Very budget-hostile forum for home theater

[dilliaudiophile]

Year after year on any AV review website you see so many options recommended in the budget (250-500 USD) range for AV receivers but the moment you open this forum all you read is that any AV receiver under a 75k-1lac is just trash. Sub 50k INR home theater (3.1/5.1) is somehow impossible. How is this possible? Brands won't survive if an entire segment (that too a popular one) is consistently trash every year. What am I missing? Is this forum just not friendly to people looking for actual budget options? Would loved to be proved wrong.

 

[keith_correa]

Entitled folks
Pompous folks
Snobbish folks
Condescending folks

Take your pick.

 

[sud98]

Interesting thought.

I dont think there is a budget for AV Nirvana. Some you may end up hating faster than others. However, in a forum like this people are a lot more fussy which is not what the average customer is.

For example, for many a soundbar is a no-no but for others its ultimate for its budget and space and the improvement over the TV sound.

 

[DB1989]

Year after year on any AV review website you see so many options recommended in the budget (250-500 USD) range for AV receivers but the moment you open this forum all you read is that any AV receiver under a 75k-1lac is just trash. Sub 50k INR home theater (3.1/5.1) is somehow impossible. How is this possible? Brands won't survive if an entire segment (that too a popular one) is consistently trash every year. What am I missing? Is this forum just not friendly to people looking for actual budget options? Would loved to be proved wrong.

Let's dial it back two steps before we go mudslinging.

1. There is an entire thread dedicated to Taga speakers and the entire bundle of said brand is available for 40k-ish. There's plenty of discussion on said thread so budget conscious buyers being persona non grata may not be entirely accurate.

2. If we look at AVR prices currently, I can't find any for 250-500USD. Furthermore, Dolby atmos capable receivers are a minimum of 70K INR and which are mostly out of stock.

3. We don't have the same range of speakers as other countries. An entry level speaker setup with 4 x QA 3010i with 3090ci center and 3060s subwoofer cost approx 90K.

4. There are mini systems on offer with satellites as surrounds along with bundled subwoofers for approx 40k (without AVR) but most enthusiasts don't opt for such a setup. And if one isn't an enthusiast, i don't see the motivation in joining this forum. In that case, one is better of consulting AV review websites/magazines since companies invest in such portals to get their stuff reviewed.

5. Insofar as awards bestowed upon budget systems are concerned, most enthusiasts don't consider them good enough. Conversely, as websites/magazines survive on the patronage of these companies, they cannot be scathing of the performance of such systems.

6. Many a times, the questions asked are repetitive i.e. the answers sought are already available if one bothers to search.

7. We live in India so the Indian attitude would necessarily manifest itself on this forum. When in Rome...

8. Due to the Indian attitude, the helpful disposition of certain FMs isn't necessarily reciprocated, especially by newcomers who believe they know it all so why would one bother?

9. A polite attitude is usually met with an equally polite response.

 

[chander]

1- the same prices do not apply in INDIA if you are comparing them with the US.
2- there are plenty suggestions around basic to high end setups here - from soundbars to extremely high end custom systems.
3- If requirements are posted very specifically - with what is needed and budgets, 'most' answers will be in tune with the requirements.
4- as everyone is just giving suggestions, as in-person life, all types of suggestions will flow your way. The onus lies on the seeker of the suggestion to choose what fits best.
5- there will always be opinions. Of all kinds. polite, impolite, nonsensical, enlightened, all are just opinions.
6 - I do not think everyone thinks that under 1L AVRs are trash. If your requirement is just a 5.1 without all the bells and whistles & codecs & no need for future upgrade (for a fair amount of years) & power etc etc, I believe a lot of FMs will agree that spending lakhs on an AVR will be kind of pointless and an entry level denon/pioneer/yamaha/sony will do just fine.

I would suggest - please lay-down your requirement very specifically stating what you want and what you can live without, and wait for people to chime in. Everybody is just helping in what they think is the best "suggestion" or "opinion".

For me personally - I am a 'low budget' consumer, where I very strictly evaluate the ROI on the components I am going to buy and like to stick to the lower limit of my budget. The forum has never disappointed.

 

[ssf]

My friend owns an AVR which cost him around 70,000/- which he uses in a room bigger than mine and I have heard this AVR both with music and movies and it is definitely not trash. It has 2 Atmos channels to boot.

My friend had a Nakamichi 5.1 earlier. He is pretty happy with his current Denon too.

 

[arj]

Let's dial it back two steps before we go mudslinging.

1. There is an entire thread dedicated to Taga speakers and the entire bundle of said brand is available for 40k-ish. There's plenty of discussion on said thread so budget conscious buyers being persona non grata may not be entirely accurate.

2. If we look at AVR prices currently, I can't find any for 250-500USD. Furthermore, Dolby atmos capable receivers are a minimum of 70K INR and which are mostly out of stock.

3. We don't have the same range of speakers as other countries. An entry level speaker setup with 4 x QA 3010i with 3090ci center and 3060s subwoofer cost approx 90K.

4. There are mini systems on offer with satellites as surrounds along with bundled subwoofers for approx 40k (without AVR) but most enthusiasts don't opt for such a setup. And if one isn't an enthusiast, i don't see the motivation in joining this forum. In that case, one is better of consulting AV review websites/magazines since companies invest in such portals to get their stuff reviewed.

5. Insofar as awards bestowed upon budget systems are concerned, most enthusiasts don't consider them good enough. Conversely, as websites/magazines survive on the patronage of these companies, they cannot be scathing of the performance of such systems.

6. Many a times, the questions asked are repetitive i.e. the answers sought are already available if one bothers to search.

7. We live in India so the Indian attitude would necessarily manifest itself on this forum. When in Rome...

8. Due to the Indian attitude, the helpful disposition of certain FMs isn't necessarily reciprocated, especially by newcomers who believe they know it all so why would one bother?

9. A polite attitude is usually met with an equally polite response.

Thanks for stating it so well.
A Polite question along with necessary details like a budget and expectations can go such a long way .

Year after year on any AV review website you see so many options recommended in the budget (250-500 USD) range for AV receivers but the moment you open this forum all you read is that any AV receiver under a 75k-1lac is just trash. Sub 50k INR home theater (3.1/5.1) is somehow impossible. How is this possible? Brands won't survive if an entire segment (that too a popular one) is consistently trash every year. What am I missing? Is this forum just not friendly to people looking for actual budget options? Would loved to be proved wrong.

Not sure what exactly are you looking for ? Hope it is not to troll and if so we may need to lock this thread. But if it is a genuine question on your budget and ask then of course you will get answers,.

 

[dilliaudiophile]

Thanks for the answers; highly appreciated. I could've probably toned down my language, so I do apologize for that. Will go look for that Taga thread now!

 

[sandeepmdas]

My friend owns an AVR which cost him around 70,000/- which he uses in a room bigger than mine and I have heard this AVR both with music and movies and it is definitely not trash. It has 2 Atmos channels to boot.

My friend had a Nakamichi 5.1 earlier. He is pretty happy with his current Denon too.

I have a 1080P Epson projector and a Yamaha soundbar with subwoofer. The content is supplied by a dedicated media PC with Nvidia graphics adapter. The silver lining is that I have a dedicated 20' x 13' AC room in my outhouse.

I am happy with the projector and wanted to upgrade the audio to proper 5.1.2 or 7.1.4 with receiver. I joined in this forum exactly for this purpose, although initially appalled, but soon I realized this is not the right time to go for an upgrade. Most AVR models are either not available or exorbitantly priced. I learnt from here that the prices may expect to cool down and availability will improve by November 2022. This has not yet been happened thanks to the zero-covid fiasco in China.

I am seriously looking forward for the upgrade this year, and I am not in a hurry at all. My plan is exactly what your friend has done; I don't want a lot of features or 11.4 system. Even a 5.1 with Atmos is a huge upgrade over my Yamaha soundbar.

 

[siddharthdas]

Year after year on any AV review website you see so many options recommended in the budget (250-500 USD) range for AV receivers but the moment you open this forum all you read is that any AV receiver under a 75k-1lac is just trash. Sub 50k INR home theater (3.1/5.1) is somehow impossible. How is this possible? Brands won't survive if an entire segment (that too a popular one) is consistently trash every year. What am I missing? Is this forum just not friendly to people looking for actual budget options? Would loved to be proved wrong.

Well you know, your eyes and ears are your best friends. The only other thing you need is the the opportunity to audition gear. You can do a dolby atmos soundbar plus an inexpensive sub and be home in 30k-1L. If you go the separates way, any half decent receiver should work - 50 watts per channel and above. If yours is a living room HT, then your needs may be very different than for someone with a dedicated theater. So context matters much.

I use a two channel setup for movies which does audiophile grade sound and for me that's more than plenty for an HT. My system has enormous headroom, and with a sub added for the huge thumps, I am all set. But that's me - for me a large screen with good quality picture (as opposed to amazing no holds barred picture) and great sound that makes me experience some of the moviegoing mojo is more than enough. I am not striving to reproduce helicopters flying atop my head with machine-gunners firing from them with movie-theater dynamics. That said, my very limited HT does slightly softer films as good as any theater.

Bottomline - if you want to achieve everything, you run up against costs, and perhaps room treatment might in fact turn out to be your biggest cost. If like some of us, you want a very good movie experience, with some real world compromises (some call them trade-offs), then you can find not one but many solutions that work. Remember that movies do not have to deliver fidelity in the same way as music needs to, so some trade-offs are easier to make if such were the case for you.

Long story short, understand your needs, and know that if budget is a constrain then tradeoffs are a given. Listen to everyone, see what they offer as advice, see what you equipment you can audition based on your needs. Then decide. Remember speakers are the weakest link in any playback chain - not the amp!

 

[deeps007]

I concur with everything said here in response to the question raised by @dilliaudiophile
I have recently joined this forum to seek help for my first setup and I was very promptly suggested with various options, ranging from economical to some really expensive systems and was suggested to audition as many as I could before deciding. So would like to take this opportunity to show my gratitude to fellow members who have been really helpful and I am humbled.
And just to add, in my short journey of couple of months now, I have understood one thing that there is no one fit-for-all solution here in AV world and you have to place your bet on what you hear and then maybe a Calculated decision.
Cheers and all the best

 

[essrand]

I have had a person complain that this HFV forum is too mid-fi, nobody here is discussing any worthwhile, proper, really high-end gear.
So you get it both ways. This forum is what it is. I personally think HFV is diverse enough for anyone to feel at home be it DCS/Wilson audio folks or the other end of the spectrum (the 250-500$ folks as the OP puts it), there's enough folks to help you, no matter the budget. Just dig deeper into the forum and be friendly and open to opinions and people.

 

[alladinkachirag]

My 2 cents...Rather than focussing on the current question, I would say that the way I use this forums, and many other forums, is the way of learning more about different stuff and the process involved in selecting the right gear. I cannot say enough about what I learnt, and how the journey had been for me. At each step there is someone (or a post/thread) that would help in clarifying a doubt, make a better decision or at least think in a different way. For example: There are tons of threads and posts emphasizing importance of "room" when people are too much inclined to replace their existing gear - I was also in same boat at a time, when such education helped me.

Search, read, due diligence, and question should be the way that I understood and have followed.

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Year after year on any AV review website you see so many options recommended in the budget (250-500 USD) range for AV receivers but the moment you open this forum all you read is that any AV receiver under a 75k-1lac is just trash. Sub 50k INR home theater (3.1/5.1) is somehow impossible. How is this possible? Brands won't survive if an entire segment (that too a popular one) is consistently trash every year. What am I missing? Is this forum just not friendly to people looking for actual budget options? Would loved to be proved wrong.

In my younger days, I used to travel from hyderabad to bombay frequently at very short notice. No reservation, meant I was travelling 3rd class all the time. With the journey being 32 hrs in those days, I used to spread a newspaper and sleep on the floor.

Today if a friend were to solicit my advise about travelling 3rd class, I would be honest about how terrible it is. I don't think that should quantify me as being budget unfriendly.

Most of us are conveying the same thing here. Trust me, we've all started with the same budget kit you are considering now. You are actually better .. I started with a 18k yamaha YHT-400S, and was screaming from the roof tops how good it was . So please consider all advise as good advise, given with your best interest at heart

 

[Love4sound]

AV receivers but the moment you open this forum all you read is that any AV receiver under a 75k-1lac is just trash. Sub 50k INR home theater (3.1/5.1) is somehow impossible.

I have never come across any one saying 75k-1lak avr receivers are trash and infact it’s the most popular option in the forum.Back in the days you get avr’s such as marantz 5xxx,6xxx and Denon 3xxx series in that range. Also given today’s market prices only option for a 5.1 avr set up is the Yamaha HTIB.

 

[Nitin K]

Year after year on any AV review website you see so many options recommended in the budget (250-500 USD) range for AV receivers but the moment you open this forum all you read is that any AV receiver under a 75k-1lac is just trash. Sub 50k INR home theater (3.1/5.1) is somehow impossible. How is this possible? Brands won't survive if an entire segment (that too a popular one) is consistently trash every year. What am I missing? Is this forum just not friendly to people looking for actual budget options? Would loved to be proved wrong.

Pls go through the link below in the classifieds section of HFV as this avr is supposed to be very good and sparingly used and has great user reviews. It may not be the latest one with all the bells and whistles but the audio quality is supposed to be great.
It may not have DTS X , Atmos or blue tooth but I am sure this 7.2 avr with a decent number of features would do great for most of us. It does have Spotify streaming too.

Pls check it out with the FM who is selling it as I have never heard a Cambridge audio avr nor do I know the FM who is selling it. But at one point of time did consider this avr but it was not available at that time. The price at 60k seems well worth the price if it is in good condition.

https://www.hifivision.com/threads/cambridge-audio-cxr120-7-2-avr-wd-10tb-internal-hdd.91658/

Rgs,
Nitin

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Pls go through the link below in the classifieds section of HFV as this avr is supposed to be very good and sparingly used and has great user reviews. It may not be the latest one with all the bells and whistles but the audio quality is supposed to be great.
It may not have DTS X , Atmos or blue tooth but I am sure this 7.2 avr with a decent number of features would do great for most of us. It does have Spotify streaming too.

Pls check it out with the FM who is selling it as I have never heard a Cambridge audio avr nor do I know the FM who is selling it. But at one point of time did consider this avr but it was not available at that time. The price at 60k seems well worth the price if it is in good condition.

https://www.hifivision.com/threads/cambridge-audio-cxr120-7-2-avr-wd-10tb-internal-hdd.91658/

Rgs,
Nitin

Excellent recommendation nithin . I absolutely don't have room to setup a 5.1 system in my small room. But the Ad is still giving me all kind of weird itches . A great buy with a great sound to match as per the reviews. Right up there with Arcam AVR's with a slightly more pocket friendly price. I have a 5.1.4 atmos system in the living room. But never been enamoured by atmos to be honest. We all mostly stream movies these days, and there is hardly any atmos content there. So this would definitely make the heart of a great sounding 5.1 or 7.1 channel system, which should still sound great for 2 channel music, unlike most AVR's which suck at 2 channel music. So @dilliaudiophile please give this AVR a good consideration. I built my HT system over 4years. Buying the best we can afford, one thing at a time is the best way ahead. So if this AVR is within budget. You can buy it now. Then add speakers later, as and when funds permit. All the best

 

[Nitin K]

Excellent recommendation nithin . I absolutely don't have room to setup a 5.1 system in my small room. But the Ad is still giving me all kind of weird itches . A great buy with a great sound to match as per the reviews. Right up there with Arcam AVR's with a slightly more pocket friendly price. I have a 5.1.4 atmos system in the living room. But never been enamoured by atmos to be honest. We all mostly stream movies these days, and there is hardly any atmos content there. So this would definitely make the heart of a great sounding 5.1 or 7.1 channel system, which should still sound great for 2 channel music, unlike most AVR's which suck at 2 channel music. So @dilliaudiophile please give this AVR a good consideration. I built my HT system over 4years. Buying the best we can afford, one thing at a time is the best way ahead. So if this AVR is within budget. You can buy it now. Then add speakers later, as and when funds permit. All the best

Thanks a lot Manu, great to hear from you as always. Actually years back when I was hunting for an avr, the CXR 120 (wish I could have afforded the CXR 200) was my first preference and then the Nad T753. CXR 120 was unfortunately not available and Nad was ridiculously priced so settled down with Marantz SR 7011.
Although the Marantz is a 9.2 receiver and can be upgraded to 11.2, in my small room I am quite content with 5.1 and currently have no desire to add any additional speakers.
Actually a 5.1 setup is more than enough for many users unless you have a big dedicated room. There is no point in spending more for diminishing returns.
If I did not have an avr at this point in time, then I would have grabbed this one without any hesitation for the praise it has received for its audio quality, build quality, ample power, and a thoughtfully great design.

Regards,
Nitin

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Thanks a lot Manu, great to hear from you as always. Actually years back when I was hunting for an avr, the CXR 120 (wish I could have afforded the CXR 200) was my first preference and then the Nad T753. CXR 120 was unfortunately not available and Nad was ridiculously priced so settled down with Marantz SR 7011.
Although the Marantz is a 9.2 receiver and can be upgraded to 11.2, in my small room I am quite content with 5.1 and currently have no desire to add any additional speakers.
Actually a 5.1 setup is more than enough for many users unless you have a big dedicated room. There is no point in spending more for diminishing returns.
If I did not have an avr at this point in time, then I would have grabbed this one without any hesitation for the praise it has received for its audio quality, build quality, ample power, and a thoughtfully great design.

Regards,
Nitin

Very true again nitin

On paper I have what merits to be a atmos system. But in a living room which caters to other functions. The speakers are not even optimally placed owing to space and aesthetic constraints. The only reason I still have it in place, is because it sounds better than my stock TV. A few of my friends have come to the conclusion, that we'd be happy enough with a good sound bar in the living room whenever the AVR died. And 2 friends have already junked their HT systems, and gone pure 2 channel. So unless there is a well designed and treated dedicated room with a good quality projection system, probably spending all that moolah on a surround system is pointless.

 

[Nitin K]

Very true again nitin

On paper I have what merits to be a atmos system. But in a living room which caters to other functions. The speakers are not even optimally placed owing to space and aesthetic constraints. The only reason I still have it in place, is because it sounds better than my stock TV. A few of my friends have come to the conclusion, that we'd be happy enough with a good sound bar in the living room whenever the AVR died. And 2 friends have already junked their HT systems, and gone pure 2 channel. So unless there is a well designed and treated dedicated room with a good quality projection system, probably spending all that moolah on a surround system is pointless.

Absolutely true Manu, totally agree with you.