Help Regarding HT

Abhilash, I am a little confused here. You just mentioned that the 506 was quoted at 19,900, and now you mention 22,000. What is the exact price?

Moser bhai and Abhilesh, thanks for the directions, address and contact details of the place. I am from Chennai, so not too aware of Hyd.
 
Go for the Onkyo 506. The latest comparable receiver is the 1509 from Denon, if you can find that for a competitive price, then you can consider that also, both are exceptional budget receivers, but the 506 is 7.1, if that matters to you, and feature one more HDMI input (for a total of 3). But the Denon looks much nicer :) and has a nicer looking remote also..... you won't go wrong with either, so it may boil down to price.

Moreover the salesman was telling that Onkyo 506 is single channel driven and Denon 1509 equaly power all 6 channel with 75 watt. I don't understand this.

Abhilash
 
a 5.1 channel AVR with better sound quality will be most desired one than 7.1 channel avr for me.
abhilash
 
Prima facie that sounds like rubbish....and salespeople are known to spout rubbish in order to push the items that they get most margins on....however, i'd like the inputs of someone like venkat to know if there is some kind of difference that may be analogous to what this sales guy seems to be saying.

5.1 of better quality than 7.1 is of course a better choice, considering that 7.1 material is hardly available, but there is nothing to suggest that the Onkyo 506 is an inferior quality receiver compared to the Denon. I have not heard the Denon at work, but in terms of quality and value the two should be comparable. In terms of specs they seem comparable except for the 5.1/7.1 difference.....so it should boil down to price and any other factors that appeal to you, including the looks......by their traditional strengths the Denon should be superior for music, and the onkyo for movies, you could keep that in mind.


Moreover the salesman was telling that Onkyo 506 is single channel driven and Denon 1509 equaly power all 6 channel with 75 watt. I don't understand this.

Abhilash
 
Moreover the salesman was telling that Onkyo 506 is single channel driven and Denon 1509 equaly power all 6 channel with 75 watt. I don't understand this.

Single channel driven? My god what all people will say. Monorual amplifiers are there in music. All AVRS will either have 5 amplifiers or 7 amplifiers, all with equal power. I think the sales guy has misunderstood the spec sheet. As per the manual, here are the 506 specs.

Rated Output Power
North American:


  • 75 watts minimum continuous power per channel, 8 ohm loads, 2 channels driven from 20Hz to 20kHz, with a maximum total harmonic distortion of 0.08% (FTC)
  • 100 watts minimum continuous power per channel, 6 ohm loads, 2 channels driven at 1kHz, with a maximum total harmonic distortion of 0.1% (FTC)
European:
7 ch ? 130 W at 6 ohms, 1kHz, 1 ch driven (IEC)

Asian and Oceanian:
7 ch ? 160 W at 6 ohms, 1kHz, 1 ch driven (JEITA)

Dynamic Power 180 W (3 Ω, Front)
160 W (4 Ω, Front)
100 W (8 Ω, Front)
THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) 0.08% (Power Rated)
Damping Factor 60 (Front, 1kHz, 8 Ω)

Each country has some rules that make it mandatory for the manufacturer to mention specification in a particular manner. The US FTC rules specifies that the manufacturer must mention the max power that the amplifier can output at a particular distortion level. For example the 506 will start distorting the sound beyond 0.08% if it is pushed beyond 75 watts.

IEC in Europe and JEITA in Japan and other countries make it mandatory to mention the maximum power that the amp can output into a single channel at a particular speaker impedance.

The 506 does have 7 amplifiers that has a max capacity of 100 watts per channel at 8 ohms all channels driven.

Cheers
 
Abhilash, I am a little confused here. You just mentioned that the 506 was quoted at 19,900, and now you mention 22,000. What is the exact price?

Moser bhai and Abhilesh, thanks for the directions, address and contact details of the place. I am from Chennai, so not too aware of Hyd.

Sorry Dejavu,

I have mentioned the price rs19990/- by mistake. It is 21990/-(Rs22000) actually.Sorry again.
 
Prima facie that sounds like rubbish....and salespeople are known to spout rubbish in order to push the items that they get most margins on....however, i'd like the inputs of someone like venkat to know if there is some kind of difference that may be analogous to what this sales guy seems to be saying.

5.1 of better quality than 7.1 is of course a better choice, considering that 7.1 material is hardly available, but there is nothing to suggest that the Onkyo 506 is an inferior quality receiver compared to the Denon. I have not heard the Denon at work, but in terms of quality and value the two should be comparable. In terms of specs they seem comparable except for the 5.1/7.1 difference.....so it should boil down to price and any other factors that appeal to you, including the looks......by their traditional strengths the Denon should be superior for music, and the onkyo for movies, you could keep that in mind.

Thanks again psycho.I can not express how much help you people are providing.Otherwise sitting here at Ranchi without audition, it was very difficult for me to take decision.
Coming Saturday I am sending someone to buy Onkyo-TX SR506 (22000)from Reliance Digital, Hyd, if I could get one. However in case it will not be available then will take Denon 1509(24000).(In fact I would prefer an AVR with superior music reproduction quality without compromising much on movies front)
However if I consider my budget, Onkyo TX SR 505 is also costing 22000/- at EZone(In case of nonavaialability of 506 only) but I could not find any review of 505. If you have any experience then please share your view regarding TX SR 505.

One thing I wish to know that in case of 7.1 channels, if I am having only 5 speakers (FRONT-2, CENTER-1, BACK-2)then absence of side speakers(L & R) will influence the quality or not. Can extra channels be connected together to the front standers too?

Abhilash
 
If you want something more musical, you're probably good with going for the Denon, although the Onkyo will also be very competent, and differences will be small. The 505 is an older version of the 506, may not be a great idea to go for it, if it is the same price as the 506.

The additional speakers in a 7.1 as opposed to 5.1 are rear surround speakers, you don't need them much, because most DVDs come with 5.1 soundtracks, so the rear surround speakers are not going to receive any discrete signals.

So just don't connect the rear surrounds, and connect your 2 fronts, 2 surrounds and center, and your sub, and you should have a very nice home theater setup! enjoy

In fact I would prefer an AVR with superior music reproduction quality without compromising much on movies front)
However if I consider my budget, Onkyo TX SR 505 is also costing 22000/- at EZone(In case of nonavaialability of 506 only) but I could not find any review of 505. If you have any experience then please share your view regarding TX SR 505.

One thing I wish to know that in case of 7.1 channels, if I am having only 5 speakers (FRONT-2, CENTER-1, BACK-2)then absence of side speakers(L & R) will influence the quality or not. Can extra channels be connected together to the front standers too?

Abhilash
 
Abhilash:

To add to what Psychotropic has been advising you, I just want to clear some confusion in terms of the terminology used for the AVR channels and speakers.



Look at the picture above. The two speakers immediately to the left and right of the TV are the FRONT Left and Right speakers, sometimes called Front L&R, which play the Front Channels. You can connect a floor stander or a bookshelf to these channels. The general rule is that the top most driver in the speaker (usually a tweeter) is at the same level as your ears in your regular sitting position.

The speaker just below the middle of the TV plays the CENTRE Channel. These are special speakers that are horizontal in shape and have two mid range drivers (or woofers) in the two edges with a tweeter in the middle. This is usually placed immediately below the TV.

The slightly largish speaker standing on the floor to the left of the TV is the sub woofer that plays the SUB WOOFER or the Point 1 LFE channel. Sub woofers are of two types ?? active and passive. Active sub woofers have their own amplifier inside, and these are used for the Point 1 LFE channel. Passive sub woofers need external amplification, and may need a Bass Management System.

If you move further towards the viewer, you will find two speakers on his left and right. These speakers are connected to the SURROUND Left and Right channels. These speakers are usually mounted on the wall some 3 feet above your seated ear position. There are two types of speakers that can be used for this. One is the standard bookshelf speaker. Some brands also call them surround speakers. The other type is called dipole speakers.

The best surround sound can be achieved by using dipole speakers for SURROUND sound channels. Dipole speakers have three or five faces in the front, the largest side faces being at an angle instead of being perpendicular to the rear face. The faces have drivers mounted on them. Sound is radiated both forward and backward producing a sound field that blends in with the front speakers while using the reflection of the rear walls to produce an ambient sound field behind you. None of the drivers face your listening position so you won??t hear the speaker's location.

The layout we discussed till now is called 5.1. There are some people who believe the SURROUND sound speakers should be behind the viewer. Though there is no harm in doing that, the way DTS and Dolby Digital encode signals, the surround sound is supposed to come from your side, not your rear.

This takes us to the speaker behind the viewer. Now look at the room layout again. You will find two more speakers directly behind the viewer. These are usually in line with the front speakers. These play the SURROUND BACK Left and Right channels. You need a 7.1 AVR to drive these speakers.

But if you using a 5.1 system, irrespective of where you place the SURROUND L&R, do not leave the SURROUND L&R disconnected and the SURROUND BACK L&R connected. You will not get any sound at all then.

Some AVRs such as the Onkyo 506 allow you to bi-amp the FRONT Speakers using the connections of the SURROUND BACK L&R. but for this your FRONT speakers must have bi-amping capabilities. There is no harm is leaving the SURROUND BACK channels disconnected when you have a 5.1 set up.

Cheers
 
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Abhilash:

To add to what Psychotropic has been advising you, I just want to clear some confusion in terms of the terminology used for the AVR speakers.



Look at the picture above. The two speakers immediately to the left and right of the TV are the FRONT Left and Right speakers, sometimes called Front L&R, which play the Front Channels. You can connect a floor stander or a bookshelf to these channels. The general rule is that the top most driver in the speaker (usually a tweeter) is at the same level as your ears in your regular sitting position.

The speaker just below the middle of the TV plays the CENTRE Channel. These are special speakers that are horizontal in shape and have two mid range drivers (or woofers) in the two edges with a tweeter in the middle. This is usually placed immediately below the TV.

The slightly largish speaker standing on the floor to the left of the TV is the sub woofer that plays the SUB WOOFER or the Point 1 LFE channel. Sub woofers are of two types ?? active and passive. Active sub woofers have their own amplifier inside, and these are used for the Point 1 LFE channel. Passive sub woofers need external amplification, and may need a Bass Management System.

If you move further towards the viewer, you will find two speakers on his left and right. These speakers are connected to the SURROUND Left and Right channels. These speakers are usually mounted on the wall some 3 feet above your seated ear position. There are two types of speakers that can be used for this. One is the standard bookshelf speaker. Some brands also call them surround speakers. The other type is called dipole speakers.

The best surround sound can be achieved by using dipole speakers for SURROUND sound channels. Dipole speakers have three or five faces in the front, the largest side faces being at an angle instead of being perpendicular to the rear face. The faces have drivers mounted on them. Sound is radiated both forward and backward producing a sound field that blends in with the front speakers while using the reflection of the rear walls to produce an ambient sound field behind you. None of the drivers face your listening position so you won??t hear the speaker's location.

The layout we discussed till now is called 5.1. There are some people who believe the SURROUND sound speakers should be behind the viewer. Though there is no harm in doing that, the way DTS and Dolby Digital encode signals, the surround sound is supposed to come from your side, not your rear.

This takes us to the speaker behind the viewer. Now look at the room layout again. You will find two more speakers directly behind the viewer. These are usually in line with the front speakers. These play the SURROUND BACK Left and Right channels. You need a 7.1 AVR to drive these speakers.

But if you using a 5.1 system, irrespective of where you place the SURROUND L&R, do not leave the SURROUND L&R disconnected and the SURROUND BACK L&R connected. You will not get any sound at all then.

Some AVRs such as the Onkyo 506 allow you to bi-amp the FRONT Speakers using the connections of the SURROUND BACK L&R. but for this your FRONT speakers must have bi-amping capabilities. There is no harm is leaving the SURROUND BACK channels disconnected when you have a 5.1 set up.

Cheers

Wow! This was impressive as It helped a lot. Can you tell me whether jamo 406 floorstanders have the capability of biamping?
 
Wow! This was impressive as It helped a lot. Can you tell me whether jamo 406 floorstanders have the capability of biamping?

I am not sure which model you are referring to. Can you give me the exact model and link to their website?

If you are referring to S 406 that is part of the S 400 HCS, it does not seem to be capable of bi-amping. I am not sure as I dont have the correct model number. Maybe Psychotropic could help.

Cheers
 
I am not sure which model you are referring to. Can you give me the exact model and link to their website?

If you are referring to S 406 that is part of the S 406 HCS1, it does not seem to be capable of bi-amping. I am not sure as I dont have the correct model number. Maybe Psychotropic could help.

Cheers

Yes, Jamo S 406 HCS1 package contains Jamo S406 floorstanding speakers with S40C AS Center and Jamo S402 as surround speakers(pair)
http://www.jamo.com/Admin/Public/Download.aspx?file=Files/Filer/Leaflets/S%2040/S_406_leaflet_english.pdf
 
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Yes, Jamo S 406 HCS1 package contains Jamo S406 floorstanding speakers with S40C AS Center and Jamo S402 as surround speakers(pair)

As fas as I can make out with the limited information available this is not bi-ampable.

Cheers
 
Then what should I do? Get TX SR 506 WITH 7.1 channel with just 5 speakers keeping an eye on future or find equally good 5.1 ch AVR with less cost. What I think is 7.1 ch AVRs are being produced with more features than that with 5.1 ch AVRs.

abhilash
 
What psycho is telling you is there hardly seems to be any difference in terms of price between the options, so it would make sense to go for the 506 at 22k, which is more future proof than get something which isnt.
 
Thanks a lot to all of you. No more talking/posting before I take some concrete steps.Will return soon.;)
 
jUST NAME A mUSIC ALBUM(ENG -1 & HINDI-1) AND mOVIE (hOLLYWOOD) to feel the performance of HT system.
 
I will find out whether the 406 can be bi-amped, but in the meantime tell me something....how are you planning to bi-amp your floorstanders?

Wow! This was impressive as It helped a lot. Can you tell me whether jamo 406 floorstanders have the capability of biamping?
 
Trojan Buddy...

Speakers :
Wharfedale - 9.1 (Rs.11,000 approx.)
Q Acoustics - 1010i (Rs.10,550)
Polk Audio - Monitor-40 (Rs.14,000)

Some Suggestions :
Q Acoustics : 1030i - Rs.23,500
Polk Audio - Monitor 50 - Rs.20,000
Wharfedale - Diamond 9.3/9.4 - Rs.24,000 approx.

Hi
are the quotes in line as per your preference of speakers at that budget or are they quoted randonly.
What i want to know is that if Q Acoustic series as above are better than wharfedales or at par (if you can generalise the comparison).
 
Then what should I do? Get TX SR 506 WITH 7.1 channel with just 5 speakers keeping an eye on future or find equally good 5.1 ch AVR with less cost. What I think is 7.1 ch AVRs are being produced with more features than that with 5.1 ch AVRs.

Abhilash:

90% of the DVDs are recorded for 5.1, so you won't miss anything. There are very few 5.1s made nowadays, and even if they are made, they are at the very low entry level.

Enjoy your system with 5.1. Believe me, you will.

Psychotropic, I am sorry. I should not have mentioned the bi-amping.

Cheers
 
For excellent sound that won't break the bank, the 5 Star Award Winning Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 Bookshelf Speakers is the one to consider!
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