Home Theater for a moviebuff with a limited budget of 99K

[bhaskie]

Folks,

I need your expert advice and guidance in assembling my first HT. I shall be buying most of my stuff from Delhi. My usage is 60% movies and 40% music. I want to know the best combination out of these shortlisted components, or anything else that I have failed to compile but is highly recommended and suited to my requirements. I am willing to spend 1 lakh initially (receiver, front speakers and woofer) and will add on center/surround components at a later stage.

Movies: (60% usage will be movies)
Will play following video formats through Gigabyte motherboard (GA-MA78GM-S2H) HDMI out + 106dB SNR ALC889A HD audio):
1. h264 (matroska) encoded DVD-rips or BD-rips
2. xvid/divx encoded with ac3 audio
3. DVDs from HTPC sata DVD player (dont plan to buy a DVD player)

Music: (40% usage will be music)
1. Rock and metal (hendrix, led zep, ac/dc, floyd etc.) (50%)
2. Classical (mozart etc., mostly in flac format) (50%)

A lot of music will also be streamed from a Creative Zen vision-M (through 3.5 to double RCA and into A/V receiver)
256kbps VBR WMV's as well as MP3's @320

Budget: 75K-100K (excluding surround and center speakers, which I will add later on)
Room size: 12'x11'
Viewing distance: 8 feet
Display: 37" Samsung Bordeaux @720p
Dont need 7.1, 5.1 is enough.

Here is the list of stuff I have shortlisted. Please help me in finalizing the setup!

Front speakers (budget: 20K-50K):
1. Monitor Audio Silver RS6 - Rs. 50K (exceeds my budget, so will have to not get a sub for sometime )
2. Klipsch Synergy F3 600W (Floorstanding) - 40K (it has Dual 8-inch IMG woofer) - F-3 --- Floorstanding Stereo Speaker - Klipsch Synergy Series
3. Klipsch Reference RF10 300W (dual 4.5-inch woofers) - Rs. 28K
4. Quad 12L (30K)
5. Wharfedale Diamond 9.6 (dont know the price of these)

Question: can I manage to go without a sub for sometime with these front speakers (some goes down to arnd 30Hz i think)

A/V receiver (max budget: 40K):
1. Denon AVR1909 - 40K
2. Onkyo TX-SR606 - 40K
3. Sony STR-DA1200ES (dont know the price)

Subwoofer (max budget: 25K):
1. Polk Audio DSW PRO500 (375W) @20k
2. Polk Audio DSW PRO600 (460W) @25k
3. Klipsch Synergy Sub-10 Subwoofer @21k
4. EPOS ELS Subwoofer @30K

Thanks,
Bhaskie

 

[mridulgoel]

Folks,

I need your expert advice and guidance in assembling my first HT. I shall be buying most of my stuff from Delhi. My usage is 60% movies and 40% music. I want to know the best combination out of these shortlisted components, or anything else that I have failed to compile but is highly recommended and suited to my requirements. I am willing to spend 1 lakh initially (receiver, front speakers and woofer) and will add on center/surround components at a later stage.

Movies: (60% usage will be movies)
Will play following video formats through Gigabyte motherboard (GA-MA78GM-S2H) HDMI out + 106dB SNR ALC889A HD audio):
1. h264 (matroska) encoded DVD-rips or BD-rips
2. xvid/divx encoded with ac3 audio
3. DVDs from HTPC sata DVD player (dont plan to buy a DVD player)

Music: (40% usage will be music)
1. Rock and metal (hendrix, led zep, ac/dc, floyd etc.) (50%)
2. Classical (mozart etc., mostly in flac format) (50%)

A lot of music will also be streamed from a Creative Zen vision-M (through 3.5 to double RCA and into A/V receiver)
256kbps VBR WMV's as well as MP3's @320

Budget: 75K-100K (excluding surround and center speakers, which I will add later on)
Room size: 12'x11'
Viewing distance: 8 feet
Display: 37" Samsung Bordeaux @720p
Dont need 7.1, 5.1 is enough.

Here is the list of stuff I have shortlisted. Please help me in finalizing the setup!

Front speakers (budget: 20K-50K):
1. Monitor Audio Silver RS6 - Rs. 50K (exceeds my budget, so will have to not get a sub for sometime )
2. Klipsch Synergy F3 600W (Floorstanding) - 40K (it has Dual 8-inch IMG woofer) - F-3 --- Floorstanding Stereo Speaker - Klipsch Synergy Series
3. Klipsch Reference RF10 300W (dual 4.5-inch woofers) - Rs. 28K
4. Quad 22L (30K)
5. Wharfedale Diamond 9.6 (dont know the price of these)

Question: can I manage to go without a sub for sometime with these front speakers (some goes down to arnd 30Hz i think)

A/V receiver (max budget: 40K):
1. Denon AVR1909 - 40K
2. Onkyo TX-SR606 - 40K
3. Sony STR-DA1200ES (dont know the price)

Subwoofer (max budget: 25K):
1. Polk Audio DSW PRO500 (375W) @20k
2. Polk Audio DSW PRO600 (460W) @25k
3. Klipsch Synergy Sub-10 Subwoofer @21k

Thanks,
Bhaskie

Buddy

Regarding your setup, please find the details below :

Reciever :
Denon - 1908 - Rs.37,900

Speakers :
Wharfedale - 9.6 - Rs.27K Approx.
Polk Audio - RTi-5 - Rs.40,000

Subwoofers :
Wharfedale - 9Sub - Rs.16K Approx.
Polk PRO500 - Rs.25,000

Cables : (16 gauge)
Usher - Rs.180 per mtr.
DAC - Rs.90 per mtr.

This setup is as what you inquired for...

Now, give a thought to the below setup :

Q Acoustics - 1050i - Rs.37,500 - Floor standers
Q Acoustics - 1010i - Rs.11,500 - Bookshelves

QAV - LCR - Front Loading below your 37" LCD -
Rs.53,000 for 3.1 (LCR = Left, Center, Front) with Subwoofer...

Think of them. The product is genuine, and has been continuosly be rated 5 Star from past 3 years continuos, and the 1010i package has been the best package till now, from past 3 years for the best package under Rs.75K...

They will be available in Delhi, before next Saturday, 22nd November 2008...

Visit, the WHAT-HiFi UK website, or pick any WHAT-HiFi, Indian or International to find the reviews, or visit there website...

Just a suggestion, nothing to impose...

 

[bhaskie]

Buddy

Regarding your setup, please find the details below :

Reciever :
Denon - 1908 - Rs.37,900

Speakers :
Wharfedale - 9.6 - Rs.27K Approx.
Polk Audio - RTi-5 - Rs.40,000

Subwoofers :
Wharfedale - 9Sub - Rs.16K Approx.
Polk PRO500 - Rs.25,000

Cables : (16 gauge)
Usher - Rs.180 per mtr.
DAC - Rs.90 per mtr.

This setup is as what you inquired for...

Now, give a thought to the below setup :

Q Acoustics - 1050i - Rs.37,500 - Floor standers
Q Acoustics - 1010i - Rs.11,500 - Bookshelves

QAV - LCR - Front Loading below your 37" LCD -
Rs.53,000 for 3.1 (LCR = Left, Center, Front) with Subwoofer...

Think of them. The product is genuine, and has been continuosly be rated 5 Star from past 3 years continuos, and the 1010i package has been the best package till now, from past 3 years for the best package under Rs.75K...

They will be available in Delhi, before next Saturday, 22nd November 2008...

Visit, the WHAT-HiFi UK website, or pick any WHAT-HiFi, Indian or International to find the reviews, or visit there website...

Just a suggestion, nothing to impose...

Hi Mridul,

Thanks for the response. I looked up what-hifi for reviews:
Q Acoustics 1010i review - whathifi.com
Q Acoustics 1050i speaker review ?? whathifi.com

I am not interested in the 1010i but I would definitely love to experience the 1050i if possible. I would like to see how it sounds compared to the Klipsch synergy F3 as well as the Quad 22L.

Do let me know when and where they will be available in Delhi.

Thanks,
Bhaskie

 

[thevortex]

Bhaskie - I definitely think that you have got the price wrong for the Quad 22L. The RS6 would also be pushing 50,000. At least that is what I have been given to understand in Chennai.

But going by your room dimensions given in another thread (13X11, if I remember right), I would still reiterate that bookshelves would do the job better than floorstanders. I know its upto individual preferences, but still I thought that that kind of room dimension can be easily covered by a bookshelf.

The more powerful floorstanders can overwhelm a small room. Distinction and separation of musical notes go out the window in that scenario. Lastly I did not like the Polk subs too much for music. I was impressed by their DSW Pro Whitepaper, but ultimately the result was not that great.

I am sure many here can guide you towards quality bookshelves. If it is floorstanders you must absolutely have, then the Wharfedale 9.6 is a great speaker for rock music. They really have the best in class bass at their price range or even some way above that price class.

But I am highly doubtful if big floorstanders + subwoofer would be required for the room you mention.

 

[bhaskie]

Bhaskie - I definitely think that you have got the price wrong for the Quad 22L. The RS6 would also be pushing 50,000. At least that is what I have been given to understand in Chennai.

But going by your room dimensions given in another thread (13X11, if I remember right), I would still reiterate that bookshelves would do the job better than floorstanders. I know its upto individual preferences, but still I thought that that kind of room dimension can be easily covered by a bookshelf.

The more powerful floorstanders can overwhelm a small room. Distinction and separation of musical notes go out the window in that scenario. Lastly I did not like the Polk subs too much for music. I was impressed by their DSW Pro Whitepaper, but ultimately the result was not that great.

I am sure many here can guide you towards quality bookshelves. If it is floorstanders you must absolutely have, then the Wharfedale 9.6 is a great speaker for rock music. They really have the best in class bass at their price range or even some way above that price class.

But I am highly doubtful if big floorstanders + subwoofer would be required for the room you mention.

Thanks a lot for your response!
Yes, I got the price wrong. It was for the 12L, not the 22L. I had already updated it earlier today

I do agree with the fact that the floorstanders might be overwhelming. The only way I can confirm this is if someone with a similar sized room tries the same configuration.

The only reason I am not looking for bookshelves currently is that my living room is 30x18, and I may moving my setup there at a later point in time. So then I can just add the sub, and if required (for HT), the surround and center.

Do you think the floorstanders will really screw the current scenario? I was thinking that for the time being I will just use the Quad 12L with a denon 1909 (<70K, or any similar combination) for both movies and music. Do post your thoughts

~Bhaskie

 

[thevortex]

Oh OK. Its actually very tough to have a system which scales very easily from a 13X11 room to a 30X18 room. I will have to let the audio experts here take that one as I am still a beginner in this field.

But to share my thoughts with you, let me tell you that I was in exactly your position until a few months back. The answer to that lies in finding out exactly how much importance music has to you. If it is really significant, then at this price range, the bookshelves are really better. For more musical floorstanders the budget needs to be padded a bit. But the RS6 has been praised a whole lot by all members here. I have not listened to it, but if so many say it is good, then it has to be good. In general though, below 40,000 Rs. the bookshelves make a killing. And in any case you are planning to add a sub later on, so that should be much of an issue.

As somebody told me, a comparatively priced bookshelf is almost always going to outperform the floorstander at the same price. Thats because you are paying majorly not for the woodwork but the drivers and magnets. The nitty gritties, in other words.

All that said, it is individual preference which drives the whole thing. There is nothing like auditioning a few bookshelves and seeing if you prefer the sound. There are some quality bookshelves that can blow away your socks at the amount of sheer power and presence that they can summon.

 

[venkatcr]

Bhaskie, Vortex, please check the following thread for a discussion on BS vs FS.

http://www.hifivision.com/av-enhancers-room-acoustics/1870-fs-bs-200-ft-room-size.html

Cheers

 

[bhaskie]

Oh OK. Its actually very tough to have a system which scales very easily from a 13X11 room to a 30X18 room. I will have to let the audio experts here take that one as I am still a beginner in this field.

But to share my thoughts with you, let me tell you that I was in exactly your position until a few months back. The answer to that lies in finding out exactly how much importance music has to you. If it is really significant, then at this price range, the bookshelves are really better. For more musical floorstanders the budget needs to be padded a bit. But the RS6 has been praised a whole lot by all members here. I have not listened to it, but if so many say it is good, then it has to be good. In general though, below 40,000 Rs. the bookshelves make a killing. And in any case you are planning to add a sub later on, so that should be much of an issue.

As somebody told me, a comparatively priced bookshelf is almost always going to outperform the floorstander at the same price. Thats because you are paying majorly not for the woodwork but the drivers and magnets. The nitty gritties, in other words.

All that said, it is individual preference which drives the whole thing. There is nothing like auditioning a few bookshelves and seeing if you prefer the sound. There are some quality bookshelves that can blow away your socks at the amount of sheer power and presence that they can summon.

Thanks dude! Let me revisit my requirements. I got a friend who recently got a Quad 12L BS and he is really happy with the way it sounds. I will check them out and see for myself! Also I am planning to find out how the Usher BE-718 BS sounds. Heard good things about it! Do name your favourite BS speakers below 40K.

Cheers!

 

[thevortex]

The Usher BE718 is quite a bit costlier than Rs. 40,000. In fact I think it is closer to 1 Lakh, if I am not mistaken.

Some of my favourite bookshelves under Rs. 40,000 are, in no particular order:

PSB Alpha B1 (Probably the best value for money speaker around)
PSB Image B25
Wharfedale Diamond 9.1/9.3
Polk Lsi 7
Mordaunt Short Mezzo 2
EPOS M5 (or M5i)
EPOS M12.2 (or M12.2i)
Quad 11L2
Quad 12L2
Dyanudio Audience 42
Jamo C603
Jamo C403

I have also included a couple of bookshelves that I have not actually heard - like the Quads, just to give you an idea.

 

[Rem]

Mezzo 2 would be around 27k you can get it for less.

I would also add B&W 685 to the list which is around 39k I do think it would be good enough for both music and movies and a room of that size B&W's would not need a sub.

Correct me if I m wrong I think you can add one of the Dali Lektor bookshelves to the list as well but I dont think that would give you as much bass as you might want for movies.

I have heard B&W and the Mordaunt Short Mezzo I love both and for the price thought Mezzo was a steal but I would prefer the Mezzo for music only.


M not an expert think others would also be able to chip in with their views on this.

 

[bhaskie]

The Usher BE718 is quite a bit costlier than Rs. 40,000. In fact I think it is closer to 1 Lakh, if I am not mistaken.

Some of my favourite bookshelves under Rs. 40,000 are, in no particular order:

PSB Alpha B1 (Probably the best value for money speaker around)
PSB Image B25
Wharfedale Diamond 9.1/9.3
Polk Lsi 7
Mordaunt Short Mezzo 2
EPOS M5 (or M5i)
EPOS M12.2 (or M12.2i)
Quad 11L2
Quad 12L2
Dyanudio Audience 42
Jamo C603
Jamo C403

I have also included a couple of bookshelves that I have not actually heard - like the Quads, just to give you an idea.

Usher BE718 is OUT
Quad 12L is great sounding but wont do without the sub. I will keep this option open.
Rest of the speakers - no idea. got to audition (the ones that are worth) and see for myself.
Heard Dali Lector is really good (BS) - comes for 250 pounds. Any idea if I can get it in Delhi (or get it shipped to Delhi) and the price?

THanks,
Bhaskie

 

[Rem]

Hei Bhaski

The main distributor for Dali in India is in Delhi itself Got this info from Dali website

Sight & Sound India
D-12/4, Okhla Industrial Area - II
New Delhi 110020
Phone : 98103 39238
Fax : 011 4141 4100
Web : Sight & Sound India : Corporate Solutions | Home Theatre Solutions | Distributions
Email : [email protected]

Do let us know how much they quote for lektor and you can also check out Ikon 6 and Ikon 5 its above your budget have heard that they are great.
Wanted to listen to the Dalis myself but have no idea where I can audition them in Bangalore.





Dali Website

 

[bhaskie]

Mezzo 2 would be around 27k you can get it for less.

I would also add B&W 685 to the list which is around 39k I do think it would be good enough for both music and movies and a room of that size B&W's would not need a sub.

Correct me if I m wrong I think you can add one of the Dali Lektor bookshelves to the list as well but I dont think that would give you as much bass as you might want for movies.

I have heard B&W and the Mordaunt Short Mezzo I love both and for the price thought Mezzo was a steal but I would prefer the Mezzo for music only.


M not an expert think others would also be able to chip in with their views on this.

If mezzo is preferable for music only, I will strike it out. I watch around 10 movies a week (on an average, sometimes that shoots up to 20). I guess what I am looking for is a balanced speaker (50-50 music/movie) within 40K. If SUB is a must, I will get it within a few months. Just that a lot of people say that with FS speakers like Klipsch Synergy F2/F3 or Reference RF-52/Rf-10 etc, you can do without the sub. I don't know how true that is.

 

[bhaskie]

Hei Bhaski

The main distributor for Dali in India is in Delhi itself Got this info from Dali website

Sight & Sound India
D-12/4, Okhla Industrial Area - II
New Delhi 110020
Phone : 98103 39238
Fax : 011 4141 4100
Web : Sight & Sound India : Corporate Solutions | Home Theatre Solutions | Distributions
Email : [email protected]

Do let us know how much they quote for lektor and you can also check out Ikon 6 and Ikon 5 its above your budget have heard that they are great.
Wanted to listen to the Dalis myself but have no idea where I can audition them in Bangalore.





Dali Website

Hey thanks a ton! That's just 30 min away Gotta go and check them this weekend itself.

 

[Rem]

Never heard the Klipsch for some reason whenever the showrooms that have klipsch never has the speakers setup properly for audition. I do have the Klipsch Promedia computer speakers though have used it for 7yrs now,they were awesome for the money.

 

[bhaskie]

Hei Bhaski

The main distributor for Dali in India is in Delhi itself Got this info from Dali website

Sight & Sound India

Do let us know how much they quote for lektor and you can also check out Ikon 6 and Ikon 5 its above your budget have heard that they are great.
Wanted to listen to the Dalis myself but have no idea where I can audition them in Bangalore.

Hey Rem, just wanted to give an update on the dali speakers. I went to audition the ikon speakers and really liked them. At 60K, the Ikon 5 are quite good. Though the bass is really sad. Classical (western) sounds wonderful, rock sounds just fine, jazz sounds good, voices sound really sweet, paired with a sub even movies sounded quite nice.

The dali lektor BS will be coming arnd jan/feb, and will be priced arnd 22K (dali lektor 1s). they are supposed to be really nice and VFM, so i will go check them out when they come.

 

[marsilians]

Hi Bhaskie

From your listening preferences, you need something that will be realtively forward though not harsh on your ears in terms of sound quality and dynamism.

Having said that, from your choices, my preference would be
1. Monitor Audio Silver RS6
2. Diamond 9.6
3. Klipsch Reference RF10
4. Quad 12L if you pair with an amp

I would not buy Klipsch Synergy F3 since they sound very harsh due to the usage of horn tweeters and need lots of tinkering to get it right.

For receivers

1. Onkyo TX-SR606
2. Denon AVR1909

Also look at yamaha HTR 6160 and Pioneer VSX-9130

For sub, if you can manage the space then go for Polk Pro 600 as its a 12 inch. Otherwise the 500 should do an excellent job.

Main thing is for your front L/C/R speakers to match (same series from same manufacturer). The surrounds can be anything else and also the sub.

Sony is not strong in mid fi AVR so drop it.

Folks,

I need your expert advice and guidance in assembling my first HT. I shall be buying most of my stuff from Delhi. My usage is 60% movies and 40% music. I want to know the best combination out of these shortlisted components, or anything else that I have failed to compile but is highly recommended and suited to my requirements. I am willing to spend 1 lakh initially (receiver, front speakers and woofer) and will add on center/surround components at a later stage.

Movies: (60% usage will be movies)
Will play following video formats through Gigabyte motherboard (GA-MA78GM-S2H) HDMI out + 106dB SNR ALC889A HD audio):
1. h264 (matroska) encoded DVD-rips or BD-rips
2. xvid/divx encoded with ac3 audio
3. DVDs from HTPC sata DVD player (dont plan to buy a DVD player)

Music: (40% usage will be music)
1. Rock and metal (hendrix, led zep, ac/dc, floyd etc.) (50%)
2. Classical (mozart etc., mostly in flac format) (50%)

A lot of music will also be streamed from a Creative Zen vision-M (through 3.5 to double RCA and into A/V receiver)
256kbps VBR WMV's as well as MP3's @320

Budget: 75K-100K (excluding surround and center speakers, which I will add later on)
Room size: 12'x11'
Viewing distance: 8 feet
Display: 37" Samsung Bordeaux @720p
Dont need 7.1, 5.1 is enough.

Here is the list of stuff I have shortlisted. Please help me in finalizing the setup!

Front speakers (budget: 20K-50K):
1. Monitor Audio Silver RS6 - Rs. 50K (exceeds my budget, so will have to not get a sub for sometime )
2. Klipsch Synergy F3 600W (Floorstanding) - 40K (it has Dual 8-inch IMG woofer) - F-3 --- Floorstanding Stereo Speaker - Klipsch Synergy Series
3. Klipsch Reference RF10 300W (dual 4.5-inch woofers) - Rs. 28K
4. Quad 12L (30K)
5. Wharfedale Diamond 9.6 (dont know the price of these)

Question: can I manage to go without a sub for sometime with these front speakers (some goes down to arnd 30Hz i think)

A/V receiver (max budget: 40K):
1. Denon AVR1909 - 40K
2. Onkyo TX-SR606 - 40K
3. Sony STR-DA1200ES (dont know the price)

Subwoofer (max budget: 25K):
1. Polk Audio DSW PRO500 (375W) @20k
2. Polk Audio DSW PRO600 (460W) @25k
3. Klipsch Synergy Sub-10 Subwoofer @21k
4. EPOS ELS Subwoofer @30K

Thanks,
Bhaskie

 

[venkatcr]

Bhaskie, have you decided, or is this thread yet open? I have had some recent experiences and would like to share them with you.

Cheers

 

[bhaskie]

Bhaskie, have you decided, or is this thread yet open? I have had some recent experiences and would like to share them with you.

Cheers

absolutely open!

I have been auditioning for the past few weekends, listening to wharfedale 9.6, 9.5, Quad 12L2, Jamo 605, Dali Ikon 5/6. The only ones I liked were Dali ikon 5 (6 would probably be overkill for my 12x12 room), but the bass was weak. Quad 12L2 was fine.

Do share your experiences.

Thanks,
Bhaskie

 

[bhaskie]

With all the auditioning over the past month, I think I am inclined to something like this:

Fronts - Dali Ikon 5/2 (not heard these but am interested - Monitor Audio SIlver RS 6, Usher X718)
Rears - Dali Lektor 1 (will buy these later)
Center - depends on the fronts (will buy it later as well)
Sub - EPOS ELS, Velodyne, Dali Sub (heard this only, liked the tight bass)
AVR - Denon (1909 or higher) - should be able to drive the fronts well for music listening (long sessions, around 6 hrs a day)

Based on more auditions this month, I will get a better idea on what I want! Whoa!

Cheers!
Bhaskie