Time to upgrade! (Amp and speakers)

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First I'd like to thank all the guys on this forum who had guided me earlier when I set up my amp and speaker in chennai.

I have now moved to Mumbai. My current status,I have a Cambridge SR10 stereo amp and a pair of Polk Audio TSX440 floor standers.

Time to upgrade!

I want to buy an AVR,budget would be max around 42k.

80% I watch movies and about 20% I listen to music.

Confused between the pioneer VSX 524, denon X520BT, Denon X1200W and a few Yamaha AVR that I can't remember now...

I haven't seen any avrs or auditioned them because I don't know where to go in Mumbai. Mumbai is huge and there are lots of illegal or smuggled goods I hear. Would need suggestions on where to look for this too.

Want to also get more speakers. Point is, I don't want rear speakers because of the wires running around on the ground. So basically what should I get,keeping in mind they will be placed alongside my floor standers currently?

Should I get a pair of bookshelves? Or just get a subwoofer? Or should I get a single Center speaker?

I'm gonna take this step by step, I know,sorry ,too many questions!

Thanks all!

Regards.
 
Hi

Based on where you are located in Mumbai, there are a lot of dealers.....Heera Panna (Sound Out), Crawford Market (Fair Deal), Cinebels - Bandra....and countless other dealers in various parts....a simple google search will yield results...

I would suggest to audition and decide ...trust your ears....you can do all the window shopping also at Reliance Digital, Croma, Vijay Sales etc.....

Shortlist the models / brands you want based on appearance, connectivity requirements, performance and of course budget.....

If budget is a challenge, there are good deals on For Sale by Owner section or Hi Fi Ads...some real good audiophile AVRs available at reasonable rates....

Want to own a Beast? SR5008 7.2 Marantz 3D 4K AVR fairly priced! - HiFiADS.com

You can also check on OLX/QUIKR- be cautious as some of the sellers are dealers who are not verified....

All the best!
 
Thanks for your input!

The problem with an audition wrt the AVR is that they would have a different set of speakers rather than what I have. What I'm looking for in the amp is basically reliability and something for the future like Dolby,dts,atmos,blutooth etc. And something that people have used and recommend.

Thanks again!
 
Hi

I have used various brands in the past, Denon, NAD, Yamaha, Pioneer, Harmon Kardon and now Marantz.....Marantz has been in my life now for close to 4-5 years and the sound signature is awesome....I am sure there are other brands like Rotel, Emotiva, Arcam etc which are high end and cost more...Marantz is expensive but not expensive like Bose and it is worth..

I used a variety of speakers on Marantz, ...Bostons, Jamos, Quads, Wharfedale, Pionner AJ series...heard the BIC Americas, Definitive Technology, B&Ws on Marantz at various auditions from dealers and yes they work very well....

For polks you have, it will easily match and later you can add the center, sub and surround speakers.....

The advantage of the Marantz AVRs is that besides all the Dolby decode modes, they have the Bass+Treble controls and also a 9 band adjustable EQ which is seldom seen in other brands...if available it is only in Higher models...so you can tweak the optimal quality and enjoy the experience...

Audioholics has good reviews about Marantz and so does other global forums and users...widely seen used or demos by various dealers....including the recent What Hi Fi Show in Mumbai.

IMHO, Dolby Atmos is nothing that great....if you have a 7.1 or 7.2 AVR you can enjoy the experience, I didn't find anything that different...also most content available for movies is 5.1 or 5.2......which is more than enough....
 
Fantastic! Thanks so much on the insight!

Could you please assist me on any marantz amp in my budget of 42k?

I'm also confused on the speaker dilemma ? Could u shed some light on that too? Forget the names or brands,that I can see later. Just want to know what kind of speakers I need,like I said they will be in the front next to the tv facing me ,next to my floor standers.

Does it make sense to buy bookshelves or just get a single Center speaker?

Thanks again.
 
Hi

If you go for a 7.1 AVR, you can add bookshelf speakers with a sub (5.1).

You then have a choice to configure the system as 7.1 or 5.1....floorstanders can be used as A or B speakers.....

Still then you have the choice to enjoy the floor standers + sub as 2.1 stereo.....

The center speaker helps with dialogues etc. for movie experience.

The AVR I suggested would fit in your budget....contact and check lf available......the NR series is cheaper as it is only 50w RMS....would not be sufficient to drive the floor standers....
 
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Fantastic! Thanks so much on the insight!

Could you please assist me on any marantz amp in my budget of 42k?

I'm also confused on the speaker dilemma ? Could u shed some light on that too? Forget the names or brands,that I can see later. Just want to know what kind of speakers I need,like I said they will be in the front next to the tv facing me ,next to my floor standers.

Does it make sense to buy bookshelves or just get a single Center speaker?

Thanks again.

If you are open to Used, keep an eye on Olx. There are a number of receivers for sale there. Also, check this forum's classified for some Denon receivers on sale. Pre Used Hi Fi stuff from a reliable seller is super value for money.

Regarding speakers, Good bookshelves paired with a decent sub is a great combination. You could have the bookshelves stand mounted on either side of the TV. This would be a good Stereo setup, great for Music and Good for movies. You could then upgrade to a 5.1 or higher by adding a Center and rear surrounds.

MaSh
 
If you are going to use your floorstanders with the AVR, then a good sub is what you need. Center is not that important. Sub > Center for movies. Later you can add, Center and surrounds.
AFAIK, Denon with their Audyssey might be the better option for acoustically non corrected/treated room/hall.
 
If you are going to use your floorstanders with the AVR, then a good sub is what you need. Center is not that important. Sub > Center for movies. Later you can add, Center and surrounds.
AFAIK, Denon with their Audyssey might be the better option for acoustically non corrected/treated room/hall.

Beg to disagree on that point. Quality floor standers can alleviate the immediate need of a Sub, on the other hand a quality center speaker will change the movie watching experience almost completely. IMO a good center is a must for a decent HT setup, otherwise watch movies in 2 channel mode as an alternative.
 
If you have Floor standers, Then SW might not required sometimes (In case you have small room\you dont play them Loud).
If you plan to run Fronts with BS, Then Sub is must for Movies :)

But Center is the Soul of Home theater. Only Center gives the Midfrequency which is placed almost at the height or position of the Screen\Monitor.

I would recommend One Center and Rear (Pro Logic) set up in case you dont have much space at home.
 
Thanks a lot for the input guys.

Right now I'm going to drop the idea of an amp and want to get a pair of bookshelves.

My current setup is a Cambridge SR10 stereo amp and Polk audio TSX440.

I'll be looking for a pair of bookshelves in the range of around 20-25k.

Any suggestions or options please shoot away!
 
Hi

There are a lot of Bookshelf speakers available...depending on how you hear your music and what kind of music you hear, you need to select the appropriate bookshelf speakers and cone sizes.....this in the long run will compliment the towers you use...
 
Will the marantz NR1506 be able to power 4 speakers, namely my Polk tsx440 floor standers and a pair of Dali zensor 3?

It doesn't have to be loud,just neat and tidy on the clarity.

Can't see many more choices in the range of about 40-45k other than the denon 520BT or the denon 1200w. I don't need a 7.1 btw, for me a 5.1 is sufficient.
 
Will the marantz NR1506 be able to power 4 speakers, namely my Polk tsx440 floor standers and a pair of Dali zensor 3?

It doesn't have to be loud,just neat and tidy on the clarity.

Can't see many more choices in the range of about 40-45k other than the denon 520BT or the denon 1200w. I don't need a 7.1 btw, for me a 5.1 is sufficient.


@clester, not sure about Marantz NR1506 handling those speakers, some of our FMs will be able to answer that query well.
However, you have Yamaha RX V479 and Pioneer VSX 830 in 40-45k range and having good reviews.
 
Hi Celester340,

I would suggest a 7.1 as you can use the Bi Amp mode and pump enough power to the tsx440s which are rated 20-200w rms @ 8 ohms load...

The remaining 3 channels can be used for Bookshelf speakers.. Dalis will work well and a center...you can then choose to add a sub later.

The 1506 is rated @ 50w @ 8 ohms load and so you will enjoy music or movies at a nominal volume...no guarantee of punch etc.

Hence you need to look @ avrs which are atleast 100w rms @ 8 ohms load minimum across all frequencies and hence recommended the Marantz higher models....

If budget is tight...pre owned will work in your favour.
 
Hi ,

Thanks as always. I just want to honestly buy something thats under warranty. Plus i want something that has wifi or bluetooth.

I dont plan on getting more than 5 speakers,including the sub. So does it make sense to buy a 7.1? I dont even have place for 5 speakers honestly.

So I think its either the yamaha 679 or denon 520BT or denon 1200W. Guess the marantz 1506 wont be enough.
 
Hi

The Denon 520BT and Marantz NR1506 are more or less similar in terms of performance...both made by D & M Holdings...Marantz is better and expensive due to high grade components and built quality.

Overall comparison specs

RXV 679 delivers 90w RMS at 8 ohms load across all frequencies 20hz - 20khz based on 2 channels driven

Denon 520BT delivers 90w at 6 ohms (approx. 60/70 at 8 ohms) across all frequencies 20hz - 20khz based on 2 channels driven

Marantz 1506 delivers 70w at 6 ohms (approx. 60/70 at 8 ohms) across all frequencies 20hz - 20khz based on 2 channels driven

Marantz SR5010 delivers 140w at 6 ohms (minimum 100w at 8 ohms) across all frequencies 20hz - 20khz based on 2 channels driven

Denon X1200w delivers 120w at 6 ohms (approx. 80w at 8 ohms) across all frequencies 20hz - 20khz based on 2 channels driven

The advantage of the SR series (5010) is that it has HDAM which is like a booster to pump more power that actually specified..hence can drive towers and almost all brands of speakers without any issue or challenge....

Refer to below links from reputed Global personnel who have explained AVR performances etc...

https://www.audioholics.com/audio-amplifier/amplifier-power-ratings

https://www.audioholics.com/audio-amplifier/product-managing-receiver-platforms-power-ratings

Hi Celester340

As stated before you need to look at a good AVR which delivers at least 100w rms at 8 ohms load across all frequencies so that the towers you have can perform optimally well...

Bluetooth and Wifi are the latest gimmicks in AVRs to make them sell faster and for us to get bitten by the upgrade bug. End of the day sales counts and manufacturers make their money....

If you have a good AVR which has not Bluetooth or Wifi, you can still make it adaptable...refer to this link....

How to get your Ethernet-only gadgets on your home network - CNET

With respect to warranty offered by Indian dealers on AVRs, it is only one year....in US it is 3 -5 years......most of the electronic components you have today will never fail you ..technically it is a waste to pay for warranty....if you use the AVR in the right optimal manner, it will easily last you for 7-10 years.....

The 7.1 was recommended from the fact that you could use the same as BI AMP and utilize 4 channels of the AVR for the Tsx440s which will perform much better....the remaining 3 channels can be used for Rears and centers which you can add later....

If you are looking at the Marantz SR5010, HiFi Mart sells the same for 83k....the older model SR5009 is not in stock....maybe there are some dealers who may offer the 5010 between 69k -76k..again you need to check on their credibility.

Since you are on a tight budget, you can decide to perhaps look at the X1200w or RXV679 or maybe the Marantz SR5008 which is available as pre owned for 45k on HiFi Ads...more or less within your stated budget.....you can add Bluetooth adapter to stream whatever you need.

The choice is yours now.....all the best...
 
Hi

I guess that would be the single channel driven output which is like nominal outbusts

Technically, the actual output if being considered should be looked at 2 channel or all channel values at a certain impedance levels...hence shared the links on watts and amplification which helps to understand better...one needs to see the continuous power delivery of an amp or avr across all frequencies which depicts the true performance ....
 
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