Guidance on stereo or home theater system.

[soumya7600]

Thank you all for creating such a wonderful community here,
I am here for some guidance.
We live in a rented flat ( transferable job) We have untreated room around 12x 15 ft with bed, table , bookshelf etc used as a tv room with LG C1 55 oled tv with hdmi.
Now I want to upgrade the audio quality.
Problem is I want a system that I can use both for music( for me) and tv (for my wife). I am thinking of 2.0 or 3.1 system for now I don't want 5.1 or 7.1 for now because of cable management issue. It will good if can be upgraded later. I have plan a buy own glat down the line 3 to 5 yrs.

Excellent Music is top priority which is good for tv consumption that can connect to my LG oled TV.

I don't know how to proceed. Stereo or AVR.

I live in tier 3 city. Coochbehar in west bengal. No chance of any demo or audition.
I can go to siliguri or kolkata if absolutely needed may dec or January.

I currently listen to music on various portable dac amp , iem, headphones.
Current collections which I like are earman colibri, chord mojo 2 (best)as dac amp, penon serial iem(warm)camfire audio andromeda 2018 iem (neutral), final Audio A8000( best in terms of resolutionbut a bit bright) iem.
Headphones I have hd660s, hifiman edition Xs. ( not impressed with any of these) both are ok. No wow factor.
Recently wanted to upgrade my headphones so headphones

In coming are focal elegia,clear og, stellia.( got a good discount ,220,500,2000 dollar so I bought three tier of focal ) ,haven't heard any of those.

till now best combo to my ear chord mojo2 with Final audio A8000.

These collections are for reference only.

I like warm/ neutral sound with excellent resolution, staging, imaging so it doesn't become boring.

I listen to indian songs both vocal , bengali , Hollywood, ghazal, classical, pakistani, instrumental with interment orchestral and international songs.

I yesterday ordered a chord qutest for a dac from headphonezone.in for home set up as a like mojo2 sound. Can be canceled if advised by seniors here early.


I need guidance on how to proceed further.
Which component are needed.
Which model are best value for money for their respective tier.

My budget is 4 lakh ,

 

[Yogesh]

A trip to Kolkotta after good research wouldn't go waste.

Your budget is very good. A really good stereo system is feasible in your budget.

 

[sgmkumar1972]

Thank you all for creating such a wonderful community here,
I am here for some guidance.
We live in a rented flat ( transferable job) We have untreated room around 12x 15 ft with bed, table , bookshelf etc used as a tv room with LG C1 55 oled tv with hdmi.
Now I want to upgrade the audio quality.
Problem is I want a system that I can use both for music( for me) and tv (for my wife). I am thinking of 2.0 or 3.1 system for now I don't want 5.1 or 7.1 for now because of cable management issue. It will good if can be upgraded later. I have plan a buy own glat down the line 3 to 5 yrs.

Excellent Music is top priority which is good for tv consumption that can connect to my LG oled TV.

I don't know how to proceed. Stereo or AVR.

I live in tier 3 city. Coochbehar in west bengal. No chance of any demo or audition.
I can go to siliguri or kolkata if absolutely needed may dec or January.

I currently listen to music on various portable dac amp , iem, headphones.
Current collections which I like are earman colibri, chord mojo 2 (best)as dac amp, penon serial iem(warm)camfire audio andromeda 2018 iem (neutral), final Audio A8000( best in terms of resolutionbut a bit bright) iem.
Headphones I have hd660s, hifiman edition Xs. ( not impressed with any of these) both are ok. No wow factor.
Recently wanted to upgrade my headphones so headphones

In coming are focal elegia,clear og, stellia.( got a good discount ,220,500,2000 dollar so I bought three tier of focal ) ,haven't heard any of those.

till now best combo to my ear chord mojo2 with Final audio A8000.

These collections are for reference only.

I like warm/ neutral sound with excellent resolution, staging, imaging so it doesn't become boring.

I listen to indian songs both vocal , bengali , Hollywood, ghazal, classical, pakistani, instrumental with interment orchestral and international songs.

I yesterday ordered a chord qutest for a dac from headphonezone.in for home set up as a like mojo2 sound. Can be canceled if advised by seniors here early.


I need guidance on how to proceed further.
Which component are needed.
Which model are best value for money for their respective tier.

My budget is 4 lakh ,

If your primary is music listening means Stereo setup is good ,AVR in my opinion good for movie listening and somewhat music .

 

[soumya7600]

A trip to Kolkotta after good research wouldn't go waste.

Your budget is very good. A really good stereo system is feasible in your budget.

What are the component I need ?
1. Dac-
2 integrated amplifier -
3 speakers
What other components I need
? streamer without a dac .
How do I connect to my tv hdmi port
Any suggestions for models for the respective components

Till now I have thought of chord qutest dac and marantz pm8006 integrated amp.

 

[shuv]

The Qutest is an extremely capable DAC. However, it lacks a HDMI input. So, you have to take the optical out from your TV. Don't think many streamers have HDMI input either. Some integrated amplifiers do come with HDMI ports. But, using that will mean the TV output is handled by the amplifier's onboard DAC, making your Chord redundant.

If you want more than a pair of speakers, you have go with an AVR. The AVR would do all the decoding and that again makes the Chord redundant.

First decide on the number of speakers you want. More than two, cancel the Chord and look at higher end AVRs with good onboard DACs.

 

[Yogesh]

What are the component I need ?
1. Dac-
2 integrated amplifier -
3 speakers
What other components I need
? streamer without a dac .
How do I connect to my tv hdmi port
Any suggestions for models for the respective components

Till now I have thought of chord qutest dac and marantz pm8006 integrated amp.

You will need 4 components.

1. Streamer (Wiim and Eversolo are current favourites)
2. DAC (The Qutest is an excellent product, Mojo is also used by many as Desktop DAC)
3. Amp (Marantz, Indiq, O&B, Denon)
4. Speakers (Spendor, Harbeth, Wharfdale, Dali, Indiq, QA)

Now there are many Streamer that have inbuilt DAC like Gustard R26, Blusound Node, Eversolo and CA CXN V2. R26 and EverSolo are current favourites.

Many Amps also have in built DAC.

And to confuse you even more, There are products that have al 3 electronics elements, they are called streaming Amps. (e.g. Audiolab 7000N Play, Marantz 7000N)

If you like Tube sound, Lyrita Amp and Speakers would be worth looking into too.

Also, it would help if you could share room details like size, dedicated, bedroom, drawing room etc, people can help you more effectively.

 

[sgmkumar1972]

What are the component I need ?
1. Dac-
2 integrated amplifier -
3 speakers
What other components I need
? streamer without a dac .
How do I connect to my tv hdmi port
Any suggestions for models for the respective components

Till now I have thought of chord qutest dac and marantz pm8006 integrated amp.

Chord and Marantz Amp are good choice , as said by Shuv you can connect optical or Coaxial connection from TV to DAC .

For budget Streamer you can go with Wiim mini or Wiim Pro , lot of expensive Streamers are available ( Bluesound, Mercury , Lumin etc , you can choice based on your budget )

 

[soumya7600]

A trip to Kolkotta after good research wouldn't go waste.

Your budget is very good. A really good stereo system is feasible in your budget

If your primary is music listening means Stereo setup is good ,AVR in my opinion good for movie listening and somewhat music .

nymore suggestions sir.

The Qutest is an extremely capable DAC. However, it lacks a HDMI input. So, you have to take the optical out from your TV. Don't think many streamers have HDMI input either. Some integrated amplifiers do come with HDMI ports. But, using that will mean the TV output is handled by the amplifier's onboard DAC, making your Chord redundant.

If you want more than a pair of speakers, you have go with an AVR. The AVR would do all the decoding and that again makes the Chord redundant.

First decide on the number of speakers you want. More than two, cancel the Chord and look at higher end AVRs with good onboard DACs.

For now I would like 2.0 or 2.1 set up. Depending on everyone's guidance. Adding subwoofer because of TV.

But can't I use more than two speakers with qutest dac. My understanding is I wouldconnect qutest to integrated amp. Depending upon the amp output capabilities I can connect more speaker if needed. Am I wrong in my understanding. But more speakers is highly optional.

I like my mojo2 . That's why I choose qutest. But Is worth the price and limitations ( if any) it brings to the chain.

Is it possible Connecting tv to wiim pro or any other streamer through optical or hdmi Then from streamer to Chord qutest . >amplifier > speakers .
How is quality deference between optical and hdmi.

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Hi Soumya

Since you are used to some high quality headphone sound, I would suggest a pure 2 channel system with just 2 high quality speakers. The challenge to me is in integrating both TV and music into the system, without investing in a AVR. AVR's sound good, but come with a lots of bells and whistles you don't need.

Ideally, i would have suggested a pair of active speakers, but not sure which all models come with a hdmi input, as reliable opinion on the net, is that hdmi ARC output from a TV, sounds better than it's optical output.

I've heard some pretty good things about the Elac Navis active speakers. Iam trying to search for active speakers on the net, but my network really is down today and terribly slow. I would suggest to google "active speakers with hdmi in" or "powered bookshelf speakers with hdmi" and see what options turn up. A lot of established companies are launching products that integrate both TV and music in the living room or bedroom without sacrificing sound quality these days.

The chord qutest is a fantastic dac, but better to put on hold, till you are clear about the direction you want to proceed in. All the best

 

[soumya7600]

You will need 4 components.

1. Streamer (Wiim and Eversolo are current favourites)
2. DAC (The Qutest is an excellent product, Mojo is also used by many as Desktop DAC)
3. Amp (Marantz, Indiq, O&B, Denon)
4. Speakers (Spendor, Harbeth, Wharfdale, Dali, Indiq, QA)

Now there are many Streamer that have inbuilt DAC like Gustard R26, Blusound Node, Eversolo and CA CXN V2. R26 and EverSolo are current favourites.

Many Amps also have in built DAC.

And to confuse you even more, There are products that have al 3 electronics elements, they are called streaming Amps. (e.g. Audiolab 7000N Play, Marantz 7000N)

If you like Tube sound, Lyrita Amp and Speakers would be worth looking into too.

Also, it would help if you could share room details like size, dedicated, bedroom, drawing room etc, people can help you more effectively.

Room is untreated 13*13 feet secondary bedroom with work table bookshelf on one side small bed ,Almira 55 tv in wall with on door and one window.
So what size speakers I will need. Will tower be very much overkill or mild overkill.


I would like to have separate components for better upgrades options.


My idea is tv > streamer > dac>integrated amp> speakers. If not possible what would be the alternative . I would like both tv and streamer go though dac. I also have ps5 connected to tv.

I like a little warm sound with good Soundstage, dynamics, details. Instruments separation, resolution.
Not bright sound.
I mostly listen to vocals, classical, ghazal, bengali,bollywood ( old and new) , indie,acoustic, instrumental.
Occasionally other genre.
I don't have any experience with Tube sound. On paper I think I will like it.

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Hi Soumya

Since you are used to some high quality headphone sound, I would suggest a pure 2 channel system with just 2 high quality speakers. The challenge to me is in integrating both TV and music into the system, without investing in a AVR. AVR's sound good, but come with a lots of bells and whistles you don't need.

Ideally, i would have suggested a pair of active speakers, but not sure which all models come with a hdmi input, as reliable opinion on the net, is that hdmi ARC output from a TV, sounds better than it's optical output.

I've heard some pretty good things about the Elac Navis active speakers. Iam trying to search for active speakers on the net, but my network really is down today and terribly slow. I would suggest to google "active speakers with hdmi in" or "powered bookshelf speakers with hdmi" and see what options turn up. A lot of established companies are launching products that integrate both TV and music in the living room or bedroom without sacrificing sound quality these days.

The chord qutest is a fantastic dac, but better to put on hold, till you are clear about the direction you want to proceed in. All the best

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Floor standers in a 13x13 feet room might have over powering bass. Though bookshelves with stands will take up the same floor space as floor standers, you will have more placement flexibility and less bass issues with the same. Sealed floor standers will work, but the choice is very very limited, as the majority come with ports.

If you are not keen on the powered or active speakers. Then my next suggestion would be to search for "All-in-one's". Something like the Nad M33. It has everything that one can expect in a modern cutting edge device, including streaming, dac and hdmi. There might be similar components at different price points too.

 

[soumya7600]

Hi Soumya

Since you are used to some high quality headphone sound, I would suggest a pure 2 channel system with just 2 high quality speakers. The challenge to me is in integrating both TV and music into the system, without investing in a AVR. AVR's sound good, but come with a lots of bells and whistles you don't need.

Ideally, i would have suggested a pair of active speakers, but not sure which all models come with a hdmi input, as reliable opinion on the net, is that hdmi ARC output from a TV, sounds better than it's optical output.

I've heard some pretty good things about the Elac Navis active speakers. Iam trying to search for active speakers on the net, but my network really is down today and terribly slow. I would suggest to google "active speakers with hdmi in" or "powered bookshelf speakers with hdmi" and see what options turn up. A lot of established companies are launching products that integrate both TV and music in the living room or bedroom without sacrificing sound quality these days.

The chord qutest is a fantastic dac, but better to put on hold, till you are clear about the direction you want to proceed in. All the best

Thank you sir for your kind reply.

I will put the chord qutest order on hold.
2 channel is good for me.But one query sir is keeping a option of one subwoofer open afor occasional TV movie use would be a bad idea or integration problem.


I myself didn't look into active speakers much because , I was off the understanding that passive are always better and separate components leads to better upgrades options.
Now I will relook in passive option As per your suggestion sir.

As I know what good sound feels like from my iem and headphones experience. It need this to go right otherwise all the purchase would go to waste as I don't think return option are available. Is it available?
As I will be able go to audition one time or max two.

 

[soumya7600]

Floor standers in a 13x13 feet room might have over powering bass. Though bookshelves with stands will take up the same floor space as floor standers, you will have more placement flexibility and less bass issues with the same. Sealed floor standers will work, but the choice is very very limited, as the majority come with ports.

If you are not keen on the powered or active speakers. Then my next suggestion would be to search for "All-in-one's". Something like the Nad M33. It has everything that one can expect in a modern cutting edge device, including streaming, dac and hdmi. There might be similar components at different price points too.

Your opinion of wharfdale linton for me sir for 13 x 13 room.

I would atleast like a have separate streamer as these technologies are always changing fast.and I don't need bells and whistles. What i need from Streamer is able to connect my tv , Play spotify apple music etc. I would not like to spend much on streamer unless provided with reasons .

I think i would like to spend my budget on good dac amp and Speakers.

If I put all my money in one high quality device then If any parts of the all in one device goes wrong or having problems. I may not able be get proper tech or parts support in india. I am in higher probability of losing all my money.

In a separate components chain if anything goes wrong and not repairable for whatever reason max i will lose my money on only that component.


Correct me if my understanding is wrong sir.
Any suggestions is welcome.

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Thank you sir for your kind reply.

I will put the chord qutest order on hold.
2 channel is good for me.But one query sir is keeping a option of one subwoofer open afor occasional TV movie use would be a bad idea or integration problem.


I myself didn't look into active speakers much because , I was off the understanding that passive are always better and separate components leads to better upgrades options.
Now I will relook in passive option As per your suggestion sir.

As I know what good sound feels like from my iem and headphones experience. It need this to go right otherwise all the purchase would go to waste as I don't think return option are available. Is it available?
As I will be able go to audition one time or max two.

Please call me manohar or mano soumya....I havent been knighted yet, so sir is not required .

Actually active speakers are technically superior to passive speakers + amps at the same combined price. And modern active speakers with built-in DSP like Kef wireless etc, are one step ahead. For our money, we get a well integrated package of dac, dsp, preamp, poweramp, speakers and interconnects included. If we were to buy the same in seperates, we would be paying 40% in dealer margins for every box. Plus atleast 15% on everybox for the case work, packing, shipping and handling. Now when we factor in the savings in a single box, we can reliably presume that the savings have gone into better components.

There are reasons why separates are better, but it will involve a substantial investment in space, vibration isolation and cabling to truly realize their benefits. Quality interconnects that don't degrade the sound over one meter length and good power cables will easily double the cost, and we have'nt even visited the isolation part.

The other factor is synergy between components, that we don't have to mix and match and loose sleep over.

Considering all the advantages above, and owing to space limitations, and the desire to include a TV input and not compromise on sound quality, I feel active or powered speakers will be the biggest bang for the buck.

Separates will keep you in the restless hunt for upgrades. So best to indulge in that after one primary enjoyable system has been achieved. So you enjoy one and tinker with the second

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Your opinion of wharfdale linton for me sir for 13 x 13 room.

I would atleast like a have separate streamer as these technologies are always changing fast.and I don't need bells and whistles. What i need from Streamer is able to connect my tv , Play spotify apple music etc. I would not like to spend much on streamer unless provided with reasons .

I think i would like to spend my budget on good dac amp and Speakers.

If I put all my money in one high quality device then If any parts of the all in one device goes wrong or having problems. I may not able be get proper tech or parts support in india. I am in higher probability of losing all my money.

In a separate components chain if anything goes wrong and not repairable for whatever reason max i will lose my money on only that component.


Correct me if my understanding is wrong sir.
Any suggestions is welcome.

You are absolutely right that putting all our eggs in one package is fraught with risk. But if a reliable dealer offers warranty, then there can be some peace of mind.

I have'nt heard the Lintons, so maybe best to post a seperate thread so that current users can chime in. But looking at their specs alone, I would hazard a guess that they would be a overkill for a 13 x13 feet room. They are huge and have 2 rear firing ports, so will need a substantial distance from the rear wall, not to mention side walls too. Best if you can find some sealed or front or down firing port speakers. Rear firing ports sadly have their space requirements at the back.

I can understand the urge to invest and build a system of separates. It is definitely more fun. But you alone can decide how important ease of use for your better half, and instant gratification is. As building and optimising a chain of separates is a long drawn process.

I hope iam not discouraging your enthusiasm in anyway. As I only mean to act as a sounding board for you to contemplate your purchase decisions

If you go for a all-in-one with something like a BlueOS or stream magic ( Cambridge audio ), then you can be assured that these platforms will be updated regularly and will not go out dated or obsolete any time soon.

 

[shuv]

Marantz NR1200 and Stereo 70s have HDMI ARC, sub out and ethernet.
https://theaudio.co/products/matrix-audio-mini-i-pro-4-music-streamer This is a streamer+DAC with HDMI ARC.
Check these out. There must be others of their ilk.

 

[shuv]

@Yelamanchili manohar Ji, I wish I knew that the TV optical out is inferior to the ARC. Would've saved me some dough on different Toslink cables

I think some of the active Klipschs have ARC.

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

@Yelamanchili manohar Ji, I wish I knew that the TV optical out is inferior to the ARC. Would've saved me some dough on different Toslink cables

I think some of the active Klipschs have ARC.

haha...Yeah i think they are called klipsch the fives or something. I remember a video review of those speakers

 

[soumya7600]

You are absolutely right that putting all our eggs in one package is fraught with risk. But if a reliable dealer offers warranty, then there can be some peace of mind.

I have'nt heard the Lintons, so maybe best to post a seperate thread so that current users can chime in. But looking at their specs alone, I would hazard a guess that they would be a overkill for a 13 x13 feet room. They are huge and have 2 rear firing ports, so will need a substantial distance from the rear wall, not to mention side walls too. Best if you can find some sealed or front or down firing port speakers. Rear firing ports sadly have their space requirements at the back.

I can understand the urge to invest and build a system of separates. It is definitely more fun. But you alone can decide how important ease of use for your better half, and instant gratification is. As building and optimising a chain of separates is a long drawn process.

I hope iam not discouraging your enthusiasm in anyway. As I only mean to act as a sounding board for you to contemplate your purchase decisions

If you go for a all-in-one with something like a BlueOS or stream magic ( Cambridge audio ), then you can be assured that these platforms will be updated regularly and will not go out dated or obsolete any time soon.

Thank you Manohar for your detailed explanation.

I get your points and agree with you mostly.
If sound quality is at par . The active is definitely preferred than passive.

My wife is will definitely preferred active speakers for their ease of use.

She is already fuming for time i spent researching on iem, headphones.
Active speakers will definitely save me from her wraith .

I will do some more digging on active speakers option.

And on a another note ,anyone imparting knowledge can be called sir, knighthood not required