Need HiFiVision Pro's to help me set up HT under 1.5L

[rkm1712]

Hello FM Lords of HiFiVison,

After being a silent spectator of HifiVison posts in HT & Speakers Forums for more than a month, doing my share of research, going through countless Youtube Videos and blogs around Audioholics, Crutchfield, Chris Majestic, Oobarpad etc, I propagated my decision in the below flow =>

Existing TV Speakers => 2.1 Soundbars (Polk Audio Signa S2 (10.7K) => Samsung Q800T 3.1.2 Soundbar (to use QSymphony) => HTiB (Yamaha YHT 1840 , 3072IN) => Build Separates gradually over time (AVR + Front LR and Center first, followed by Sub and Surrounds).

I loved the beautiful journey shared by @gourav and @Deerajgowda to achieve a similar setup I'm planning.
I own an MAudio AV40 2.0 Studio Monitors and these beat the TV Speakers fair in music but lag in dialogue delivery due to lack of Center Channel.

Below is my current Setup :

Samsung The Frame 2021 55"4K QLED 120Hz with HDR10+,(doesn't support Atmos & Vision) 40W speakers, has HDMI eARC and HDMI 2.1 ports (got last month)

PlayStation 4 (FIFA addict once, Used to run Netflix and Prime in 1080p until I bought Samsung QLED as it supports native 4K for these.

Windows 8 PC (AMD FX8340, nVidia GT750 Graphic, 32G Mem - Use for regular browsing on TV via HDMI - Supports 4K@60fps)

M Audio AV 40 2.0 Studio Monitors - 40W Total - To listen to Lossless Audio with PC - didn't buy DAC to connect to TV, For Netflix - still use TV Speakers )

Below are my Room location and dimension details :

Room Type	Bedroom in a 3BHK Flat on 4th Floor in a Gated Community. TV in front of a 2m X 2m (6.5ft X 6.5ft) Double Bed
Room Dimension to consider (Left Cupboard to Right Wall)	3.5m X 4m X 2.65m | 11.5 ft X 13 ft X 8.7ft
Room Size (Wall to Wall)	3.5m X 4.5m X 2.65m | 11.5 ft X 14.5 ft X 8.7 ft
TV to Viewer (Me) Distance	3.2m | 10.5 ft
Speaker to Viewer Distance (L+R, Center)	2.8m | 9.2 ft
Subwoofer Placement	2.8m | 9.2ft | Preferring to Put Below Left Front Channel in a Cabinet on the TV Wide Stand (Not sure yet)
Rear Speaker Placement	May Place on Back wall on top at 8 ft height OR at the Bed Headboard (Stuck against the back wall no gaps ) at 3 Feet Height
TV Stand Specs	TV is wall mounted, Below the same, I have an Open TV Cabinet of 6ft length X 1ft width X 2 ft height).

Below is my Budget :

Considering this is an expensive project, I wish to build a 5.1. setup gradually in phases.

Phase 1 (Within a month - AVR + Front LCR) : 1 L
Phase 2 (Witin 6 months - Sub & Rear Surrounds) : 50K

My TV doesn't currently support Dolby Atmos, but I'd love to have the AVR with 7.2 if possible in the Budget so that I can get a nVidia Shield Imported in the future and add the remaining Speakers if possible. But for now, I have never owned even a 5.1 Setup at home so I'd be even happy with the same.

I have Pet cockatiels who stay with me in the same room, so I dont increase the Volume by more than 30%. So the priority is to have a System that can give good Clarity and Enough Bass at Low Volumes. Movies/Music Usage Ratio => 60/40

Considering the Bedroom Size being small (3.5 m X 4m X 2.65m), I have shortlisted the below options for now :

Items	Option 1 (Cheaper)	Option 2 (Mid)	Option 3 (Mid to High)
AV Receiver	Denon 550BT	Denon X1600H	Yamaha RX v585
L+R Speakers	Taga Harmony Platinum B40	QAcoustics 3020i	Polk Audio S20
Center Channel	Taga Harmony C40	QAcoustics 3090CI	Polk Audio S30
SubWoofer	Taga TSW-200	QAcoustics 3060i	Polk Audio HTS10
Rear Speakers	Taga Harmony TAV-806s	Polk Audio OWM3	Polk Audio S10

I'm leaning towards Option 2 where I'm getting QAcoustics 3020i for 25K, 3090ci for 18K. Yet to get a Quote for Denon X1600.

I'm also open to Used Setups (If generous FM among you with an urge to upgrade can help me out - as I don't trust OLX for HT components at least)

I have attached an Excel Spreadsheet with more details and a couple of Wide Angle pics of the room for reference.

I have spoken to Mr Amit from Indiq Audio and he suggested Diamond Mishra's with Denon AVR as a start, but those L+R speakers are way too big for such a small room of mine and within that range, I'm getting the entire LCR from QAcoustics - Option 2 above). That's why QAcoustics excites me as that gives me the much-needed approval from Home Ministry (As I'll just have to replace the AV40 Speakers on my TV Stand with QAcoustics LCR.

I have not auditioned anywhere till now due to pandemic risks.

@fLUX @OM_2K19 @Prodigy @ktks1 @square_wave @Mahi @sud98 @rksingh1

If Auditioning is a must, I'll need your assistance to get more details wrt Demo rooms in Bengaluru.

@Love4sound @arunkvivek @elangoas @prateekatasniya @Vinod.R @Mayank Shah @alphacentury100 @DB1989 @sud98 @rpmahale @rsjaurr @raghupb
@efernand1 @amrutmhatre90 @Yogesh @srinisundar @argho @k-pad

I'll also need your expert guidance to make an informed decision.

Thanks a lot in advance

 

[Prodigy]

Hey! If I were to comment and advise I would say look for the following and if possible audition it.
AVR: Denon 2700 at minimal and if you can stumble upon come great pre loved deals you can find a 3XXX series at a very good price. There was one 3200 for sale I guess for a good price.
Speakers : I would personally recommend the Monitor Audio Radius 40 cubes, if you want a small form factor. They do more than its size and get a good sub woofer that can do well for both movies as well as music like the QAcoustics QB12.
2nd Option for speakers if you are wanting to go for proper BS then the Elac B6.2 paired with Elac C6.2 or C5.2 for Center.
With this you can actually slow down your subwoofer purchases as Elac does sound full bodied.
I have personally owned the Elac B6.2 paired with Denon 2600 and they pair really well. You can definitely go for it.

Regards,
Som

 

[OM_2K19]

From your list and considering your budget, I would go with X1600H + 3020i (L/R) + 3090i (C) + 3010i (SR/SL). However, I would strongly suggest saving some more and go with at least an SB12 subwoofer. You can also go with 3010i (L/R) and save some $$$ there. These QAcoustics speakers perform quite well with Music as well. Nonetheless, in a 5.1 system, it's the Center and Sub that make all the difference.

 

[GeorgeB]

Welcome to the forum.
You can check https://hifimart.com/ and speak to Mr. Anil for best prices.
In Bangalore you can audition Taga/QA/Mission @ Bluewave Jayanagar- +91 99168 36867 , QA/Elac @Modern world Domlur +91 98440 80414
For Wharfedale Star AVS vivek nagar - 81050 55008

 

[raghupb]

@rkm1712
I have almost given up on HT, mostly due to laziness of running wires that can be concealed.
Also not much of a movie guy.

As @Prodigy mentions, the MA Radius 45 can be made to work in a HT setup even as front L/R.
Will need a sub-woofer definitely as they are 120Hz and up.
In my listening space, I got the best integration with an old Onkyo dual drive sub that was placed between L/R.
But it was impractical in my room since it needed a whole lot of change in furniture, etc
MA Radius 90 would be a better choice for L/R with the Radius 200 as center and Radius 45 as satellites.
If you want to listen to the Radius 45, drop me a PM.

Hifimart carries MA products.

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[amrutmhatre90]

Hi @rkm1712 ,

Welcome to this journey, you have done good research and learnt a lot of knowledge about this hobby, this is good.

It was just 2 days back I suggested option two to my close buddy who had a budget within 1.3-1.5 lakhs but with few changes and better things.
Following is what I suggested him and have finalised:
3020i fronts
3090ci center
3010i for surrounds
JBL ceiling for atmos
Polk HTS 10 Subwoofer
or QB12

One good thing happened was I found a good deal on a pre owned x1600, same day picked it up for 38k with warranty left till July 2022.
What we are doing initially is setting up 2.1.2 setup.
x1600
3020i
JBL ceiling
QB12 or Polk HTS10.

Slowly will add center and the rear, after a month or two.
Would advice you to get a good subwoofer, it is the heart of HT. Don't go for the 3060 sub, you will get many options. One more thing is in this hobby you can mix and match different speakers and subwoofers. See what you like and suits your budget.

Cheers.

 

[Love4sound]

Hello FM Lords of HiFiVison,

After being a silent spectator of HifiVison posts in HT & Speakers Forums for more than a month, doing my share of research, going through countless Youtube Videos and blogs around Audioholics, Crutchfield, Chris Majestic, Oobarpad etc, I propagated my decision in the below flow =>

Existing TV Speakers => 2.1 Soundbars (Polk Audio Signa S2 (10.7K) => Samsung Q800T 3.1.2 Soundbar (to use QSymphony) => HTiB (Yamaha YHT 1840 , 3072IN) => Build Separates gradually over time (AVR + Front LR and Center first, followed by Sub and Surrounds).

I loved the beautiful journey shared by @gourav and @Deerajgowda to achieve a similar setup I'm planning.
I own an MAudio AV40 2.0 Studio Monitors and these beat the TV Speakers fair in music but lag in dialogue delivery due to lack of Center Channel.

Below is my current Setup :

Samsung The Frame 2021 55"4K QLED 120Hz with HDR10+,(doesn't support Atmos & Vision) 40W speakers, has HDMI eARC and HDMI 2.1 ports (got last month)

PlayStation 4 (FIFA addict once, Used to run Netflix and Prime in 1080p until I bought Samsung QLED as it supports native 4K for these.

Windows 8 PC (AMD FX8340, nVidia GT750 Graphic, 32G Mem - Use for regular browsing on TV via HDMI - Supports 4K@60fps)

M Audio AV 40 2.0 Studio Monitors - 40W Total - To listen to Lossless Audio with PC - didn't buy DAC to connect to TV, For Netflix - still use TV Speakers )

Below are my Room location and dimension details :

Room Type	Bedroom in a 3BHK Flat on 4th Floor in a Gated Community. TV in front of a 2m X 2m (6.5ft X 6.5ft) Double Bed
Room Dimension to consider (Left Cupboard to Right Wall)	3.5m X 4m X 2.65m | 11.5 ft X 13 ft X 8.7ft
Room Size (Wall to Wall)	3.5m X 4.5m X 2.65m | 11.5 ft X 14.5 ft X 8.7 ft
TV to Viewer (Me) Distance	3.2m | 10.5 ft
Speaker to Viewer Distance (L+R, Center)	2.8m | 9.2 ft
Subwoofer Placement	2.8m | 9.2ft | Preferring to Put Below Left Front Channel in a Cabinet on the TV Wide Stand (Not sure yet)
Rear Speaker Placement	May Place on Back wall on top at 8 ft height OR at the Bed Headboard (Stuck against the back wall no gaps ) at 3 Feet Height
TV Stand Specs	TV is wall mounted, Below the same, I have an Open TV Cabinet of 6ft length X 1ft width X 2 ft height).

Below is my Budget :

Considering this is an expensive project, I wish to build a 5.1. setup gradually in phases.

Phase 1 (Within a month - AVR + Front LCR) : 1 L
Phase 2 (Witin 6 months - Sub & Rear Surrounds) : 50K

My TV doesn't currently support Dolby Atmos, but I'd love to have the AVR with 7.2 if possible in the Budget so that I can get a nVidia Shield Imported in the future and add the remaining Speakers if possible. But for now, I have never owned even a 5.1 Setup at home so I'd be even happy with the same.

I have Pet cockatiels who stay with me in the same room, so I dont increase the Volume by more than 30%. So the priority is to have a System that can give good Clarity and Enough Bass at Low Volumes. Movies/Music Usage Ratio => 60/40

Considering the Bedroom Size being small (3.5 m X 4m X 2.65m), I have shortlisted the below options for now :

Items	Option 1 (Cheaper)	Option 2 (Mid)	Option 3 (Mid to High)
AV Receiver	Denon 550BT	Denon X1600H	Yamaha RX v585
L+R Speakers	Taga Harmony Platinum B40	QAcoustics 3020i	Polk Audio S20
Center Channel	Taga Harmony C40	QAcoustics 3090CI	Polk Audio S30
SubWoofer	Taga TSW-200	QAcoustics 3060i	Polk Audio HTS10
Rear Speakers	Taga Harmony TAV-806s	Polk Audio OWM3	Polk Audio S10

I'm leaning towards Option 2 where I'm getting QAcoustics 3020i for 25K, 3090ci for 18K. Yet to get a Quote for Denon X1600.

I'm also open to Used Setups (If generous FM among you with an urge to upgrade can help me out - as I don't trust OLX for HT components at least)

I have attached an Excel Spreadsheet with more details and a couple of Wide Angle pics of the room for reference.

I have spoken to Mr Amit from Indiq Audio and he suggested Diamond Mishra's with Denon AVR as a start, but those L+R speakers are way too big for such a small room of mine and within that range, I'm getting the entire LCR from QAcoustics - Option 2 above). That's why QAcoustics excites me as that gives me the much-needed approval from Home Ministry (As I'll just have to replace the AV40 Speakers on my TV Stand with QAcoustics LCR.

I have not auditioned anywhere till now due to pandemic risks.

@fLUX @OM_2K19 @Prodigy @ktks1 @square_wave @Mahi @sud98 @rksingh1

If Auditioning is a must, I'll need your assistance to get more details wrt Demo rooms in Bengaluru.

@Love4sound @arunkvivek @elangoas @prateekatasniya @Vinod.R @Mayank Shah @alphacentury100 @DB1989 @sud98 @rpmahale @rsjaurr @raghupb
@efernand1 @amrutmhatre90 @Yogesh @srinisundar @argho @k-pad

I'll also need your expert guidance to make an informed decision.

Thanks a lot in advance

Welcome to the forum. Option two seems to be good for your budget. Based on my experience I will recommend some basic room treatment as well. The new range of avr’s from Yamaha are priced less then Denon and Marantz so do check them out. Apart from taga harmony there are few more budget brands available. Tangent and Eltax. I have had a rough demo of eltax and they sounded decent for the price. Not sure why home cinema website quotes are higher then MRP. The right price are shared in surround swar but you can have a demo at home cinema and then decide.

ELTAX EXPOSURE 5.0 - The Home Cinema

Eltax Exposure is a combination of speakers designed for the big show. This 5.0 format offers true stereo musicality and high performance for the cinema. The finish is neat. The black ash and copper-coloured speakers are of the finest quality. A perfect system for a complete, qualitative and...

www.thehomecinema.in

Speakers – surroundswar

surroundswar.in

 

[fLUX]

Hello FM Lords of HiFiVison,

After being a silent spectator of HifiVison posts in HT & Speakers Forums for more than a month, doing my share of research, going through countless Youtube Videos and blogs around Audioholics, Crutchfield, Chris Majestic, Oobarpad etc, I propagated my decision in the below flow =>

Existing TV Speakers => 2.1 Soundbars (Polk Audio Signa S2 (10.7K) => Samsung Q800T 3.1.2 Soundbar (to use QSymphony) => HTiB (Yamaha YHT 1840 , 3072IN) => Build Separates gradually over time (AVR + Front LR and Center first, followed by Sub and Surrounds).

I loved the beautiful journey shared by @gourav and @Deerajgowda to achieve a similar setup I'm planning.
I own an MAudio AV40 2.0 Studio Monitors and these beat the TV Speakers fair in music but lag in dialogue delivery due to lack of Center Channel.

Below is my current Setup :

Samsung The Frame 2021 55"4K QLED 120Hz with HDR10+,(doesn't support Atmos & Vision) 40W speakers, has HDMI eARC and HDMI 2.1 ports (got last month)

PlayStation 4 (FIFA addict once, Used to run Netflix and Prime in 1080p until I bought Samsung QLED as it supports native 4K for these.

Windows 8 PC (AMD FX8340, nVidia GT750 Graphic, 32G Mem - Use for regular browsing on TV via HDMI - Supports 4K@60fps)

M Audio AV 40 2.0 Studio Monitors - 40W Total - To listen to Lossless Audio with PC - didn't buy DAC to connect to TV, For Netflix - still use TV Speakers )

Below are my Room location and dimension details :

Room Type	Bedroom in a 3BHK Flat on 4th Floor in a Gated Community. TV in front of a 2m X 2m (6.5ft X 6.5ft) Double Bed
Room Dimension to consider (Left Cupboard to Right Wall)	3.5m X 4m X 2.65m | 11.5 ft X 13 ft X 8.7ft
Room Size (Wall to Wall)	3.5m X 4.5m X 2.65m | 11.5 ft X 14.5 ft X 8.7 ft
TV to Viewer (Me) Distance	3.2m | 10.5 ft
Speaker to Viewer Distance (L+R, Center)	2.8m | 9.2 ft
Subwoofer Placement	2.8m | 9.2ft | Preferring to Put Below Left Front Channel in a Cabinet on the TV Wide Stand (Not sure yet)
Rear Speaker Placement	May Place on Back wall on top at 8 ft height OR at the Bed Headboard (Stuck against the back wall no gaps ) at 3 Feet Height
TV Stand Specs	TV is wall mounted, Below the same, I have an Open TV Cabinet of 6ft length X 1ft width X 2 ft height).

Below is my Budget :

Considering this is an expensive project, I wish to build a 5.1. setup gradually in phases.

Phase 1 (Within a month - AVR + Front LCR) : 1 L
Phase 2 (Witin 6 months - Sub & Rear Surrounds) : 50K

My TV doesn't currently support Dolby Atmos, but I'd love to have the AVR with 7.2 if possible in the Budget so that I can get a nVidia Shield Imported in the future and add the remaining Speakers if possible. But for now, I have never owned even a 5.1 Setup at home so I'd be even happy with the same.

I have Pet cockatiels who stay with me in the same room, so I dont increase the Volume by more than 30%. So the priority is to have a System that can give good Clarity and Enough Bass at Low Volumes. Movies/Music Usage Ratio => 60/40

Considering the Bedroom Size being small (3.5 m X 4m X 2.65m), I have shortlisted the below options for now :

Items	Option 1 (Cheaper)	Option 2 (Mid)	Option 3 (Mid to High)
AV Receiver	Denon 550BT	Denon X1600H	Yamaha RX v585
L+R Speakers	Taga Harmony Platinum B40	QAcoustics 3020i	Polk Audio S20
Center Channel	Taga Harmony C40	QAcoustics 3090CI	Polk Audio S30
SubWoofer	Taga TSW-200	QAcoustics 3060i	Polk Audio HTS10
Rear Speakers	Taga Harmony TAV-806s	Polk Audio OWM3	Polk Audio S10

I'm leaning towards Option 2 where I'm getting QAcoustics 3020i for 25K, 3090ci for 18K. Yet to get a Quote for Denon X1600.

I'm also open to Used Setups (If generous FM among you with an urge to upgrade can help me out - as I don't trust OLX for HT components at least)

I have attached an Excel Spreadsheet with more details and a couple of Wide Angle pics of the room for reference.

I have spoken to Mr Amit from Indiq Audio and he suggested Diamond Mishra's with Denon AVR as a start, but those L+R speakers are way too big for such a small room of mine and within that range, I'm getting the entire LCR from QAcoustics - Option 2 above). That's why QAcoustics excites me as that gives me the much-needed approval from Home Ministry (As I'll just have to replace the AV40 Speakers on my TV Stand with QAcoustics LCR.

I have not auditioned anywhere till now due to pandemic risks.

@fLUX @OM_2K19 @Prodigy @ktks1 @square_wave @Mahi @sud98 @rksingh1

If Auditioning is a must, I'll need your assistance to get more details wrt Demo rooms in Bengaluru.

@Love4sound @arunkvivek @elangoas @prateekatasniya @Vinod.R @Mayank Shah @alphacentury100 @DB1989 @sud98 @rpmahale @rsjaurr @raghupb
@efernand1 @amrutmhatre90 @Yogesh @srinisundar @argho @k-pad

I'll also need your expert guidance to make an informed decision.

Thanks a lot in advance

I would suggest an Option 4 as well if it fits your budget

AVR - Denon X1600H. The Yamaha are nice but the MultiEq comes in handy for room corrections vs YPAO in Yamaha

Fronts- Concept 20 . These are very refined and much more musical than 3020i , I found it very good for movies and music alike. I used it my HT system for almost close to 9 months and loved it.

Center - I had the 3090i, quiet a FMs reported that they did not find the dialogue delivery very clear. The Concept center might be a better bet ( even if you go with 3020i)

Surrounds- Polk OWM3 or anything which fits your budget.

Subwoofer - 3060i might not be the best bet. Again depending on the budget you allocate either Polk HTS 10/12 , Qacoustics QB12 might be a better buy.

My HT setup almost a year back was Concept 20 Fronts / 3090i Center / 3020i surround with x2600h. Other than AVR everything was purchased from pre owned market and gears were in top notch condition. So do lookout for used deals locally if you are not paranoid about getting used goods.

 

[Prodigy]

I would suggest an Option 4 as well if it fits your budget

AVR - Denon X1600H. The Yamaha are nice but the MultiEq comes in handy for room corrections vs YPAO in Yamaha

Fronts- Concept 20 . These are very refined and much more musical than 3020i , I found it very good for movies and music alike. I used it my HT system for almost close to 9 months and loved it.

Center - I had the 3090i, quiet a FMs reported that they did not find the dialogue delivery very clear. The Concept center might be a better bet ( even if you go with 3020i)

Surrounds- Polk OWM3 or anything which fits your budget.

Subwoofer - 3060i might not be the best bet. Again depending on the budget you allocate either Polk HTS 10/12 , Qacoustics QB12 might be a better buy.

My HT setup almost a year back was Concept 20 Fronts / 3090i Center / 3020i surround with x2600h. Other than AVR everything was purchased from pre owned market and gears were in top notch condition. So do lookout for used deals locally if you are not paranoid about getting used goods.

+1 here. You can either do this or even check what @raghupb mentioned.

 

[rkm1712]

I'm very grateful and overwhelmed by so many responses I have received from all you FM Pro's.
Thank You very much for taking your valuable time and embarking such deep knowledge.
I have duly noted down all your suggestions point by point and I'm in the progress of absorbing the same and doing research about each key point and AVR's/Speakers/Sub's you mentioned.

I have below follow-up questions and need your expert advice on the same :


@Prodigy

Thank You for your inputs on emphasizing the role of an AVR in an HT and from your comment, I comprehend that it's better to have a Decent AVR as the first priority. I was considering Denon 550BT earlier(5.2) for 40K new as for AVR that saving some money within my initial Budget (40K 550BT + 25K QA 3020i + 18K QA 3090ci = 83K).

You mentioned that I should opt for a minimum of Denon X2700H or higher. After further introspection, I can state that my Priority is to have the best possible 5.2 Setup (Because I stay at a Rented Place and don't see myself using Atmos in the next 2-3 years).

In AVR's, I have below ones in mind :

Denon 550BT 5.2 (40K)
Denon S750H 7.2 (57K)
Marantz NR 1510 5.2 (60K)
Denon S960H 7.2 (63K)
Denon X1600H 7.2 (66K)

Denon X2700 is priced at 78K online and way over my budget. (Definitely, the prices have gone up a lot in the last couple of years).

Above are the prices for New Models I checked Online. Should be cheaper in Offline Stores in Bengaluru.
Can you let me know if Denon X1600H/X2700 will be considerably better in producing better audio compared to lets say 550BT i.e is the extra 25K worth it if I still use both in a 5.1 setup for my bedroom? I don't need any other features like Wifi etc.
Thats why a used AVR under warranty makes much more sense (but I don't know how to get these kind of deals).
Please help!!

On the other note I'm not leaning towards ELAC B6.2 because they are too big for my setup as the height gap between the TV Stand to TV is 20 Inches and ELAC 6.2's are 15" (compared to 10.8" for QA 3020i) in themselves which leaves a very little gap. Also L+R of the same costs ~38K and with Center @ 28K, 66K for LCR is going over my Budget.


@OM_2K19

Thank you for opening my eyes to understand that QAcoustics 3060i is not a better choice of a Sub for ~38K and I should consider Polk Audio HTS10 or QAcoustics QB12. I will go through the reviews for these 2 options to change my Sub preference. This really helps !!

@amrutmhatre90

Thank You for sharing your experience. I wish I would have been that lucky guy you helped to get X1600 under Warranty for 38K. I need exactly some deals like this (AVR under warranty and Speakers being sold for upgrades etc so that I can enjoy a much better setup for a cheaper price - Maybe this can help me build the entire 5.1 quicker). Any such deals you come across please let me know. I'd be grateful to you.

@GeorgeB
Thanks a ton for sharing the contact details of the Bengaluru Showrooms.
I did contact Mr Anil last week from HiFiMart but he mentioned that there are no AVR's in stock and he'd get back to me on Monday with Packaged quotes for AVR + LCR Speakers.

I also had a word with @Modern World and they suggested me 2 other options for AVR's: Yamaha RX-A2 and Denon S760H (but I feel they'll be overkill for me and also would be much costly - considering I'd be even happy with a 5.1 setup as I stay in a rented place and cant place any ceiling Atmos speakers for 2-3 years anyway and up-firing speakers I got to know are very costly and don't even work as well as ceiling Atmos speakers).

@raghupb

Thanks a lot for bringing MA Radius Bookshelf's into the picture. MA Radius 90 and MA Radius 200 definitely sound a good option (I could see them for 25K & 30K respectively). I will start going through their reviews at the earliest.

@Love4sound

Thank you for validating Option#2. For AVR's I'm leaning towards getting a used one as for the budget I'm looking for, I'm not getting any 7.2 AVR's. Marantz are considerably costlier as per the quotes given to me. So shortlisted only Denon and Yamaha. Pioneer I heard has a difficult setup and Integration and Onkyo seems kind of out of business as nothing for Onkyo is in stock.

I did look into ELTAX Exposure 5.0, but found them to be floor-standing speaker setup.
Considering the small room size, Im specifically looking for Bookshelfs. I also saw ELTAX Monitors and Tangent Spectrum bookshelfs but they seem to have the same price as QAcoustics and Polk Audio Bookshelfs. Are they better than these?

@fLUX

Thank You for suggesting Denon X1600, thats indeed im leaning towards to (preferrably a used one under warranty).
For Bookshelfs, thanks a ton for bringing Concept 20 into the picture. But online search shows the least price of 43K for L&R. The concept Center looks good, but would it be timber matched with 3020i's considering that can come in my budget?? I found in some reviews that If the L+R and Center are of different model or not timber matched, then they may sound different and I may feel while watching movies that 2 different persons are speaking even if its the same guy (I hope I made sense).

FM Pro's,

To summarize,I'm leaning towards getting Denon AVR's (preferably used X1600/X2700H/S750H/S960H) and not yet clear on the Speakers yet. Need more research. But getting used ones under warranty looks very interesting to me.

Please suggest the next course of action on how to get any good used Setup deals.
I also wish to know if I can also consider buying used Bookshelf Speakers? (I heard that until we don't abuse the speakers, they don't go bad for 5+years (Not really sure if its true).

Thanks again for your patience and kind support.

 

[argho]

I would suggest Option 2.

As reccomended by others, save some more and by the Q Acoustics sub.

Also, I would suggest that for Phase 1, by LR + Sub instead of LCR.
The sub makes a huge difference to a HT setup.

 

[raghupb]

@rkm1712
Used passive speakers are least worrisome in terms of what can go wrong.
Nothing happens to them if the owner has taken decent care and kept them running (at least once a week).

You should start auditioning to get an idea of what's available and for budget planning.
Relying on reviews will leave you more confused
Hear out speakers and amps, and try to extrapolate how they would work in your room.
Decide on speakers first, then amp, followed by sub.

BTW, Monitor Audio Radius prices are reasonable only only if buying from UK.
Otherwise, they are quite high for what they bring to the game.
There are other brands/models that offer better VFM
Check out Fyne Audio for speakers. Dynox in Rajajinagar is the dealer/distributor, I think.

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[rkm1712]

@argho

Thank You for recommending X1600H with QAcoustics Speakers. I have gone through the comparisons between QA 3060i and QA QB12 Sub and understood a considerable difference. I have shortlisted QA QB12 and Polk Audio HTS10 for Subs and will definitely consider buying them before Center.

@raghupb

Thank You for giving the confidence on the Used Speakers. I'm indeed leaning towards getting a Used Setup now.
I will go through Fyne Audio too (F301 seems to be good BS option).

@raghupb @fLUX @OM_2K19 @Prodigy @ktks1 @square_wave @Mahi @sud98 @rksingh1

Considering you are in Bengaluru, I need your help on an AVR deal. On the same Used note, I'm getting a 1.5 Years Used Denon X1600 for 38K (bought from India - Seller says he has been using it for his home setup is upgrading to X4700 to get more power for his Floor Standing Speakers). He mentioned that there is no issue with the AVR , everything is working perfectly and I can go down there and have a look at it.

The Cheapest I can get it online is 66K. Offline store quote is yet to be received so I'm getting interested in buying this.
I'm planning to go visit the Seller's home and have a look.

Can you please suggest few pointers on what things to check to ensure that I don't buy a faulty AVR?
If any one of you can help me out close the deal, it will be very helpful. Since I'm a new member of the forum, I'm not getting any means to directly ping any of you. If any of you can share your contact via PM to pick your brain, I'll be very grateful.

 

[raghupb]

Sent you a PM. Check if the "envelope" icon at top right shows anything.
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[gourav]

While my experience in this department is much lesser compared to many other people who have already responded, I wanted to add my 2 cents here.

First, while you are looking for recommendations, also start checking for availability in and around your place. People will suggest a lot of models, but those recommendations are of no use if you can't audition them before buying. And considering the current availability, it's not guaranteed that you'll be able to audition everything. Also, cities like Mumbai and Bangalore are large and places can be very distant. When I was still finalising my speakers, I was recommended to audition speakers at stores which were as much as 35 km away from me, even though I live in central parts of Mumbai. Travelling this kind of distance in these cities is not easy and can be quite costly. If I have a budget of 60k, I cannot add 10k to it in commuting to different corners of the city by taxi. Also, I could not visit more than one store a week due to work, so I would have to keep looking for months. So I had to stick to stores within 6-8 km from me, which I could reach by metro or Auto, and could visit on weekdays.

Second, you don't necessarily have to look for the absolute best in your budget. The home theater ecosystem is vast and considering all the options can be quite fatiguing, especially in current times when prices have gone up and availability is poor. So look for an option which sounds good, is available in nearby stores, and offers a reasonable upgrade path. The important thing is for the setup to sound good to you, regardless of the reviews. I got DNM speakers for dirt cheap for surrounds. I didn't read any reviews and didn't get any recommendations for those, just listened to them, liked them, and bought. And I'm fully satisfied with them.

Eventually of course it's your set up and you're the best judge of how much time and effort you want to spend building it. I just wanted to let you know of some pitfalls you might face, drawing from my recent experience. Things are pretty different from pre-covid times and you have to be mindful of those.

 

[rkm1712]

FM Pro's,

I went to @Modern World over the weekend and did the Audition of the below 3 Setups and I wish to share that experience with you :

Denon X1600H with QAcoustics 3020i (with 3090ci Center (as they only had that matched with QA's)
Denon X1600H with Polk Audio S20 (with S30 as Center)
Denon X1600H with QAcoustics 3030i (with 3090ci Center)

Mission MX1 were kept as surrounds and Pioneer S-52W were plugged as Subwoofer (I didn't ask these specific models but they put these to show the significance of these.

I spent around an hour there and tested "Book of Eli" First Fight Scene.

This was followed by testing different genres of soundtracks.

To finalize the order of what component I should buy first (based on their impact to my liking), I started with L+R, then with the Center, followed by adding Surrounds and finally Subwoofer.

I felt Center played a very important role for me as the dialogues were much clearer and I felt them being delivered to me from a much closer distance than only with the L+R.

Then I experienced the surround and was blown away from them. I'm still not able to forget the aforementioned Bullet Scene.
I felt the urge to buy everything right there with the surrounds and relive that experience at home.
I understood that they are a lot more important for movies considering me being an Action movie buff (for ~2 movies a week).

I didn't miss the Bass that much. With Sub, I felt like every Bullet Hit had a Shadow/Depth to it i.e it was not ending abruptly with only the LCR.
So I finalised the order to => L+R, Center, Surrounds and Sub only if I miss it after some time.

Then I compared the above 3 setups with movie scenes and songs multiple times with QA's and Polks interchanged and I felt Polk Audio S20 had too much Treble for my Taste. They felt like they'll perform really well for Parties etc, but I understood that my taste is to get Bookshelfs that have lower Treble and more fuller audio at low volume. 3020i's felt more soothing to my ears for low volume (but I missed the Bass with 3020i). 3030i were even better than 3020i as with the 6.5" driver in it, I was not missing the Sub anymore.

After this experience, I finalized AVR to be Denon X1600H at a minimum.

For Speakers : Bookshelfs with 6.5" + Driver so that I can delay the Sub purchase (I feel I can live without a Sub for a while).
After this, I planned to purchase the Cener and Surrounds in the next phase.

I also felt that I needed to Audition Front L+R Speakers more as only after listening to them I'll get to know what I like.

@gourav

It was your post that gave me the confidence that I too can build a 5.1 HT without making bad decisions. I did experience the same thing in Bengaluru. I went to ProFX by traveling 25 kms only to know that they are closed that too at 7:45 PM while they confirmed that they'll be open till 8 PM.

But, then I had a very positive and pleasant experience yesterday.
I had an unbelievable listening privilege at @Bizi05 's place where I got to listen to Dali Oberon 3.
Hands down, I have never heard of any better quality of Sound from any Bookshelfs compared to these.

He was very generous to let it go for a very reasonable price which fits my Budget perfectly. (A Huge step-up from QA 3030i )
Thank You very much @Bizi05 for such a memorable evening. Learnt a lot from you.

I picked the brain of multiple other FM Pro's over these days too. @OM_2K19 @amrutmhatre90 @raghupb @prateekatasniya, thank you very much for your DM's.

Now with L+R sorted out (all thanks to @Bizi05 , I'm looking for Denon X1600H or higher as AVR which I can accommodate for my Budget.

After this, my plan is to buy a Timbre matched Center (I'm still confused between Dali Oberon Vokal VS Dali Spektor Vokal considering Oberon Vokal is going beyond my budget.

I'd also wish to get good Surrounds under 15K which would compliment this setup.

The Journey continues....

 

[gourav]

@gourav

It was your post that gave me the confidence that I too can build a 5.1 HT without making bad decisions

Thank you for the kind words, glad I could be of help.

Congratulations on your purchase and you got a very lucky with the timely availability of the Oberon. That's why it's easiest to be in Bangalore and build an HT. I too found many more used pieces in Bangalore & Chennai than in Mumbai when I was looking.

In future, when I want to buy a sub, I'll plan it when I'm traveling to Bangalore and try to get a used one from there.

 

[jbkar]

At demo rooms they will always play some action scenes, bomb blasts etc as it sounds tempting. But one must listen to scenes having plain conversations as this is what majority of a movies contains.

 

[raghupb]

Glad that you could settle on the Dalis on sale.
Don't worry too much on timbre matching. If you get a good deal on a center go for it.
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[OM_2K19]

One last point, the demo rooms are acoustically treated, so the very same setup will sound a bit different in an untreated home.