG wires might not look great to begin with and also i dont have a wire of that length at the moment.

 

[Love4sound]

Not very keen on upgrading the project for some time since its out secondary source for regular watching and also the PQ seems good enough. Will certainly keep your suggestion in mind whenever i think of a projector upgrade.

I got a Denon X4500H today as many of you suggested to start of with (3600H was out of stock and 4500H was supposed to be having similar setup as the higher line 6500H and so forth). Still boxed as a part of precaution. Wanted to check if 18 AWG wires are ok for rear Atmos speakers since i will need route it all the way across the room from the top and 14/16AWG wires might not look great to begin with and also i dont have a wire of that length at the moment.

Congrats and welcome to the 4500 club. Awesome avr and even after a year of usage I get no itch to upgrade. Better use 16awg which I am using for all speakers. 16 won’t be bulky as 14

 

[superczar]

Not very keen on upgrading the project for some time since its out secondary source for regular watching and also the PQ seems good enough. Will certainly keep your suggestion in mind whenever i think of a projector upgrade.

I got a Denon X4500H today as many of you suggested to start of with (3600H was out of stock and 4500H was supposed to be having similar setup as the higher line 6500H and so forth). Still boxed as a part of precaution. Wanted to check if 18 AWG wires are ok for rear Atmos speakers since i will need route it all the way across the room from the top and 14/16AWG wires might not look great to begin with and also i dont have a wire of that length at the moment.

You can get away with it but 18AWG has a pretty high specific resistance .
The rule of thumb is to try have the speaker wire resistance no more than 5% of the speaker impedance.
So if you are using 6 ohm speakers, 0.3 ohms would be the max before you start seeing noticeable losses

Pure Cu 18AWG has a Sp resistance of 0.004 ohm so 0.3/ (0.004 X2) = 37 feet
CCA wires like amazonbasics would have even higher sp resistance

 

[fLUX]

Cool, i will order the 50 metre 16 AWG cables from Amazon. I have around 10-12 feet spool left of the 16 AWG cable i previously purchased, it should be ok if i connect one wire from the new lot to extend the length right ? Asking because 50 feet might not be enough for both the rear speakers.

 

[Love4sound]

Cool, i will order the 50 metre 16 AWG cables from Amazon. I have around 10-12 feet spool left of the 16 AWG cable i previously purchased, it should be ok if i connect one wire from the new lot to extend the length right ? Asking because 50 feet might not be enough for both the rear speakers.

It is better you don’t connect one wire to another. Please go for full end to end connection.

 

[fLUX]

Thanks @Love4sound , i hope i dont get the itch for 3 years atleast for the AVR else i will get a sore bum gifted from my better half . But even i do i would keep the 4500 with the 2600h making way

I will order the 50 metre 16 AWG cables from Amazon. I have around 10-12 feet spool left of the 16 AWG cable i previously purchased, it should be ok if i connect one wire from the new lot to extend the length right ? Asking because 50 feet might not be enough for both the rear speakers.

 

[Love4sound]

The 4500 has all the bells and whistles you need to keep you happy for another 3-5 years. If you get used and want any improvements after 1 or 2 years just add a PA

 

[superczar]

Cool, i will order the 50 metre 16 AWG cables from Amazon. I have around 10-12 feet spool left of the 16 AWG cable i previously purchased, it should be ok if i connect one wire from the new lot to extend the length right ? Asking because 50 feet might not be enough for both the rear speakers.

Won’t matter - feel free to join them up
But to state the obvious, make sure the joints are duct taped nicely - or better still, join assymetric with a couple of inches offset to avoid any possibility of a short ever

 

[fLUX]

Have been using the 18AWG cable temporarily for now. Will certainly get the 16AWG Amazon cable shortly.

Meanwhile moving ahead on the Front upgrade I would like to go ahead with a focal Aria 926 shortly , would it be a wise move considering the room size is 14 by 11 from a stereo music perspective? I would be willing to invest in a good pre-power combo in the future so that's not a problem, but just want to be sure its not going to be an overkill for my room size

 

[DB1989]

Have been using the 18AWG cable temporarily for now. Will certainly get the 16AWG Amazon cable shortly.

Meanwhile moving ahead on the Front upgrade I would like to go ahead with a focal Aria 926 shortly , would it be a wise move considering the room size is 14 by 11 from a stereo music perspective? I would be willing to invest in a good pre-power combo in the future so that's not a problem, but just want to be sure its not going to be an overkill for my room size

Have you considered the Revel Concerta F35/36? In fact, for your room size, the KEF R3s are going to be more than sufficient so you can consider it as well.

 

[fLUX]

Have you considered the Revel Concerta F35/36? In fact, for your room size, the KEF R3s are going to be more than sufficient so you can consider it as well.

Let me have a look at R3, the reviews indicate Kef to be bordering on the bright side so will need to try tthem. Meanwhile any reason why FS would be an overkill, the Aria are rated to go to about 250 watts and r3 to about 180 watts and the m20 around 150 watt. Regardless of the room size wont there be an improvement in the dynamics

 

[raghupb]

Let me have a look at R3, the reviews indicate Kef to be bordering on the bright side so will need to try tthem. Meanwhile any reason why FS would be an overkill, the Aria are rated to go to about 250 watts and r3 to about 180 watts and the m20 around 150 watt. Regardless of the room size wont there be an improvement in the dynamics

Defining speaker capability in watts is not the right way to go about it.
Amps don't give "watts", speakers demand "watts".
Check what is their sensitivity, impedance ratings and peak SPL.

KEF R3 is a fine speaker. They are finicky about placement.
R3 has enough of peak SPL, but they have dips in impedance, sometimes to less than 4 ohms.
Definitely need proper stands and keep them away from walls (1m from back and side walls).
Yes, they are "bright", do call attention to themselves; kinda show-offs.
Pair it with the right chain, and they can sing.

In my rig, the R300s did not come alive with 50W AVR.
They need a bit of control behind them otherwise they misbehave or don't show their true capability.

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[DB1989]

Let me have a look at R3, the reviews indicate Kef to be bordering on the bright side so will need to try tthem. Meanwhile any reason why FS would be an overkill, the Aria are rated to go to about 250 watts and r3 to about 180 watts and the m20 around 150 watt. Regardless of the room size wont there be an improvement in the dynamics

I correlate what certain audiophiles refer to as 'sharp' to 'excitement'. My first speakers were a horn loaded design (altec lansing MX5021) and moving from them to the Boston Acoustics A26 felt like I had foregone some enthusiasm and drive for a more laidback and safe presentation which, to my ears, was slightly boring and bordered on anaemic. Moving on to the KEFs reinvigorated my listening experience. Moving to the Wharfedale Evos from the KEF was a repeat of the earlier experience with the Altec Lansing MX5021/BA A26. Franky, I'd take the Altec lansing over the BA A26 and KEF over the Wharfedale anyday.

For that matter, Focals are also supposed to be "bright".

My point is, "bright" isn't bad and you have to figure out for yourself which presentation is more suited to your preferences.

 

[fLUX]

Defining speaker capability in watts is not the right way to go about it.
Amps don't give "watts", speakers demand "watts".
Check what is their sensitivity, impedance ratings and peak SPL.

KEF R3 is a fine speaker. They are finicky about placement.
R3 has enough of peak SPL, but they have dips in impedance, sometimes to less than 4 ohms.
Definitely need proper stands and keep them away from walls (1m from back and side walls).
Yes, they are "bright", do call attention to themselves; kinda show-offs.
Pair it with the right chain, and they can sing.

In my rig, the R300s did not come alive with 50W AVR.
They need a bit of control behind them otherwise they misbehave or don't show their true capability.

Cheers,
Raghu

Thanks for the explanation Raghu, i understand that only watts would not be a right way to approach since they may not all be easy to drive. My question was more towards the room size (14*11) , lets say i have the right chain to have any of them sing would there be any reason not to go for a Floorstander against a bookshelf. Considering i wont change the speaker for several years to come , i would prefer a Floorstander as its more child proof and secondly might solve many of Subwoofer integration issues for music listening as the FS themselves can go low enough.

 

[DB1989]

Thanks for the explanation Raghu, i understand that only watts would not be a right way to approach since they may not all be easy to drive. My question was more towards the room size (14*11) , lets say i have the right chain to have any of them sing would there be any reason not to go for a Floorstander against a bookshelf. Considering i wont change the speaker for several years to come , i would prefer a Floorstander as its more child proof and secondly might solve many of Subwoofer integration issues for music listening as the FS themselves can go low enough.

I don't think for a room your size, bookshelves will be inadequate. Both my Evo 4.2s as well as KEF Q350s are more than adequate for the 450 sq.ft room in which they are placed with enough headroom to spare for higher SPLs. Also, I have had no problem integrating my sub with my bookshelves compared to my FS.

 

[fLUX]

I correlate what certain audiophiles refer to as 'sharp' to 'excitement'. My first speakers were a horn loaded design (altec lansing MX5021) and moving from them to the Boston Acoustics A26 felt like I had foregone some enthusiasm and drive for a more laidback and safe presentation which, to my ears, was slightly boring and bordered on anaemic. Moving on to the KEFs reinvigorated my listening experience. Moving to the Wharfedale Evos from the KEF was a repeat of the earlier experience with the Altec Lansing MX5021/BA A26. Franky, I'd take the Altec lansing over the BA A26 and KEF over the Wharfedale anyday.

For that matter, Focals are also supposed to be "bright".

My point is, "bright" isn't bad and you have to figure out for yourself which presentation is more suited to your preferences.

Unfortunately i have not listened to any of these , so will certainly need to demo them before I take the plunge for sure.
I have seen quiet a few demo videos using the same headphone (again i get it this would have dependency on the room/mic used etc.) and did not quiet prefer the KEF recordings. Lets say that i am open to any of these speakers , my question is more towards the recommendation towards better Bookshelfs against a FS

 

[DB1989]

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[DB1989]

Unfortunately i have not listened to any of these , so will certainly need to demo them before I take the plunge for sure.
I have seen quiet a few demo videos using the same headphone (again i get it this would have dependency on the room/mic used etc.) and did not quiet prefer the KEF recordings. Lets say that i am open to any of these speakers , my question is more towards the recommendation towards better Bookshelfs against a FS

i prefer bookshelves to FS both aesthetically as well as in terms of convenience. Much easier to experiment with positioning. For your 154 Sq. Ft. room, most BS speakers with a 6.5 inch driver would suffice.

 

[DB1989]

Unfortunately i have not listened to any of these , so will certainly need to demo them before I take the plunge for sure.
I have seen quiet a few demo videos using the same headphone (again i get it this would have dependency on the room/mic used etc.) and did not quiet prefer the KEF recordings. Lets say that i am open to any of these speakers , my question is more towards the recommendation towards better Bookshelfs against a FS

Did you check out Tharbamars sound clips for the KEF Q350? linked below for reference:

 

[fLUX]

i prefer bookshelves to FS both aesthetically as well as in terms of convenience. Much easier to experiment with positioning. For your 154 Sq. Ft. room, most BS speakers with a 6.5 inch driver would suffice.

For the lows , would bookshelf provide sufficient SPL for music against a FS ? I would prefer to invest in a second SVS SB-2000 with a Evo 4.2/Wharfedale Linton if I would still need to invest in a sub with a FS like Focal Aria 926/Revel Performa F206 etc.

I own a Elac FS 57.2 and i find the lows are much more than the M20 in terms of quantity (though not as refined and tight as the M20), so thats what drives me towards FS vs a Bookshelf.