Need help, totally confused regarding a HT setup

[KonfuSed]

Have been thinking about setting up a better Home theater at my home. I've been going through the forum postings and google God but more I'm into it more I'm getting confused. So please help me out to make a decision.
Current Setup : Sony MHC-GND8Z (I hope I got the model no correctly). This one doesn't have any Audio input and no HDMI output. Only plays the DVD's at their native resolution of 480i or 576i. Sound quality is not that good but I'd adjusting myself to it. But now I want something better.
Budget: 40k max.
Size of the room : 16x12 ft. Viewing distance is around 13.5 ft as of now.
Options : (packages)
1. Yamaha 463 (19k) with Jamo 406 speaker setup(15-16k). I'll add a sub later.
2. Onkyo 5100 HTiB (40k)
3. Denon 1509 with ProFx speakers(39k). But I auditioned them and I didn't like the sound much. The highs were bit harsh and didn't find the setup any better than my current setup. So instead I can go for Jamo 406 with the Denon 1509(24+16=40k).
4. Pioneer VSX-917 with Jamo 406(18+16 = 34k). Not sure about the Pio receiver as I've not found much reviews about it on the net.

Requirements: Movies and music 60:40. But I want the music to sound good too and hence not very enthu about the Onkyo as the reviews says that Onkyo is not good for music. And none of these receivers have 2 zone options so that I can plug in two speakers just for music.
Won't mind to have as many features as it can through in. It's ok if the receiver doesn't upscale the signal but it should sound decent for both movies and music.

Speakers :
And lastly, how are the Jamo speakers that I've decided? Are they ok for the price? Is there any other option for that price?
Or should I add two front L/R floorstandars as of now and add the center , surrounds and Sub later? But that would kill the experience of Home Theater.
Sub-woofer : I was thinking of adding the Sonodyne 210 Roarr Sub later as for that price(14.5k) I found the sub to be really good and punchy. Is there any other option available? I wanted to go for the Wharfedale 150SW but the price has gone up to 21.5k it seems :-(
So please please help me out here. I'm planning to atleast get the receiver soon.
Regards,

 

[reju]

Or should I add two front L/R floorstandars as of now and add the center , surrounds and Sub later? But that would kill the experience of Home Theater.

I feel this is very wise thing to do. I have heard many talk on these lines. But in my eagerness to get my HT kicking, I had overlooked it during my purchase. Now I repent, and feel this option is the best if you are temporarily low on budget.

Later (3-6 months or whenever) if you are not very happy with the fronts, you can still get better fronts and swap the these fronts as rear speakers.

Just imagine how good your HT will sound then:licklips:

BTW I feel the Jamo 406 and Fusion speakers are very poor performers.

 

[unleash_me]

Another B'lorian? Welcome aboard!

This topic has been discussed here almost on a daily basis. Do a little search and you will get your answers.

Cheers.

 

[prakasse]

Jamo 406 is not good in my opinion. I auditioned them with Onkyo and i did not like it.

In your budget Onkyo 5100 should be good. Later you can upgrade the front speakers to better ones

Thanks,
Prakash.

 

[KonfuSed]

I feel this is very wise thing to do. I have heard many talk on these lines. But in my eagerness to get my HT kicking, I had overlooked it during my purchase. Now I repent, and feel this option is the best if you are temporarily low on budget.

Later (3-6 months or whenever) if you are not very happy with the fronts, you can still get better fronts and swap the these fronts as rear speakers.

Just imagine how good your HT will sound then:licklips:

Any suggestion for the fronts in that budget? I'm thinking on that line but will miss the surround for quite a few time as it'll take lots of time to gather some more funds. Will the front speakers do a good job as surround?

BTW I feel the Jamo 406 and Fusion speakers are very poor performers.

There goes my HT ;-) I did audition the fusions but I didn't liked them.

Another B'lorian? Welcome aboard!

This topic has been discussed here almost on a daily basis. Do a little search and you will get your answers.

Cheers.

Thanks for the welcome. Yup doing the research, but more I'm searching more confused I'm getting. Have been doing the research for last 2 weeks but I'm going nowhere and hence the post.

Jamo 406 is not good in my opinion. I auditioned them with Onkyo and i did not like it.

In your budget Onkyo 5100 should be good. Later you can upgrade the front speakers to better ones

Thanks,
Prakash.

Heard that Onkyo's are not good for music and I need one receiver which will be good for music too. Or am I expecting too much? How are the Yamaha or Denon compared to Onkyo 5100 receiver?

 

[srikarkav]

Hi,

Since you want to hear quality music too, Onkyos are out of contention here. Believe me i am an Onkyo owner.
You can go with a Marantz AVR and Wharfedale 9.2 BS for starters at your budget. They will be good for both movies and music.Wharf 9.2s have very good bass, you may not miss a sub for now.Later you can go for wharf 9.5 FLs.

Or if u are very particular about FLs you can go for an entry level Marantz AVR and the 9.5 tho' it may exceed your budget slightly.

Hey we are really 'konfused' about your location

cheers,
sri

 

[reju]

Hi,

Hey we are really 'konfused' about your location

Actually he has given very a precise location. He is located in Koramangala, Bangalore. There is a possibility that he drinks a lot of milk as he stays very close to milk dairies hyeah:

So konfused is probably looking for precise answers about which HT go for.

 

[reju]

Any suggestion for the fronts in that budget? I'm thinking on that line but will miss the surround for quite a few time as it'll take lots of time to gather some more funds. Will the front speakers do a good job as surround?

With a view of building a good HT within your 40K budget, go for mid range AVR like Yamaha/ Denon from grey market, as it can be much cheaper!!

Then add good bookshelves like Polk Audio Rti A3 or PSB or Wharfedale.
I own the Polk and they are good performers. While many experts here have recommended/ purchased PSB/ Wharedales etc.

Later if your budget permits, get good subs & floor speakers and use these BS as surrounds.

 

[KonfuSed]

Hi,

Since you want to hear quality music too, Onkyos are out of contention here. Believe me i am an Onkyo owner.
You can go with a Marantz AVR and Wharfedale 9.2 BS for starters at your budget. They will be good for both movies and music.Wharf 9.2s have very good bass, you may not miss a sub for now.Later you can go for wharf 9.5 FLs.

Or if u are very particular about FLs you can go for an entry level Marantz AVR and the 9.5 tho' it may exceed your budget slightly.

Now Marantz also in to add more to my konfusion. Where can I audition Marantz in Bangalore?
How much would the wharfedale FLs cost? I'm kind of sold for FL's as I heard that they produce better bass than the bookselfs. Also I won't have to spend on the stands and FL's looks good too ;-) Is there any good FL's southwards of 20k? How is MS Avant 914i? Or they can't be used for HT?
WHich Marantz AVR's are these? Can you tell me the model names? And their pros and cons?

Hey we are really 'konfused' about your location

cheers,
sri

Actually he has given very a precise location. He is located in Koramangala, Bangalore. There is a possibility that he drinks a lot of milk as he stays very close to milk dairies hyeah:

So konfused is probably looking for precise answers about which HT go for.

He he that was my office address (well, almost, not exactly) .. Now changed to home address ;-) But yeah, looking for precise answer to my quest and there probably won't be just one answer.

With a view of building a good HT within your 40K budget, go for mid range AVR like Yamaha/ Denon from grey market, as it can be much cheaper!!

Then add good bookshelves like Polk Audio Rti A3 or PSB or Wharfedale.
I own the Polk and they are good performers. While many experts here have recommended/ purchased PSB/ Wharedales etc.

Later if your budget permits, get good subs & floor speakers and use these BS as surrounds.

I;m bit worried about buying stuff from Grey market, in fact I don't think I'll comfortable to buy such pricey stuff from Grey market. But would like to know how much will be price difference? If the difference not around 10k then there is no point also.
About bookselfs, let me think about them as I was more inclined towards floorstandars..

 

[prakasse]

In your budget it would be difficult to do justice for both music and movies.

A decent AVR which is good for both music and movies will be costly. eg. Yamaha 663 does good in terms of movies and music. But it is costly and you will be left with only 7k for speakers

else try to build the HT in steps.

Thanks,
Prakash.

 

[siva2886]

How about an entry level Marantz AVR (if u r not concerned the video handling capability of a reciever) and the wharfedale HCP package or Moviestar 70 package?
I have not auditioned them, but then, from what I have heard, Marantz pairs well with wharfedale. Marantz is musical.

 

[srikarkav]

How about an entry level Marantz AVR Marantz pairs well with wharfedale. Marantz is musical.

I second it:clapping:

cheers,
sri

 

[KonfuSed]

yeah, I'm not very much concerned about the Video handling capability of the AVR as I'll directly play the DVD from the DVDP (Got Pio 600AV-S) and let the AVR do the sound processing only. So an AVR without HDMI will also work I guess. My TV has 3 HDMI inputs so multiplexing them within the AVR is not an issue.
How is the Marantz AVR compared to the Yamaha 463? And anyone have had any experience with the Pioneer one(VSX-917)?

 

[siva2886]

How is the Marantz AVR compared to the Yamaha 463? And anyone have had any experience with the Pioneer one(VSX-917)?

As far as I have heard from people, yamaha is only 'ok' for music, some wat better in 'movies', but their highs are harsh and very much projected forward I heard.
But Marantz is musical and also handles movies well.
You can audition them both and decide. Tastes differ u see.

 

[reju]

I;m bit worried about buying stuff from Grey market, in fact I don't think I'll comfortable to buy such pricey stuff from Grey market. But would like to know how much will be price difference? If the difference not around 10k then there is no point also.
About bookselfs, let me think about them as I was more inclined towards floorstandars..

Yes, you should have a good source for gray market. Otherwise one will not feel comfortable. My friend even bought the Sony X series LCD for about 1.3L. Saved about 30K.

I was quoted 19K for 463 in gray, I am not aware what is the official price.

Here's a discussion on Yamaha prices http://www.hifivision.com/surround-...ers-best-price-xcite-bangalore.html#post43517
.

 

[KonfuSed]

As far as I have heard from people, yamaha is only 'ok' for music, some wat better in 'movies', but their highs are harsh and very much projected forward I heard.
But Marantz is musical and also handles movies well.
You can audition them both and decide. Tastes differ u see.

Who deals in Marantz in Bangalore? Any pointers? And can someone please post model no.s of marantz which is available for around 20k?

I was quoted 19K for 463 in gray, I am not aware what is the official price.

Here's a discussion on Yamaha prices http://www.hifivision.com/surround-...ers-best-price-xcite-bangalore.html#post43517
.

Yamaha 463 is available for around 20k with B&W as per the thread. I checked it last saturday but couldn't audition it properly as I was in a hurry to move. Will audition it soon. But will a Marantz be more value for money in terms of audio quality?

Was going through the threads and found many good things said about Mission speakers(M34i) and can be held for 18k approx. Seems like a good speaker for the budget. But I'm unable to find any dealer reference in Bangalore where I can audition them. Can anyone please help here? I need information about Marantz dealer/showroom also. Please please reply.

 

[KonfuSed]

Found few answers, Marantz dealers are Music RAnch and AudioPlanet. But currently 4002 is available and it's priced at 27k which is over my budget:-( Marantz 4003 is available with Audio planet and that's 33k, again way over my budget.

One receiver which I've found well within my budget is Pioneer VSX-917. This is one loaded with features and currently available for 18k. Is this receiver a good value for money? How do you people think about Pioneer AVR's ? I'm seriously thinking about considering the Pioneer. But I've not idea about it's audio signature (I'm presuming it to be bright as that's what I've seen with Pio car audio systems and bright music is not my cup of tea). With the yamaha 463 being available for 19.5k how will the pioneer hold it's water?

About speakers, talked with Robert of Mission, he told me that m34i is available for 18k (I didn't asked about any discounts or anything) and he can courier it to Bangalore. Is it safe to courier it? He told that 2 of Bangalore HifiVision (yes, he mentioned hiFiVision) customers got these speakers couriered. But problem is that I wanted to listen to them before purchasing and that seems to be impossible as they don't seem to have any dealer in Bangalore :-(.. Guys help me out here.

 

[reju]

In the meantime why don't you go to Pro FX & audition Polk Audio TSi 300
MRP is 21K. You should get it for 18.9K.

 

[venkatcr]

One receiver which I've found well within my budget is Pioneer VSX-917. This is one loaded with features and currently available for 18k. Is this receiver a good value for money? How do you people think about Pioneer AVR's ?

I had a chance to hear the Pioneer AVR for a little while in a shop here in Chennai. Granted the set up was poor and the shop assistant was playing a pirated DVD, but I thought the Pioneer AVR sounded weak for movies. It lacked the authority and power with which the Yamaha, for example, delivers movie sound. For example, one scene I use very frequently is Chapter 2 in Gladiator. In this chapter, Maximus is waiting atop a hill with a select set of horsemen to attack the Gauls from behind. When the flaming arrow is fired as a signal to start the attack, Maximus's dog leads the chase down the hill. In most systems you cannot hear the dog's laboured breathing as it races down the hill. In the Yamaha connected to good speakers, you can clearly hear the dog's breathing.

In the same chapter, after a little while, music is played as the fighting reaches it zenith. In most systems, the heavy violins sound weak, while in a good system they are thrown at you powerfully from the surround speakers.

For me in a movie, such subtle instances are important. An amplifier should be able to identify and separate such subtle sounds and, present them to you effortlessly.

Many movies have such important sounds that can work for or against an amplifier. In U-571, there is a scene when a German destroyer throws depth charges in large number at the submarine. I have heard most systems deliver the depth charges as a confused long rumble. A good system should actually deliver each explosion separately and in isolation even if it is a few milliseconds after a previous explosion.

Choose our amp carefully.

Cheers

 

[KonfuSed]

In the meantime why don't you go to Pro FX & audition Polk Audio TSi 300
MRP is 21K. You should get it for 18.9K.

Will check them up this weekend, actually last weekend only I went there to check the Denon+ProFx package. Didn't like it much though but the offer was mouth-watering.

I had a chance to hear the Pioneer AVR for a little while in a shop here in Chennai. Granted the set up was poor and the shop assistant was playing a pirated DVD, but I thought the Pioneer AVR sounded weak for movies. It lacked the authority and power with which the Yamaha, for example, delivers movie sound. For example, one scene I use very frequently is Chapter 2 in Gladiator. In this chapter, Maximus is waiting atop a hill with a select set of horsemen to attack the Gauls from behind. When the flaming arrow is fired as a signal to start the attack, Maximus's dog leads the chase down the hill. In most systems you cannot hear the dog's laboured breathing as it races down the hill. In the Yamaha connected to good speakers, you can clearly hear the dog's breathing.

In the same chapter, after a little while, music is played as the fighting reaches it zenith. In most systems, the heavy violins sound weak, while in a good system they are thrown at you powerfully from the surround speakers.

For me in a movie, such subtle instances are important. An amplifier should be able to identify and separate such subtle sounds and, present them to you effortlessly.

.....

Choose our amp carefully.

Cheers

Thanks a lot Venkat for the heads up, but will the Yamaha AVR (463 in my budget) be able to do such work? I mean for this I'll have to go for a high-end AVR right? I'm on a very tight budget here :-( Actually I had almost made up mind on the Yamaha first and then some of the reviews in the forum says that Yamaha is not that good for music and bit harsh. But if you say Yamaha is better then I'll definitely go for the Yamaha. How about the Denon 1509? Sorry for asking so many question as I'm totally in a fix now. With this small budget I'm going nowhere it seems :-(