Which Home Theatre to buy??

[techy.saurabh]

I recently started looking for a Home theatre between a budget of 18-35k. I am a music lover but not an audiophile. Since I like watching movies, I wanted to try if the effects of home theatre a really amazing. I will be installing it in a 14*12 ft room. Moreover, I like to listen songs a lot and great sound quality and bass enhances that experience. I have heard Sony IV300 & RT3 simply without surround effect and they sounded decent. Somehow, I did not like sound effect in Onkyo s3800. The other 2 models suggested by a seller are Phillips HTP-074 (36K) and Elac Cinema 5(35k). I am yet to listen those. Can you all please suggest me some good options in this range? How is elac? Seller compared it to Bose .. lol. Phillips has passive subwoofer but elac has active. Another question is about waranty and support. I had not heard Elac before. Also sony is coming in almost half price. Anyway great experience is priority.

 

[tusharshukla1991]

Hi Saurabh,

I haven't heard to Elac cinema 5 but I have heard other Elac speakers and they are definitely better than bose for the price. Also, elac cinema 5 would need an AVR to work, you won't be able to connect them directly to TV or bluRay. So, the price of the whole system will go around 65-70k (considering 30k AVR like maratnz nr1509)

I have heard Sony RT3, it is decent for the price but can't compete with even the cheapest HTiB in sound fidelity.

For the price you are looking for, I can suggest you two options:
1 Yamaha HtiB (not sure about model, i guess 2910) or Onkyo s3800
2 AVR and 2 speakers for now and add the surround and sub later (Denon x250, marantz NR1509)

 

[efernand1]

I recently started looking for a Home theatre between a budget of 18-35k. I am a music lover but not an audiophile. Since I like watching movies, I wanted to try if the effects of home theatre a really amazing. I will be installing it in a 14*12 ft room. Moreover, I like to listen songs a lot and great sound quality and bass enhances that experience. I have heard Sony IV300 & RT3 simply without surround effect and they sounded decent. Somehow, I did not like sound effect in Onkyo s3800. The other 2 models suggested by a seller are Phillips HTP-074 (36K) and Elac Cinema 5(35k). I am yet to listen those. Can you all please suggest me some good options in this range? How is elac? Seller compared it to Bose .. lol. Phillips has passive subwoofer but elac has active. Another question is about waranty and support. I had not heard Elac before. Also sony is coming in almost half price. Anyway great experience is priority.

Hi

Would suggest you visit the dealers around your location and audition the various systems available ....listen to your favourite music and see the movie scene as reference to compare and make a decision later....

Visit Reliance Digital, Vijay Sales, Croma etc who would have entry level systems where you can audition and decide.....

if possible to visit Mumbai.....you can visit the many dealers here and decide accordingly....

If more inclined towards music...a Marantz AVR or Yamaha AVR will work better.....you can get a pair of Bookshelf Speakers...(lots being sold over OLX cheaper) and build your system slowly....add the center then the sub and surrounds later when budget permits.....

All the best

 

[elangoas]

I recently started looking for a Home theatre between a budget of 18-35k. I will be installing it in a 14*12 ft room

Anyway great experience is priority.

If you can increase the budget a lil by 5K, you can have a good 5.0 set-up..

Pick an AVR from any brand where you get good deal for 20K and spend the rest 20K on Taga Harmony TAV series 5.0 speaker package which come with FS.. This will help you complete 5.0 set-up..

When you have some more money, add the subwoofer and complete 5.1 set-up..

 

[medianandha]

I am having Sony BDV 4100 model which is costlier than the RT3 model. But I wasn't fully satisfied with this HT package sets. Especially while watching the movies, the Center speaker is not good. Since we don't have very finite control over the 5.1 speakers, now I am looking to change to a typical AVR + Speaker setup for my entertainment room.

This is just my experience.

 

[techy.saurabh]

Thanks for all inputs.

Out of my experience, before buying a home theater, you have to take into consideration, these points.
1. How often do you watch movies
2. What is your room size?
3. What is your screen size (Are you going to use a projector or a LED monitor
4. Do you have enough source to get the movie files, Blu ray or DVD

If you have a small room, and are planning to use a LED tv as monitor, then a decent Htib is more than enough. I would suggest Yamaha. Onkyo is good, but bad service. If you are going for separates, the price would just shoot up like anything. Only if you have a big screen with a projector, a dedicated room for theater you need to go for that. I visited a person to see his HT set up. He used a 40 inch LED tv and a 5.1 separate set up with large speakers. The picture, sound alignment was really awkward. the sound was way bigger than the picture. There was no originality.
Good DVDs/BR disc are not easily available, and is very expensive. We get pirated discs, but sound quality is not worth the investment in an expensive home theater.

Room size 14*12 bedroom .. with a 43" LED. Its not just movies but normal TV experience and listening to music in good sound and may be enhancing normal TV viewing experience.

 

[techy.saurabh]

In 26th Jan sale I am getting Sony IV300 in 17-18k and RT3 in 15k, is it worth it? From what I have researched till now it seems configuring a good sounding HT is difficult and expensive task and you would always be wanting more no matter how much you spend. Though I too want to hear songs and my favourite movies in top sound effects, I have my budget restrictions. Today I heard a single Bose speaker (price whopping 38K) and I didn't like the sound a bit. Thus, I am afraid even after spending 30-40k there may be chances I may not like the sound quality.