rbalagopalan
Well-Known Member
MY HOME THEATER JOURNEY
It all started when I was 12 years old ie 1980 -1981. I was on my summer holidays to my uncles place in Chennai. He wanted to buy a stereo set up for him so we went to the Audio Show rooms !!!!! nothing but home appliances showrooms and finally he bought a PHILIPS TT, Receiver and Hi Q speakers and if my memory is right for 9K (big money). I was really blown buy the music (Boney-M, ABBA, Bee Gees etc.,)and the passion began. From then on I was updating myself with all audio brands and Gears with the available little resources of Info on those days.My first set up its self was a big leap
1996
SONY MDP V1 Laser Disc player. Rs. 49K.
SONY G99 AV Dolby Prologic combo package Rs. 48K.
Grundig 28 Big TV!!!! Rs. 49K
Later added SA W10 SONY subwoofer for Rs. 12K
Now on Upgrade virus caught me with no cure to it.
1998
Pioneer Dolby Prologic Receiver, Pioneer Twin Cassete deck, Bose 301 L & R, Bose 101 (patented star drive) Center and Surround and Aiwa sub woofer with a very big Audio USA rack. All were purchased from a NRI who brought with him and sold when he was migrating to Australia Total cost Rs. 65k
The main source was the same Sony LD player.
Sold my G99 AV for Rs. 9K and Sub woofer for Rs. 4K
2000
Yamaha RXV 800 Digital Top Art AVR Rs. 38K New from Grey market on exchange of Pioneer receiver
Yamaha YST 320 Sub woofer Rs. 28K New from Grey market on exchange of Aiwa sub woofer
Now came the great leap of adding DVD player Samsung 717 DVD player Rs. 29 K New from show room
LD player and Speaker package remained the same.
2001
Changed to Bose AM 10 Mark III speaker package RS. 35K New from Grey market.
Sold the whole Bose speaker package for Rs. 10K
2002
Upgraded to ONKYO SR 898 Receiver (the then top but one model) with whole Onkyo Speaker package of 801 towers, 700 surrounds and center and subwoofer Rs. 1.4 Lakhs
Onkyo subwoofer was useless so sold the same and retained Yamaha. Source was Samsung DVD player.
Added SANYO SW 10 projector Rs. 46K Demo piece from BPL sanyo showroom
Imported from USA thru a friend Dalite Cosmopolitan motorized Drapper Rs. 65K landing.
Sold Bose AM10 for Rs. 25K. and SONY LD player for Rs. 1.5K (yes Rs. 1500.00 only)
2004
The transition from Yamaha to Onkyo was not satisfying so was on a hunt for a Receiver upgradation so got hands on a MARANTZ SR 9600 the then highest receiver of Marantz. Rs. 80K on exchange of Onkyo receiver from Grey market.
Upgraded the Subwoofer from Yamaha to Bostan for Rs. 25K on exchange of Yamaha from grey market.
2005
The performance of the whole Onkyo speaker package was really bugging me and absolutely was not up to the mark. So by now show rooms like PRO FX and Cine Bells were present in the city. Had an audition of Jamo speakers at Cine bells. The D7 LCR with D6 surround and D6 sub was astonishing but the pricing was killing almost 4.5 Lakhs. So started hunting and found price in Dubai was cheaper. To get from there to Chennai, my god I had to use all my contacts, offices and resources it was a Himalayan task.
Jamo D7 LCR, Jamo D6 surrounds, D6 Back and Jamo D6 Subwoofer landing cost was Rs. 2.4 Lakhs
Up graded to Pioneer DVD player as Samsung was not able to handle most of the DVDs as the same was of first generation. Rs. 6K on exchange of Samsung from grey market
Sold ONKYO package for mere Rs. 14K and Boston Sub for 15K
From here I could travel up to 2010 without the upgrade bug as my house was not up to it. In 2006 I bought a New house and shifted to that house in 2008 slowly my upgrade fever was springing up. During this whole process I was parallely updating my info on audio gear brands and specs. Then came the fascination towards B&Ws but the price factor was killing.
2009
One of my friends boss was leaving India and was owning a full package of B&W speakers of CDM series ie CDM 9NT towers, CDM CNT center, CDM 1NT book shelves for Surrounds and ASW 650 Subwoofer he bought the whole package for 4.3 lakhs from Onkyo show room the then dealer of B&Ws in Chennai.
By the end of 2009 I bought the whole B&W CDM package for Rs 2.7 Lakhs and
Added B&W DM 301 book shelves for back Rs. 15K
Bought LG 47 LCD TV for Rs. 90K
2010
The sound of B&W was so good and obsessive I started searching for 800 series package. My domestic search was in vein. I started exploring US ebay I could import everything in a phased manner over 9 months period from there.
B&W 804 Towers Rs. 2.3Lakhs, HTM3S Center Rs.1.46Lakhs, SCM1 Surrounds Rs. 1.34Lakhs, SCM1 Surround Back Rs.1.28Lakhs, Sunfire TSEQ 12 Subwoofer Rs. 1.85Lakhs.
Marantz receiver was not doing any justice to the B&Ws so upgraded to Sunfire TGR III receiver (Highest powered receiver) Rs. 1.8Lakhs Imported from US
Put the whole Jamo speaker Package on sale in our forum, as there was no takers Sold it outside the forum for Rs. 1.4 Lakhs
Sold Marantz SR 9600 Receiver for Rs. 45K out side the Forum.
2011
Now come the Blue Ray player so bought from US Panasonic BDP 370 Bluray player Rs. 8K
Added Asus Oplay Air media player Rs. 12K
Advent of Bule Ray and media player made me lack of HDMI so thought of going in for a HDMI receiver but was skeptical about the handing of B&Ws so thought of going in for a processor using Sunfire TGR III as power.
Imported Processor Emotiva UMC 1 Rs. 48K landing
The volume control in the TGR III made me wild, so thought of going in for a dedicated power amp got Sunfire TGA 7400 (7 x 400watts) Power amp. Rs. 1.6 Lakhs.
The combination of Emotiva and Sunfire made the setup brighter so thought of changing the Processor, so in the end of 2011 Imported Rotel RSP 1570 Rs. 1.15Lakhs landing
Upgraded to Samsung 6 series 52 LCD TV Rs. 1.48Lakhs
Sold Emotiva for 30K in the Forum. Put Sunfire TGR III in the forum as there was no takers sold it outside the forum for 1.05 Lakhs. Sold LG LCD TV for 65K
2012
The culprit Rotel has launched RSP 1572 so upgraded to the same by importing it from US Rs. 1.75 Lakhs landing
Sunfire being a Tracking down convertor technology power amp which is nothing but almost a class D technology thought of going in for a Class A B power amp then located on Bryston 5 BST 120x3 channel in Dubai so imported the same Rs. 95K. and located one ADA PM6150 power Amp with 150 x 6channel for Rs. 45K
Added Panasonic Projector AR100 Rs. 87K landing used the same Dalite Drapper for screen. Popcorn Hour C 200 imported for Rs. 27K landing.
By the end of 2012 got my hands on a LEXICON 412 nothing but a BRYSTON 8BST 120 x x4channel for Rs. 95K
Put Rotel RSP 1570 on sale in the forum as there was no takers sold it outside the forum for 90K
Sold Sunfire TGA 7400 for 1.45 Lakhs outside the forum. My sanyo PJ has concked long ago so gave it to a repairer for his R&D
2013 HERE COMES THE ANTHEM RECEIVER AND STATEMENT D2V PROCESSOR.
January of this year I could get a BRYSTON 6BST 250 x 3 power amp for Rs. 1.95 Lakhs this monster could handle my B&W 804 and HTM3S like a breeze and I am extremely happy with its performance.
Imported Popcorn Hour C 300 and A 400
So sold my BRYSTON 5 BST outside the forum for Rs. 70K as I could not find a buyer in our forum.
Sold ADA power Amp for 40K outside the forum.
Having spent so much time, money and energy I felt that my system is not that great in performance, as it is placed in my Living Room where I just cannot think of any Acoustics. This was eating my head and I was constantly reading out so many reviews and user experiences. I discovered that only proper room calibration can compensate the acoustics and bring the quality In living room HT setups.
In this context I discovered Rotel does not have Room calibration and they dont believe in that!!!!. I was not satisfied by the room correction of Integra processor which was adopting Auddysy, I had Carry Audios 11A proc. and the overall performance was better than Rotel and Integra but the Room calibration did not bring any noticeable difference in my system. In the mean while I imported Arcams AVR600 for my cousin. I hooked up this in my Setup as a receiver as well as a Proc even after doing room calibration this did not do any justice to the setup.
I was on a business trip to Bangalore and I visited one of my friend in Blr. Who has a HT setup with Anthem Statement D2v processor. I was blown by its performance. The same movie tracks which I used to watch were altogether with different dynamics and the Background score has come so much lively and with full presence. I started reading so many reviews about anthems receiver and processors. Now I am clear I have to go in for Anthem processor with room correction.
Unlike the past I didnt want to take chance of importing the D2V processor and be in trouble if the same is not up to the mark in my living room. So I decided to go in for a basic entry level receiver with Anthem ARC (the same was recommended by many reviewers if we want to use Anthem receiver as Proc.)
At this juncture the reply by the Indian Anthem dealer was quiet disappointing as the MRX 300 receiver has been stopped and it would take 6 months for them to get the new 310. So I had directly imported MRX 300 and set it up in my living room. ( though being a receiver this could deliver 2V RMS in RCA Pre out which even most of the high end Processor dont deliver) The initial result was unbelievable and after Anthem Room Correction the result was astonishing.
All my speakers became lively especially the Subwoofer has become lot tight and the Bass was fully rounded Surrounds and Backs have become lively and the war scenes have brought war field in my living room.
At just 50% of the price of my Rotel RSP 1572 processor this Anthem MRX 300 receiver did lot of justice to my set up that too as a processor. In the mean while I could get one MRX 500 and I bought it, and sold my 300 to one of my friend for Rs. 65K who also was facing the same problem with his Carry Audio 11A processor in spite of having a dedicated room. The MRX Anthem ARC magic worked for him too. I sold my rotel RSP 1572 for Rs. 1.25lakhs outside the forum.
Now driven by the performance of the Anthem Receiver I started my hunt for a Anthem Statement D2V processor finally I could locate one in Germany and imported the same. After setting up and Room correction, I feel now only I have achieved what I want. Thus comes my present HT set up in my signature.
Recently purchased ATI AT 1805 180 watts x 5 channel Power Amp which is one of the great power amps in US. So I have put my LEXICON 412 on sale in this forum.
During this journey I had auditioned many brands / models of processors, receivers, power amps and B&W speakers ( like Parasound, Denon, Lexicon, Integra Research, etc.,) in my set up I put here which ever have stayed in my set up for some days.
NB I am in watch out for a better SUB WOOFER any clues
Thanks to one and all for reading this journey and for the Moderators for approving this for publishing. Now I wait for all specialists comments and suggestions.
The journey continues
R. Balagopalan
