Help required choosing new speakers: Dali, Monitor Audio, Q Acoustics

[amahajan08]

Hi All,

New to the forum so excuse me if this question or speakers have already been discussed.
I'm building a new home theater 5.1.2 Atmos in my living room size 11 ft by 17 ft, it is an open room so there will be sound leakages.

My options are:

Option 1- DALI
Towers: Dali Oberon 7
Surround: Dali Oberon On Wall
Subwoofer: Dali E12F
Center: Dali Oberon Vokal
Atmos In-ceiling: Dali Phantom E 50
AVR: Marantz SR5013

OR

Option 2- MONITOR AUDIO
Towers: Monitor Audio Bronze 5
Surround: Monitor Audio Bronze FX
Subwoofer: Monitor Audio W10
Center: Monitor Audio Bronze
Atmos In-ceiling: Monitor Audio C165
AVR: Yamaha RXA 880 or Denon AVR-x 2500


My questions:
- Of course, the first question being which speaker set to choose from, I listen to all kinds of music and like most people watch a lot of Netflix, HBO etc.
- With the given Dali Config can I use any other AVR (cheaper or in the same range), I have been told Dalis work best with Marantz is that true?
Other AVRs with the above like:
- DENON: AVR-X2600H, AVR X-3500H
- MARANTZ: NR1609
- PIONEER: VSX-LX303
- YAMAHA: RX-A780 AVENTAGE
I stay in New Delhi and I've come to know that Yamaha, Pioneer, and Denon can be serviced in Delhi NCR but Marantz has to be sent to Mumbai for service and repairs hence any problem with the AVR will my system at home. Hence thew dilemma whether to go for Marantz.
- I have also heard the Q Acoustics 3050i, liked their sound as well, how do they compare to these two because I only heard the towers for this one and not the complete surround. Any thoughts?

Looking forward to y'all expert views.

Thanks in advance!
Cheers,
A

 

[Rosenarayanappa]

Hey Amahajan, I know that feeling when you post a query and eagerly wait for an answer.
I've used dali zensor in 7.1 comfig with rxa 3050 and absolutely loved it. Not sure about other amps and speakers. The EF12 was room shaking and good. I'm not an expert nor an audiophile but for my untrained ears they sounded amazing.
Wait for few more replies from fellow FMs and listen for yourself if you can and take a call.

 

[shibashis]

You need to consider Marantz SR6XXX series to get the best out of the Oberon towers, the NR1609 will not be able to drive them well.
I am a Marantz fan so my vote will go to Marantz.

 

[rpmahale]

I have auditioned most of the speakers and AVRs you have mentioned . It is better to mention your budget so that FM can give you exact solution within that. I have both Marantz and Denon AVR . Marantz is detailed and insightful but little soft and polite towards low end. Denon is tight and agile with impactful low end but less subtle and detail. Marantz NR series avr are very good for music but for movies, you will certainly need a power amplifier. Yamaha A-series and Pioneer LX series are equally good and never fail to impress the user. Both have capability to deliver impactful and true cinematic experience . Matching speakers play a great role in over all presentation of set up. I have auditioned Dali Zenser 7 and found them little bright in high frequencies but very good on low frequencies. Careful matching of electronics requires for very good music/movies experience. Monitor Audio bronze are my favorite speakers and have overall warm presentation . Great with movies as well as movies but again some may find it bright due to great micro dynamic details. I have also audition Q Acoustic 3050i with Marantz SR5013 avr and it's a very good match for both music and movies. Q Acoustic sub failed to deliver deep and impactful low end.
Ultimately it's a user who decide between power, features, user interface , calibration system and preference towards music or movies.Audition all components from your list before purchase. Which component click you will know only after audition. Reviews, suggestions and opinions are vital but not the deciding factors.

 

[amahajan08]

Thanks for all

I have auditioned most of the speakers and AVRs you have mentioned . It is better to mention your budget so that FM can give you exact solution within that. I have both Marantz and Denon AVR . Marantz is detailed and insightful but little soft and polite towards low end. Denon is tight and agile with impactful low end but less subtle and detail. Marantz NR series avr are very good for music but for movies, you will certainly need a power amplifier. Yamaha A-series and Pioneer LX series are equally good and never fail to impress the user. Both have capability to deliver impactful and true cinematic experience . Matching speakers play a great role in over all presentation of set up. I have auditioned Dali Zenser 7 and found them little bright in high frequencies but very good on low frequencies. Careful matching of electronics requires for very good music/movies experience. Monitor Audio bronze are my favorite speakers and have overall warm presentation . Great with movies as well as movies but again some may find it bright due to great micro dynamic details. I have also audition Q Acoustic 3050i with Marantz SR5013 avr and it's a very good match for both music and movies. Q Acoustic sub failed to deliver deep and impactful low end.
Ultimately it's a user who decide between power, features, user interface , calibration system and preference towards music or movies.Audition all components from your list before purchase. Which component click you will know only after audition. Reviews, suggestions and opinions are vital but not the deciding factors.

Thanks for the detailed reply. You are right, QAcousitcs Sub I have read to be not so impactful. What subs will you recommend to go with the Q Acoustics set up?

Also, both these options are quoted to me between INR 2.7Lacs - 3Lacs or slightly more depending upon which AVR I choose. I'm more comfortable under 2.5L setup but I guess, speakers are a one-time investment that will last long so I should get myself a good one. What say?

 

[amahajan08]

You need to consider Marantz SR6XXX series to get the best out of the Oberon towers, the NR1609 will not be able to drive them well.
I am a Marantz fan so my vote will go to Marantz.

Thanks! I like Marantz too. But the service bit is worrying me!!

 

[amahajan08]

Hey Amahajan, I know that feeling when you post a query and eagerly wait for an answer.
I've used dali zensor in 7.1 comfig with rxa 3050 and absolutely loved it. Not sure about other amps and speakers. The EF12 was room shaking and good. I'm not an expert nor an audiophile but for my untrained ears they sounded amazing.
Wait for few more replies from fellow FMs and listen for yourself if you can and take a call.

RXA 3050 is discontinued and Oberon series have 5 and 7. and I'm going for the 7s so I like to believe coming from a reputed co. like Dali, they're bound to be better and not a plain vanilla upgrade from the Zensor series.

 

[rpmahale]

You have very good budget if you decided to have great HT set up in steps. Initially invest in good quality AVR with sufficient feature you needed. Marantz SR6013 and Denon AVR x3600 have more than enough feature with nine channels amplification and eleven channels processing. Pioneer and Onkyo also offering same feature and processing AVRs. ( You also need to consider User Interface, calibration system, after sale service etc.) So in future you can use it as pre-amplifier or processor with main channels powered by separate power amplifier for better HT experience. For speakers consider good 5.1 set and later on add Atmos and surround back as budget permits. There are certain subwoofer specialist brands like SVS, XTZ, Velodyne, REL, Rythmik etc you can consider one of the as per allocated budget for sub. Speakers are very personal choice and needs to be consider only after serious audition. In India we have wide choice of options like Monitor Audio, Dali, Polk, Paradigm, Q Acoustic, Elac, SVS, Fyne, KEF, Tannoy etc... For investing 300k you must spend at least 2 months in homework and auditions of various components.

 

[Nagaraj S]

You need to consider Marantz SR6XXX series to get the best out of the Oberon towers, the NR1609 will not be able to drive them well.
I am a Marantz fan so my vote will go to Marantz.

True, the NR 1609 will be insufficient for the Oberon 7s. The SR6012/3 would be a better fit.

 

[krishnamurthy]

I have PSB XT and use Denon 3200 and it sounds quite good. I have an open room with windows and all.

Use original CDs while auditioning (mobile phone songs are not good enough) and use the same songs (rock, pop, country, metal, Bollywood etc.) across all systems and note down your observations right away and then compare. Also, check whether the AVR can pair with your mobile devices by trying to connect and observe the time it takes (some systems do not work well with certain devices)
For best experience, you need to have acoustic ceiling tiles, diffusers, absorbers, sound-proof door, windows double glazed etc.

 

[oracle1974]

There is a Dali opticon front plus centre available in the for sale section and the seller is also based in Delhi. That could be a good option.

 

[sijusid]

From my personal experience QA 3050i does excellent double duty for 2 channel listening and multichannel listening. 3010i or 3020i can serve well as surround too. But the QA 3090ci centre does not match well with the towers 3050i and their sub leaves a lot to be desired. If you are going with QA, do take note of this...

 

[amahajan08]

There is a Dali opticon front plus centre available in the for sale section and the seller is also based in Delhi. That could be a good option.

And what seller is this?

 

[amahajan08]

I have PSB XT and use Denon 3200 and it sounds quite good. I have an open room with windows and all.

Use original CDs while auditioning (mobile phone songs are not good enough) and use the same songs (rock, pop, country, metal, Bollywood etc.) across all systems and note down your observations right away and then compare. Also, check whether the AVR can pair with your mobile devices by trying to connect and observe the time it takes (some systems do not work well with certain devices)
For best experience, you need to have acoustic ceiling tiles, diffusers, absorbers, sound-proof door, windows double glazed etc.

Thanks for the advice! Makes sense. Will do that next time I'm out auditioning.

 

[oracle1974]

And what seller is this?

Dali opticon and polk fxi

Hello guys. Time to part ways with my speakers because of relocation and space constraints. Following speakers are up for sale - dali opticon 6 fronts (Selling price 1,05000 and the original price is approx 1,50000) - dali opticon vokal center . ( Selling price 35000 and the original...

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