Slow Build : 5.1.2 | ₹ ~ 1L | 11' X 16.5' Living room

[Michelangalo]

If you are okay with used speakers then a guy from Mumbai is selling Polk RTi A7 pair and Polk Csi a4 for 55k on OLX. It's a hell of a deal, the online combined price for both is 80-90K

 

[avtar2008]

Thanks @DB1989

I'm now stuck between the below three configurations, any suggestions for subs & surrounds for the 3rd config? Would I require to beef up my AVR for the Dali's? I haven't heard the Dali's but the review on whathifi says its better than the 3050i:

the reason is that I feel the surrounds are too expensive for Dali's. But I plan on keeping these speakers for a long time to come, not short term stuff. some 40-50% music & some 50-60% visual stuff. Considering the fact that surrounds are sparingly used, I'm not really inclined to put my ₹₹₹ into the expensive surrounds. I planned a setup with the 1st as my main, but again, stuck as what do I use for the surrounds. Opinions?

I haven't heard the Dali's yet, and I doubt I'll get an audition. but will the higher price be worth it? I'll only consider it if its worth it a that price point, else, I'll keep to the QA.

with every inch increase in price, there's always a better model, this is ever ending quest & suddenly the speakers I saw initially seem like pittance. no wonder I see folks spending more and more, this is like an addiction.

Component	Model	Amount
AV Receiver	Yamaha - 585	47600​
Sub	Q Acoustics QB12	47000​
Mid	Q Acoustics 3090Ci	16000​
L & R	Q Acoustics 3030i	34000​
Rear Surround	Q Acoustics 3010i	16000​
Top Surround	JBL Control 1 Pro	10000​
Total		170600​
Component	Model	Amount
AV Receiver	Yamaha - 585	47600​
Sub	Q Acoustics QB12	47000​
Mid	Q Acoustics 3090Ci	16000​
L & R	Q Acoustics 3050i	65000​
Rear Surround	Q Acoustics 3010i	16000​
Top Surround	JBL Control 1 Pro	10000​
Total		201600​
Component	Model	Amount
AV Receiver	Yamaha - 585	47600​
Sub	BIC America PL200 ii	47990​
Mid	Oberon Vokal	33000​
L & R	Oberon 5	75900​
Rear Surround	Dali Oberon 1	36900​
Top Surround	JBL Control 1 Pro	10000​
Total		251390​

I was in the same boat about a month ago, where I started with initial budget of 50k,but soon realised that it will cost me around 2L. So, instead of keep extending your budget, better buy some cheap used HT from olx, to experience what you actually need, then audition some items, may be some low end speakers also matches your sound signature.

Keep an eye on olx anf you can get some sweet deals on speakers locally, wince many people are moving to home town due to lockdown and selling off many items.

 

[thetourer]

I was in the same boat about a month ago, where I started with initial budget of 50k,but soon realised that it will cost me around 2L. So, instead of keep extending your budget, better buy some cheap used HT from olx, to experience what you actually need, then audition some items, may be some low end speakers also matches your sound signature.

Keep an eye on olx anf you can get some sweet deals on speakers locally, wince many people are moving to home town due to lockdown and selling off many items.

I wish, I tried, couldn't get anything around Vijayawada. also, I'm not confident on putting some ₹₹ on used items. not that it's bad, but I don't know the nature & transport & all the issues.

If you are okay with used speakers then a guy from Mumbai is selling Polk RTi A7 pair and Polk Csi a4 for 55k on OLX. It's a hell of a deal, the online combined price for both is 80-90K

Transport & communication, I'll prefer to check it out before buying, its not practical now. guess I'm stuck for now.

 

[DB1989]

Thanks @DB1989

I'm now stuck between the below three configurations, any suggestions for subs & surrounds for the 3rd config? Would I require to beef up my AVR for the Dali's? I haven't heard the Dali's but the review on whathifi says its better than the 3050i:

the reason is that I feel the surrounds are too expensive for Dali's. But I plan on keeping these speakers for a long time to come, not short term stuff. some 40-50% music & some 50-60% visual stuff. Considering the fact that surrounds are sparingly used, I'm not really inclined to put my ₹₹₹ into the expensive surrounds. I planned a setup with the 1st as my main, but again, stuck as what do I use for the surrounds. Opinions?

I haven't heard the Dali's yet, and I doubt I'll get an audition. but will the higher price be worth it? I'll only consider it if its worth it a that price point, else, I'll keep to the QA.

with every inch increase in price, there's always a better model, this is ever ending quest & suddenly the speakers I saw initially seem like pittance. no wonder I see folks spending more and more, this is like an addiction.

Component	Model	Amount
AV Receiver	Yamaha - 585	47600​
Sub	Q Acoustics QB12	47000​
Mid	Q Acoustics 3090Ci	16000​
L & R	Q Acoustics 3030i	34000​
Rear Surround	Q Acoustics 3010i	16000​
Top Surround	JBL Control 1 Pro	10000​
Total		170600​
Component	Model	Amount
AV Receiver	Yamaha - 585	47600​
Sub	Q Acoustics QB12	47000​
Mid	Q Acoustics 3090Ci	16000​
L & R	Q Acoustics 3050i	65000​
Rear Surround	Q Acoustics 3010i	16000​
Top Surround	JBL Control 1 Pro	10000​
Total		201600​
Component	Model	Amount
AV Receiver	Yamaha - 585	47600​
Sub	BIC America PL200 ii	47990​
Mid	Oberon Vokal	33000​
L & R	Oberon 5	75900​
Rear Surround	Dali Oberon 1	36900​
Top Surround	JBL Control 1 Pro	10000​
Total		251390​

You'll find that the 3050is are selling for around 59K. This was the price being offered without negotiations a couple of weeks back (if not, you should try and negotiate it down to this price). While reviews are a very useful tool in informing us about what to expect when you buy a speaker (i heavily research and rely on reviews - case in point, i'm subsribed to what hi fi, hi fi choice, hi fi news, stereophile, sound&vision and home cinema choice not to mention dozens of audio reviewers on youtube), you should also identify what your requirements are vis-a-vis the sonic presentation that you prefer. Secondly, while reading reviews, i keep a keen eye at the prices at which they were reviewed. If the better buy in that price range as reviewed by the publication is significantly higher priced in India (we are no stranger to oddly inflated prices in India, just look at the prices of the B&W 606s), the question that I ask myself is whether it still represents a good buy considering the fact that there may be better options available at that higher price range. Thirdly, an audition is an invaluable process in confirming what we have already read and were expecting of the speakers as per the reviews. If you already love what you hear at the dealer floor, my preference would be to go for the known evil rather than the unknown i.e. the speaker that is supposedly slightly better at the same price range. The "better" speaker may not be much of an upgrade over what you already heard at the dealer floor, if at all, as you may prefer the sonic presentation of the latter. The Dalis were a better buy at 50pounds more (approx INR 5K) so i would ask myself whether they still are a better buy at 16K more? Plus, since you want to use it as an HT, synergy would assume great importance. Therefore, i would again ask myself whether the extra outlay after including the surrounds is worth the slight sonic upgrade?

Insofar as your quandry regarding the AVR is concerned, rather than the power ratings being the consideration, I would look for an AVR with pre outs. If you want to extract the maximum from your fronts, you will want to add a power amplifier at some point of time down the line (which delivers not only high wattage but high current as well). Otherwise, you will never be able to unleash the full potential of your speakers and realise what they can truly sound like without a good high current power amplifier (this is especially more important for music listening) considering how well the new generation of speakers scale (Just ask anybody who has paired a 3050i or a 3030i to a bonafide 5000$ power amp about how much better they sound with better amplification - see thomas & stereo's review on youtube about the 3050is and Steve Guttenbergs review on the 3030is). So in my books, an AVR with preouts is what the extra outlay, if any, would go towards instead of the speaker. It would give you much more flexibility to increase power and performance of your speakers without opting for a much more beefier and pricier AVR like the Denon X8500H. I am getting myself a NAD C275BEE to feed my fronts and provide the much needed high current they are being deprived off (currently they are being fed by a Marantz PM6006 hooked to the preouts - also, my 110W AVR does not sound any better for music than my 45W PM6006 and i mainly use the latter to take the load off the receiver so that it can send more power to the surrounds).

Hope i haven't complicated your dilemma further!

But then, half the fun is in the chase.

 

[superczar]

If I were you, here is what I would have done.


Budget : 1L is a decent budget for a 5.1.2 but just a tad more will do wonders

Constraints:
The room size and the hard surfaces (tiles etc) will add to reverberations- Good room correction will help in a big way for HT. I understand you would prefer a Yamaha but Audyssey (at least XT if not XT32) will be a better bet than YPAO for your room

Here is how I would prioritize:

1) Priority 1 - Good bookshelves for front LR, esp given your requirement for 50% audio - perhaps the much loved Q Acc 3020i for 25k ?
2) Priority 2 - Good matching center - if the LR are QA 3020 then perhaps the 3090 center for 15K?
3) priority 3 - A not too expensive sub , perhaps an 8"er or max a 10" - maybe something from wharfedale or Polk for 25K?
4) Priority 4 - low cost surround and cheap heights for atmos ? You can always upgrade later if something is amiss - JBL C1 and Micca? - for a total of 15-16K

AVR - If possible, stretch the budget a bit to get something with Audyssey XT32.. If you look around, it. may be possible to grab something for 60K ish.. If not then pick whatever you want but I really think XT32 will make a big difference looking at the room pics posted
Any low end extension shortcomings on (1) during music playback can be solved for by engaging the LFP cutover at 80 hz or so as long as your AVR is capable of managing the bass response well - another reason to strongly recommend XT32

 

[thetourer]

You'll find that the 3050is are selling for around 59K. This was the price being offered without negotiations a couple of weeks back (if not, you should try and negotiate it down to this price). While reviews are a very useful tool in informing us about what to expect when you buy a speaker (i heavily research and rely on reviews - case in point, i'm subsribed to what hi fi, hi fi choice, hi fi news, stereophile, sound&vision and home cinema choice not to mention dozens of audio reviewers on youtube), you should also identify what your requirements are vis-a-vis the sonic presentation that you prefer. Secondly, while reading reviews, i keep a keen eye at the prices at which they were reviewed. If the better buy in that price range as reviewed by the publication is significantly higher priced in India (we are no stranger to oddly inflated prices in India, just look at the prices of the B&W 606s), the question that I ask myself is whether it still represents a good buy considering the fact that there may be better options available at that higher price range. Thirdly, an audition is an invaluable process in confirming what we have already read and were expecting of the speakers as per the reviews. If you already love what you hear at the dealer floor, my preference would be to go for the known evil rather than the unknown i.e. the speaker that is supposedly slightly better at the same price range. The "better" speaker may not be much of an upgrade over what you already heard at the dealer floor, if at all, as you may prefer the sonic presentation of the latter. The Dalis were a better buy at 50pounds more (approx INR 5K) so i would ask myself whether they still are a better buy at 16K more? Plus, since you want to use it as an HT, synergy would assume great importance. Therefore, i would again ask myself whether the extra outlay after including the surrounds is worth the slight sonic upgrade?

Insofar as your quandry regarding the AVR is concerned, rather than the power ratings being the consideration, I would look for an AVR with pre outs. If you want to extract the maximum from your fronts, you will want to add a power amplifier at some point of time down the line (which delivers not only high wattage but high current as well). Otherwise, you will never be able to unleash the full potential of your speakers and realise what they can truly sound like without a good high current power amplifier (this is especially more important for music listening) considering how well the new generation of speakers scale (Just ask anybody who has paired a 3050i or a 3030i to a bonafide 5000$ power amp about how much better they sound with better amplification - see thomas & stereo's review on youtube about the 3050is and Steve Guttenbergs review on the 3030is). So in my books, an AVR with preouts is what the extra outlay, if any, would go towards instead of the speaker. It would give you much more flexibility to increase power and performance of your speakers without opting for a much more beefier and pricier AVR like the Denon X8500H. I am getting myself a NAD C275BEE to feed my fronts and provide the much needed high current they are being deprived off (currently they are being fed by a Marantz PM6006 hooked to the preouts - also, my 110W AVR does not sound any better for music than my 45W PM6006 and i mainly use the latter to take the load off the receiver so that it can send more power to the surrounds).

Hope i haven't complicated your dilemma further!

But then, half the fun is in the chase.

"go for the known evil rather than the unknown"
Honestly, even I was thinking of the same thing. better go for something known than trust on someone else's ears.
I guess I'll be dropping the shoeboxes for now & be going for the long brothers.

I only heard the Q3050i & I liked them, then reading around & comparing specs, I figured the 3050 are the longer versions of the 3030(or shorter).
I also heard the HECO Victa Primes & loved them too. Victas are cheaper than the 3050i Victa's - the guy recommends Earthquake sub.
But I heard the 30050i with the SunFire SDS12 sub. and I'm in love with that sub.
I think I'll take a swing this weekend for a second round for these two.

Hope i haven't complicated your dilemma further!
Nope, you just confirmed my instincts.

EDIT : Holy Molly!!! these speakers here are twice the prices that's there in the UK!!! UK costs some 21-22K but here it's 45-50K.. this is highway looting!!

If I were you, here is what I would have done.


Budget : 1L is a decent budget for a 5.1.2 but just a tad more will do wonders

Constraints:
The room size and the hard surfaces (tiles etc) will add to reverberations- Good room correction will help in a big way for HT. I understand you would prefer a Yamaha but Audyssey (at least XT if not XT32) will be a better bet than YPAO for your room

Here is how I would prioritize:

1) Priority 1 - Good bookshelves for front LR, esp given your requirement for 50% audio - perhaps the much loved Q Acc 3020i for 25k ?
2) Priority 2 - Good matching center - if the LR are QA 3020 then perhaps the 3090 center for 15K?
3) priority 3 - A not too expensive sub , perhaps an 8"er or max a 10" - maybe something from wharfedale or Polk for 25K?
4) Priority 4 - low cost surround and cheap heights for atmos ? You can always upgrade later if something is amiss - JBL C1 and Micca? - for a total of 15-16K

AVR - If possible, stretch the budget a bit to get something with Audyssey XT32.. If you look around, it. may be possible to grab something for 60K ish.. If not then pick whatever you want but I really think XT32 will make a big difference looking at the room pics posted
Any low end extension shortcomings on (1) during music playback can be solved for by engaging the LFP cutover at 80 hz or so as long as your AVR is capable of managing the bass response well - another reason to strongly recommend XT32

I'm not getting Audyssey, lemme try. how's the after sales?

I just am going for the 3020i because its cheaper/smaller version of the 3050. nothing else. Also since I'll be employing a sub, the extra base from the towers won't be justified I feel.
I'm getting big curtains that's insulated for my hall, so there's that. it should help absorb some sound. hopefully about 30-40%.
I'm looking into subs now.

 

[avtar2008]

"go for the known evil rather than the unknown"
Honestly, even I was thinking of the same thing. better go for something known than trust on someone else's ears.
I guess I'll be dropping the shoeboxes for now & be going for the long brothers.

I only heard the Q3050i & I liked them, then reading around & comparing specs, I figured the 3050 are the longer versions of the 3030(or shorter).
I also heard the HECO Victa Primes & loved them too. Victas are cheaper than the 3050i Victa's - the guy recommends Earthquake sub.
But I heard the 30050i with the SunFire SDS12 sub. and I'm in love with that sub.
I think I'll take a swing this weekend for a second round for these two.

Hope i haven't complicated your dilemma further!
Nope, you just confirmed my instincts.

EDIT : Holy Molly!!! these speakers here are twice the prices that's there in the UK!!! UK costs some 21-22K but here it's 45-50K.. this is highway looting!!



I'm not getting Audyssey, lemme try. how's the after sales?

I just am going for the 3020i because its cheaper/smaller version of the 3050. nothing else. Also since I'll be employing a sub, the extra base from the towers won't be justified I feel.
I'm getting big curtains that's insulated for my hall, so there's that. it should help absorb some sound. hopefully about 30-40%.
I'm looking into subs now.

audyssey is not a product, it is a auto-calibration feature in denon and marantz avr, just like you get YPAO in yamaha avr

 

[Kirankj1724]

@thetourer This is based out of my experience, I would suggest you to stick to Yamaha AVR, since you have mentioned that your usage will include music too.

 

[shuv]

I would recommend an AVR with at least front preouts. It'll save you a lot of heartache in the near future. And, if you're already spending 49k odd for the sub, look at the SVS S/PB1000. Won't be much of a stretch.

 

[thetourer]

I would recommend an AVR with at least front preouts. It'll save you a lot of heartache in the near future. And, if you're already spending 49k odd for the sub, look at the SVS S/PB1000. Won't be much of a stretch.

so, why is everyone about pre-outs? I get the "take the load off" thing, but what is a good amp when most amps cost same or even more than this AVR?

@thetourer This is based out of my experience, I would suggest you to stick to Yamaha AVR, since you have mentioned that your usage will include music too.

why is everyone saying "music + movies = Yamaha" else stick with the horde of Denon/Marantz?

audyssey is not a product, it is a auto-calibration feature in denon and marantz avr, just like you get YPAO in yamaha avr

oh, cool.. thanks..

 

[raghupb]

so, why is everyone about pre-outs? I get the "take the load off" thing, but what is a good amp when most amps cost same or even more than this AVR?
<snip>

It is not just take the load off.
It is about having options, if one chooses to exercise it.
Some OEMs allow for these experiments, allowing the user to keep the equipment longer
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[DB1989]

so, why is everyone about pre-outs? I get the "take the load off" thing, but what is a good amp when most amps cost same or even more than this AVR?



why is everyone saying "music + movies = Yamaha" else stick with the horde of Denon/Marantz?



oh, cool.. thanks..

Not necessarily. The schiit vidar costs around 69k and will be able to sendbetter quality power than most av receivers in the market currently (if not all) including a denon x8500h which costs above 3L. So 60k on an AVR with preouts + 69k on a schiit vidar = 1.29L vs 3L for an x8500h.

Insofar as AVRs are concerned, try auditioning both Yamaha and Marantz. Marantz has a distinct house sound which is slightly on the warmer side and depending on your preferences, you may love them if you like warm sound or hate them if you like big dynamic shifts in sound (again, this can be rectified by using an outboard DAC and a power amp connected to the AVR through preouts - I currently have a Chord Mojo and a Crown XLS1502 to listen to Yoshi Horikawa - i think they make great demo tracks also - try bubbles and timbre).

also, audyssey multieq xt32 is generally considered by professional calibrators and home theatre enthusiasts as better than YPAO throughtout the board (i dont think ive ever read a review where ypao was preferred over audyssey) but i can’t state for sure without having used YPAO.

"go for the known evil rather than the unknown"
Honestly, even I was thinking of the same thing. better go for something known than trust on someone else's ears.
I guess I'll be dropping the shoeboxes for now & be going for the long brothers.

I only heard the Q3050i & I liked them, then reading around & comparing specs, I figured the 3050 are the longer versions of the 3030(or shorter).
I also heard the HECO Victa Primes & loved them too. Victas are cheaper than the 3050i Victa's - the guy recommends Earthquake sub.
But I heard the 30050i with the SunFire SDS12 sub. and I'm in love with that sub.
I think I'll take a swing this weekend for a second round for these two.

interesting observations about the subs. Id never contemplated a sunfire or earthquake sub but i must try them out if i can find a dealer. Do try and see if you can get an audition of the QA QB12 also and let us know how it compares with the sunfire and earthquake. Try a blend of both music and movies since you intend to use it for both. Also, audition your gear eith the same tracks and songs/scenes that you know well so that you can make an objective comparison across the board. Depending on the songs, certain speakers may not be able to really show what they are capable of.

 

[DB1989]

EDIT : Holy Molly!!! these speakers here are twice the prices that's there in the UK!!! UK costs some 21-22K but here it's 45-50K.. this is highway looting!!

Which ones are you referring to?

 

[thetourer]

Which ones are you referring to?

3030i, in general.

Also, just came across sonodyne, Indian brand. Got any inputs or ideas about them? Not able to find mich reviews.

 

[DB1989]

3030i, in general.

Also, just came across sonodyne, Indian brand. Got any inputs or ideas about them? Not able to find mich reviews.

3030is are being sold by hifimart for 34K. If your room isn’t too big, it should suffice as fronts coupled with a good sub.

i used to have a vintage sonodyne system (from the early 90s) and it was awesome. Haven’t heard any of their new stuff.

 

[thetourer]

3030is are being sold by hifimart for 34K. If your room isn’t too big, it should suffice as fronts coupled with a good sub.

i used to have a vintage sonodyne system (from the early 90s) and it was awesome. Haven’t heard any of their new stuff.

I am actually looking at their range right now & the reviews are scarce. but whatever reviews are available, they only got good stuff to say about them. I'm not able to get a local dealer here for them, but I hope to get in touch with them soon & get quote, hopefully a demo here.

 

[DB1989]

I am actually looking at their range right now & the reviews are scarce. but whatever reviews are available, they only got good stuff to say about them. I'm not able to get a local dealer here for them, but I hope to get in touch with them soon & get quote, hopefully a demo here.

They have pretty much the exact same sound signature as the 3050is above them and the 3020is below them. But an audition always helps in confirming. If you meant sonodyne, I remember them having a showroom in Kolkata but thats about it.

 

[sud98]

3030i, in general.

Also, just came across sonodyne, Indian brand. Got any inputs or ideas about them? Not able to find mich reviews.

All brands have good specs and mixed set of reviews. If you can listen to them it would help. There are now sonodyne showrooms you can check in larger cities (atleast there is one in Blr). The other option in that price range would be a brand like TAGA which has a lot of followers in this forum.

 

[thetourer]

They have pretty much the exact same sound signature as the 3050is above them and the 3020is below them. But an audition always helps in confirming. If you meant sonodyne, I remember them having a showroom in Kolkata but thats about it.

All brands have good specs and mixed set of reviews. If you can listen to them it would help. There are now sonodyne showrooms you can check in larger cities (atleast there is one in Blr). The other option in that price range would be a brand like TAGA which has a lot of followers in this forum.

yep, I contacted them, but sadly it's on order basis only. there's nobody who has a demo of those guys here. I don't understand why they are being downplayed even by the local suppliers.

 

[DB1989]

yep, I contacted them, but sadly it's on order basis only. there's nobody who has a demo of those guys here. I don't understand why they are being downplayed even by the local suppliers.

Interesting observation. What makes you think they’re downplayed?