Noob Prizefight - Dens v Onks v Yammy v Anything Else

[gunner fan]

Prizefight Entry Line - Denon v Onkyo v Yamaha v HK/JBL???

So here I am - a noob in the world of sound - looking to climb the ladder.
We're shifting houses so the new room begs for a descent HT setup. Will tackle the bedroom setup first and with the right experience and Vitamin M replenished will move to the living room setup.

Bedroom
Well let me take a step back - the room is roughly 18'x17' with wooden flooring. Me and the missus both like a deep bass setup rather than a loud one.

Broad requirements from the setup and the components in mind to complete the setup.
To Dos -
1. HD DTH - not sure about which one to go with but am tending towards Tata Sky
2. PS3 - primarily for gaming and BD playback
3. Playing all sorts of videos (pshh torrents) from either the external hard disk and/or multiple laptops
4. Stream music from an ipad and iphone - through airplay. Pref also have a provision for bluetooth streaming for all non apple handsets - but that is a luxury

So the above list essentially establishes that I need the system to do almost all that is possible . Have the display (d5000), ps3 and the apple devices in place.


Vitamin M drainers -
1. AVR with HT package (roughly 30-35K)- looking at an entry line setup. Some popular options discussed across multiple threads here - Onkyo 3400/3500, Denon 1312xp, Yamaha yht 296/298, JBL/HK Systems?
2. Airport Express or Apple TV - since the AVRs I am looking for are entry level - they would not have in-built airplay
3. HD Media player - since the way I see this setup is the various components being connected to the AVR and the AVR to the Sammy - I will need a media player to play all sorts of video files. Some popular options here seem to be WD Live TV, AC Ryan PlayOn, Asus O'Play Mini
4. Cables - believe most of these AVR packages come with appalling (read 22 gauge) wires. So will look to buy 16/18 gauge wires.

Will request advice on the above 4 in terms of -
a) Where in Gurgaon/Delhi could I audition these?
b) Recommendations from learned folks on options I listed or others I may have missed?

Feel free to ask details I may have missed sharing

 

[gunner fan]

Bump :sad:

Just a single update from my end - got Videocon D2H HD package (1+3). HD channels look fabulous on both the V20D and the D5000.

 

[prosenjit]

get separates.start with an avr and a pair of fronts.buy centre,sub,rears slowly.......while strong in budget..
entry avr denon 1612 25.6k......or from onkyo equivalent
speakers lots of .....budget but good performer wharfedale 10.1 bs and sonodyne bookshelfs.....10k........
sound will be much more good than a htib package.....

well your videocon cant send DD via hdmi..so tatasky was good in this regard...anyway not a big problem...it can do it via optical,,

insted of a media plyer i suggest a blu ray plaer...as it will be future proof..suppose someday you want to rent or buy blu ray disk and enjoy it....and about file play..modern blu ray players are as good as media plare....good blu ray player pana 220(can be made region free,playes from a 1tb hdd smoothly..but presently unavilable online and retail..search and see if you are lucky..can import also...).other option sony (forget making it region free) 490 at ezoneonline 9k..(retail 13k)...or in e bay india gray item A zone 8.3k......although 110v-240v...

about airplay check avr specs..there are not very expensive avrs who do have this feuture..so can avoid the price of another extra device and at the same time get a bettr powerful avr........

 

[musicbee]

I have heard Onkyo 3400/3500 and Yamaha YHT 296 and can definitely recommend them. Other option is to go the route of separates by getting a mid-level AVR and going for a 5.1 speaker package from HiFiMart or adding floorstanders first and then adding the other speakers at a later date.

If you are short on budget then go for a HTIB. Performance will be good and not lacking especially from Onkyo and Yamaha. Separates will offer more options to mix and match but performance will not be that much great/better especially in a small/medium room. I'm using HTIBs in bedrooms that are 18 x 20 feet and 20 x 23 feet. What you play will have the most difference in the SQ i.e. Dolby Digital will be good, DTS will be better and Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio will be even better than say output from TV channels or even movie rips with 2.0.

For the source if you have an old PC then convert it into a HTPC. Or else since a PS3 is on your list it will make for a very good media player. The best PQ though will be from a dedicated Blu-ray player and you can get a good one for around 12-15K. I would not recommend a media player... I have WDTV and it lacks in comparison to my PS3, HTPC and my Blu-ray player.

 

[gunner fan]

Re: Prizefight Entry Line - Denon v Onkyo v Yamaha v HK/JBL???

So its been a long while since I was serious about the HT Setup. Last time around (3 yrs ago) we were about to shift into a new place for which I had started this thread. A quick summary of where I am at now -
A) Upgraded the display from 32"D5000 to 51"F5500 - loving the BIG PLASMA experience
B) Videocon HD D2H - there were challenges with one kind of box (white) not being completely compatible with the tv, but the black one works like a charm
C) Continue to use PS3 only for gaming | couple of hard disks connected to the tv for sitcoms and movies

Instead of looking to go with a AVR/5.1 Speaker Setup, the wish now is to look at a mid-range soundbar/2.1 setup. The main criteria are two fold - either hdmi/optical inputs and bluetooth streaming capability. Some of the options being considered are -
1) JBL Cinema 350/400 - briefly auditioned 400 - more from a music angle. Noticed that the system goes loud and low (given the 8" sub). From a damage perspective there is a good 15K difference between the two
2) Pioneer SP-SB23W - purely included basis reviews/ comments that I have heard about this
3) Boston Acoustics Soundware xs 2.1 - not a soundbar options but pretty much would suffice what I am looking for. Unfortunately cannot seem to find this in stock anywhere; no auditions done
4) Orbitsound M9/10 - not available in India - can get thru a relative in UK or order from one of those order-ship to India ecommerce sites. Have heard the erstwhile T9/T12 setup in my time in UK, and liked the balance very much. There will be no warranty in case it goes kaput as orbitsound is clear about not coming into India
5) Yamaha YAS 203 - not the beam speaker variant but this one with the 2 channel speaker and wireless sub is available at a steal of GBP 199 for a while. Not heard it / not sure about the warranty as well.

Finally the option I am leaning towards - Fidelio 9100 - auditioned for both music / movie. Pretty impressed with the sound - not as loud/low at the Cinema 400, but the entire concept of surround 4.1 on demand is brilliant.

Would love to hear views about the options being considered (especially if using any of them) and specifically about the Fidelio 9100. Is there any option I may be missing out on? Also would Gaffar offer some of these global products?

Thanks

PS: Moderator please help change the subject to "Search for a mid-range soundbar/2.1 system"