Which speakers to go with Denon 3310? Max budget - 1.5 lakh (for 7.1 setup)

[krumbs]

I think this questions deserves a long-winded answer!
i have had many groups from office and elsewhere come to my place for 'gaming and booze' sessions.
typically, i hook up my gaming systems to my sony cineza projector, set at around 80 inches screensize. that is huge for the small room that i have, but without being taxing on the eyes.
typically, i start off my friends with the xbox 360 and play stuff like gears of war and halo. the reaction is "wow".
then i switch them over to ps3 and games like killzone, msg4, cod modern warfare, gt5 prologue... and the typical reaction is "wow, wow, what amazing looks!"
then i finally switch them to the wii and throw games like wii sports, wario smooth moves, various mario games, excite truck, etc etc... and the reaction is almost universal - "wow, wow, wow, wow". these folks have no intention of going back to the ps3 or xbox 360. i think nintendo hit a goldmine with the wiimote. i recently pick up the wii motion plus accessory and wii resort works beautifully with it.
so to answer your question, most of my guests go gaga over the wii.

personally, however, that wiimote gimmick gets tiring after a few months. my favourite console would be the ps3, simply because it plays blu-ray, acts as a media streamer, and you can install a linux distro. i have put ubuntu 9.04 on it, and actually use the ps3 as a computer. plus the specs on the ps3 are far better than the 360.
the only downside is the amount you will be spending on buying games. with the xbox and wii, well, you can always mod them and, cough cough, download 'backups'.
ultimately, it comes down to your 'mood'. For simple 'timepass' gaming, nothing beats the wii. for a console with huge games library, nothing beats the xbox 360. and for great graphics and sound, nothing comes close to the ps3.
i solved this issue by buying all three!

An aside from the main subject of discussion.

Krumbs - the PS3, XBOX 360 and the Wii, which one do you like the best? Or is it horses for courses?

 

[sud98]

The current favourites in the forum appear to be
1. Wharfedale
2. Q Acoustic
3. Mordaunt Short
4. Monitor Audio Silver
In no particular order.

The Ushers esp. using floorstanders would probably be beyond the 1.5 lakh budget.

 

[krumbs]

Vector Systems. Towards the end of Brigade road - opp Catholic club. you can contact S Lokesh. Very knowlegable and helpful. I think i spent close to two hour over there asking countless questions and he did not get bored of me!
contact - 080-25543287 or 9341717966.
do check out the 10.7 and let me know if you were impressed with its price to performance ratio.
i am still checking out other options, but the wharfs did sound like a sweet deal.

Where did you audition whafs in bangalore. What was the quoted price. I also intend to get a 7.1 setup.

 

[krumbs]

The current favourites in the forum appear to be
1. Wharfedale
2. Q Acoustic
3. Mordaunt Short
4. Monitor Audio Silver
In no particular order.

The Ushers esp. using floorstanders would probably be beyond the 1.5 lakh budget.

you are right! auditioned the ushers today. yes, they are brilliant. but at 2.8 for a fronts pair, there is no way i can buy them!
am impressed with the wharfedales 10.7. over this week, will check out ms, ma silver and q acoustics.
hopefully, i would have figured out what i want to buy, rather than ending up as a huge heap of confusion!

 

[venkatcr]

So today, when i went to audition the diamond 10 series, i went with low expectations and i was certain that i would come out with a 'blah' feeling. But, oh boy, i was so wrong. i auditioned the 10.7 fronts, and they are brilliant! crystal clear highs and mids, tight bass which never got boomy despite the speaker being so close to the wall and despite the rear-firing port. it blew me away, and made me wonder why Wharfs are so looked down up.

There you go. I can safely say, 'I told you so'.

Jokes part, the Wharfedales are good speakers and come close to disappearing completely if driven by a good amp. Very few speakers can do that. In addition they have the capacity to throw sound way beyond what you expect them to at their price. I have come across very few speakers that can make me hear the Veena perpendicular to my left ear when I am sitting 10 feet away from the speakers. Speakers such as Dynaudio, Cantons, and other can do that and cost a bomb compared to the Wharfedales.

All this is, of course, with reference to the 9 series. I have yet to hear the 10 series.

Cheers

 

[thevortex]

I think this questions deserves a long-winded answer!
i have had many groups from office and elsewhere come to my place for 'gaming and booze' sessions.
typically, i hook up my gaming systems to my sony cineza projector, set at around 80 inches screensize. that is huge for the small room that i have, but without being taxing on the eyes.
typically, i start off my friends with the xbox 360 and play stuff like gears of war and halo. the reaction is "wow".
then i switch them over to ps3 and games like killzone, msg4, cod modern warfare, gt5 prologue... and the typical reaction is "wow, wow, what amazing looks!"
then i finally switch them to the wii and throw games like wii sports, wario smooth moves, various mario games, excite truck, etc etc... and the reaction is almost universal - "wow, wow, wow, wow". these folks have no intention of going back to the ps3 or xbox 360. i think nintendo hit a goldmine with the wiimote. i recently pick up the wii motion plus accessory and wii resort works beautifully with it.
so to answer your question, most of my guests go gaga over the wii.

personally, however, that wiimote gimmick gets tiring after a few months. my favourite console would be the ps3, simply because it plays blu-ray, acts as a media streamer, and you can install a linux distro. i have put ubuntu 9.04 on it, and actually use the ps3 as a computer. plus the specs on the ps3 are far better than the 360.
the only downside is the amount you will be spending on buying games. with the xbox and wii, well, you can always mod them and, cough cough, download 'backups'.
ultimately, it comes down to your 'mood'. For simple 'timepass' gaming, nothing beats the wii. for a console with huge games library, nothing beats the xbox 360. and for great graphics and sound, nothing comes close to the ps3.
i solved this issue by buying all three!

Thanks Krumbs! Would you believe that I too am a sucker for these gadgets and have got all three? Albeit I have the older and now defunct XBOX not the new 360.

I agree with you on all points. The Wii does get tiring and repetitive and boring after a while. Plus the Wiimote for all its immense potential is a very inaccurate tool to videogame with. That needs to be improved. Nintendo is supposedly working on this. I cannot imagine playing a game like Ninja Gaiden on the Wii. And this is not solely a graphics problem. The controls are just not there for a fast, accurate game engine requiring fast and accurate input from the gamers.

My PS3 is pretty new - just a couple of months. But I do see the potential. I love to tinker with my gadgets but in this case I have not installed Linux on the PS3 as yet. Mainly because I already have a PC for my convenience and saw no point in having yet another clunky one in the PS3.

Finally there is one gadget that still beats all the above in terms of gaming potential. And that is the PC. It is long in the tooth, but it is still immensely enjoyable and by far the most versatile.

Oops - this post is another diversion. I hope you do settle down with a good set of speakers, Krumbs.

 

[odyssey]

you are right! auditioned the ushers today. yes, they are brilliant. but at 2.8 for a fronts pair, there is no way i can buy them!
am impressed with the wharfedales 10.7. over this week, will check out ms, ma silver and q acoustics.
hopefully, i would have figured out what i want to buy, rather than ending up as a huge heap of confusion!

Hi
Ali mentioned that you auditoned the Mini dancer 1 which is 1.75, not 2.8L. The package we had in mind for you is the V-602 with S525 and S520. Alternatively you can try the X-718 with X-616 and S520. Both will serve your purpose, the latter one will have the better sound for your room.

cheers

 

[Rem]

you are right! auditioned the ushers today. yes, they are brilliant. but at 2.8 for a fronts pair, there is no way i can buy them!
am impressed with the wharfedales 10.7. over this week, will check out ms, ma silver and q acoustics.
hopefully, i would have figured out what i want to buy, rather than ending up as a huge heap of confusion!

More options for you Krumbs

add the Tannoy to the list you need to audition and also the Klipsch if its only for movies.Would not recommend the Klipsch for music but for movies its well worth auditioning and would be within the within the budget.

 

[sud98]

Odyssey,

How much would the 5.1 package of Ushers with the v series come up to roughly?

The xseries would be bookshelves while Krumbs needs bookshelves.

Krumbs,

Just a note - The Wharfs, The MA and MS might have similar warm sounds as they are essentially British speakers. As you are interested in movies and gaming you may want to check some transparent/harsh (depending on your tastes) from PSB or Usher or typically North American ones...

But since you liked the Wharf's, you may prefer warmer sounds but wont harm you to check atleast one North American brand too.

 

[krumbs]

Hi
Ali mentioned that you auditoned the Mini dancer 1 which is 1.75, not 2.8L. The package we had in mind for you is the V-602 with S525 and S520. Alternatively you can try the X-718 with X-616 and S520. Both will serve your purpose, the latter one will have the better sound for your room.

cheers

sorry, got the price wrong. yes, we had a great session. my favourite track for auditioning speakers is Pink Floyd's Hey You (not Hotel California!). I love the way it starts high with the strums and then explodes into a cacaphony of sound. Great way to find out if the speakers can handle this range.
Unfortunately, the Usher bookshelves (don't remember the model), clipped badly on the drums.
Going again tomm to check out couple of options. Ali is a great guy to deal with.

 

[krumbs]

Thanks Krumbs! Would you believe that I too am a sucker for these gadgets and have got all three? Albeit I have the older and now defunct XBOX not the new 360.

I agree with you on all points. The Wii does get tiring and repetitive and boring after a while. Plus the Wiimote for all its immense potential is a very inaccurate tool to videogame with. That needs to be improved. Nintendo is supposedly working on this. I cannot imagine playing a game like Ninja Gaiden on the Wii. And this is not solely a graphics problem. The controls are just not there for a fast, accurate game engine requiring fast and accurate input from the gamers.

My PS3 is pretty new - just a couple of months. But I do see the potential. I love to tinker with my gadgets but in this case I have not installed Linux on the PS3 as yet. Mainly because I already have a PC for my convenience and saw no point in having yet another clunky one in the PS3.

Finally there is one gadget that still beats all the above in terms of gaming potential. And that is the PC. It is long in the tooth, but it is still immensely enjoyable and by far the most versatile.

Oops - this post is another diversion. I hope you do settle down with a good set of speakers, Krumbs.

We are having a stereophonic disscussion here. One track is about speakers, the other track is about game consoles.

about the wiimote inaccuracy, have you checked out the wii motion plus? it is a tiny attachment that is supposed to increase the sensitivity of the wiimote. bought it for 2k from my local games supplier in blr. tried it out with wii sports resort, the only game that currently supports the motion plus.
the results were good, though not mindblowing. in bowling, tennis, flying a plane, etc, you could feel that every tiny movement of the wiimote was translated on the screen. unfortunately, the motion plus does not work with earlier games.

About Linux on a PS3, well, I have a Logitech diNovo wireless keyboard and it is fun websurfing with it on an 80 inches screen. And until i tried out windows 7, i was more of a Linux fan.

Yes, the PC remains the most versatile platform. But it also leads to heartburns. Circa 2001, i had assembled a gaming system for around 1.5 lakh, using top-end (for that time) components - audigy platinum card, CS 5.1 setup, Radeon Pro 9000, 4GB Rambus, an expensive Asus motherboard, 19 inch flat CRT, etc etc.
Well, games were butter smooth on it, with everything maxed out. But just two years later, that 1.5 lakh system was rather obsolete!
With consoles, you at least have a window of 5-6 years before the next iteration comes along. With a PC, the most expensive system becomes rather pedestrian within two years.

 

[krumbs]

But since you liked the Wharf's, you may prefer warmer sounds but wont harm you to check atleast one North American brand too.

when i started out my hunt for speakers, i had no idea that i had so much choice! yes, i have heard of most speaker brands mentioned on this forum, but did not realise that one could actually buy them in india. i always assumed you either required to know a smuggler, or some frequent flier, to get hold of these speakers.
Will check out the American brands. I will be listening to lot of DTS 5.1 audio (rips of DVD Audio and SACD) plus FLAC. So would transparent/ bright speakers be better suited? I always thought warmer speakers would be closer to the older tube amp sound...
Will find out how Floyd's 'Hey You' sounds on the PSB...

 

[thevortex]

We are having a stereophonic disscussion here. One track is about speakers, the other track is about game consoles.

about the wiimote inaccuracy, have you checked out the wii motion plus? it is a tiny attachment that is supposed to increase the sensitivity of the wiimote. bought it for 2k from my local games supplier in blr. tried it out with wii sports resort, the only game that currently supports the motion plus.
the results were good, though not mindblowing. in bowling, tennis, flying a plane, etc, you could feel that every tiny movement of the wiimote was translated on the screen. unfortunately, the motion plus does not work with earlier games.

About Linux on a PS3, well, I have a Logitech diNovo wireless keyboard and it is fun websurfing with it on an 80 inches screen. And until i tried out windows 7, i was more of a Linux fan.

Yes, the PC remains the most versatile platform. But it also leads to heartburns. Circa 2001, i had assembled a gaming system for around 1.5 lakh, using top-end (for that time) components - audigy platinum card, CS 5.1 setup, Radeon Pro 9000, 4GB Rambus, an expensive Asus motherboard, 19 inch flat CRT, etc etc.
Well, games were butter smooth on it, with everything maxed out. But just two years later, that 1.5 lakh system was rather obsolete!
With consoles, you at least have a window of 5-6 years before the next iteration comes along. With a PC, the most expensive system becomes rather pedestrian within two years.

Stereophonic discussion - I like the analogy. Just wonder if the rest of the guys here are going to look at this as noise.

I have heard good things about the Motion Plus. If only the Wii could make use of this accessory to good effect in games such as Rockstar Table Tennis or Top Spin 3, that would be great. In fact, better than great. Till then, I will keep my fingers crossed.

For party or group gaming the Wii cannot be beat - period. But that is not very often. So, it gets a bit old a bit too soon.

Yes, what you say about the PC is so very true. Ah, the vices of life...

 

[thevortex]

when i started out my hunt for speakers, i had no idea that i had so much choice! yes, i have heard of most speaker brands mentioned on this forum, but did not realise that one could actually buy them in india. i always assumed you either required to know a smuggler, or some frequent flier, to get hold of these speakers.
Will check out the American brands. I will be listening to lot of DTS 5.1 audio (rips of DVD Audio and SACD) plus FLAC. So would transparent/ bright speakers be better suited? I always thought warmer speakers would be closer to the older tube amp sound...
Will find out how Floyd's 'Hey You' sounds on the PSB...

Well - here is something I may be able to help on. The PSB Image series is a wonderful line of speakers. I am also a big fan of the company PSB and quite like the work of Paul Barton, its founder.

The PSB's generally tend to be speakers which place voice quite in front of the instruments. That may be good in some perspectives and not so good in others. I guess you will have to listen for yourself before making that call. All the best.

 

[Rem]

Will find out how Floyd's 'Hey You' sounds on the PSB...

Krumbs do let me know where you can audition PSB in Blr if you come to find that place I think its somewhere in Indira Ngr never found it

 

[krumbs]

Krumbs do let me know where you can audition PSB in Blr if you come to find that place I think its somewhere in Indira Ngr never found it

Have spent the last half hour googling for PSB dealers in Bangalore. No luck! Seems only Lakozy in Mumbai sells these. Will check with them if they have tied up with anyone in Blr.

 

[sud98]

The other one would be Jamo which probably is closer to the American sounds than the British. But this is hearsay (no pun intended ).

 

[thevortex]

The other one would be Jamo which probably is closer to the American sounds than the British. But this is hearsay (no pun intended ).

The Jamos most definitely do not sound like American speakers. If an example is needed one only needs to go listen to Paradigms

 

[sud98]

I checked with Lakozy who are the PSB dealers and asked to contact the following guy in Bangalore - Rajeev 9980730408 and he should help you get a demo of PSB.

 

[krumbs]

Would like to thank everyone on this forum for their advice and tips. Looking at my budget and the kind of sound that appealed to my ears, i finally settled on Denon 3310, KEF IQ series speakers and a PA DSW Pro 600 sub. Plus QED 14-gauge cables.
Should be getting delivery any moment. So Sunday is totally blocked for setting up the system and rediscovering music!
Btw, does Audyssey Mutli EQ impact music, especially Dynamic EQ? Or does this pure direct circuit bypass all equalizations and room corrections?
And oh, the PSB demo was possible only next week. Simply could not wait that long!
Thanks again, guys. Will holler out whenever i need help.