Need Advice - AVR & Speaker Package in 1 Lac

MumbaiProperties

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Hi All
Im a newbie here
Been reading the informative posts by seniors here and would like your advice in making my first AV setup

Here are my specs :
1. Room Size is 16' X 10' - 160 sq.ft.
2. Viewing distance would be 9 ft
3. Listening distance may vary from 9 ft to 14 ft depending on the placement
4. Movies - 40% and Music - 60%
5. Music genre - Easy Listening, Rock, instrumental and popular hindi music
6. Like more high's than large thumpy bass, not shrill treble though
7. Speakers need to be small and wall mounted as less space on floor

Currently have got a Samsung 46 LED, TATA Sky Plus, PS3 and Samsung HD860 DVD Player.

Have auditioned the following :
1. Harmon Kardon AVR 255 with Sequence Sonata front and centre speakers, PSB Surround & Definitive Pro Sub 800. price - 129k
2. Marantz AVR - SR8003 with Mirage Nanoset HGB 5.1 - The dealer din have 4003 for audition and has suggested 4003 with mirage combo. price - 82k

Would like to audition the Q accoustic 1010i and a matchin avr that would go with it

My queries are :
1. In a budget of 40 - 50 k what would be a good avr ? Is marantz avr a good option as i havent read a lot about it on the forums ? How about NAD avr ?
2. In compact speakers which dont look out of place in small rooms, is mirage nanoset a good option, without sacrificing the sound ? Last months AV Max carried a very positive review of the nanosat
3. What should be the cables i would be buyin ? while doing the interiors, i have put DAC speaker cables. what interconnects would help me get the best performance in my setup ? is a budget of 10-12k gud enuf for cables n interconnects ?

TO begin with, i would be happy to get feedback from the gurus here on these and be on way to make my dream avr setup

Thanks in advance people
Warm Regards
Ram
 
If you have decided on small speakers, the Mirage Speakers sound good for movies. Music is were they fall short. Marantz 4003 is a good AVR but is now discontinued and retails for around 25k.

in the 40k Range you should be looking at Denon 1910 / Marantz 5004
in the 50k Range you should be looking at Denon 2310 / Marantz 6004

For speakers Mirage sets suffice for movies but they are not very good. in sub / Sat systems I would recommend the KEF3005 or B&W MT20 is budget permits. At lower end you can try Q Acoustics and Wharfedale Diamond packages.
 
I can suggest 2 opt

1.Budget AVR + Good spk
2.Better AVR + Budget spk
3.If you strech Budget = Budget AVR + Good spk + stereo amp


For Opt1-

Onk 507/Denon 1610 + Wharf Diamonds/ Kef 2005 / Mission MVDS5.1 (40k)
(30k around) (70karound?)

Opt2-\

Denon1910 / Onk 607 + mission MVDS5.1 / Jamo package
(42k ) (35 to 60k)

Opt3

add Budget stereo amp to both options-

CA 340SE/ Norge 1000
(10 to 18k)
 
So many choices ... which would give a better sound as far as music goes ?

Hi Raghav, Spirovious and Pranab,
Thanks for all the inputs :clapping:

Raghav KEF 3005 has excellent ratings in what hi-fi. Are they as good in music as with movies?: what is the price of KEF3005 and B&W MT20 in Mumbai and where can i audition it ?
On the KEF website I saw KEF 3005SE in white. Are they also available in Mumbai >
Is Denon a better musical avr compared to say onkoyo or yamaha ?
I would also like to audition the Q acoustic but cant get a dealer in mumbai . any inputs guys ?
Pranab if you can arrange the demo of Q accoustic it would be helpful

Spirovious, are you suggesting to add a stereo amp along with the AVR setup ? how would the connections be done ?
Appreciate the feed guys
That will help be a lot in shortlisting the final configuration
Ram
 
Re: So many choices ... which would give a better sound as far as music goes ?

KEF 3005 - Rs95000 MRP (white not sure)
KEF2005 - Rs75000 MRP
Both available at ProFX in Atria Mall, Worli

MT20 was for approx Rs100,000
However, MT-25 is the new model and MT-20 might be selling cheaper.
B&W is sold by Audio Vision in New Empire building in Fort and PVR complex in Juhu.

Both the above systems excel for movies for which they are made. However, their music performance is also good, but not as good as Bookshelf based system like B&W685 / KEF iQseries

Denon I feel is a better choice for allround capabilities while Yamaha & Onkyo are good at movies. Denon models for '10 are rated highly. Marantz though will serve best for stereo music performance.

Raghav

Hi Raghav, Spirovious and Pranab,
Thanks for all the inputs :clapping:

Raghav KEF 3005 has excellent ratings in what hi-fi. Are they as good in music as with movies?: what is the price of KEF3005 and B&W MT20 in Mumbai and where can i audition it ?
On the KEF website I saw KEF 3005SE in white. Are they also available in Mumbai >
Is Denon a better musical avr compared to say onkoyo or yamaha ?
I would also like to audition the Q acoustic but cant get a dealer in mumbai . any inputs guys ?
Pranab if you can arrange the demo of Q accoustic it would be helpful

Spirovious, are you suggesting to add a stereo amp along with the AVR setup ? how would the connections be done ?
Appreciate the feed guys
That will help be a lot in shortlisting the final configuration
Ram
 
Re: So many choices ... which would give a better sound as far as music goes ?

Thanks for the prices Raghav
much appreciated
Is ProFx only in Atria ? or any other branches in Mumbai too ?
Ram

KEF 3005 - Rs95000 MRP (white not sure)
KEF2005 - Rs75000 MRP
Both available at ProFX in Atria Mall, Worli

MT20 was for approx Rs100,000
However, MT-25 is the new model and MT-20 might be selling cheaper.
B&W is sold by Audio Vision in New Empire building in Fort and PVR complex in Juhu.

Both the above systems excel for movies for which they are made. However, their music performance is also good, but not as good as Bookshelf based system like B&W685 / KEF iQseries

Denon I feel is a better choice for allround capabilities while Yamaha & Onkyo are good at movies. Denon models for '10 are rated highly. Marantz though will serve best for stereo music performance.

Raghav
 
Re: So many choices ... which would give a better sound as far as music goes ?

do not know of any other branch of profx in mumbai
however, they have many dealers. viola in andheri shows KEF, polk and denon on their website.
home


Thanks for the prices Raghav
much appreciated
Is ProFx only in Atria ? or any other branches in Mumbai too ?
Ram
 
Re: So many choices ... which would give a better sound as far as music goes ?

Thanks raghav :clapping:
spoke to viola and goin for a demo on monday
the guy there suggested KEF 3005 wud go with denon 1910 or even the marantz SR6004 and 5003, if music is my priority
He said the MRP of 3005 is 95k and their best price is 80k
is this the best i can get in mumbai ?
Ram

do not know of any other branch of profx in mumbai
however, they have many dealers. viola in andheri shows KEF, polk and denon on their website.
home
 
Re: So many choices ... which would give a better sound as far as music goes ?

KEF3005 will be well handled with Denon 1910 / Marantz 5003.
Price for the KEFs sound good to me. Others may be able to confirm or suggest better.

Take a look at Marantz 6004 for its few extra features. I wanted to try it out but have not been able to visit Viola.
1. iPod compatible thru USB
2. Bluetooth enabled
3. 2 HDMI outs

Since you are going also try the bookshelf systems they have. They are bigger but sound better. Maybe you will not mind bulk for quality.

Raghav



Thanks raghav :clapping:
spoke to viola and goin for a demo on monday
the guy there suggested KEF 3005 wud go with denon 1910 or even the marantz SR6004 and 5003, if music is my priority
He said the MRP of 3005 is 95k and their best price is 80k
is this the best i can get in mumbai ?
Ram
 
Re: So many choices ... which would give a better sound as far as music goes ?

in Mumbai >

Spirovious, are you suggesting to add a stereo amp along with the AVR setup ? how would the connections be done ?
Ram

we can add st amp with AVR setup to get better music performance.
We can use audio splitter which can connect both AVR & to St.amp ,but 1 at a time.
 
Assuming your AVR has preouts and the Amp can take 2 inputs,

AVR-Preout-fronts --> Amp --> Speakers

CDP/Music-Source --> Amp

This will avoid the need for any splitter, need to switch on both the AVR and AMP for movies.
 
Round 1 of Auditions - AVR & Speaker Package in 1 Lac

Yesterday evening was spend auditioning AVR and Speakers at
Viola, Alliance and Boom Audio in Mumbai

The inputs from all you guys here helped in shortlisting what gear i should be tuning in to.

Heard the KEF 3005 with Denon 1910
the guy also suggested Paradigm CT 70 & CT 90
heard those speakers at two of the dealers and i quite liked the sound as well as the moveis played quite well. Felt it to be balanced for music and movies.

Second dealer suggested the Definitive Pro Cinema 800, Canton 80Cx and Canton 120 CX with Denon 1910
Of these 3, Canton 80CX was very near to my kinda listening and i do like bit bright sounding speakers

What interested me were the Cinema ADP Surrounds of Paradigm, with 4 drivers in each enclosure and positioned on the sideways.

Any review or feedback on the Paradigm and Canton from experts here ?

This sure can get confusing with so many choices....
waiting for inputs from you guys
Ram
 
Shortlised the Denon 1910 and Paradigm Cinema 90..

After so many demo sessions and permutation n combinations, i finally zeroed in on the Denon 1910 and Paradigm Cinema 90 setup
Loved the sound of my kinda music on these speakers and they fared pretty well on the movie front as well :yahoo:

What would be the best price in mumbai for them ?
i was quoted 71,000 for both
Also what kinda cables should i be looking at ?
Is 10,000 a gud enuf budget for cables for this setup (@15%) reckonin...
My setup would be
1. Samsung LED 46
2. PS 3
3. Samsung HD 860 DVD Player
4. TataSky plus

What would be the best way to connect all these ?

May be add the Divico HD M-6500A or HD M-7000A player, budget permitting.

Look forward to buy the setup this week, so would appreciate inputs from the guru's here
Ram
 
Last edited:
Re: Shortlised the Denon 1910 and Paradigm Cinema 90..

After so many demo sessions and permutation n combinations, i finally zeroed in on the Denon 1910 and Paradigm Cinema 90 setup
Loved the sound of my kinda music on these speakers and they fared pretty well on the movie front as well :yahoo:

What would be the best price in mumbai for them ?
i was quoted 71,000 for both
Also what kinda cables should i be looking at ?
Is 10,000 a gud enuf budget for cables for this setup (@15%) reckonin...
My setup would be
1. Samsung LED 46
2. PS 3
3. Samsung HD 860 DVD Player
4. TataSky plus

What would be the best way to connect all these ?

May be add the Divico HD M-6500A or HD M-7000A player, budget permitting.

Look forward to buy the setup this week, so would appreciate inputs from the guru's here
Ram

Hi,

Denon 1910 is a good performer (I made the same comments in several threads, pls dont mistake I am a dealer or something) from my personal experience. I am sure 10K will be more than enough for the cables, I feel the cables would come even less than that. Connect PS3 and DVD player to AVR via HDMI and Tatasky to AVR using component video and connect the HDMI output from the AVR to Sammy LED.
1. For the DVD player, let the AVR do the upscaling.
2. For Tatasky, if there are no flickering issues, then you can let the AVR do the upscaling. I am using BIGTV and when I set the upscaler at 1080i or P, the screen flickers, this happens only with some particular channels. You can set the AVR upscaler off, this would solve the problem. Otherwise, take component out from AVR and connect it to LED, but then you will have to change the input settings in TV each time.
3. For PS3, let it do the upscaling.

Not sure of the paradigm and 1910 combo, let the experts pour in their thoughts.

Hope this helps!
Cheers!
 
thanks for that input buddy
i did like the sound of paradigm, compared to energy and i was able to get the demo in my living room...
hope it wud sound even more better after the run in of couple of hours..
 
thanks for that input buddy
i did like the sound of paradigm, compared to energy and i was able to get the demo in my living room...
hope it wud sound even more better after the run in of couple of hours..

Then, that is it, you got your gear! Have fun and enjoy!:yahoo: Yes, they would definitely sound better after the burn-in period!

Cheers!
 
What Cables do i buy for 10k for my system ?

Hi,

Denon 1910 is a good performer (I made the same comments in several threads, pls dont mistake I am a dealer or something) from my personal experience. I am sure 10K will be more than enough for the cables, I feel the cables would come even less than that. Connect PS3 and DVD player to AVR via HDMI and Tatasky to AVR using component video and connect the HDMI output from the AVR to Sammy LED.
1. For the DVD player, let the AVR do the upscaling.
2. For Tatasky, if there are no flickering issues, then you can let the AVR do the upscaling. I am using BIGTV and when I set the upscaler at 1080i or P, the screen flickers, this happens only with some particular channels. You can set the AVR upscaler off, this would solve the problem. Otherwise, take component out from AVR and connect it to LED, but then you will have to change the input settings in TV each time.
3. For PS3, let it do the upscaling.

Not sure of the paradigm and 1910 combo, let the experts pour in their thoughts.

Hope this helps!
Cheers!

Hi Venkatesh
What brand cables and which ones shud i be buyin ?
Ram
 
Wharfedale Linton Heritage Speakers in Walnut finish at a Special Offer Price. BUY now before the price increase.
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