Simple HT setup: 2.1 system or soundbar

[nsunil]

Aadi007,

I am too in the market for a soundbar. I have read good reviews of Sony's HT CT-150 as well as 350. They have HDMI connectivity and quality of sound is great because of that. I have not seen any other soundbar with HDMI input. But I have not been able to find any outlet which sells them in India. Consumer Electronics & IT Products : Sony India does not have any soundbars listed.
I guess Sony do not sell any soundbars in India.

Anyone here owns HT CT-150 or 350? If yes, can you share the outlet name where you bought them? Also how's the performance?

Thanks,
Sunil

 

[aadi007]

Hi All,

I have given up the idea of a soundbar.
So, looking for a good 2.1 setup. Max budget is 15K but can be stretched at max 20K (not flexible).

I looked at hifimart and they have the following 2 options -
Boston Acoustics SoundWare XS 2.1

Sonodyne PQube 2.1 Active Speaker System

My room size is 16*12 and I will be sitting around 10-11' away from the TV/speakers.
Will these be sufficiently powerful?

Alternatively, I was looking at good 2.0 powered speakers like -
Audioengine 2 (A2) Premium Powered Desktop Speakers
But I suspect these will not be loud enough for my case as the power output is only 30W RMS.

Do you suggest sticking to a 2.1 system or active 2.0 system?

I also thought of getting an amp and a pair of bookshelves but that will easily exceed my budget.

Please suggest.

Thanks
Aadi

 

[rkoti]

Also budget for speaker stands. Increases SQ, experience and looks elegant too.

 

[Rupam]

Hi All,

I have given up the idea of a soundbar.
So, looking for a good 2.1 setup. Max budget is 15K but can be stretched at max 20K (not flexible).

I looked at hifimart and they have the following 2 options -
Boston Acoustics SoundWare XS 2.1

Sonodyne PQube 2.1 Active Speaker System

My room size is 16*12 and I will be sitting around 10-11' away from the TV/speakers.
Will these be sufficiently powerful?

Alternatively, I was looking at good 2.0 powered speakers like -
Audioengine 2 (A2) Premium Powered Desktop Speakers
But I suspect these will not be loud enough for my case as the power output is only 30W RMS.

Do you suggest sticking to a 2.1 system or active 2.0 system?

I also thought of getting an amp and a pair of bookshelves but that will easily exceed my budget.

Please suggest.

Thanks
Aadi

Hi you can try to demo Onkyo HTX-22HDX. Its a very good 2.1 system. Far better than sound bar.
http://www.uk.onkyo.com/en/products/htx-22hdx-35463.html

Onkyo HTX-22HDX 5.1 surround sound system review - Surround Sound System - Trusted Reviews

 

[aadi007]

Hi you can try to demo Onkyo HTX-22HDX. Its a very good 2.1 system. Far better than sound bar.
Onkyo | HTX-22HDX

Onkyo HTX-22HDX 5.1 surround sound system review - Surround Sound System - Trusted Reviews

Thanks Rupam.

I checked with the Onkyo dealer here but it is not available.
They said it is discontinued and the replacement is LS3100. Unfortunately, the LS3100 costs more than 30K and I do not think it is value for money.

ONKYO SIGHT & SOUND - INDIA

Do you know where the HTX-22DX is available?

Alternatively, I am thinking of going with an amp and a pair of bookshelves, and adding a subwoofer later if required. Do you think it's a good idea? Will it be better than a 2.1 system? Can you suggest something within 20-25K (amp+bookshelves)?

Also, I measured my room last night and it is around 16.5*14 and I will be sitting 10-12' away from the system. Will this kind of systems will have enough power? I am not looking for floor-shaking sound but something clear and loud enough. Personally, I like the sound to be a little warmer but not the boomy bass kind.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I have learned a lot in the last few weeks after joing this forum

Please help me decide.

 

[rkoti]

Sound bars and some of these "feature rich" 2.1's charge for HDMI audio decoding and all. Considering that TV sound anyway isn't that great, is it really worth paying for all that? Why not a simple amp + book shelf driven by the headphone out of the TV? Depending on the cost & quality these speakers can be reused when upgrading to a full 5.1 channel. This combination can also be reused for "casual" music.

 

[rkoti]

Amrendra (http://www.hifivision.com/members/amarendra.html) has a Norge and Monitor Audio combo that might fit into your budget.

 

[aadi007]

might be a stupid idea but....

If I get a Onkyo 3400/3500, and use it as a 2.1 or 3.1 system (without the surrounds), will it be a good alternative?

The reason I am saying so it I can get the 3400/3500 within my budget of 25K.

please suggest....The TV speakers sound so awful, I can't live with them any more.

 

[angynagpal]

might be a stupid idea but....

If I get a Onkyo 3400/3500, and use it as a 2.1 or 3.1 system (without the surrounds), will it be a good alternative?

The reason I am saying so it I can get the 3400/3500 within my budget of 25K.

please suggest....The TV speakers sound so awful, I can't live with them any more.

Try an onkyo demo room in your location and test it out before deciding.

 

[rajadeep]

At this tight budget I would recommend going for a Amp + 2.0 speakers... I heard the AE A2 at the recent stereo meet in mumbai & they are really impressive speakers... Cant comment on the others u have listed but my theory is that a 2.0 speaker at a 20k budget will sound better than a 2.1 one as the Sub has the bigger driver, thus takes up most of the budget & delivers only around 20% of the sound(maybe less)... There are some pretty decent amps from companies like Norge in the under 10k bracket & finding a pair of bookshelves under 10k is not that hard... There are always some pretty good speakers around this budget coming up in the For Sale section of the forum...

 

[aadi007]

At this tight budget I would recommend going for a Amp + 2.0 speakers... I heard the AE A2 at the recent stereo meet in mumbai & they are really impressive speakers... Cant comment on the others u have listed but my theory is that a 2.0 speaker at a 20k budget will sound better than a 2.1 one as the Sub has the bigger driver, thus takes up most of the budget & delivers only around 20% of the sound(maybe less)... There are some pretty decent amps from companies like Norge in the under 10k bracket & finding a pair of bookshelves under 10k is not that hard... There are always some pretty good speakers around this budget coming up in the For Sale section of the forum...

It makes perfect sense to me..
Can you help me with some recommendations in that price range?

 

[elangoas]

It makes perfect sense to me..
Can you help me with some recommendations in that price range?

If you are planning to buy a stereo amplifier & connect it to your TV, your sound will not improve.. Because your TV's DAC will be used. It defeats the purpose of quality audio until & unless you can afford for a good quality DAC which in your case is tough to squeeze in your budget...

Better look for an used receiver (Non HDMI)..There are plenty which you can get for 8 - 12K easily with solid power...This will have a better DAC than your TV's DAC...

Either look for a new bookshelf speaker for 10K (or) get an used one for 10K....

 

[Nishanth]

You might want to look at LG's 2.1 sound bar, check LG India's website for the model and other details. It sells for close to Rs 20,000 and it is currently one of the best sound bars in its price range. The model has a wireless sub and it also has Bluetooth support for wireless streaming of content from you Bluetooth devices. It has optical inputs and a USB port for playing content from a USB drive.

As far as sound quality goes it is very good, the sub woofer is not a very large unit but it produces very good bass. The so called 3D surround sound that most sound bars promise is not very good and its the same with most sound bars. Yamaha's sound bars are the only ones which create a good virtual surround sound effect.

I am sure your more confused now

I would suggest you to first decide if you want a sound bar or a full size 2 channel or a 2.1 speaker system. If you want good sound quality in a compact set up then I would suggest you to go for a sound bar. The JBL and F&D models you had shortlisted are also good. You should be able to audition the JBL sound bar at your local JBL dealer, I doubt if you will find a dealer to audition the F&D system but its VFM and I doubt if you will find a better model in that price range.

Go for a full size stereo speaker and may be even a sub if you want a set up which is more musical and more powerful than a sound bar. For this set up it would be worth spending 25k or even more.

 

[fragpic]

You could take a look at the Edifier S730.
I am using it and the sound is spectacular for the price.

 

[aadi007]

You might want to look at LG's 2.1 sound bar, check LG India's website for the model and other details. It sells for close to Rs 20,000 and it is currently one of the best sound bars in its price range. The model has a wireless sub and it also has Bluetooth support for wireless streaming of content from you Bluetooth devices. It has optical inputs and a USB port for playing content from a USB drive.

As far as sound quality goes it is very good, the sub woofer is not a very large unit but it produces very good bass. The so called 3D surround sound that most sound bars promise is not very good and its the same with most sound bars. Yamaha's sound bars are the only ones which create a good virtual surround sound effect.

I am sure your more confused now

I would suggest you to first decide if you want a sound bar or a full size 2 channel or a 2.1 speaker system. If you want good sound quality in a compact set up then I would suggest you to go for a sound bar. The JBL and F&D models you had shortlisted are also good. You should be able to audition the JBL sound bar at your local JBL dealer, I doubt if you will find a dealer to audition the F&D system but its VFM and I doubt if you will find a better model in that price range.

Go for a full size stereo speaker and may be even a sub if you want a set up which is more musical and more powerful than a sound bar. For this set up it would be worth spending 25k or even more.

Thanks Nishant.
I had a look at the LG sound bar you mentioned ...but it is not available anywhere. Let me try to call LG helpline and find it.

I am little skeptical about buying sound bars. I have auditioned Yamaha sound bars which are supposed to be one of the better ones and found them lacking the punch or fullness (don't know the correct technical jargons).
I doubt LG will be any better but no harm in giving a listen if it is available.

You could take a look at the Edifier S730.
I am using it and the sound is spectacular for the price.

I could not find it anywhere...can u let me know where is this available.

@elangoas: That is news to me. I have already heard of so many new things in the last few days, dont wanna confuse myself with another new thing - DAC If that is the case, I am wondering what's the point of having the amp if I have to buy a separate DAC. Anyway, it is not an option for me.

Which is a good place to look for used receivers - online or otherwise? I stay at Hyderabad.


Yesterday, I also auditioned Yamaha 298 and Onkyo 3400 just to get a sense. Onkyo 3400 is much much better for movies but one can easily tell that the speakers are pretty much crap but the system is good VFM. Since I am not looking for a 5.1 system, I will give it a miss but its a good option for someone looking for a 5.1 with tight budget. It might be worth just for the receiver.

Also, listened to Pioneer HTP-071 which costs only 22K, The onkyo 3400 is a better system. It is also great VFM as you get the VSX-321 receiver even if the speakers are crap.

Came across Yamaha NS 8390 floor standing speakers at Hypercity maill. It is a 3-way speaker and surprisingly cheap at 12000 bucks. Sounded pretty good as well and there is no need of a separate sub with these speakers. I am not able to understand why they are so cheap, even cheaper than most bookshelf speakers.Any opinions?

Here are the specs -
NS-8390 - Home Speaker Systems - Yamaha - Asia / Middle East / Africa / Oceania / Latin America

Thanks everyone for your suggestions

 

[rajadeep]

Lolz I was myself gonna suggest Yamaha ones as they are extremely good vfm for their price point...
About dac well seriously when on is on a strict budget then dac, expensive speaker wires etc take a back seat... Of course the statement that an amp will sound the same as the TV speakers system without a dac is outright wrong & miss leading in my opinion... Anyway my advice would be buy the amp 1st like a Norge 2060 which is an extremely well reviewed amp & then take it to audition with u to play it with speakers like the Yamaha & sonodyne v1501 wharfdale diamond 9.1 etc which are in ur price range... Also look at listings on quikr & olx.in for good vintage speakers... These speakers might be old but they still pack a punch... Also most vintage speakers have big drivers(10-12inches) in big heavy cabinets which gives them enough punch to be easily used without a sub... Also look at the for sale section of this forum which has listings of some good speakers at a vfm price point ... Recently a FM was selling a stereo setup of a sonodyne amp+ v1501 bookshelves which would have been a good buy for u in this price range... Btw many ppl are selling a complete vintage stereo setup in this price range on olx & quikr too... Visit the ones in ur city & see if u find any that u like...

 

[aadi007]

some updates from my side -

The LG sound bar has some real good reviews...it is rated 5* by what hi-fi magazine.
Unfortunately, it is not available for audition anywhere.
But it can be arranged if I place an order, price is 19K.
What do you guys say?

Also, in my quest of searching for alternatives, I found out that the cheapest AVR I am getting is the Denon 1312 for 15K. Is this a good deal?
What speakers can I hook up to the Denon 1312 within my budget (max 15k), preferably under 12K)? Please recommend.

 

[rahuln]

Aadi,

I see you already ruled out Onkyo LS3100 for budget reason but I will still go ahead and share my experience with this system.

I purchased this 3 weeks back from Onkyo showroom in HYD for 30K and extremely happy with it.

Setup:
I have connected it to my TV (LG 42LW6500) via optical cable and TV is connected to TS HD+ via HDMI and network for playing rips. The LS3100 compliments the TV really well as both support Dolby Digital and both dont support DTS .
Also, my network music player (Squzzeebox Touch) is connected to coaxial port.

The whole setup worked out of the box without any additional setting. The wireless sub connected on its own. The TV remote volume control (+/-/mute) works without any extra work. The unit (and the sub) turn itself on/off (with 2 sec lag on startup) so no extra button press required. Even my 5 yrs old uses it.

Audio:
There are two audio mode, a default mode and vocal mode. In default mode the sound is really full and bass is quite good, I had to lower it a bit for my taste. On HD channels and rips with DD audio, the unit does decoding and provide really deep audio.

At night, I switch to vocal mode and it cuts out most of the sound effect, turns down the bass further and dialogs becomes really crisps.


Addons:
Additionally, there is Bluetooth connectivity, so whenever I am stream music on my phone i can play it through it as well.
My wife really liked the looks of the system, this doesn't happen very often .

To highlight, I like

1. The seamless setup. No extra remote, button clicks required and wireless sub.
2. Really full and deep audio both for movies and music.
3. The vocal mode for my night time watching.

I would highly recommend this system if you can extend you budget.

HTH

_Rahul.

 

[aadi007]

Aadi,

I see you already ruled out Onkyo LS3100 for budget reason but I will still go ahead and share my experience with this system.

I purchased this 3 weeks back from Onkyo showroom in HYD for 30K and extremely happy with it.

Setup:
I have connected it to my TV (LG 42LW6500) via optical cable and TV is connected to TS HD+ via HDMI and network for playing rips. The LS3100 compliments the TV really well as both support Dolby Digital and both dont support DTS .
Also, my network music player (Squzzeebox Touch) is connected to coaxial port.

The whole setup worked out of the box without any additional setting. The wireless sub connected on its own. The TV remote volume control (+/-/mute) works without any extra work. The unit (and the sub) turn itself on/off (with 2 sec lag on startup) so no extra button press required. Even my 5 yrs old uses it.

Audio:
There are two audio mode, a default mode and vocal mode. In default mode the sound is really full and bass is quite good, I had to lower it a bit for my taste. On HD channels and rips with DD audio, the unit does decoding and provide really deep audio.

At night, I switch to vocal mode and it cuts out most of the sound effect, turns down the bass further and dialogs becomes really crisps.


Addons:
Additionally, there is Bluetooth connectivity, so whenever I am stream music on my phone i can play it through it as well.
My wife really liked the looks of the system, this doesn't happen very often .

To highlight, I like

1. The seamless setup. No extra remote, button clicks required and wireless sub.
2. Really full and deep audio both for movies and music.
3. The vocal mode for my night time watching.

I would highly recommend this system if you can extend you budget.

HTH

_Rahul.

thanks buddy,
I think this system is perfect for me but seems overpriced for what it offers.
When I called the Onkyo guy (Mr. Srinivas) in Hyderabad, he quoted me 35000/-. Did you buy from the same place(Onkyo showoom in Begumpet).

Also, what is the size of the room in which you are using these speakers?
What is your viewing/listening distance?
Only question I have is - Since these are not very powerful (50W sub + 20W for each speaker), will they be able to produce full enough sound for my room which is approx 225 sft and I will be listening at a distance of 10-12 ft from these speakers.

I will be going to the Onkyo showoom soon for an audition.

Did you think about buying a 5.1 Home theatre like Onkyo 3400/3500 or Pioneer HTp-071 for 25K or less and use those as a 2.1 or 3.1 setup. Currently, sounds to be the best option to me? LOL

 

[rahuln]

Aadi,

Yes, I got it from Onkyo showroom in Begumpet. Mr Srinivas quoted 35K but we agreed on 30K after small negotiation .

I am using it in 12x24 room and listening distance is ~12-13 feet. I find the sound way more than sufficient.

No I didn't consider 5.1 scaled down to 2.1 as I requirement were either soundbar or a 2.1 system. I have a Harman/Kardon AVR 635 and didn't doesn't do good job at handing 5.1 (DD) audio in 2.1 mode. The Onkyo system creates better sound stage. Additionally since it a living room setup used by everyone in the house, there were restrictions on complexity, size and looks .

Audition yourself, the Begumpet showroom have demo setup. Make sure you listen to DD audio not connected in PCM mode, the PCM audio doesn't do the justice to movie sound. The guy in the showroom was not knowledgeable enough.