Newbie - Advice Requested

[rshankaram]

Hello

I am a complete newbie when it comes to buying audio equipment and would appreciate some guidance here.

I am looking to buy a sound system that will work for both watching movies as well as music. Movies 50 % and Music 50 %. Music is across genres - sufi, popular, jazz, rock. The room is 11 ft x 20 ft. My budget is ~ 75 k.

Thanks in advance

Shankar

 

[Lizard King]

2 channel or multi channel?

 

[rshankaram]

I assume more channels means better/improved sound - right ? If that's correct, multi channel please

 

[Ravikiran 33]

I assume more channels means better/improved sound - right ? If that's correct, multi channel please

More channels means more money and if you want a really good sound system then you have to increase your budget or right now just get a good 2.0 or 2.1 then later on you can add more to get 5.1 or 7.1 . Because if you go for entry level speakers you might go for an upgrade with in few months.

To know the difference between entry level Avr and speakers from mid range ones you should do a side by side audition of both setups .

Since you are from Banglore there are lot of places where you can do audition .
If your in tight budget then my suggestion would be Yamaha rx 485 + Polk T series / Taga 606
If you want to upgrade to dolby atmos then you can go for
Denon x 1600 +Taga harmony 506

But my suggestion would be go for 2.1 setup as of now and u can upgrade it later.

 

[rshankaram]

@Ravikiran 33 - thanks for the response. I have two Q please:

1. If i do need to go up to 5.1, what's the min budget ? and
2. If I start with 2.1 and then look to upgrade, will I be able to continue using the earlier gear as part of my 5.1 set-up ?

More channels means more money and if you want a really good sound system then you have to increase your budget or right now just get a good 2.0 or 2.1 then later on you can add more to get 5.1 or 7.1 . Because if you go for entry level speakers you might go for an upgrade with in few months.

To know the difference between entry level Avr and speakers from mid range ones you should do a side by side audition of both setups .

Since you are from Banglore there are lot of places where you can do audition .
If your in tight budget then my suggestion would be Yamaha rx 485 + Polk T series / Taga 606
If you want to upgrade to dolby atmos then you can go for
Denon x 1600 +Taga harmony 506

But my suggestion would be go for 2.1 setup as of now and u can upgrade it later.

Also, any specific places in Bangalore which I can check out for auditioning the equipment ?

 

[Ravikiran 33]

1. If i do need to go up to 5.1, what's the min
budget ?

~ 1.5-1.6 lakh rupees would be a good budget to get a decent setup

2. If I start with 2.1 and then look to upgrade, will I be able to continue using the earlier gear as part of my 5.1 set-up ?

Yes ofcourse you will be adding centre channel speaker and surrounds followed by atmos speakers.

Also, any specific places in Bangalore which I can check out for auditioning the equipment ?

Yes profx is what usually people suggest although I have never been there and Audioplanet. Basically you can go to any hi-fi store and do the audition then you will knowing about various brands their quality and cost.

I will strongly recommend you to talk to Mr. Amit from Indiq audio (Indian brand) he can guide you well.

Also refer to older posts in speakers home theatre and av receivers section to gain more knowledge.

 

[rshankaram]

Thanks for taking the time and responding to my queries Ravikiran.

 

[fLUX]

@Ravikiran 33 - thanks for the response. I have two Q please:

1. If i do need to go up to 5.1, what's the min budget ? and
2. If I start with 2.1 and then look to upgrade, will I be able to continue using the earlier gear as part of my 5.1 set-up ?

Also, any specific places in Bangalore which I can check out for auditioning the equipment ?

There is nothing like a minimum budget, but if you are open to expanding your budget I would suggest to
i) Identify if you want a Floorstander or bookshelf. You have a fairly large room and can accommodate a floorstander if needed
ii) Audition as many systems as you can. You can do the following
a. ProFX - KEF, Polk & Deftech.
b. Home Cinema - Qacoustics , Sonodyne & XTZ
c. Modern World- ELAC, Qacoustics
d. HTstore- Dali
e. Indiq Audio
iii) Get a front LCR (2.1 setup)& an AVR with preouts to start with. Then get a decent subwoofer , followed by surrounds & then atmos/heights if you are interested.
iv) Finally anytime in future if you feel the need for more power from the AVR, you can couple it with a poweramp (can only do this for AVR which has preouts in the offering)

Also if you scan through the forum you will notice a lot of us have been going for the Indiq Platinum Achal/ Indiq custom LCR as they offer a very good value for the money you spend, Amit who deals with Indiq Audio is one of the best persons you can meet otherwise too and is very helpful to guide you. Also you get a 15 day no question asked return window for your purchase with Indiq Audio, myself & few of my friends from the forum (@Prodigy , @NewBee2020 ) have auditioned other offerings and have preferred Indiq Audio above everything else from the above list.

 

[Lizard King]

I assume more channels means better/improved sound - right ? If that's correct, multi channel please

No. It doesn't work that way. Number of channels have nothing to do with quality of sound.
For music 2 channels are preferred. For movies, 5.1 or 7.1.
Different horses for different courses. Generally speaking 2 channel amplifiers are much superior for music compared to multi channel amplifiers that are meant for movies. You may have to spend twice or even thrice to get the same quality.
First define your needs. Else you may be disappointed.

 

[NewBee2020]

Hello

I am a complete newbie when it comes to buying audio equipment and would appreciate some guidance here.

I am looking to buy a sound system that will work for both watching movies as well as music. Movies 50 % and Music 50 %. Music is across genres - sufi, popular, jazz, rock. The room is 11 ft x 20 ft. My budget is ~ 75 k.

Thanks in advance

Shankar

Hi Shankar,

Welcome to HFV!!
I was also in the same situation as you are now with almost similar room dimensions,mine is 20x12.6.
I have auditioned Polk,Q Acoustic and KEF Floor Standing speakers and finally settled with INDIQ Audio Platinum Achals.
As you are in Bangalore location,audition as many speakers as you can(Sound is very subjective hence auditioning is key).This way you will have a better understanding on the what exactly you are looking for and can ascertain on the budget requirements as well.
I started my journey for a HT setup and for now settled with the stereo setup(I took music as a priority)
@fLUX has already posted the locations for auditions in the above post,good way to start.
IndiqAudio as a brand is customer centric. Platinum achals very well suited for the kind of music i like and the overall sound signature is to my liking(not to forget audition is key and trust your ears ).
Dealing with Amit is a breeze and he is one good gentleman i came across during my search for my setup.One standout you get with indiqaudio is their 15 day return policy(Talk to amit for more details).Let me know if you need any more details.
All the best for your search.

 

[rshankaram]

Hi Shankar,

Welcome to HFV!!
I was also in the same situation as you are now with almost similar room dimensions,mine is 20x12.6.
I have auditioned Polk,Q Acoustic and KEF Floor Standing speakers and finally settled with INDIQ Audio Platinum Achals.
As you are in Bangalore location,audition as many speakers as you can(Sound is very subjective hence auditioning is key).This way you will have a better understanding on the what exactly you are looking for and can ascertain on the budget requirements as well.
I started my journey for a HT setup and for now settled with the stereo setup(I took music as a priority)
@fLUX has already posted the locations for auditions in the above post,good way to start.
IndiqAudio as a brand is customer centric. Platinum achals very well suited for the kind of music i like and the overall sound signature is to my liking(not to forget audition is key and trust your ears ).
Dealing with Amit is a breeze and he is one good gentleman i came across during my search for my setup.One standout you get with indiqaudio is their 15 day return policy(Talk to amit for more details).Let me know if you need any more details.
All the best for your search.

 

[rshankaram]

@NewBee2020 @Lizard King @fLUX - your inputs are so so helpful....thanks a ton !!

Based on this advice, I am clear now I'd prefer a 2.1 rather than a 5.1 or 7.1....
Will audition and check these systems out....and keep you guys posted !

 

[srinisundar]

To make it unclear , you will not be satisfied for movies( since you told 50%) unless otherwise you install 5.1. Just to reduce the cost of 3 channel you can make it as DIY or buy some cheapo surrounds which will be available in the market for 3K to 5K each... Buy a decent 5.1 AV receiver/amplifier which will work out around 30 to 40K may be start with Yamaha or Denon plus nice LCR which you budget for 15K each (45K). Sure around 75K you can complete the HT setup which will satisfy your initial startup needs. Later you add a sub.

 

[rshankaram]

Thanks @srinisundar. That's helpful. Apart from Yamaha and Denon, plan to check out Marantz also for the AVR.

 

[fLUX]

If you are going for cheaper satellites as surrounds temporarily I would suggest to go used route. The reason I suggest that is satellites are difficult to sell in hfv which is understandable as people are usually on the lookout to upgrade and satellites are more often than not what someone wants to start with, so if you get new ones will be difficult to sell.

If you are open to spend more, I would suggest to go audition offerings for 2.1 upto 75k-1L and keep a separate budget for AVR (50k+). If this is not possible go for HTiB packages like Polk TL1600 + AVR . Taga 606 + AVR + Subwoofer. The HtiB packages would be pretty good for movies but might not be that great for music.

 

[srinisundar]

Thanks @srinisundar. That's helpful. Apart from Yamaha and Denon, plan to check out Marantz also for the AVR.

Least you can go for Marantz 5015 which is future proof for atleast 2 to 3 years. But will eat away all your budget with 75K