7.1 ch 4K upscaling home theater limited budget

[sumitpune]

Hi,

I am a novice with HTs. Wanted to setup a Home Theater in my living cum dining room. The room setup is as follows:

Total size: 15ft * 23ft
Living room area (This is where the home theater will go) 15ft * 10 ft
Room Layout:
https://plus.google.com/photos/105989549312499241850/albums/5976022895575440529

The budget is about 70K.

Criteria is (This is designed to be future proof for next 5-6 years):
7 channel (7.1)
3D Pass thru
4K upscaling
Wireless and bluetooth connectivity is nice to have. Some of the connectivity features can be achieved thru the bluetooth player I plan to acquire about a year down the line.

60% movies. 40% Music. But I love my music time as stress buster. Mostly into Jazz and soft rock.

Narrowed down on Marantz NR1604 that is available for 43,250 on HiFiMart. I hope this is a good choice.

Need suggestion on compatible speakers. I guess I am left with 25K for the speakers.

Thanks in advance.

 

[sumitpune]

Talked to Soundscape in Pune. He is recommending Denon X2000 over Marantz NR1604. Feature wise both seem same. X2000 seems to have more power.

Cost wise both seem similar.

From a sound quality point of view which is better? Music type: Jazz, Soft Rock and Classical.

 

[elangoas]

Hi,

I am a novice with HTs. Wanted to setup a Home Theater in my living cum dining room. The room setup is as follows:

Total size: 15ft * 23ft
Living room area (This is where the home theater will go) 15ft * 10 ft
Room Layout:
https://plus.google.com/photos/105989549312499241850/albums/5976022895575440529

The budget is about 70K.

Criteria is (This is designed to be future proof for next 5-6 years):
7 channel (7.1)
3D Pass thru
4K upscaling
Wireless and bluetooth connectivity is nice to have. Some of the connectivity features can be achieved thru the bluetooth player I plan to acquire about a year down the line.

60% movies. 40% Music. But I love my music time as stress buster. Mostly into Jazz and soft rock.

Narrowed down on Marantz NR1604 that is available for 43,250 on HiFiMart. I hope this is a good choice.

Need suggestion on compatible speakers. I guess I am left with 25K for the speakers.

Thanks in advance.

You may also consider Pionner VSX 523 AVR around 27K in Hifimart.com...They may not have wi-fi & Bluetooth, but you save 16K which you can invest for speakers....

For your roomsize & Priority (movies), you can look @ Sat + Sub Combo (or) BS + Sub Combo....

 

[karthi1000]

4k upscaling is not going to help you atleast for 2 -3 years unless u r going for 4k screen right now. 1.4 hdmi std is going to be replaced with hdmi 2.0 soon , hence no future proof for avrs right now

 

[BOSS8055]

Excuse me for hijacking the thread. Even iam in the same boat. (1) 7.1 or even better 7.2 channel support (2) 4K, 3D pass through (3) HDMI ARC (4) more than one optical input (5) Audessy calibration (6) I am not an audiophile or atleast haven't tasted what pure sound is...still there is no end to perfection....so value for money set up which is future proof. Budget upto 1 lakh. Looking only in Yamaha/ denon/ onkyo.

I would have been more than happy with onkyo HT-S5400 but it doent support 4K. was quoted Rs.66,000 and negotiable with B & W. Eagerly waiting for onkyo 2014 HTIB lineup. :sad:

 

[sumitpune]

Folks,

I am unable to audition BA-2310 in Pune. But definitely liked Bookshelfs over satellites. Don't have space for towers. From the dimensions it seems that BA- A23 is almost a satellite.

Also the person at Soundscape Pune suggested that Marantz AR series is underpowered. He suggested that I go for a full sized AVR like Denon x1000. Is he trying to push Denons as he might not have Marantz NR?

If I jack up my budget to 1L what 5.1 HT configuration will you suggest with BA-A26s and Marantz AVR?

Dropped the idea of 7.1 or 4K upscalaing in AVR. Still need 3D passthru with networking capabilities.

 

[efernand1]

Hi

After extensive use of a variety of AVRs like Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo and Pioneer, I have settled for a Marantz NR series...firstly ofocourse due to the looks....secondly the company has been into existence for 50 years + and has really done their homework. Besides having the regular features like other AVRs, this one has a good logical list of sound modes for Games, Music and Movies. Music sounds too good with depth, warmth etc just like a normal 2.0 integrated stereo amplifier. Besides the Bass + Treble controls...there is 9 Band adjustable EQ which really helps to trim the music to your likings and expectations...before I purchased Marantz, I did a lot of research....everything was good....except that it was only 50w RMS per channel. I felt that this was too little...I put it to the test...went to my regular dealer who put FOCAL bookshelfs and played Madonna's Like a Prayer, La Isa Bonita etc...man 50w per channel is indeed under quoted...this AVR handles bookshelfs and towers upto 150w without any fuss.......in short the other bulky competitors who claim POWER like 100w or 120w in reality may perform at same levels like the Marantz.

Next point is why go for a 7.1 when in reality most movies are 5.1 which is standard in any movie theatres. I use the NR1402 at my place but at my mom's place I use the NR1601 which yes is a 7.1 but I use it as 5.1 The remaining 2 channels are assigned as Front B and I have added recently KEF Cresta 10 bookshelfs. When I hear music , I use the Front B (KEFs) and the powered sub (2.1). When I watch movies, I use the JBLs 5.1

On the NR1402, I use Boston Acoustics Soundware XS 5.1 which are any day better than Bose acoustimass cubes etc. You can get the NR 1504 (with airplay) + Bostons for 50k odd on HiFiMart.

If you want bookshelfs see this

Boston Acoustics A 25 Speaker

Centre Speaker

Boston Acoustics A 225C Center Channel Loudspeaker

Fronts

Boston Acoustics A 250 Floorstanding Speaker

Subwoofer

Boston Acoustics ASW 650 Subwoofer

The best subwoofer is Velodyne and models are Impact 10 and Impact 12 ...would cost almost 30-40k.

Coming to 3D or 4k etc, I use a Pioneer BDP LX 55 Blu Ray player which has the facility to connect 2 HDMI cables. One cable goes to my 3D TV and the other goes to my AVR. By this I get excellent audio and video. This player too reads 1 TB external HDDs without a fuss. The entry level (one HDMI) is BDP 150 which is nice, reads 1TB too. Both players are 3D. OPPO and Cambridge Audio are high end models and cost anything between 45k - 120k.

Also remember to achieve good sound, the music or movies you use should be ORIGINAL or downloaded of good quality. MP3 music should be minimum 320kbps. The Marantz has M-DAX which cleanses MP3 audio to bring it back to CD quality and yes it does makes a difference. The speaker cables need to be Oxygen Free Cables (OFC) and of a proper gauge.

End of the day, it all depends on your taste and wallet (budget). My setup (NR1402) has been replicated by my 5 friends in their houses. Neighbour's envy Owner's pride!

Hope this helps...All the best

 

[elangoas]

Folks,

I am unable to audition BA-2310 in Pune. But definitely liked Bookshelfs over satellites. Don't have space for towers. From the dimensions it seems that BA- A23 is almost a satellite.

Also the person at Soundscape Pune suggested that Marantz AR series is underpowered. He suggested that I go for a full sized AVR like Denon x1000. Is he trying to push Denons as he might not have Marantz NR?

If I jack up my budget to 1L what 5.1 HT configuration will you suggest with BA-A26s and Marantz AVR?

Dropped the idea of 7.1 or 4K upscalaing in AVR. Still need 3D passthru with networking capabilities.

Yes... Marantz NR series are meant to power only satliite + Sub speakers in <= 100 Sqft rooms... Probably if you BS speaker is more efficient (>= 89 db), then NR should work for you.... If not you can look @ SR series from Marantz which should be able to do justice to any BS + Sub combo....

When you look @ any AVR, juz take a look @ the power consumption mentioned @ the back side of the AVR... This will roughly give you an idea....

Marantz NR has 180W consumption for 5 channels.. Which is roughly 35w/Channel...

Where as Denon X 1000 has 390W consumption for 5 channels, which is roughly 80w/Channel....

 

[efernand1]

Hi,

As I stated in my earlier revert it all depends on the person what would appeal to taste and budget...personally after all the experience with so many branded AVRs including BOSE, I have settled for the Marantz. There are other noisy AVRs indeed in the market which also just consume a lot of electric power and not deliver the required clarity what music / movie lovers want. They lack punch and warmth. Such systems heavily depend on the powered subwoofer for standing tall against others.

I am happy with my Marantz + Boston setup. At the end of the day its upto you want you want to own. This is indeed true value for money.

 

[sumitpune]

Thanks everybody for really detailed inputs. So Marantz NR series is frozen for AVR.

Now coming to Speakers:

Suggestion 1 is to go with 5.1 arrangement with Boston A26s as follows:
One Pair Boston Acoustics A26 Speakers
One Piece Boston Acoustics A225C Centre Channel Speaker
One Piece Boston Acoustics A SW650 Subwoofer
One Pair Boston Acoustics A26 Rear Surround Speakers

Suggestion 2 is to go with
One Pair Boston Acoustics A250 Floorstanding Speakers
One Piece Boston Acoustics A225C Centre Channel Speaker
One Piece Boston Acoustics A SW650 Subwoofer
One Pair Boston Acoustics A25 Rear Surround Speakers


Four pieces of A26s will become very prominent in a 10' by 15' space. Also I don't have space for Floor standing A250s. So will this configuration be good enough?

One Pair Boston Acoustics A26 Speakers
One Piece Boston Acoustics A225C Centre Channel Speaker
One Piece Boston Acoustics A SW650 Subwoofer
One Pair Boston Acoustics A25 Rear Surround Speakers

Ideally I would have liked to audition these configurations but I am not sure if any dealer in Pune will have all these available together to help me with audition.

 

[efernand1]

Hi Sumitpune,

I rattle up my place with Boston Acoustic Soundware XS satellites....I am sure the A25 or A26 will definitely meet your expectations.

In terms of color harmony, the A225c is in wooden cherry finish (on HiFiMart) would suggest you to go for the A25s as they are in wooden finish. Unless if you get the A225c in black then go bang on for the A26.

In terms of performance the A25 and A26 are rated at 8ohms 10w-150w. The difference is the woofer cone size and 4hz frequency. Remember the subwoofer will take care of the bass requirements. You can save a few thousands per speaker by opting for the A25.

the NR1504 through Audyssey gives step by step assisted setup and will help you to obtain the optimal performance for both AVR + speakers....the most important...since the speakers are new, they would need some time to really perform to it's maximum potential..this is called opening up and it is recommended that you be patient and atleast play some music which would contain all frequencies or action movies at a nominal volume (not blasting) everyday. 3-4 hours a day minimum would help OPENING up faster. It took a month for my system to adjust to the speakers and open up fully....

Later on after a couple of months, after you have mastered the systems functions and know what you can do, perhaps you can then try to manually adjust the levels and EQ for each speaker. I have kept the Bass and Treble at +1 respectively. Speaker levels you can adjust as per listening area. Setup Bass Management as LFE+Main.

It seems HiFiMart does not have stock of the A25 or A26 at this point in time, better drop a message to them to let you know when available. Alternatively, you can check other dealers and see what is the pricing. In terms of reviews, check YouTube .

Hope This Helps.

 

[RajithKumar]

Denon & Marantz ..both are from the same parent company....and shares common platform in most of the features..

 

[sumitpune]

Denon & Marantz ..both are from the same parent company....and shares common platform in most of the features..

What will be equivalent of Marantz NR1504 in Denon?

 

[efernand1]

Hi Sumitpune,

One of our fellow members did post about this website which indeed provides a true insight to amplifiers AVRs etc..it is one of the most respected websites whose views are considered worldwide...please go through it.

AV Receiver and Amplifier Power Ratings Trends: How and Why Wattage Ratings are Manipulated | Audioholics

Marantz has got more that 50 years in existence and has been evolving with time..end of the day a better product.

Marantz US

to be honest, I was fortunate to get an audition of the Marantz SR series with Boston Speakers at MZ Audio @ Bandra Mumbai and that's when I fell in love with the Boston Speakers and the Marantz quality of sound. Music was definitely warm and movies ..exciting...

I auditioned the NR1402 on Focal Bookshelf speakers and it was amazing...finally I made my purchases without any regret and am fully enjoying the experience. There are also tons of reviews to read or watch on the Marantz, bostons, Denon etc...

I did have the option to purchase a Denon AVR X500 which boasted of more power to drive bigger speakers in the near future etc...let's face it...how many of us will be driving REALLY loud volumes with age coming in..Secondly and the most important deciding factor for me was that Denon model had HDMI connections and hardly any analog connections...this is a downfall as it is always good to have connectivity options if anything goes wrong in future.

The Marantz NR series has HDMI, Coaxle, Component Video, Analog audio and even Optical in...this is required bigtime. The other features like Manual 9 Band EQ, Bass Treble, a suite of Music / Movie / Gaming modes (DTS, Surround etc) and ofcourse not forgetting the slim looks is the best option. Marantz is known for its build quality.

Buddy at the end of the day, it depends on YOU...looks, quality and wallet!

 

[sumitpune]

From the article it looks like in last few decades Yamaha has been the brand which brings market changing innovations. But Brands like Marantz have been sticking to sound quality and playing a catchup game on features.

 

[elangoas]

From the article it looks like in last few decades Yamaha has been the brand which brings market changing innovations. But Brands like Marantz have been sticking to sound quality and playing a catchup game on features.

Before multichannel came in to existence, every manufacturer was doing only stereo hyeah:....

 

[sash]

I did have the option to purchase a Denon AVR X500 which boasted of more power to drive bigger speakers in the near future etc...let's face it...how many of us will be driving REALLY loud volumes with age coming in..Secondly and the most important deciding factor for me was that Denon model had HDMI connections and hardly any analog connections...this is a downfall as it is always good to have connectivity options if anything goes wrong in future.

A lot of us do watch movies at high volumes (85 db or higher), modern movies are not the same if there isn't enough SPL. High powered AVRs do have an advantage there. But that said, you need dedicated, treated rooms to get to high volumes - so if that isn't possible, there may not be an opportunity to go loud. So these things must be factored into the decision.

 

[sumitpune]

Visited Sound Factor and Soundscape over the weekend.

SoundFactor guy was very patient and spent a good 1.5 hour giving demos. He recommended Focal Sib and Co with Yamaha 675. I guess the Yamaha 675 was recommended to fill up my Rs1L budget. Yamaha 475 should be good enough for Sib and Co. He couldn't recommend any bookshelves with AVR in Rs1L budget.

He was not in favour of Mrarantz. His reasoning was that Marantz is not good in HT setup. I guess he did not have one for demo or readily available.

The Soundscape guy recommended following Polk setup instead of Boston:
Front -RTi A3
Center - CSi A4
Surround - OWM3
Sub - PSW 110

According to him Polk RTi A3 is much better than BA A26's

Again he also recommended Yamaha or Denon over Marantz. Strangely nobody seems to be able to provide a Demo for Marantz with Boston A26s.

Please recommend a Pune based dealer who can provide me a demo of Marantz NR with Bostons

 

[sumitpune]

Had a chance to listen to a friend's Polk TXi 400 with Marantz PM6004. Just could not accept bookshelves after that.

Decided to go in for floorstanders by cutting my TV unit to make space from them.
Auditioned Marantz SR5008 with Polk RTi A7 and placed the order.

Will add surrounds and sub later when I have the dough.

This was an interesting journey.

-Started with a budget of 60K sortlisted LG BH9530TW.
-Then came across Hifivision.com and decided to get away from the idea of HTIBs.
-Heard satellites but was not happy with the results
-Decided to up the budget to bookshelves based HT in 80K
-Based on reviews in HiFiVision was tempted to go in for Marantz NR1504 with Boston A26s. Budget bumped up to 1.1L
-Finally Stereo setup with Polk RTi A7s and Marantz SR5008 in 1.2L. To be later converted into HT setup by adding surrounds.

I guess I have joined all of you in the never ending cycle of always wanting more

Thanks for all the inputs. I'll get the delivery in 5-6 days. Lets see how it sounds in my living room.

Some observations during this journey. Following factors need to be addressed if the market has to become a mainstream market.
1. Room acoustics are a very important factor. But none of the dealers is willing to provide audition in actual place
2. No trial periods by any dealer
3. Very limited service network

Strong points for the market is the really good resale value compared to any other consumer electronic item.

 

[efernand1]

Hi Sumitpune,

Well congrats for the progress made. I somehow did not feel inclined to purchase Polk audio after hearing them at the authorised delaers in Mumbai....anyways...since it has appealed to you and you have made your decision..there is no turning back now.

See this link if it helps you to pick any gear within your budget

India's Audio & Video Pre-Owned Classified Ads Website

Hope this helps