Vikas Raikhy

[vinay]

Yes I have worked with Faizal/ sold some of his products. He was at Ludhiana last week and visited with me. He gave me some pictures of theatres done by him which look good. There is another guy by the name of Hiimanshu at Delhi who desighns the interiors of home theatres and does the acoustics. Have you heard of him?

It is nice to note that you have worked with faizal/sold some of his products.

Faizal, had given me some pictures of the home theatre's which he has worked upon, i uploaded those pictures for the members to see his work, but there were 2/3 members who said that they did not like their work, and their was a fierce exchange of words.

The members were claiming that there are other home theatres which are much better than faizal's, the point here was to just show some good home theatre's in India. Faizal had asked the members to show the photo's of the home theatre's which were good, none of them were able to show the photo's for x, y, and z reasons, so it was like something which does not exist for showing, and we praise that, and while the beauty was that the members who found faizal's theatre's not good, they are not able to point out any major faults, other than the penny faults, like for example one member said that there is clutter in the theatre room, and guess what the train started, other members also went on the roof top to say, clutter, clutter.

Furthermore guess what, the thread was about the Indian home theatre's, the members started throwing around pictures of some foreign theatres and said that those theatres are better than faizal's, in one case guess what some foreign theatre's picture was thrown around, the seating arrangement was so lousy, that by the time the movie would get over, one would end up with great back pain, and than guess what, in the picture we do not get to see any audio, video equipments, and then there were members who said lovely pictures, i was not able to understand in what sense they were lovely in relate to a home theatre.

In-fact one of the member removed some unfounded faults with faizals work, while if you see pictures of his home theatre, there were many faults, and guess what, he had done the work from some professional, so i asked him to show some home theatre photos of this professional, and he just vanished, and you must see how they are evasive with replies.

In-fact one of the members told me, that most of the people prefer to remain private, they do not want to show the pictures of their home theatre, over which i had replied that this is not understood by me, because they will show their posh cars, bungalows, day to day life style, their clothes, jewellery, and what not, and then they do not wish to show their home theatre's, for me this is unfounded.

So for me moral of the story is this that should we say faizal's work is lousy because some where there are theatres much better than faizals, which no one gets to see, so what makes better sense to what we see or what we do not get to see?

At times it is very difficult to deal with some members, no doubt every one has a view, but what is that view, which is in the thin air.

I have heard about himanshu in Delhi who designs the interiors of home theatres and that he does acoustics. In one of the leading magazines, Man's World, there was photographs of myself and of my home theatre, which had the article on my theatre, even himanshu had written a few words in this magazine about how to go about in making a home theatre.

Vinay.

 

[vraikhy]

To begin with I think your home theatre is nice, most definately unique. I can see a lot of hard work has gone into it!

As for Faisal I have found that he is more into retailing high end audio products. This does not mean that they will contribute to the makking of a good home theatre!

Professionaly desighned theatres in India are rare. The reason you do not see the equipment in the theatres abroad is that they have been merged into the interiors. The beauty of a theatre is that the equipment not be visiable. This is most difficult and technical to do. I have been studying such projects abroad and it requires a lot of skill. So far I have not come across a client who is willing to pay me for the job work alone. They want to spend money on the gear but that is not sufficent to make a good theatre.

I would like to point out that audiophile products like Faisal sells, also Burge Cooper at Mumbai, are not typical products for a theatre. The concept of home theatre is completely opposite of a listening room i.e. for listening to music.

Will discuss more later.

 

[suniil]

Hi Vikas, belated welcome on board.

Some great pictures you shown us, would be great if you can attach bigger sized ones.

Thankyou
Suniil

 

[panditji]

Hi Vikas
Welcome to the forum. Your listening room seems to have undergone some restructuring since when I met you in December (looking for used Cadence ES) and is looking good in the pictures you have posted. I am looking forward to some nice used gear especially Cadence ES speakers. Hoping to get a good deal on a pair of Aninas/Aristas

Regards
Rahul

 

[vraikhy]

Hi Vikas, belated welcome on board.

Some great pictures you shown us, would be great if you can attach bigger sized ones.

Thankyou
Suniil

Thanx for the welcome. Am trying to get bigger pictures on my profile. Am not to good with the computer!

 

[vraikhy]

Hi Vikas
Welcome to the forum. Your listening room seems to have undergone some restructuring since when I met you in December (looking for used Cadence ES) and is looking good in the pictures you have posted. I am looking forward to some nice used gear especially Cadence ES speakers. Hoping to get a good deal on a pair of Aninas/Aristas

Regards
Rahul

Thanx for the welcome. Let me have your email and I will see what can be done for second hand gear for you. My email <[email protected]>.

 

[vinay]

General

To begin with I think your home theatre is nice, most definately unique. I can see a lot of hard work has gone into it!

As for Faisal I have found that he is more into retailing high end audio products. This does not mean that they will contribute to the makking of a good home theatre!

Professionaly desighned theatres in India are rare. The reason you do not see the equipment in the theatres abroad is that they have been merged into the interiors. The beauty of a theatre is that the equipment not be visiable. This is most difficult and technical to do. I have been studying such projects abroad and it requires a lot of skill. So far I have not come across a client who is willing to pay me for the job work alone. They want to spend money on the gear but that is not sufficent to make a good theatre.

I would like to point out that audiophile products like Faisal sells, also Burge Cooper at Mumbai, are not typical products for a theatre. The concept of home theatre is completely opposite of a listening room i.e. for listening to music.

Will discuss more later.

Vikas,

It took me a year or so to make the mini theatre, i had faced a lot of obstacles, so many times the work had to be stopped for more than 3 weeks for various reasons, if all would have gone well, the theatre would have been ready in say 3 months.

During the making i have observed that many of them were out to make a quick buck, without much of knowledge, some of them were supposed to be professionals in making a theatre, but i was able to remove so many errors with their work.

Among the reasons for which my mini theatre is unique because it is a dedicated theatre room, it functions only when i have to see a movie, or listen to music, or once a month i watch the stock market activity when markets are very volatile, via lap top, projector.

It is unique because the theatre has steps, foot lights, projector lift in false ceiling, i use only original DVDs's, which are stored in alphabetical order, and they are computerized with the star rating, with mention that it was watched during which month.

There are no windows, which shall mean a zero factor of sunlight, walls are of fabric, wall to wall carpet, sign boards of no smoking, fire exit, push and pull signs on the door, with a sign of mini theatre room, generally the doors have a handle of around 12 inches, my theatre door has a handle on both sides, each of around 5 feet, the theatre door is thick around 2 times the normal door, and then there is a real fire extinguisher which is a advanced one, not the foam type, it is the spray type.

There will not be a single item of house related, only theatre related items are around, for the usher activity there is a torch, a Ferrari watch with a built in projector, once the room is dark the day's time projects on the fabric wall, once the lights are on, the watch is no more visible, the recliner chair is of pure leather, which is the state of the art, my universal remote has the best of programmes with icons, there is a mini refrigerator, a beautiful DVD rack, which can hold around 300DVDs's., and not to forget i have got a fibre based screen, which not more than 5% of the people would have in their home theatre, these screens are used by industrialists in their board rooms, and in their plush private theatres.

Faisal, sure could be into retailing, and then for me sure he is making good home theatres otherwise he would have not got regular business from industralists etc, indeed you have also said that his theatre's pictures are good. At the end of the day, what matters is we need to see the pictures of good home Indian theatres, faisal has shown us some of them, i do not know how to compliment the home theatres which we are not able to see.

Indeed professionally designed theatres in India are rare, for that matter it is also rare to have a dedicated home theatre, most of them will have in their living room, and they will be no where near to the ethics of a theatre.

Indeed it may be correct that the beauty of the theatre is that the equipments should not be visible, i think otherwise, the equipments personality is most of the times very good, so i wonder why should they be hidden, for a few small technical factors.

Indeed to spend only on the equipments is not enough, there are many other small factors which have to be considered if one wants a true experience of a theatre.

I saw the demo room of one theatre in a five star hotel, most of the equipments were not visible.

Well about burge cooper, my experience with them have been horrible, while some of the members find them good, while there are members who also have had a bad experience with the company of burge, one member pointed out to a another member to contact burge for a basic query, while i feel that he will not attend you while you are in his show room, there will be so much of arrogance and what not, or should i say that he will not even see you, unless you have arrived in a mercedez car, and i expecting him to attend to a basic query, this is horror for me.

I was also not good at loading the pictures, i took some professional help to upload the pictures and then there is a member who helps me from time to time in uploading, etc.

In Ludhiana, there are a host of industralists, with the maximum number of mercedez cars, i am sure you would have made some great home theatre for some of them.

Vinay.

 

[unleash_me]

The concept of home theatre is completely opposite of a listening room i.e. for listening to music.

Second that, very valid point indeed.

 

[vinay]

General

Vikas,

It took me a year or so to make the mini theatre, i had faced a lot of obstacles, so many times the work had to be stopped for more than 3 weeks for various reasons, if all would have gone well, the theatre would have been ready in say 3 months.

During the making i have observed that many of them were out to make a quick buck, without much of knowledge, some of them were supposed to be professionals in making a theatre, but i was able to remove so many errors with their work.

Among the reasons for which my mini theatre is unique because it is a dedicated theatre room, it functions only when i have to see a movie, or listen to music, or once a month i watch the stock market activity when markets are very volatile, via lap top, projector.

It is unique because the theatre has steps, foot lights, projector lift in false ceiling, i use only original DVDs's, which are stored in alphabetical order, and they are computerized with the star rating, with mention that it was watched during which month.

There are no windows, which shall mean a zero factor of sunlight, walls are of fabric, wall to wall carpet, sign boards of no smoking, fire exit, push and pull signs on the door, with a sign of mini theatre room, generally the doors have a handle of around 12 inches, my theatre door has a handle on both sides, each of around 5 feet, the theatre door is thick around 2 times the normal door, and then there is a real fire extinguisher which is a advanced one, not the foam type, it is the spray type.

There will not be a single item of house related, only theatre related items are around, for the usher activity there is a torch, a Ferrari watch with a built in projector, once the room is dark the day's time projects on the fabric wall, once the lights are on, the watch is no more visible, the recliner chair is of pure leather, which is the state of the art, my universal remote has the best of programmes with icons, there is a mini refrigerator, a beautiful DVD rack, which can hold around 300DVDs's., and not to forget i have got a fibre based screen, which not more than 5% of the people would have in their home theatre, these screens are used by industrialists in their board rooms, and in their plush private theatres.

Faisal, sure could be into retailing, and then for me sure he is making good home theatres otherwise he would have not got regular business from industralists etc, indeed you have also said that his theatre's pictures are good. At the end of the day, what matters is we need to see the pictures of good home Indian theatres, faisal has shown us some of them, i do not know how to compliment the home theatres which we are not able to see.

Indeed professionally designed theatres in India are rare, for that matter it is also rare to have a dedicated home theatre, most of them will have in their living room, and they will be no where near to the ethics of a theatre.

Indeed it may be correct that the beauty of the theatre is that the equipments should not be visible, i think otherwise, the equipments personality is most of the times very good, so i wonder why should they be hidden, for a few small technical factors.

Indeed to spend only on the equipments is not enough, there are many other small factors which have to be considered if one wants a true experience of a theatre.

I saw the demo room of one theatre in a five star hotel, most of the equipments were not visible.

Well about burge cooper, my experience with them have been horrible, while some of the members find them good, while there are members who also have had a bad experience with the company of burge, one member pointed out to a another member to contact burge for a basic query, while i feel that he will not attend you while you are in his show room, there will be so much of arrogance and what not, or should i say that he will not even see you, unless you have arrived in a mercedez car, and i expecting him to attend to a basic query, this is horror for me.

I was also not good at loading the pictures, i took some professional help to upload the pictures and then there is a member who helps me from time to time in uploading, etc.

In Ludhiana, there are a host of industralists, with the maximum number of mercedez cars, i am sure you would have made some great home theatre for some of them.

Vinay.

Pranab & Sumit, did you'll read this above said writing?

Pranab, vikas, could be of help to you, as he has good knoweldge.

Vinay.

 

[vraikhy]

I think it is more important to experience a given theater rather than just see a photograph. So we will never know how Faisal's theatre sounds till we are able to visit such theatre.

You are right that most people are interested to make money and don't have much knowledge. All I can say is that there needs to be a balance between the two! Perhaps people in India can deliver the quality as abroad but mostly clients do not pay as well as they do abroad. You may have heard of Theomilakrasis. He charges upwards of a million dollars per theatre. As such many people in the US design and install there own theatres.

Though Ludhiana has lots of money and expensive cars this is not a criterion for buying audio or home theatre. Most of my rich clients are too busy to use the high end equipment. They buy only for the sake of status. In my experience a good client is somebody whom has both an interest in music or movies plus he should be able to afford to spend to statisfy his need.

 

[suniil]

Vikas, don't you still think photographs are first impressions. If the picture highlights incorrect settings (eg.key stone correction of PJ etc) & positioning, it will definiteny attract more negative comments, which is usual.

I could be wrong, but just my thoughts.

I think it is more important to experience a given theater rather than just see a photograph.

 

[vinay]

I think it is more important to experience a given theater rather than just see a photograph. So we will never know how Faisal's theatre sounds till we are able to visit such theatre.

You are right that most people are interested to make money and don't have much knowledge. All I can say is that there needs to be a balance between the two! Perhaps people in India can deliver the quality as abroad but mostly clients do not pay as well as they do abroad. You may have heard of Theomilakrasis. He charges upwards of a million dollars per theatre. As such many people in the US design and install there own theatres.

Though Ludhiana has lots of money and expensive cars this is not a criterion for buying audio or home theatre. Most of my rich clients are too busy to use the high end equipment. They buy only for the sake of status. In my experience a good client is somebody whom has both an interest in music or movies plus he should be able to afford to spend to statisfy his need.

It is true for what you say, that we will never know how faisal's theatre sounds till we are able to visit such a theatre. With the pictures the benefit is that one surely can get a feel how the things would be, and then the important feel that faisal's work would be good because i have seen around 20 pictures of the theatres which he has made at residence of the industrialists etc, he would have not got such a regular business if his work was not in order, and then i believe he has got a great show room, and a great demo room too, all this is not possible if one is not good with his work.

Indeed it is a major fact how several of the half backed home theatre professionals do the cheat, etc, wow i never heard about a fees of a million dollars per theatre, it is like the case of the show room in mumbai, who says that the minimum cost of a theatre would be 50 lacs, they were telling me that they are constructing a theatre worth 2 crore rupees for the company, rolta, which is listed on the stock exchange, and they were telling me that all the designs are worked in foreign country, and are followed here, like in the case of rolta.

Indeed people want to spend higher on brands, but they do not want to pay for the full effects of a theatre, etc, i can tell you one thing, there is one thing available for free, which is ethics while watching a movie, that they are not ready to do by even more than 20%, so we can day dream, that someone will spend the money for the several areas to make a great home theatre.

At the end of the day, the fact remains that what they do is right on movie ethics, etc, so it is a matter of difference of opinion, but then at the end of the day, what matter is also, the people who understand the situation in whatever the field may be, and if most of them are against it, then sure the person is wrong.

Vinay.