Need help with HT system.. JBL Cinema 500 vs Klipsch HD 500 and more..

[1C3M4Nz]

Hi all,

After going through a lot of posts and seeing the quality of replies and suggestions i decided to become a member and ask my query as well. I am from Bangalore and a beginner here so go easy on me. Here goes. Might be a long one so bear with me. hyeah:

I am assembling a entry level home theatre with decent quality for music(30%) movies(30%) and gaming(40%). I cannot spend more than 40k on speakers right now as i still need to get an AVR in the same 30-40k range. Still not decided on the AVR so need help. I need an AVR preferably 7.1 as i want to expand later on. I would definitely need 3D and ARC features with all the latest codec support (TruHD,DTSHD,Pro Logic IIz) plus HDMI upscaling(or upconversion at the very least). AirPlay, multi zone playback(zone 2 etc) and other features are not a dealbreaker for me.

My shortlist is

1. Denon 1712 (couldn't find it yet,but would be perfect i guess)
2. Denon 1612 (quoted at 30k, would it be a good choice in case i dont find the 1712?)
3. Yamaha RX v571. (35k - best for my budget.)
4. Denon 1912 (45k - will get it if it is really that good)
5. Pioneer VSX-1021k (49k. is it better to go for the Pioneer VSX-921k at 43k?)
6. Onkyo tx-nr609/709 (not sure about the prices in Bangalore)

But as far as speakers are concerned i have a problem of space too. The klipsch HD 500/ JBL cinema 500/Energy systems are of the ideal size for my room. So it has to be a 5.1 speaker system of small size. Going forward i might add 2 more when and if i move into a bigger room. So after extensive research i found out all the brands that are available in Bangalore and narrowed the speaker system within my budget. Floorstanders and bigger speakers than the ones mentioned above is a no go cause of my small room

Here's my shortlist :
1. Energy Take/RC-micro (costs me 37k on order from eBay or Amazon. No where to be found anywhere in Bangalore will order if its better than other speaker systems in the same price range)
2. JBL Cinema 500 (30k.. not many reviews to be found so would appreciate any input.)
3. Klipsch HD 500 (not sure.)
4. Paradigm Cinema CT90 (45k.. out of budget but may consider if it is very good, maybe CT110 too)
5. Polk Blackstone TL1600 (35-40k)

Any other suggestions considering the budget and size would also be greatly appreciated. I seem to get carried away seeing the "best _ reviews" but ideally do not want to spend more than 70-80k. Energy Take Classic/Micro with a Denon AVR 2112/1912 was an ideal choice in the beginning. But now i am totally confused.

Lastly, is an Onkyo, Yamaha or Denon HTiB(high end of the same budget) a better(or comparable) option to the mix and match combo of the above ??

Yay i am done :yahoo: :clapping: Sorry for the long one but choosing my first HT is turning out to be a very hard task.

Regards.

 

[1C3M4Nz]

Anybody have any suggestions ? Looking to buy in the next 2 weeks.

 

[Calvin]

Also consider Tannoy HTS 101 (costs around 37K). Check Home Theater Store from Bangalore for more options/prices.

 

[1C3M4Nz]

Yes i followed most of the prices from there. But HTS 101 is quoted at 44k in the site. Maybe after negotiation it will come down. Thank you. Had not considered Tannoy as the brand is not familiar to me. If it is good i will consider that too.

 

[az2325]

Check amazon from shopyourworld.com. You should be able to get a better deal than 37k for take classic or rc micro . I own a denon 1911 + energy CB5 combo. I am yet to explore it fully to give an opinion on sound quality but energy denon combo is well appreciated in reviews.

 

[Calvin]

Yes i followed most of the prices from there. But HTS 101 is quoted at 44k in the site. Maybe after negotiation it will come down. Thank you. Had not considered Tannoy as the brand is not familiar to me. If it is good i will consider that too.

Few of our HFV members have the same Tannoy HTS 101 and they have only good words to say about it. You can audition it and decide. Btw, the prices listed in that site are MRP and the selling price should be considerably lesser.

 

[1C3M4Nz]

So you agree that Energy is the best out of the lot i have listed. I should pursue and find the Energy then.

Amazon.com: Energy 5.1 Take Classic Home Theater System (Set of Six, Black): Electronics 27.4k

Amazon.com: Energy RC-Micro 5.1 Surround Speaker System (Black): Electronics 27.4k too..

Wow had not seen that. So i guess i should order from there. There will be no warranty or power issues right ? Lastly the classic debate of RC-micro vs Take Classic, which do i order. According to the reviews some say Micro is better and only con is the speaker connects. Which one is better considering the same price ?

 

[Calvin]

^^ This price is just a conversion of dollars from Amazon US listings. To know the final price, add the product to cart. It would be around 35-36 with customs and shipping.

 

[1C3M4Nz]

Yes, my bad ! I had actually checked the price on this site before, it was 35k on final checkout. When i saw it again thot maybe black friday deal and reduced further and got a little carried away Ebay too will ship it at 37-40k. After spending all this i would still need to buy a step down transformer as this system is 110 V AC mains bringing my expense even higher.

So lately i am thinking unless i get it in Bangalore i dont think it will be good for me to buy this model. Anybody know where i can get the Energy system in Bangalore. It's not available everywhere i have contacted.. Pro FX, Vector, Reliance Digital, Hstore, Audio Planet, Modern World, Cinebels, Uniquesys.. If anybody knows where i can find it please inform me..

Now since Energy has all these problems of power and availability i am considering other models. Namely
JBL Cinema 500 - Its cheaper and i can get a very good receiver(Denon 1912 or even 2112CI/ Pioneer VSX-1021k/ Yamaha RX-v571)
vs
Klipsch HD 500 (still have my doubts whether its better than Cinema 500)
vs
Paradigm CT90/CT110
vs
Tannoy HTS 101

Are my choices appropriate or am i missing a better speaker package of the same budget..

 

[az2325]

One suggestion. Buy the passive speakers from amazon and buy a compatible sub woofer from India. In such a case, you would get a good deal on the major chunk of speakers and still have peace of mind with 230v/50Hz subwoofer with bill and warranty.

I have seen a Take classic 5.0 package with the below cost break up. Additional (Rs 384 * 4) will come since the package is 19 pound (8.6 kg) and for each kg extra to 5kg they will charge Rs 384

Card Type ICICIMasterCard
Items 1
Total 21,400.00
Addl Item Discount 0.00
Discount 1,070.00
Custom Duties & Tax 5,692.40
Sub Total 26,022.40

Still have 10k left for your 37 k budget to buy a Subwoofer. I am not sure whether this looks feasible to you. Neednt be Energy itself. You can build a good combo. Check through the deals before deciding to buy complete package from India. This is how i plan to build my HT. I have got bookshelves from amazon and will be buying the sub from India only. Denon 1911 also is bought from india only to avoid using a step down and for 1 year warranty.

 

[1C3M4Nz]

Yes thats an interesting approach. I will consider that if nothing else works out. The problem is i would not get to audition those and go on reviews alone. That is why i am considering the other auditionable options. I am really interested in the JBL Cinema 500, its new and perfect for my budget. Got nice reviews too.. Doesnt anybody on this forum own it. Want your thoughts on that.

 

[1C3M4Nz]

Had been to couple of demo's namely in The Home Theatre store(hstore.in).. Was very impressed with the Tannoy HTS 101.. The demo was done with Denon 1912 and Pioneer vsx-1021k.. I liked the Denon better. felt it had a richer tone and clarity was excellent with it.. Yamaha AVR's were not there which is a shame cause i really want to try out the rx-671 vs Denon 1912.. JBL cinema 500(he said out of stock) or Paradigm CT90(will get only on order) was not setup too. I really wanted to compare those on 1912. Did demo the Cinema 500 in forum JBL store though. It was horrible. I have a feeling it was because of the AVR. They still demo-ing with an outdated HK 134 and the guy just did not know how to demo a system. He just maxed out the volume and did not understand me at all when i asked him to change some settings. Bass was pretty strong and tight but the rears were amiss. Overall a poor day for the JBL, but i still have hope hyeah:

More demo-ing to follow tomorrow.. Klipsch HD 500 and Polk Blackstones and maybe even Jamo A 101 HCS 5 if it is available.. Yamaha AVR too..
At this moment considering Tannoy+Denon 1912/Yamaha rx-671..

Here's some deals i got today..
Denon 1912+Tannoy - 78k
Pioneer 1021k+Tannoy - 80k
Denon 1612 + Tannoy - 67k
JBL cinema 500 - 35k
JBL cinema 500 + HK AVR 134 - 50k

Will add more after i find out tomorrow..

 

[kneo]

It's an old thread but what system did you finally end up buying?

 

[1C3M4Nz]

Ah sorry about that, should not have left the thread open. Got the Yamaha RX-v671(38k) at htstore and the Energy RC-Micro 5.1(37k) set at Modern World(MG Road).. Whole setup including wires, hdmi, optical and banana plugs cost me around 85k. Sweet setup though. Totally worth it.

 

[yemyes4u]

Hi from wer do u bought energy micro in bangalore.