Urgent advice required for my first hifi HT

[oneaudiofan]

Hi Audio Gurus,

First of all, I am very proud to be part of this forum.

I am very excited to build my first ever Hi-Fi 5.1 HT.

Requirements:

1. Movie 50 : Music 50
2. Room size 20 X 20
3. Budget : 80-90 K INR [ Plus ~20 K INR at later point of time (after 3 months) ]
4. FS to be crisp clear and punchy
5. Future proof 7.1 expandable AVR [ I have Denon X1200-W in mind ]

I have auditioned below ones

1. YAMAHA 2910 - felt it was not so great
2. JAMO 426 [ INR 29600/-] + SUB 210 [INR 21800/-] with Marantz [ dont remember the model name ]- Was OK
3. Dennon X500 AVR with POLK RM 6750 [ Approx INR 60K/-] - Liked it
4. JAMO 428 5.0 package [INR 44,800/-] with JAMO SUB J10 [INR 32,800/-] with Marantz [ dont remember the model name ]- Liked it very very much

I auditioned the same speakers without SUB as I am planning to get SUB after 3-4 months, to my surprise JAMO 428 did not disappoint me. Though lack of sub was evident it was manageable, the sound was great and bass from FS were punchy.

I wanted to know

1. Is there any alternate suggestions for FS other than JAMO 428 5.0
2. Is Denon X1200-W good choice ? Will it blend well with JAMO 428 ?
3. Is the price for JAMO 428 correct ? Request to suggest vendor details in bangalore.
4. Suggest best BD player with 8K range

Your expert advice will really help. Thanks.

 

[oneaudiofan]

Hi friends,

Your suggestions will really help me to decide. Please please help.

 

[shibashis]

Instead of 5.1 packaged you are better off choosing the components yourself, generally from my experience the 5.1 packages deliver for movies but fail for music. Since it is a 50:50 preference for you try picking up the two front channels and a matching center speaker. Add a sub of your choice and one that suits the budget.

You can always add the rear speakers later, if you audition different options and choose properly this will turn out to be much much better than the 5.1 packages. Make no mistake the 5.1 packages can also be quiet good but you have to go higher.
For example this one on sale right now at hifimart.com:
http://www.hifivision.com/group-buy...home-theatre-speaker-package-25-discount.html

If floor standers are not absolute necessary then look for quality bookshelves, you can be spoilt of choice with great sounding bookshelves in your budget.

Do listen to,

1) Dali Zensor 3
2) Polk Rti A3
3) KEF Q300
4) Wharfedale 121
5) PSB

For AVR Marantz is a good bet but will be more expensive than Denon or Yamaha offerings.

 

[oneaudiofan]

Thanks shibashis for your response.

I am looking for floor standers and I had auditioned Jamo S 428 with Jamo S 420 Center and the Jamo S 420 Surround with Jamo Sub J10 and I liked it and I am looking for Denon-X1200W for AVR.

After your response I am bit confused here,

1. Should I go for Jamo S 428 with Jamo S 420 Center + Jamo S 420 Surround + Jamo Sub J10 [ will purchase sub after 3-4 months ] with denon-X1200W.
2. As you mentioned should I start building HT with best FS fronts and matching Centre and add other components considering 3-4 months span.
3. Please suggest best FS and matching Centres within my budget and sub and surrounds which I will be buying after 3-4 months.
4. I felt denon-X1200W is future proof [supports 7.1 and atmos ] feel free to suggest other AVRs.
5. Suggest best BD player with 8K budget.


I am new to hi-fi HT and a enthusiast who is trying to get the best HT as per the suggestions in this forum. Your suggestions are very much appreciated and inputs will be very very much helpful.

Many Thanks.

 

[Vinay2013]

You can also check Pioneer AJ 5.1 speakers (Around 40 to 45K). Got very good reviews. Others include Polk, Monitor Audio (MR Series should be in your budget), Dali, KEF etc.

Denon receiver you selected seems good. Other options you can try is Onkyo, Marantz, yamaha and Pioneer.

For Blue ray so far Pioneer is the best among the lot. You can also select a good media player if you watch downloaded content and not Blu Rays

Try to audition as many system you can.

 

[shibashis]

I have not heard the Jamo 428 so can not say how they sound, but I did hear the 426 couple of years or so back and they were not that great.

What else have you heard?
Try listening to the speakers I mentioned, these have their floor stander avatars as well.
For example listen to Dali Zensor 5 and 7.
One advantage of buying floor standers to begin with is that you will get good low-end presence and let go of the Subwoofer for the moment. Start with the front speakers and the matching center and then add a Sub a bit later. A good sub is expensive, and a good Sub's importance can not be overemphasized, so if you have the budget and are willing to go gradually then do not compromise on that.

 

[oneaudiofan]

I will be finalizing on denon-X1200W.

Please suggest FS model number for wharfedale, Polk, KEF, Dali which falls within my budget.

Also suggest between Pioneer bdp 170 and Samsung bd h6500 and Sony S 4500

 

[bravo236]

Hi oneaudiofan,

I have bought the Denon X1200 last week. Its a great avr, 7.2 channels, atmos equipped & dtsx ready. I also bought it keeping future proofing in mind. I am currently finalizing the FS & CS speakers for it. I am looking at Polk, Dali & Pioneer AJ Series.

I will be adding a SVS Sub & atmos speakers later when my pocket allows. I agree with shibashis's point on sub & advise on Dali. They are pretty good.

Happy Listening & good luck for your purchase!

 

[oneaudiofan]

Hi bravo236,

Congratulations for your purchase. What was the final price you paid for Denon-X1200W?

I auditioned

1. Pioneer AJ 5.1 and it was okay ( 49k approx )
2. Jamo s428 5.0 was more crisp ( 42k approx )
3. Wharfedale diamond 10.5 ( only fronts cost 35k approx )

I have decided to go with Samsung bd h 6500 as source as it is full of features and has got very good reviews.

I have to audition dali and Polk.

The only concern with wharfedale dali and Polk is that only FS would cost 35 to 40 k.

Let me know your audition experience... I will be posting my findings too...

 

[bravo236]

Hey oneaudiofan,

I got it at 49k.

I have been travelling & havent really had detailed auditions, guess Ill have to dedicate a weekend to it & finalize the speakers.

I will check out the Jamo as well as I have found them to be good on earlier occasion with a Yamaha Amp. Will post my findings here.

Good luck

Cheers!

 

[saikatbiswas82]

Try to get an audition for usher/dynaudio bookshelfs before making purchase decision.

My way of thinking is....start with 2 good bookshelves with a decent AVR. I would have suggested a stereo integrated amp but it would incurr more cost for setting up HT. An decent AVR could be a good starting point.

I wouldn't go for features. Rather its the sq that matters end of the day.