Need Home Theater 5.1 in Steps

baby_ka_janu

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Hello,
I want 5.1, but I want to buy them one by one. I will tell you why later.
1st -amp.+floorstand speakers
2nd -(after some months) subwoffer
3rd -(after some months) surround
I am an impulsive buyer. Gone and had adution for
Sony(that was worst)-36K
Sherewood + JAMO S406 HCS+Jamo subwoffer -45K
Denon1508 + onkayo floorstand(won't remember model) -40K
Denon 1708 + ProFx Fusion5 -38K

I was about to buy JAMO on 27th Sep.But I was confused which amp is good. I came to HiVision and found Denon is a good one.
Next day(28th Sep.) I got interested in Denon 1708 in profx,they had an offer. Denon 1708 + ProFx Fusion5 In 38K. I took audition and found it is ok and price was also good. But at night i searched this forum and found we can get better option.

My requirement is for Music but as technology is going further and I am not the only one who will use it, my wife and kids will watch movies so I thought I should go for 5.1, Otherwise I was thinking to buy 2.1

According to forum people your selection depends on your requirement. And mine is Music 80%and Movies20%. Now I can spend 45K to 55K for cd player amp.and good floorstand speakers. I Like and want good Bass.

Doubts-
1.What is the use of 7.1 amp because now I have seen all amp are 7.1 and I am going to use 5.1 only.
2.Do we have any amp with equilizers because whatever I have seen were having preset equilizers and different modes.
3. Is it possible to get a good 5.1 amp for music purpose(If yes I can think of more investments)
4.Is it neccessery to put subwooofer for good bass in stereo mode?(I heard many subwoffers wont work in stereo mode)
5. How is JAMO S406 if it is good then which amp will be compatable?
6. Some suggesion on polk RTi A5,polk Moniter 60,JAMO S406
7.How to match amp and speakers.

Why I am doin this is because it is a one time investment(at least for 10 years for me) and dont want to compromize , At the same time cant wait for long. I just want to start listening music but good music.

:eek:Please Please help me. I am from Bangalore.
 
baby_ka_janu said:
1.What is the use of 7.1 amp because now I have seen all amp are 7.1 and I am going to use 5.1 only.

Well, the market is competitive and companies have to stay competitive. For them creating 8 channels against 6 is a very small step. But yes, most of the material you will get will only be 5.1

The two channels that will not be used are the SURROUND BACK LEFT AND RIGHT. Most amplifiers allow you to use these channels to bi-amp the FRONT L&R. So you are not losing anything. When you start getting 7,1 DVDs, you can always buy two more speakers and get a full 7.1.

baby_ka_janu said:
2.Do we have any amp with equilizers because whatever I have seen were having preset equilizers and different modes.

It will be very difficult to get amps with equalizers built in. You may be able to get external equalizers, though. Many of the multi channel amps allow you to set the volume and frequency range of each channel.

baby_ka_janu said:
3. Is it possible to get a good 5.1 amp for music purpose (If yes I can think of more investments)

Some high end companies such as Parasound, B&K yet make 5.1 systems. These are very expensive and will cost you somewhere in the region of 2 lakhs and above. Amongst the popular brands such as Onkyo, Yamaha, Denon, a 5.1 system will be considered an entry level unit. For example Onkyo has a TX-SR404, Cambridge Audio has the Azur 304R, and Denon has the AVR 589. All these are entry level systems.

baby_ka_janu said:
4.Is it neccessery to put subwooofer for good bass in stereo mode? (I heard many subwoffers wont work in stereo mode)

A pure stereo amp will give you only two channels - Left and Right. There is no sub woofer output here. A multi channel amplifier is not stereo.

Sub woofers will work with any amplifier or receiver that can give you a Point 1 - 2.1, 5.1, or a 7.1. Though there are ways of connecting a sub without the Point 1 also, that is a different topic. Do you need a sub? The answer is like this. If you use good floor standing speakers that has 8 inch woofers built in, you may not need a sub woofer. If you buy a bookshelf, it is better to have a sub to handle the low frequencies.

baby_ka_janu said:
5. How is JAMO S406 if it is good then which amp will be compatable?
7.How to match amp and speakers.

Most commercial amps will be compatible with most commercial speakers. The things to look for are sensitivity, impedance, and wattage (power) .
 
Doubts-
1.What is the use of 7.1 amp because now I have seen all amp are 7.1 and I am going to use 5.1 only.
2.Do we have any amp with equilizers because whatever I have seen were having preset equilizers and different modes.
3. Is it possible to get a good 5.1 amp for music purpose(If yes I can think of more investments)
4.Is it neccessery to put subwooofer for good bass in stereo mode?(I heard many subwoffers wont work in stereo mode)
5. How is JAMO S406 if it is good then which amp will be compatable?
6. Some suggesion on polk RTi A5,polk Moniter 60,JAMO S406
7.How to match amp and speakers.

Looks like you got a plan here. Its always better to build a system step by step as and when your funds permit rather than rush into buying a mediocre system which could be a one time buy but a big compromise when it comes to quality.

1. If you are using it for 5.1, buy the ones that give options to bi-amp.
2. Haven??t come across any, although tone controls are there when using the AVR in stereo mode.
3. Yes. In the entry level category some that comes to mind are Arcam, Cambridge Audio, Marantz, Denon etc. in the order of preference.
4. Not really, but it never hurts to have a good musical sub. You can consider something like the SW150 from Wharfedale, a sweet sub ime.
5. I personally dint like the S406. You might want to consider its elder brother S606 - in which case, you can postpone the sub for a while if funds are tight. This one comes with an 8in side firing driver.
6. I??m not a big fan of that series in Polk and the said Jamo, you may pass.
7. In an ideal world you don??t have to match anything. But if the speaker is on the brighter side (read Dali, MA etc.) you might want to consider a warmer amp (Arcam, Marantz etc.) If you are technically inclined then terms like resistance, sensitivity, power etc. come in to place. But most modern amps can drive any speakers comfortably.

All the best and happy auditioning.
 
This is a good approach, baby. I would invest in a midrange AVR (any of them are good). If your ultimate goal is a home theatre system, then Yamaha or Onkyo or Denon or Marantz would be good. Marantz, people say, are geared more towards music.

The important thing here is that if you can, you should invest in a pair of bookshelves and stop right there, if you can stop yourself that is:). That way when you buy better speakers (could be even floorstanders) you can use your present bookshelves as rear speakers and then decide on the subwoofer.

This is just my suggested approach. Feel free to tune it to your tastes and needs.
 
Thanks for reply
I am planing 5.1 Speakers
as you said

If you use good floor standing speakers that has 8 inch woofers built in, you may not need a sub woofer. .

So can you help me which one I should go for
And as you know I will buy step by step so Can u seggest me Good one for Music but should be able to play movies?


The things to look for are sensitivity, impedance, and wattage (power) .
'
How to calculate them. I have little knowledge from here
Home Toys Article - Speaker Impedance, Your Amplifier And You.


And plz tell me brand and price that will be very nice so that I can increase my budget :)
 
Un_Leashme ......for heavens sake heeeeeellllllllp! :):)

OK. Here goes. The mid range AVRs you can look at are Onkyo 606, Yamaha 863 and, Denon 1909. Onkyo and Yamaha will be more suitable for movies, while Denon will be more suitable for music.

The speakers you can look at are:

1. KEF Sub/sat systems.
2. Wharfedale Diamond series
3. Mordaunt Short Avant Series
4. Tannoy F1 custom
5. Polk Audio Monitor 40 with matching sub.

I am suggesting these based on the popularity and comfort I have seen in forum members over the last few weeks.

Cheers
 
"4.Is it neccessery to put subwooofer for good bass in stereo mode? (I heard many subwoffers wont work in stereo mode)"

A quick related question:
If I have a 5.1 AVR and I connect the subwoofer to the LFE output from the AVR, then while playback in "Direct" mode, will the AVR still output the low frequencies to the sub? 'Direct' mode is when the AVR plays in pure stereo, with all tone controls bypassed. I think the Marantz AVRs call it "Pure Direct" or "Bypass" mode. Basically, 'tone defeat' in the classical stereo amplifiers.
 
OK
So finaly I started getting replies . OK Folks Need more advice .
Help to find out good system and always remember . I am not going to buy full system now so the budget is for half system.And I can re-think on my budget unless get a good reason.
 
Last edited:
"4.Is it neccessery to put subwooofer for good bass in stereo mode? (I heard many subwoffers wont work in stereo mode)"

A quick related question:
If I have a 5.1 AVR and I connect the subwoofer to the LFE output from the AVR, then while playback in "Direct" mode, will the AVR still output the low frequencies to the sub? 'Direct' mode is when the AVR plays in pure stereo, with all tone controls bypassed. I think the Marantz AVRs call it "Pure Direct" or "Bypass" mode. Basically, 'tone defeat' in the classical stereo amplifiers.

In Pure Direct, LFE will not be passed onto your subwoofer. But I believe there is a way to connect the sub through a High level input which would in effect get the amplifier to recognize the sub as just another speaker. In which case, you will be able to take advantage of the sub in Pure Direct as well.

But I guess, that defeats the purpose of Pure Direct:)
 
OK
So finaly I started getting replies . OK Folks Need more advice .
Help to find out good system and always remember . I am not going to buy full system now so the budget is for half system.And I can re-think on my budget unless get a good reason.

We have done all we can. It is time for you to do some work. Go out and audition the Onkyo and Yamaha amps. Also audition as many of the speakers as possible. Once you have done that, come back and give us your personal opinion and what you are leaning towards. We can then configure your system for you.

Please remember to carry your music CDs and DVDs. (Originals). Use the same songs and movies scenes so that you can make a reasonable comparison.

Cheers
 
For excellent sound that won't break the bank, the 5 Star Award Winning Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 Bookshelf Speakers is the one to consider!
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