seeking advice for receiver and speakers

[sumeshj]

Hi,

I have been reading these forums for sometime now and have gathered a LOT of useful information about home theater/music systems here. Its really great to see so much useful advice from experienced audiophiles available here even for novices like myself.

I am in the process of setting up a decent home-theater setup in my living room, and would like your advice regarding what components I should choose. My existing setup is as follows:

* Living room: 20' x 12' (with a 10' x 10' dining space attached as a L-shape)
* Samsung 46" LED TV
* Distance of TV from seating area: 12'
* Sources: iPod Touch, Philips DVD player, TV itself plays videos from USB port, planning to buy a BD player in near future
* Budget for receiver + speakers: 50K

My requirement from this setup is 100% movies. I want to listen to music too, but after reading a lot of posts here on the drawbacks of AV receivers when it comes to playing music, I plan to setup a dedicated system for music (I have a total budget of 75K which I am splitting up as 50K for HT and 25K for music. Please let me know if you feel I should be splitting it up differently. I know 25K is a measly amount for music, but I am hoping to setup a decent system with a Norge 1000 amp and Wharfedale 9.2 speakers).

Coming back to my HT requirements, for a budget of 50K I know I don't have a lot of options. I can either go for a HTIB (say Onkyo 6200) or buy the receiver and speakers separately.

HTIB:
Onkyo 6200 has got reasonably good reviews and I am considering that. Can you suggest any other HTIB under 50K?

Receiver+speakers:
Denon 1610 and Onkyo 577 seem to fit my budget. Which of these do you think would be good for my requirement? Can you suggest more receivers that I should consider?

Speakers are the most difficult part. Here also I can either buy a 5.1 set or buy the fronts/center/sub/surrounds separately. Can you please recommend a good 5.1 set that would fit in my budget? Polk RM 6750 is one option I am considering. I know Polk speakers don't enjoy a good reputation on these forums, but are they better than the speakers that come in an Onkyo HTIB? Can I get something better than Polk in my budget?

From what I understand after reading the posts here, the fronts and center are most important for a HT, followed by sub and lastly the surround speakers. What I can do is buy good fronts, average center and sub, and cheap surrounds. Maybe Wharfedale 9.1 with Polk sub PSW 110 and Norge surrounds? What do you suggest?

As you can see I am totally confused about what to buy. Before reading these forums I was (blissfully ignorant and) sure that I should be buying a Sony or Philips HT DVD combo. Now with the knowledge I have gained here I know I shouldn't be buying any of those. But now I don't know what to buy!! Please advise and help me in setting up my home theater system.

thanks!!

 

[corElement]

I think youre overrating the superiority of stereo vs avr music SQ. The speakers normally play a bigger role in the quality of sound you like, than the avr which only does decoding and technical management of the sound. Not to mention if you're a novice in this space your ears have a long long long way to go when it comes to training them. And the only way to train them is by listening to a diverse set of hardware which few people practically have time for unless its a hobby of theirs. It's a matter of pleasure being able to decipher the various ups and lows within the sound itself and not merely being AWED at what difference you're hearing.

Just some views on the matter, dont have to take it by heart

you can also try looking at klipsch quintlet

 

[sumeshj]

That's good advice, corElement. Yes, speakers play a bigger role in SQ and that is why I don't want to go for a HTIB. But individual speakers will exceed my budget. That's why I need suggestions from all you audio-gurus on what to compromise if I want to build a good HT in a limited budget of 50K.

Yes, I completely agree that it takes a long long time of listening to a diverse set of hardware before one can become capable of discerning between them at an audiophile level. Being a novice I am nowhere near that level, and this is why I need your advice and suggestions about which components to choose for my HT.

I want to prepare a list of receiver/speaker combinations to audition before I go visit the AV stores. Would really appreciate if any of you could help.

thanks!!

 

[doors666]

I would advise you to combine the budget and go for a single system. A 75k movie based system will sound better than a 25k music based system, even for music (ok, the pros can bash me now)

Even 75k is not a great budget for a good system. If I were you, I would spend most of my money on the Main speakers (and probably the center channel). Try to buy a used AVR and get some cheapo surround speakers for the time being. You can get better AVR and surrounds later when you have more money.

Nobody (well almost) starts this journey with loads of cash to buy everything they want in a single shot. Upgraditis is the fun (or pain) part of it.

 

[pinkfloyd]

Sumeshj,

You are in a very similar situation as me. I had been looking at similar setups at roughly similar budgets.

I have kind of decided to check out Marantz NR1501 (probably more musical?) and Denon 1910. Leaning slightly in favor of Denon. These should roughly be about 30-40k.
As for the speakers I am considering Wharfedale 9.5 or 10.5 floorstanders (~25-35k I guess). I am thinking of picking surrounds, CC and SW probably a little later.

 

[corElement]

I would blindly go for a cambridge audio sirroco 5.1 set and denon 1610 for 75k if your budget permitted. I'd rate them over any onkyo htib or other speaker packages available for under 45k ( the sirroco set is 45k with floor standers and sub )

http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/series.php?SID=27&Title=Sirocco

 

[sumeshj]

Thanks everyone for your valuable suggestions. I have been auditioning some setups here in Pune for the last few weeks. Initially I was interested in the Onkyo 6200 HTIB because of my budget constraint, but soon realized that there's no point wasting even a single rupee on the speakers that come with an HTIB. Moreover, the 6200 is not available anywhere in the market (and won't be for a couple of months more, according to Onkyo), so that rules it out completely.

So now I am inclined towards the Denon 1610 as that's the only good AVR that fits my budget. I have auditioned the 1610 with Paradigm Ct 70 set of 5.1 speakers, Energy Take Classic, and Mission MVDS. All these are satellite+sub combinations and are costing between 29K to 32K. And I got a 28K quote for the Denon 1610 here in Pune. So the total works out close to 60K.

After hearing these speakers in the demo rooms, frankly speaking I could not differentiate much between them. Blame it on my novice ears, but I am totally unable to decide of the 3 speakers I auditioned which is better. These demo rooms make all speakers sound good, especially if you are a novice and are hearing 5.1 systems for the first time!

There aren't any Cambridge Audio dealers here in Pune, so couldn't audition the Sirocco. I would love to hear it before making my decision because it has been highly recommended here on this forum. But no such luck

Yesterday I visited another store and the guy suggested a Wharfedale Diamond combination that I found very attractive. The combo is as follows: Diamond 9.2 as the fronts, 9.CS center and 9.DFS bipolar surrounds. This 5 speaker set along with the 1610 is coming to 60K. The sub-woofer is missing though. I haven't heard this combination yet, but the guy promised that I won't miss the sub-woofer much because 9.2 has lots of bass. He suggested that I purchase a good sub-woofer later on.

So what do you suggest? Should I go for the satellite 5.1 speaker sets, or for the Wharfedale Diamond 5-speaker combo? Both are coming close to 60K.

The guy also offered the Wharfedale Vardus SW10 subwoofer for 14K. Have any of you heard this sub? Is it any good? If it is good I might stretch my budget and the get the sub too. Please help me.

Thanks!!

 

[Raghav]

The wharfedales are certainly worth it. You can do what the dealer suggested. However, the Vardus sub suggested is from a lower series of Wharfedale. I would suggest you take Diamond 9.1 as fronts but upgrade from Vardus sub to SW150 from wharfedale.

If you strictly want to stay within budget then you can try the following 5.1 speaker packages from wharfedale

1. Wharfedale Diamond 9 Home Cinema Package around 32k
2. Wharfedale Moviestar 70+ 5.1 package around 28k.

Raghav

Thanks everyone for your valuable suggestions. I have been auditioning some setups here in Pune for the last few weeks. Initially I was interested in the Onkyo 6200 HTIB because of my budget constraint, but soon realized that there's no point wasting even a single rupee on the speakers that come with an HTIB. Moreover, the 6200 is not available anywhere in the market (and won't be for a couple of months more, according to Onkyo), so that rules it out completely.

So now I am inclined towards the Denon 1610 as that's the only good AVR that fits my budget. I have auditioned the 1610 with Paradigm Ct 70 set of 5.1 speakers, Energy Take Classic, and Mission MVDS. All these are satellite+sub combinations and are costing between 29K to 32K. And I got a 28K quote for the Denon 1610 here in Pune. So the total works out close to 60K.

After hearing these speakers in the demo rooms, frankly speaking I could not differentiate much between them. Blame it on my novice ears, but I am totally unable to decide of the 3 speakers I auditioned which is better. These demo rooms make all speakers sound good, especially if you are a novice and are hearing 5.1 systems for the first time!

There aren't any Cambridge Audio dealers here in Pune, so couldn't audition the Sirocco. I would love to hear it before making my decision because it has been highly recommended here on this forum. But no such luck

Yesterday I visited another store and the guy suggested a Wharfedale Diamond combination that I found very attractive. The combo is as follows: Diamond 9.2 as the fronts, 9.CS center and 9.DFS bipolar surrounds. This 5 speaker set along with the 1610 is coming to 60K. The sub-woofer is missing though. I haven't heard this combination yet, but the guy promised that I won't miss the sub-woofer much because 9.2 has lots of bass. He suggested that I purchase a good sub-woofer later on.

So what do you suggest? Should I go for the satellite 5.1 speaker sets, or for the Wharfedale Diamond 5-speaker combo? Both are coming close to 60K.

The guy also offered the Wharfedale Vardus SW10 subwoofer for 14K. Have any of you heard this sub? Is it any good? If it is good I might stretch my budget and the get the sub too. Please help me.

Thanks!!

 

[sumeshj]

Thanks Raghav. Yes, the Vardus sub is very low-end, and the dealer suggested it because I had no budget left for a sub. You are right about 9.1, if I am buying a sub then I should go for the 9.1 fronts instead of 9.2.

However right now I don't think I will be able to buy a sub, so that's why thought 9.2 would be better for fronts.

I checked out reviews of the Moviestar 70 package -- atleast according to the reviews they aren't any better than the Energy/Mission/Paradigm satellites. I had also asked the dealer about the Diamond Home Cinema package which you mentioned. But it seems there's no such package being offered in India. He even showed me the Wharfedale pricelist which had the Moviestar listed but not the Diamond Home Cinema. There's only one Wharfedale dealer here in Pune, so not sure what to do.

 

[avink]

Sumeshj - I was on a similar quest and with almost similar budget like yours..actually this question would be asked almost every time novices like you and I(hope u dont mind me calling you one) are crossing over to the side of serious music/sound.. I also started out looking for a HTiB and was v rightly advised to start 2 --> 2.1 -->> 5.1 ..and so on as n whn budget and wife permits . After going through tons of posts and couple of auditions ..I purchased Denon 1610 and Wharfedale 9.2.

Reasons:
Denon +Wharf have been recommended by many.
1610 fitted my budget. The differences 1910 has from 1610 didnt justify the price diff (in my context e.g. didnt need 7.1 to start with)
I had wharf 9.1 in mind but after auditioning both..Wharf 9.2 has little more bass(the kind i like) and since I wasnt buying a sub right now..i picked 9.2.

Hope this helps.

O yeah ..forgot to add.. I am loving my setup ..Suddenly music has new dimension ..listening to my fav songs with new found perspective I can hear the singer inhale(well sometimes)..discovered its actually ghungaroo and not cymbal sound .. I can tell Mridungam from drums absolutely loving it!

 

[Raghav]

you are right about the moviestar package. They are good but not much better.

The Diamond 9 HCP was very much available. You should contact Designer Audio. the all India distributor. Your dealer would also be procuring from them anyways. Designeraudio - Homepage 022-23520320

The distributor will be better informed of availability of 9HCP. I think it also has some speaker cables as part of the package.

Thanks Raghav. Yes, the Vardus sub is very low-end, and the dealer suggested it because I had no budget left for a sub. You are right about 9.1, if I am buying a sub then I should go for the 9.1 fronts instead of 9.2.

However right now I don't think I will be able to buy a sub, so that's why thought 9.2 would be better for fronts.

I checked out reviews of the Moviestar 70 package -- atleast according to the reviews they aren't any better than the Energy/Mission/Paradigm satellites. I had also asked the dealer about the Diamond Home Cinema package which you mentioned. But it seems there's no such package being offered in India. He even showed me the Wharfedale pricelist which had the Moviestar listed but not the Diamond Home Cinema. There's only one Wharfedale dealer here in Pune, so not sure what to do.

 

[sumeshj]

@avink
Your situation seems identical to mine . After hearing to what you said I am now confident that I will not regret buying the 1610 with wharfs. I have a question though. Do the 9.2 have enough bass that you don't miss the sub-woofer much? Especially in action movies? That would help me decide whether to buy the sub-woofer earlier or not.

@raghav
thanks for the tip. I will contact the distributers and find out.

 

[sumeshj]

Thanks for all your advice guys. I have made up my mind (more or less, unless you have more suggestions for me ) and have finalized the following combination:

Denon 1610 AVR
Wharfedale 9.2 fronts
Wharfedale 9.CS center
Wharfedale 9.DFS bipolar surrounds

The quote I got for this is 60K. Will try to bargain if possible.

Thanks again! I will post some pics after my setup is ready.

regards,
Sumesh

 

[vishal996]

Thanks everyone for your valuable suggestions. I have been auditioning some setups here in Pune for the last few weeks. Initially I was interested in the Onkyo 6200 HTIB because of my budget constraint, but soon realized that there's no point wasting even a single rupee on the speakers that come with an HTIB. Moreover, the 6200 is not available anywhere in the market (and won't be for a couple of months more, according to Onkyo), so that rules it out completely.

So now I am inclined towards the Denon 1610 as that's the only good AVR that fits my budget. I have auditioned the 1610 with Paradigm Ct 70 set of 5.1 speakers, Energy Take Classic, and Mission MVDS. All these are satellite+sub combinations and are costing between 29K to 32K. And I got a 28K quote for the Denon 1610 here in Pune. So the total works out close to 60K.

After hearing these speakers in the demo rooms, frankly speaking I could not differentiate much between them. Blame it on my novice ears, but I am totally unable to decide of the 3 speakers I auditioned which is better. These demo rooms make all speakers sound good, especially if you are a novice and are hearing 5.1 systems for the first time!

There aren't any Cambridge Audio dealers here in Pune, so couldn't audition the Sirocco. I would love to hear it before making my decision because it has been highly recommended here on this forum. But no such luck

Yesterday I visited another store and the guy suggested a Wharfedale Diamond combination that I found very attractive. The combo is as follows: Diamond 9.2 as the fronts, 9.CS center and 9.DFS bipolar surrounds. This 5 speaker set along with the 1610 is coming to 60K. The sub-woofer is missing though. I haven't heard this combination yet, but the guy promised that I won't miss the sub-woofer much because 9.2 has lots of bass. He suggested that I purchase a good sub-woofer later on.

So what do you suggest? Should I go for the satellite 5.1 speaker sets, or for the Wharfedale Diamond 5-speaker combo? Both are coming close to 60K.

The guy also offered the Wharfedale Vardus SW10 subwoofer for 14K. Have any of you heard this sub? Is it any good? If it is good I might stretch my budget and the get the sub too. Please help me.

Thanks!!

Mate,

Can u pls tell me where did u audition the Energy Take Classic in Pune? I'm looking to audition them but cant quite locate a dealer having them here in Pune...

 

[sumeshj]

AV Xcellence at Dhole Patil Road (Akshay Complex)

 

[uziel]

why dont u try bose or onkyo??

 

[rejeeb]

Hello Sumesh,

Could you please share your experience with the new HT system. Also if possible pls post few photos.

Thx

 

[beanstalk_230]

Hello Sumesh,

Could you please share your experience with the new HT system. Also if possible pls post few photos.

Thx

+1 ^^ & the breakup of pricing.

Do you miss the bass or is it enough for your liking.

I have heard the Vardus SW 10 Sub but I did not like it personally. Did not provide enough thump as required instead the 9.5 FS provided the much needed punch in the music.

P.S. Sorry for reviving a slightly older thread but I am stuck with the exactly same dilemma.