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

krumbs

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Hi all,
Have finally caved in and decided to splurge on a good audio setup. Have a few questions, and hoping the wonderful folks on this forum can help me out.

1] First off, I got a Denon 3310 for 84k, from the ProFx showroom on MG Road, Bangalore. Is that a good price, or should I have haggled more? MRP was 99k.

2] What speakers would you suggest for a budget of Rs 1.5 lakh? My listening room is approx 10ft x 15ft, and I am looking at a 7.1 setup, where i can swap the rear speakers to dolby iiz height and back depending on the material i am playing - for action movies, unplug the rears and use them as heights; for regular fare, take the heights back to rear. Which means, the rears need to be bookshelves.
The ProFx guys suggested a KEF package of IQ90 fronts, IQ60C center, two pairs of IQ30s for side surround and rear/ height, Polk Audio DSW Pro 600 for sub. Total package worked out to 1.66 lakh. Above my budget, but can stretch to it.
So this is where I manily need your help. Once I setup this system, there is no way I would be buying another system for years to come! This will cause a huge hole in my finances, that will take me a long time to recover. So I have to get it right this time!
What would you suggest in this price range? Also, if possible, where in Bangalore can I go and check out your suggestions?
My usage would be 50/25/25 music/movies/gaming. Have a huge collection of FLAC and 5.1 DTS audio. Plus Blu-rays, 720p mkv with 5.1 tracks, regular divx/xvid... For gaming, I have the PS3, Xbox 360 and the Wii. And for display, i have a 42 inches 1080p LG Scarlet and a Sony Cineza 1080i projector.

3] Suggested cables were QED at Rs 250/ meter. Are they worth it? Any other options? I already have speaker wires from an earlier budget Sony setup. Do cables make a difference that is discernable, or is it just psychological effect where you "think" they make a difference. Like buying Monster cables, when cables worth 1/10 price would give the same result!

Thanks in advance for your advice.
 
First of all, Welcome aboard and Congratulations!

Coming to you speakers, my pick would be the Dali Ikon 6 package. You wont regret it for years!

Cheers.
 
3] Suggested cables were QED at Rs 250/ meter. Are they worth it? Any other options? I already have speaker wires from an earlier budget Sony setup. Do cables make a difference that is discernable, or is it just psychological effect where you "think" they make a difference. Like buying Monster cables, when cables worth 1/10 price would give the same result!

Choose you speakers after auditioning a few brands. Some of the choices are Dali, Dynaudio, Canton, etc. I would tend to lean towards the British or European speakers to compensate for Denon's possible liking for high pitches.

Cables are important. Cheap cables will not carry signals properly and you will miss half the fun. At the same time, there are cables available at around 100 a metter which will work very well indeed.

Other things you have to wtach out for are:

1. Good quality interconnects
2. Stable power supply
3. Good CD/DVD Players

Cheers
 
A Dali setup would cost around 2L I believe - if I could get a Dali set for lesser I'd spring for one myself


First of all, Welcome aboard and Congratulations!

Coming to you speakers, my pick would be the Dali Ikon 6 package. You wont regret it for years!

Cheers.
 
i think a 7.1 with floorstander fronts for a 10X15 will be an overkill. My take is to go for a 5.1 and then expand if necessary. also, entry floorstanders might be ok, but bigger ones might not fit in. i have read that Dali Ikon 6 needs a lot of room. give this angle a thought.
 
Thanks for the reverts. really helpful. any idea where i can audition dali ikon 6 in bangalore? have been reading up on them since morning, and the reviews are very positive.
how is the new wharfedale diamond 10 series? from what i have read on these forums, they seem to be great value for money. the package i looked up is coming to 1.3 lakh.
 
The Wharfs are not really considered hi-fi, The Dalis are a couple of steps above them in every area.

In Bangalore, try

ARN SYSTEMS66/1, COLES ROAD,
FRASER TOWN
BANGALORE
India

(found it on dali's site)


Thanks for the reverts. really helpful. any idea where i can audition dali ikon 6 in bangalore? have been reading up on them since morning, and the reviews are very positive.
how is the new wharfedale diamond 10 series? from what i have read on these forums, they seem to be great value for money. the package i looked up is coming to 1.3 lakh.
 
The Wharfs are not really considered hi-fi, The Dalis are a couple of steps above them in every area.

This could be true, but Wharfedale has been laughing all the way to the bank for a long time. Their 9 series has been an hot seller around the world, and I suspect the 10 series will do the same.

Cheers
 
The Wharfs are not really considered hi-fi, The Dalis are a couple of steps above them in every area.

In Bangalore, try

ARN SYSTEMS66/1, COLES ROAD,
FRASER TOWN
BANGALORE
India

(found it on dali's site)

Thank you! Called up ARN Systems and going there today evening to audition the Ikon 6 package. Unfortunately, i won't be able to afford these - 1.96 lakh for a 5.1 setup is beyond my budget. :sad:
So i wonder if i should even bother checking them out - their sound would haunt me forever, especially given that i will be settling for lesser speakers!
 
Hi
I believe the Ikon 6 package will cost you quite a bit more. For that price the equivalent Usher audio is a step up. An Ikon 6 package is an overkill for a 150 Sq ft room.

index

cheers
[email protected]

Thanks Sridhar,
Will check on the Usher option while i am there. Btw, how would you rate the KEF IQ series? That one just about fits my budget.
 
If only selling is a metric of a speakers success - much lower quality speakers too will join the list :)

No doubt the 10 series will be a money spinner - all I was hinting was that they aren't truly hi-fi stereo level speakers.

This could be true, but Wharfedale has been laughing all the way to the bank for a long time. Their 9 series has been an hot seller around the world, and I suspect the 10 series will do the same.

Cheers
 
Even though I mentioned Ikon 6 package, l over looked your room dimensions assuming that, to buy an amp like 'that' you might be having a larger space.

imo you might want to consider a BS based package or if this is visually obstructive, may be a better option would be a good sub-sat package.

View the Mini Theater speakers at Bowers & Wilkins - The Worlds leading speaker brand.
MT-30_l2_w817_h328.jpg


Kef KHT Series Home Theatre Package
KEF-KHT3005.2seb.jpg


The B&W might workout expensive in India but for the money the KHT range is a cracker from Kef.
 
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?
 
That KEF package looks like something out of an Aliens movie! Will check it out.
I am sorry. Should have mentioned that i will be moving into a bigger apartment, and hence want to buy floorstanders that will 'futureproof' my investment. rather be overwelhmed with an overkill than be underwhelmed with bookshelves that struggle in a larger setting.
The reason for choosing the 3310 was the networking feature. I have a NAS - qnap 209 pro II with 2 TB storage - and a media streamer - PopcornHour A-110 with 1TB storage. most of my media is on these boxes, and therefore, i wanted a receiver that can pull content using UPNP. Infact, my plan is use Plugplayer on my iPhone to control the entire setup. In theory, i can play my music from anywhere, without having to turn on the TV.
Apart from networking, the 3310 has burr brown dac, which is highly rated. Plus lot of smaller enhancements.

Even though I mentioned Ikon 6 package, l over looked your room dimensions assuming that, to buy an amp like 'that' you might be having a larger space...
 
I make no claims to being an audiophile, so please take my 'results' with a pinch a salt.
even though i signed up only recently, i have been visting this forum for over a year. and i have read many accounts here, and elsewhere, that the wharfedales are "speakers for the masses".
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.
Frankly I think, after a point, the law of diminishing returns sets in. I was on the Profx site, and came across a pair of Focals listed at 96 lakh! I can bet that, unless you are a hardcore audiophile, most users would not be able to pick up the differences between these speakers and a pair that costs under a lakh. Wish someone would do a blind test on this topic.


Wrong usage of words - I apologize. What I meant was the audiophiles do not tend to prefer the Wharfedale 9/10 series for listening to music in stereo mode.
 
Get the Wharfedale EVO 4.2 3-Way Standmount Speakers at a Special Offer Price.
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