buying from the US

pavanhifi

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Hi All,

I am a newbie here. I will be going to the US for a short trip and would want to get some components for my home theater that I want to build. My question is what are the best pieces to buy ?

Some background information. My living room is appro 16' X 25'. I am ready to spend around 40K on the entire system including speakers, receiver and the cables. I am not an audiophile and not sure if I can really differentiate between various systems technically. So I want something which would sound good to my ears. I would probably do 50-50 music and movies and I have a Full HD 40" B650 Samsung TV at home.

Now given that, the question is what should I get from the US to ensure that I get best VFM. I would have a large size luggage dedicated for carrying the items, so size should not be a big concern. But at the same time, I am aware of the hassle of voltage conversion (though reading through this forum suggests that technically its not an issue and I should get the same sound quality as long as I use a right step-down xformer)

I am thinking of getting the 5.0 speaker set and cables from abroad and buy the receiver and the subwoofer here to avoid any voltage conversion issues. If so, what would be the best speakers I should buy and what should I get locally ? If not, what are the alternatives ? Also, has anyone has experience buying these components from Amazon and should I go to a local store for a better price ?

Thanks,
Pavan
 
My suggestion: The best VFM is to get a high end AVR from US.. voltage conversion is not an issue.. 110v/220v transformers are easily available.. It will be tough to carry speakers compared to an AVR.. You may get the speakers locally with a slightly higher cost.. savings on AVR will be much higher.. :)

edit: you may get 220v version AVR in US as well
 
Thanks for a quick response. If I have to get an AVR, which one would it be ? The only system that I have auditioned so far is Denon 1610 + Paradigm Cinema 70 speakers and it sound good to my ears. I don't know if I would get to audition many more systems. BTW, Denon 1611 (or 591) interests me because it gets an additional HDMI port which might be useful in the long run. Where would I get 220V AVR in the US ?
 
I second Alok here. The AVRs are priced really low, and if you opt for 2009 models you will get them dirt cheap.

I suggest you read the forum and 0 in top 3 AVRs and then continue discussion. Look for AVrs with minimum DTS HD and Dolby HD so that you can use them when Bluray becomes a standard. WHat I am saying is look for a good allround system so it can serve the next 5-7 yrs without any hiccup.

Denon 1910 is a good allrounder. It has Anchor Bay chip which does a very good job in upscaling DVDs
 
Hi, I am in the same boat as you are,I got tiny Mirage Nanosats 5.0 from electronics expo for $336 from US and i plan to get the receiver and the sub from India. You have take into consideration warranty/voltage/weight into consideration and legally you are only allowed $500 of "imports" from a foreign country without a duty. My advise get good 5.0 speakers if you can
 
Saurabh's suggestions are good-weight/cost/volume are key considerations.

I wouldnt worry too much about the $500-limit-paying some duty is not a deal breaker in my view-it's still worth getting stuff from here. Deals are really attractive, and if you are willing to take the pre owned route it gets even better- obviously this is only possible though if you are here long enough. For example I came across a chance to buy an almost brand new Denon 1910 + 5 Energy Take Sat speakers( about 2 kgs each) for about $500, which would have been well within your budget. I was considering the AVR for myself and the sats for my son-since that didnt come though I bought a used pre pro instead.

Check out Audiogon and see if anything interesting comes-maybe you can ask a friend/relative in the US to order for you in advance of your reaching there.
 
I third the AVR purchase. Lots of chain or big box stores. You can get them cheap there.

Don't try the Audiogon route for 2 reasons - you mention you are a newbie. So unless you know exactly what you are after, its a hit/miss.

Also, used products obviously don't carry warranties and you could be stuck with a lemon with limited options to return/exchange.

With that said, best buy, circuit city and the like are you best friends even though they carry 'standard' models and not high end stuff. But Yamaha Denon and Pioneer and Onkyo are available in abundance...

Don't get too caught up in audition as they have crappy setups to listen to. Also the sales guys are not the most knowledgeable like anywhere else.

Look at the websites and read reviews and pick one up.

If you also want to get a Blue ray player (as that seems to be the trend), then Oppo is the place to look for. Read around on the forums as a no. of guys have done it.
 
Audiogon is useful if you want to Buy high end stuff. I have bought lots of stuff from Audiogon and Ebay all work fine for me. The used stuff goes for less than 50% of the market price in US. In addition in india you need to pay another 35% on duty.

I bought my sub for $800 which was 4 years old, The same comparable sub in Audiopeople would cost me Rs 1,10,000.

For High end stuff, I feel AUdiogon is first place to go.

I have bought lots of used stuff over the years, never worried about warrenties at all. Till now I did not have any trouble with any equipment.

Dont worry about Voltage conversion at all. You will get good converters and stabilizers over here.

You can spend about $600-800 on speakers and few hundreds on a integrated amp. If you want to buy 5 speakers, then the quality of the speakers will go down. Paradigm Atoms are good start. I am not sure how much they cost in the used market.

WIth respect to packing, Get a good box from U-HAUL and pack it well for speakers in one box and use the other suitcase for AMP you should be good.

Thanks
Pandu
 
One more point to keep in mind-Amazon will ship the stuff to you with minimal hassle, whereas going to a shop also has a local tax element involves+ usually higher prices. The local tax element while not so much as in India,can add up!
 
Getting thru Amazon will attract customs guys to your house. Getting thru Customs in airport is lot easier than the mailed ones.
 
Hmm.. I see mixed votes right now. If I buy an AVR, then I may very well buy a subwoofer too because both can use the same voltage converter if need be. The only problem is that the subwoofer will be too bulky to carry. OTOH I am not sure what's the price difference from speakers in India and the US. For example, the paradigm cinema 70 is available at $650 on Amazon and is actually cheaper back home. The Energy Take Classic 5.1 is available on Amazon for $400 and carries very good reviews all over the place.

I agree that the price difference for AVR is huge. For example, Denon 1910 is available for $400 from top Ebay sellers (100% positive feedback). Similarly, yet to be launched in India AVRs such as Denon 591/1611 (update of 1610) is available for $335/$399. The AVR 1610 is available in India for 23K, so there is a huge gap.

I also looked at some websites such as gandhiappliances.com which sells 220V Denon receivers, but the reseller reviews are not so great.

I am inclining towards buying Denon 591 or 1910 from the US. I would love to buy the 5.1 speaker set from the US. But for logistics reason, if I don't want to buy the subwoofer in this trip, which satellite speakers should I buy ? I am open to just buying the front and center speaker now and add more later.

Thanks,
Pavan
 
Denon 790 is available at $355 shipped from Amazon and it looks like an interesting deal given that 790 is identical to 1910 in specs. I understand that ot makes lot more sense to buy a higher end AVR if I am buying from US given that the difference in pricing is HUGE for high end products. At the same time, I worried about the ASS of these products in India, so don't want to put in lot of money which might go waste in case of any problem.

So if I pick my receiver as Denon 790, which speakers should I buy and where ? As I said, I am not gonna do lot of auditioning, so would rather rely on comments here and then look for convenience/deals etc.

Energy Take Classic 5.1 looks interesting for $400. And Polk Audio Rm6750 is available for $250 from Ebay. I may not be able to carry everything in a single trip, so other option is to buy Polk Audio RM6751 satellite speakers ($45 each) and a Polk Audio CS10 center piece for $100 all from Amazon and then buy the subwoofer back home.

Comments/suggestions ?

Thanks,
Pavan
 
Pavan as MBR had suggested elsewhere in this thread you may need to zero in on your TOP 3 preferences before asking for suggestions.
If indeed you've already done that and have set your preferences b/w the 1910 and the 591, may I suggest that you take a look at the higher Denon 2310CI that now retails for $488 (over 40% discount to it's MPR on Amazon (Onecall/6ave)) and clearly has better features than the the 1910.


Edit: if you are on hindsight still considerng a 5.1setup, do take a look at the Deftech Pro-Cinema 60.6.
 
Last edited:
pavanhifi,

I have had Energy Take 5 for very long time. They are probably the best in that price range. I am not sure how much do they cost here. If it is $400 with subwoofer included it is a steal.

With respect to shipping them to india, If you get extra bag or box along with the two checked in bags you need to pay $100 to $125 depending upon the airline.

Thanks
pandu
 
Since you can afford getting AVR as well as speakers..
my suggestions are-

AVR: (find 220v one if possible)
1. Denon 2310
2. 1910 or 1911..(US versions 790 or 791)
3. 1610 or 1611 (US versions 590 or 591)

Speaker set: (no subwoofer)
1. energy take classic 5.0
2. energy rc micro 5.0
3. polk rm6751 5.0

Try getting the best deals in the same priority as above.
Pack them up properly (better in large suitcases to avoid custom's attraction).
You may carry AVR in cabin baggage as well :cool:
A laptop bag and a small size cabin bag is always allowed.
One of my colleague carried a projector in cabin bag without any issue..

Buy subwoofer locally..
it will be large and heavy.. may take some damage in transit..buying locally is wise decision..
 
Since you can afford getting AVR as well as speakers..
my suggestions are-

AVR: (find 220v one if possible)
1. Denon 2310
2. 1910 or 1911..(US versions 790 or 791)
3. 1610 or 1611 (US versions 590 or 591)

Speaker set: (no subwoofer)
1. energy take classic 5.0
2. energy rc micro 5.0
3. polk rm6751 5.0


Buy subwoofer locally..
it will be large and heavy.. may take some damage in transit..buying locally is wise decision..

Denon 1910 220V is available for around $400 from gandhiappliances.com, but I am worried about the reseller ratings. The next best deal is Denon 790 for $355 from Amazon.

I had similar thoughts about just buying 5.0 speaker set and buy subwoofer locally. The trouble is that while RM6750 is selling for $250, building it piecemeal without the subwoofer seems costlier. May be I can just buy the 5.1 package and leave the subwoofer with a friend for the time being or just gift it to him as a good will ;-)

Thanks,
Pavan
 
Hi!! All

I am also planning to get AVR from USA. Can someone suggest me where can i get 220v to 110 v voltage converter in Mumbai and what would be cost?

Reason i am asking because Voltage converter should not blow away AVR

Regards
Deven
 
if u r buying from US..also consider small size stuff like DAC, Media player, CD player which u can easily carry and will have good price diff. between india and US. a pair of high quality bookshelf at low US price is also good option. surrounds and woofer u can buy in india.
 
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