setting up 3 new AV systems

vinitwins

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need to pick up 3 different home theater systems for my new house:

1. low-end system viz. a retail HTS; preferably a dvd player with inbuilt 5.1 decoding & bundled satellite wall-mounting speakers (passive or active subwoofer)

>budget: less than 30k

>wiring: have 5 concealed speaker wires originating from the amp location to pre-determined speaker positions in the room; there's a dedicated concealed coaxial cable from the amp to the subwoofer location BUT the sub is positioned directly below the amp, so if it requires a speaker wire/or specialised cable (i think this is common with low-end amps & integrated HT systems) it shouldn't be too much of a problem to route a new wire.

>features needed (if you're gonna suggest a dvd player cum amp): progressive scan, hdmi out, usb, mpeg4, region free

>currently considering: Sony DZ270 *OR* Sony HT-DDW685 + Philips DVP5986K DVD Player

>primary usage: tv viewing and occasional dvds

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2. mid-range amp (don't need an avr) with 5.1 decoding and hopefully multi-room support

>budget: 35k

>wiring: 5x(one room)+2x(second room) concealed 10-gauge? wires for speakers + 1x flexible coxial cable for subwoofer

>features needed: multi-room support; i already have a 5.1 speaker set (custom telome speakers) which i plan on reusing; need to purchase 2 concealed ceiling speakers for the 2nd room

>currently considering: low-end yamaha/onkyo/denon amp - please suggest which models to consider & ceiling speakers

>primary usage: tv/dvd viewing & music (via ipod and/or laptop)

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3. mid-range AVR with 5.1 satellite/flat panel speakers (no towers)

>budget: 75k

>wiring: concealed wiring for 5 speakers (5x 12gauge speaker wire) & 1 active subwoofer (1x coaxial) already done

>features needed - 2-3 hdmi input ports, min. 2 digital audio inputs (optical), should work well with x360 + ps3 + mpeg4 dvd + tata sky + wd hd tv player

>currently considering - Jamo (a klipsch brand) speakers + mid-range avr (denon/yahama) - please suggest models

>primary usage: gaming & action movies



best,
vinit
 
Hi Vinit,

My first reaction is that you are spreading your budget too thin.
Why not just spend all the money on one room now and get the best possible system (upgrades would be costly!), and then equip the other rooms later on. Till then you can use the TVs+DVDplayers in the other rooms.

For example, it would be a challenge to find a good receiver which can do movies and music in multiple zones, for 35K.

The second question is, do you really need 5.1 in 3 rooms? Two good speakers sound better than 5 not so good speakers. Also, 5 bad speakers sound much worse than 2 bad speakers :)

BTW, check out the new Yamaha, Denon and Onkyo receivers.

Thanks,
Sharad
 
A few more things:
  • What exactly do you mean when you say that you want 5-channel amps and not AVRs?
  • Jamo is now owned by Klipsch, but they are still two separate companies, and their speakers produce sounds which are quite different from each other.

Thanks,
Sharad
 
A few more things:
  • What exactly do you mean when you say that you want 5-channel amps and not AVRs?
  • Jamo is now owned by Klipsch, but they are still two separate companies, and their speakers produce sounds which are quite different from each other.

Thanks,
Sharad

#1 not interested in the video capabilities of the avr (i.e. i don't need hdmi, XX video processor which is better for upscaling vs YY, etc) - in that room the dvd player will be attached via hdmi to the tv & the cable box via s-video...

#2 thanks for clearing that up.
 
Hi Vinit,

My first reaction is that you are spreading your budget too thin.
Why not just spend all the money on one room now and get the best possible system (upgrades would be costly!), and then equip the other rooms later on. Till then you can use the TVs+DVDplayers in the other rooms.

For example, it would be a challenge to find a good receiver which can do movies and music in multiple zones, for 35K.

The second question is, do you really need 5.1 in 3 rooms? Two good speakers sound better than 5 not so good speakers. Also, 5 bad speakers sound much worse than 2 bad speakers :)

BTW, check out the new Yamaha, Denon and Onkyo receivers.

Thanks,
Sharad

for setup #1 i found a nice onkyo HTS (3100/3105) - costs around 20k and offers pretty much what i need.

for setup #2, i'm looking at the denon 1509 (reusing my telome 5.1 speaker system) and jamo in-ceiling speakers (can't recall the model no.)

for setup #3, i'm reading up on denon 1909/2309, yamaha 663, and onkyo 606/706 - plan on freezing the avr first and then finding the best-fit speakers (hopefully will be able to afford a 5.1 jamo speaker with the money left over)


cheers.
 
>for setup #3

did a little digging, but still can't make up my mind between the denon (1709/1909/2309)/yamaha 663/onkyo 606. a little help guys...

would also appreciate it if you could suggest 5.1 speaker sets (under rs. 35k) that would go well with the models mentioned above.

thanks!
 
marantz sr6003 should also be in the same league as the receivers you have mentioned. Need more members to comment on this one. I just read about it on a site, not sure about its performance, availability or price in India.

regards
 
>for setup #3

did a little digging, but still can't make up my mind between the denon (1709/1909/2309)/yamaha 663/onkyo 606. a little help guys...

would also appreciate it if you could suggest 5.1 speaker sets (under rs. 35k) that would go well with the models mentioned above.

thanks!

An oldie but a goodie: the Wharfedale Diamond HCP package should be around 34k unless it has gotten more expensive. You can audition it at Designer Audio at Tardeo in Mumbai.

Although not a 5.1 package you should be able to put together a Mordaunt Short Avant set consisting of 902i fronts/rears, 905i front and 309i sub for perhaps a little more.

Not familiar with the sound but many posts on the forum state Vijay Sales is offering good prices on Mission m-series speakers as well.
 
marantz sr6003 should also be in the same league as the receivers you have mentioned. Need more members to comment on this one. I just read about it on a site, not sure about its performance, availability or price in India.

regards

I also feel that the Marantz sr6003 is a highly capable AVR. But it is not much talked about compared to denon 1909 / onkyo 606 / yamaha 663. I think this is because the others are more readily available. The Pioneer 1018 is an AVR to consider in this range.

The Marantz is very good for music, but their lower models did not have all the video features offered by other brands (please correct me as i am not sure).

Any opinions on the 6003 / 1018 vis-a-vis competition.
 
The 6003 is a very good AVR and performs well for music and HT. I compared with even the Elite line of Pio receivers and the Marantz lived up to its promise. One thing you need to be aware is to buy from an authourised dealer as they are very picky on servicing such sales.


I also feel that the Marantz sr6003 is a highly capable AVR. But it is not much talked about compared to denon 1909 / onkyo 606 / yamaha 663. I think this is because the others are more readily available. The Pioneer 1018 is an AVR to consider in this range.

The Marantz is very good for music, but their lower models did not have all the video features offered by other brands (please correct me as i am not sure).

Any opinions on the 6003 / 1018 vis-a-vis competition.
 
Purchase the Audiolab 6000A Integrated Amplifier at a special offer price.
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