My approach - Need your inputs

[rejeeb]

Hi All,

After going throungh the valuable threads in the forum, and based on my speaker auditioning experience, I've arrvied at the following conclusion:

Do not build a common HT for both Movies and Music.

1) For movies I am planning to go with a sub-satellite combo (this is going to be in my living room)
2) For music Amp+CD player+2 speakers (in my study room)

How is this approach?

 

[nshankar]

Space and costs permitting, this is very good.

 

[srikarkav]

Hi Rajeeb,
Thanks for going through through the forum before coming to your conclusions.Yes thats an excellent approach.Decide your budget for both the setups and mention your space constraints here in this thread and you will be getting some valuable inputs,

cheers,
sri

 

[techboy]

I would prefer one system because then you can spend a lot more on it and get overall a better experience.

 

[GeorgeO]

Not wanting to get confrontational-but what do you mean by "better experience"? Could you elaborate?

 

[techboy]

Suppose he wants to spend 50k on a stereo system and 50k on his HT.

If he spends 100-120k total, he will get a system which will be at least as good for music plus have surround effects etc and his home theater will of course be much better.

But it depends on his budget.

If his budget is just 20k each, then a 40k 5.1 won't beat a 20k 2.0. However a 100-120k 5.1 >= 50k 2.0 because he can use the same speakers as the stereo system besides enjoying surround sound as well which leads to a better overall experience.

 

[Kittu]

If his budget is just 20k each, then a 40k 5.1 won't beat a 20k 2.0. However a 100-120k 5.1 >= 50k 2.0 because he can use the same speakers as the stereo system besides enjoying surround sound as well which leads to a better overall experience.

:annoyed::sos: Can someone decipher this ? :sad: please

 

[techboy]

For those who didn't understand.

Suppose his budget is around 1 lac.

HT - 50k

Stereo - 50k

HT
Polk RM6750 + Denon 1611 / Onkyo 5300 / JBL + Harman Kardon etc
Basically an entry level 5.1 AVR and an entry level HTiB

Stereo
Marantz 5003 20k
Wharf 9.5 30k


NOW

Suppose he was to spend 100k on a single setup.

AVR Marantz / Harman Kardon 5.1 30-35k
Sub Anything within 10-15k, because the sub in the HTiB will still be a lot worse

So we will have about 60k for 5.0

He can get Wharf 9.5 + Wharf 9.2 + Wharf Center

In fact, since some money is left, he can even go for a Wharf SW150.

Now this true 5.1 setup will be >=the 50k setup for music and much better than the HT setup for movies.

The only loss is that he has a single setup instead of two. But who needs two expensive setups anyway.

 

[iaudio]

rejeeb, that is a very good plan. If you can do with a sat sub package for movies with an AVR and can build a dedicated stereo set up for music, that would work great.

 

[rejeeb]

For a better a discussion I feel I need to provide bit more information from my side.

During my auditioning I figured out one important point. When you connect a bookshelf speaker with an AVR, you get 'X' effect. But if you connect the same speaker with an sterio AMP, you are getting 'XXX' effect. The difference is huge! (I know this not my discovery, this is already conveyed by the gurus in this forum. Initially I did not understood this, but after listening I got enlightened )

Now lets come to the room accoustics. Unfortunately I do not have the luxury of a dedicated HT room. I've to convert my living room into HT.

I've and inverted "L" shaped hall cum dinning area. The actual room size is 19*10'10" and the listening area is 10' * 10'10" (pls refer the attached plan).

When I heared bookshelf based 5.1 systems I did not felt anything wow. But the same movie clipping in a sat-sub combo was far far better than the bookshelf based one.

This experiece was not a onetime incident, even I other auditions I saw this as a pattern.

That's where I kind of reached a conclusion that lets not mix Movies and Music. Keep them separate. Before I go into purchase mode I thought its better to check with the experts whether I am making any mistake or not.

 

[techboy]

Which satellites did you compare to which bookshelves?

 

[rejeeb]

I tried Polk TS 100 and RM 6750 combo. Then Klipsch BS(don't remeber the model name) and HDT 500.
W'dale 9.2 speaker individually I liked it, but in a 5.1 combination I felt something missing. MS Aviano 2, this one literally blew me out (Most prob if I am going in sterio amp path, this is going to be the speaker), but again in 5.1 combination did not impress me.

 

[sam9s]

For those who didn't understand.

Suppose his budget is around 1 lac.
HT - 50k
Stereo - 50k
HT
Polk RM6750 + Denon 1611 / Onkyo 5300 / JBL + Harman Kardon etc
Basically an entry level 5.1 AVR and an entry level HTiB
Stereo
Marantz 5003 20k
Wharf 9.5 30k

NOW
Suppose he was to spend 100k on a single setup.
AVR Marantz / Harman Kardon 5.1 30-35k
Sub Anything within 10-15k, because the sub in the HTiB will still be a lot worse
So we will have about 60k for 5.0
He can get Wharf 9.5 + Wharf 9.2 + Wharf Center
In fact, since some money is left, he can even go for a Wharf SW150.
Now this true 5.1 setup will be >=the 50k setup for music and much better than the HT setup for movies.
The only loss is that he has a single setup instead of two. But who needs two expensive setups anyway.

What ever math you have explained here, in all means, a separate quality music setup easily beats even a decent 5.1 in music department ( I am talking about STEREO music here).

If budget is not a constraint, separate setup is always advised .....

 

[techboy]

What ever math you have explained here, in all means, a separate quality music setup easily beats even a decent 5.1 in music department ( I am talking about STEREO music here).

If budget is not a constraint, separate setup is always advised .....

What would you prefer?

1) 1 Lac 5.1

2) 40k 2.0

I know a 1 lac 2.0 > 1 lac 5.1

But here we are talking about a 1 lac 5.1 vs 40k 2.0. And you need to include the receiver too in this budget.

 

[captrajesh]

I would prefer one system because then you can spend a lot more on it and get overall a better experience.

Buddy, 2 channel & 5.1 channel are two different but parallel roads; twain shall never go together. As far as stereo is concerned, you are not walking on the pathway but treading on the rough between the two paths IMO.

 

[sam9s]

What would you prefer?

1) 1 Lac 5.1

2) 40k 2.0

I know a 1 lac 2.0 > 1 lac 5.1

But here we are talking about a 1 lac 5.1 vs 40k 2.0. And you need to include the receiver too in this budget.

Thats absurd...........why are you even comparing it with a 40K one...... lets compare it with a 5K 2.0 and its obvious 1 L 5.1 will give a better audio experience ........
If one is so dis concerned about his music setup and is crazy for only movies, above segregation might suffice, but even a moderate lover of music will suggest to keep the music setup separate, unless as I said one is heavily bound by his budget.

 

[iaudio]

What would you prefer?

1) 1 Lac 5.1

2) 40k 2.0

I know a 1 lac 2.0 > 1 lac 5.1

But here we are talking about a 1 lac 5.1 vs 40k 2.0. And you need to include the receiver too in this budget.

Techboy, In a 1 lac 5.1, lets see what all has to be included:
1. AVR like Onkyo 608, Denon 1911, yamaha v667 etc priced at 35-40k INR
2. A good of fronts( FS/BS) according to personal choice at about 25k
3. A decent sub woofer for 20-25k.
4. A centre speaker for about 12k
5. A pair of surrounds for about 10k
6. With 5.1 you need more length of speaker cables and your investment gets diluted in quality for the sake of length. Budget 5k INR

The total comes to over 1 lac rupees, to summarise.

Except for the front speakers, everything else is not essential for music. So adding a budget integrated amp to it for 20k, with 6m of speaker wires and interconnects, the tally would still be less than 50k and IMHO, outperform the said category of AVRs with the same set of speakers. And you have 50k in hand!

In essence, in a 1 lac 5.1 or 50k 2.o, your budget for the fronts, which are the main ingredient for music, is roughly the same. And with an AVR you wouldnt be able to extract as much from them as with a good integrated stereo amp.
Unless you want a compromise and want to tread the middle path.


I am not even bringing up the case of how things will change if we spend more on the fronts for the stereo set up.