At the start, let me acknowledge that:
1) Component based systems comparitively sound much better
2) Component based systems allow you to spend countless hours matching components to your tastes and choosing exactly the shade of sound you want (thought I guess even that varies a little by mood/time/surroundings)
3) There are multiple HTiB options from reputed focussed/audiophile kind of brands like Onkyo / Denon and many many other reputed names, which friends on the forum suggest for almost every 'what should I buy' query.
4) Buying an amp/receiver gives flexibility - and lasts quite a few years through change cycles.
So was I crazy choosing a mass market product - the likes of the Sony/Samsung/Panasonic/LG?
Well, it didnt start quite that way...rather started with white boarding from my requirements.
1) I already had a component based (Denon 1309, Wharfedale speakers in 5.1 configuration) system in the living room. Not being able to use this much though as I have young ones/family at home who are not particularly fond of the loud sound and a few other related factors. I needed to have a sound system in my Study room / den. This is a very small room. Also something went wrong with the current system I had Genius SP-HF1800A (it refuses to power on). SO while being too lazy to search for a speaker repair place in Bangalore, I started looking at other options. The Genius speaker set, though only 50W, was quite good for me (decent musical quality, good bass) and already probably too powerful for the small room.
2) Low power consumption
3) Small enough to not look out of place in the small room
4) Should sound good
5) Have good product features
6) Good build quality
7) Good Reviews from other users
Looked through multiple options, both virtually and in stores. Too much eye (ear) candy nowadays all around. As well as many offers considering it is now the festive/discount season.
Power consumption became the major eliminator. Most of the component based ones had power consumption upwards of 400W and some 800W. Having overlooked this for my Plasma TV buy as well as for the other living room system, this time, I was feeling guilty enough to make this a prime criteria. Maybe it is the class D amps at play here, but the power consumption figures for the mass market products were comparitively very good (I think I saw options ranging from 75W to 135 W of power consumption). All comparitively much better than the higher component category - beter enough to eliminate that category completely for me. Not having to spend as much on power bills also helped.
Then started choosing from the available options (and there were many) - Sony / Samsung / Panasonic / LG / Edifier / F&D / Logitech / Creative / AudioEngine / Swan and did see quite a few others including Lenco, Sanyo!, Koryo!!
Also did my little bit of online research.
And impulsively chose the LG BH7220. The considerations were:
1) Connectivity options - has 2 HDMI IN ports in addition to the HDMI out ('HDMI in' option seems lacking in others, though I guess there may be some with this option available that I may have missed, considering the multitude of choices available).
2) Plays lot of formats - including FLAC, MKV, DIVX HD. Plays back also AVCHD, which is a bonus for me as some of my previous material is in AVCHD. Supports
3) Connectivity options - usual option of 'optical input in' available.
4) Plays 3D Blu Ray. Also supports BD Live / Java.
5) Upscaling to 1080p.
6) Plays most formats from USB disks upto 1 TB (hopefully a future firmware update allows playing from higher capacity disks too).
7) DAC
8) Headphone output/amp (to be confirmed).
9) Inbuilt wireless support (to be confirmed).
10) Supports Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master Audio (Essential).
11) Support for Simplink, ARC, FM Radio, Wired and wireless networking support, Sound Effects Processor (with LG sound processing algorithms for sound effects like 3D Surround Sound), DLNA, compatiblity with iphone/pad, LG Smart TV functionality, Nero MediaHome software, gracenote
12) Small size speakers - that could be wall mounted, some flexibility for adjustments/positioning after wall mounting also available
13) As a new product, there were not too much reviews. Only reviews I could find were at Amazon Germany site from users who had bought/used the product. The reviews were all tracking positive (including 1 that got added yesterday, there are 11 reviews as of date. It is from the reviews that I understood there is a headphone output, though it is not listed in the support material).
14) LG seems particularly determined this year with their offerings - products from their partnership with Google for Mobiles, their range of TVs this year, etc. seems to indicate their desire to make up for some of the mistakes of the last years, and they seem to be making their offerings as feature packed as possible.
15) Total output of 1100 W RMS (though these rated numbers are at 10% THD. 200 W for the sub, 180 W each for the front/speaker/rear speakers - though the exact mechanics of the power distribution of exactly 180W for each beat me, considering that the front and rear speakers are bigger than the rear ones, as well as the front speakers are 2 way, the center one is 2 Way 3 speaker while the rear ones are 1 Way and smaller in size)
16) Power consumption of 130W only!!!
Bit the bullet and bought it yesterday. The MRP was Rs. 24990/-. Got it at a decent discount. The LG festival offer for this product also includes 2 3D Blu Ray discs which was icing on the cake (though yet to receive as the disks are, I am told, out of stock with LG). Also got a small gift (a 'lunch box') as compliments from the shop for the festival time purchase. Brought it back with me yesterday and it is lying unopened as yet. Expecting a technician from LG to come in today to help install. Hoping for some interesting times with this, and will update on any interesting milestones.
Now need to explore if there are any options for (1) Making this play USB drives larger than 1 TB (2) Play multi region Blu Ray and DVD disks. Request any suggestions. I realize I have gone against the accepted logic on this forum. Hoping for not too many brickbats.
1) Component based systems comparitively sound much better
2) Component based systems allow you to spend countless hours matching components to your tastes and choosing exactly the shade of sound you want (thought I guess even that varies a little by mood/time/surroundings)
3) There are multiple HTiB options from reputed focussed/audiophile kind of brands like Onkyo / Denon and many many other reputed names, which friends on the forum suggest for almost every 'what should I buy' query.
4) Buying an amp/receiver gives flexibility - and lasts quite a few years through change cycles.
So was I crazy choosing a mass market product - the likes of the Sony/Samsung/Panasonic/LG?
Well, it didnt start quite that way...rather started with white boarding from my requirements.
1) I already had a component based (Denon 1309, Wharfedale speakers in 5.1 configuration) system in the living room. Not being able to use this much though as I have young ones/family at home who are not particularly fond of the loud sound and a few other related factors. I needed to have a sound system in my Study room / den. This is a very small room. Also something went wrong with the current system I had Genius SP-HF1800A (it refuses to power on). SO while being too lazy to search for a speaker repair place in Bangalore, I started looking at other options. The Genius speaker set, though only 50W, was quite good for me (decent musical quality, good bass) and already probably too powerful for the small room.
2) Low power consumption
3) Small enough to not look out of place in the small room
4) Should sound good
5) Have good product features
6) Good build quality
7) Good Reviews from other users
Looked through multiple options, both virtually and in stores. Too much eye (ear) candy nowadays all around. As well as many offers considering it is now the festive/discount season.
Power consumption became the major eliminator. Most of the component based ones had power consumption upwards of 400W and some 800W. Having overlooked this for my Plasma TV buy as well as for the other living room system, this time, I was feeling guilty enough to make this a prime criteria. Maybe it is the class D amps at play here, but the power consumption figures for the mass market products were comparitively very good (I think I saw options ranging from 75W to 135 W of power consumption). All comparitively much better than the higher component category - beter enough to eliminate that category completely for me. Not having to spend as much on power bills also helped.
Then started choosing from the available options (and there were many) - Sony / Samsung / Panasonic / LG / Edifier / F&D / Logitech / Creative / AudioEngine / Swan and did see quite a few others including Lenco, Sanyo!, Koryo!!
Also did my little bit of online research.
And impulsively chose the LG BH7220. The considerations were:
1) Connectivity options - has 2 HDMI IN ports in addition to the HDMI out ('HDMI in' option seems lacking in others, though I guess there may be some with this option available that I may have missed, considering the multitude of choices available).
2) Plays lot of formats - including FLAC, MKV, DIVX HD. Plays back also AVCHD, which is a bonus for me as some of my previous material is in AVCHD. Supports
3) Connectivity options - usual option of 'optical input in' available.
4) Plays 3D Blu Ray. Also supports BD Live / Java.
5) Upscaling to 1080p.
6) Plays most formats from USB disks upto 1 TB (hopefully a future firmware update allows playing from higher capacity disks too).
7) DAC
8) Headphone output/amp (to be confirmed).
9) Inbuilt wireless support (to be confirmed).
10) Supports Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master Audio (Essential).
11) Support for Simplink, ARC, FM Radio, Wired and wireless networking support, Sound Effects Processor (with LG sound processing algorithms for sound effects like 3D Surround Sound), DLNA, compatiblity with iphone/pad, LG Smart TV functionality, Nero MediaHome software, gracenote
12) Small size speakers - that could be wall mounted, some flexibility for adjustments/positioning after wall mounting also available
13) As a new product, there were not too much reviews. Only reviews I could find were at Amazon Germany site from users who had bought/used the product. The reviews were all tracking positive (including 1 that got added yesterday, there are 11 reviews as of date. It is from the reviews that I understood there is a headphone output, though it is not listed in the support material).
14) LG seems particularly determined this year with their offerings - products from their partnership with Google for Mobiles, their range of TVs this year, etc. seems to indicate their desire to make up for some of the mistakes of the last years, and they seem to be making their offerings as feature packed as possible.
15) Total output of 1100 W RMS (though these rated numbers are at 10% THD. 200 W for the sub, 180 W each for the front/speaker/rear speakers - though the exact mechanics of the power distribution of exactly 180W for each beat me, considering that the front and rear speakers are bigger than the rear ones, as well as the front speakers are 2 way, the center one is 2 Way 3 speaker while the rear ones are 1 Way and smaller in size)
16) Power consumption of 130W only!!!
Bit the bullet and bought it yesterday. The MRP was Rs. 24990/-. Got it at a decent discount. The LG festival offer for this product also includes 2 3D Blu Ray discs which was icing on the cake (though yet to receive as the disks are, I am told, out of stock with LG). Also got a small gift (a 'lunch box') as compliments from the shop for the festival time purchase. Brought it back with me yesterday and it is lying unopened as yet. Expecting a technician from LG to come in today to help install. Hoping for some interesting times with this, and will update on any interesting milestones.
Now need to explore if there are any options for (1) Making this play USB drives larger than 1 TB (2) Play multi region Blu Ray and DVD disks. Request any suggestions. I realize I have gone against the accepted logic on this forum. Hoping for not too many brickbats.
