Indian Brand 5.1 setup

Defnitely a bookshelf.
IN this price range you would end up compromising on the quality of the speakers. But by all means i suggest you audition them as well so that you may realise this fisrt hand.


Now, Off the top of my head, the ones i would probably buy are, in order of preference

1>Laya Acoustics 502s
2>Defnitive TEchnology Pro Cinema 100/200 series.
3>Tannoy Mercury series of bookshelfs(i think they discontinued this)
4>Monitor Audio Bronze series
5>Wharfedale Diamond 8 series
6>KEF iQ series(only heard the floorstanders, and didn't like them)

(the ones i haven't auditioned and hence can't recommend, but advise that you listen to them if you can)
1>Abhi's recommendation , Sonodyne Genie1/2 systems
2>Lithos
3>Lyrita

Please take my words as if i were buying one for myself and not which i would say would suit every individual.

As far as the sub goes, IMHO, the Defnitive Tech Prosub 100TL is by far your best buy, considering your budget.

So a lot of audiitoning to do .
Gonna be fun. Enjoy the hunt.

Regards,
Saachi

Where wud I get to audition Def Tech in Bangalore?

Saachi, Wud you suggest the Def Tech Sub over Arasu's? (If theres other Subs available in Bangalore (wunt mind even if my budget is stretched a bit) which I should consider over the Def Techs, do let me know)

And for the Amps and Processor, which ones do you suggest. The Parasound Processor price almost made me faint.

Tim,

As i mentioned before, i don't think you will be able to audition Def Tech ion Bangalore(i know i tried and failed).
Abhi has the contact number for the def tech dealer i suppose.

But, if you do want to audiotion the def tech sub i am talking about then by all means drop into my place.

THe other options for you would be the Wharfedale SW-150
REL(don't know the model no)
And of course Velodyne.

I wouldn't say that the def tech is better, i recommend it because the Def Tech is best suited for your room size.
a 12 inch sub is overkill(would create more problems) even in my room which is abt 200 sq feet.

For amps, i wouldn't look beyond Laya Acoustics.
This has to be the best bargain around.

Since you know the price of the Halo C2, you can understand how high i regard the Laya Acoustics amps as i most definteily will have them in my final HT setup.
My stereo setup would be a hybrid of class A tube Pre and SS amplification.


Regarding the processor, it is my belief that the Phillips DVD players have much better decoders than the ones that come in built in your regular AVRs.

Processors are pretty expensive and the best VFM is given by the outlaw processors that are like 800$.

The other option is to go with AVRs and here are my personal views on the available brands in your price range.

Marantz- balanced playback. Most musical budget receiver around. Not sure i would like it for action intensive movies

Yamaha-Underpowered, but does most things well(except channel seperation). Surround channels are the best among the budget receivers.

Denon-depends on the model. THe budget ones are downright bad. Some others perform exceptionally.

Onkyo-Very good, but the least powered IMHO.

Harman Kardon- I simply like this brand the best among the budget receivers. quality though has become a bit of a nitpick these past few years. The best i would recommend for HT. Expensive!

IMHO, all receivers are woefully underpowered to really exploit the speakers capabilities.
for ex- the yamaha at my place just shuts down after a certain volume level is breached.

So, now you have lots of permutaionts/combinations to try out and see which suits you the best in terms of sound quality, taste and budget.


Cheers,
Saachi

Thanks Saachi

Should I use Arasu's Amp plus Marantz or Harman Kardon?
Isnt Marantz and Harman Kardon Integrated Amps? Can we use an Amp plus an "integrated amp" as a processor?

and whats your order of preference in Sub - Def Tech, Wharfedale SW-150, Velodyne?

I have the SW 150 in my main HT set up (Wharfedale 9.5's up front, 9CS center, 9.1 surrounds, and the SW 150). Provides nice and tight bass. Usage is 60% movies, 20% music, and 20% TV. I have not auditioned either Def Tech or Velo subs but from reviews I've seen and posts from other HiFi/AV boards they're very much worth considering.

Happy hunting!

Now, Off the top of my head, the ones i would probably buy are, in order of preference 1>Laya Acoustics 502s 2>Defnitive TEchnology Pro Cinema 100/200 series. 3>Tannoy Mercury series of bookshelfs(i think they discontinued this) 4>Monitor Audio Bronze series 5>Wharfedale Diamond 8 series 6>KEF iQ series(only heard the floorstanders, and didn't like them)

I thought Tim wants to stick to Indian brands only
So I was about other brands in the market.

THe other options for you would be the Wharfedale SW-150 REL(don't know the model no) And of course Velodyne.

SW-150 definitely has got very good reviews.
Regarding Velodyne, they are good but they are exceptionally over-priced in India. The one that you get for 26k here in India is priced around $140 (7000 INR) in US hence its better to avoid them .
REL...no idea.

I wouldn't say that the def tech is better, i recommend it because the Def Tech is best suited for your room size.

Infact Deftech is the best I have heard in this budget.

Abhi has the contact number for the def tech dealer i suppose.

Try this contact number : 9886011889, the guy's name is Pranav. He deals in Deftech.

Thanks Abhi

Saachi, would you have the specs of Arasu's 502 Bookshelves?
Can the Marantz 4500 drive the Bookshelves effectively? or should I go for the Marantz 7500?
(If I go separates, I may be able to afford the amp. But the processor (a quality one) is way beyond my reach. So isnt buying a good tested integrated amp a better idea?)

Tim,

Cheaper way to upgrade your processor would be to go for a better dvd player.
Look at Pioneer DVD player(the 600 and 900 series) that come with in built decoders for a significant upgrade.

I donot have the specs for the 502s.
The MArantz or harman kardon would definitely be able to power them. however, like in any HT, you would need to go for seperates to exact maximum performance from the speakers.

Regarding, receivers, i would check out Harman Kardon, Nad and Marantz.
I haven't heard the Nad and have had limited time with the Marantz and HArman.
But all three seem to have very good products.


If i went the receiver way then , i would definitely buy one from among these 3.

Don't know the specifics about the models.
Shahrukh or Abhi might be able to help you there.

As for the sub, like i said before, the Def TEch is the best buy in your budget.

Saachi

Regarding, receivers, i would check out Harman Kardon, Nad and Marantz. I haven't heard the Nad and have had limited time with the Marantz and HArman. But all three seem to have very good products.

All three of them are good and are bit expensive.
I havent heard the NAD but have heard the other two.

Marantz has a warmth, which is...so to say surreal. They sound warm, detailed as well as punchy. You can easily stay with them for long hours without fatigue. Since your room size is small it automatically becomes the best choice. It wont sound overpowering in your room but still with great authority and slam. They even sound good in Stereo.

HK on the other hand relies more on the slam factor rather than other things IMO. They have more muscle than Marantz but sound overtly bright and punchy which can easily set in fatigue within an hour to your ears IMO. They could be good solution in a large room where muscle is on a higher priority than subtelity.

NAD is normally not known for HT but their AVRs are known to be muscular as well as musical. No first hand experience here.

I suppose even Yamaha has a reciever in the price band of 40k which has recieved the entry-level AVR of the year by what-hifi, supposed to be awesome as commented by what-hifi.

Then there is a out of the box recommendation to audition the Sonodyne 6 channel pre-power combo which is priced around 40k, I have auditioned them with their Avant speakers and liked them, you need to listen for yourself to see if they suit your taste.

Lot of reccos here...go and start your exercise now buddy..

Take a look at Onkyo also;they have AVR's at all price points and are pretty good quality- v. nice sound both stereo& surround.
Kamal

abhi.pani schrieb:

Regarding, receivers, i would check out Harman Kardon, Nad and Marantz. I haven't heard the Nad and have had limited time with the Marantz and HArman. But all three seem to have very good products. All three of them are good and are bit expensive. I havent heard the NAD but have heard the other two. Marantz has a warmth, which is...so to say surreal. They sound warm, detailed as well as punchy. You can easily stay with them for long hours without fatigue. Since your room size is small it automatically becomes the best choice. It wont sound overpowering in your room but still with great authority and slam. They even sound good in Stereo. HK on the other hand relies more on the slam factor rather than other things IMO. They have more muscle than Marantz but sound overtly bright and punchy which can easily set in fatigue within an hour to your ears IMO. They could be good solution in a large room where muscle is on a higher priority than subtelity. NAD is normally not known for HT but their AVRs are known to be muscular as well as musical. No first hand experience here. I suppose even Yamaha has a reciever in the price band of 40k which has recieved the entry-level AVR of the year by what-hifi, supposed to be awesome as commented by what-hifi. Then there is a out of the box recommendation to audition the Sonodyne 6 channel pre-power combo which is priced around 40k, I have auditioned them with their Avant speakers and liked them, you need to listen for yourself to see if they suit your taste. Lot of reccos here...go and start your exercise now buddy..

The reason the Harman Kardon may have appreared as bright could be beccause of the JBL speakers that you most likey heard them with.

But, Harman Kardons are brighter than say Nad. I say that in a positive sense, cause they actually liven up the soundstage, and i like it that way.

And yeah, lots of reccos to keep you busy for a month at least. So i guess its time we received some feedback from you.

Let us know about your preferences now.

Cheer,
Saachi

Tim_Choco schrieb:

Thanks Abhi Saachi, would you have the specs of Arasu's 502 Bookshelves? Can the Marantz 4500 drive the Bookshelves effectively? or should I go for the Marantz 7500? (If I go separates, I may be able to afford the amp. But the processor (a quality one) is way beyond my reach. So isnt buying a good tested integrated amp a better idea?)

Dear Tim !

I have Marantz SR-4500 which is driving Boston Speakers 7.1 setup: CR-95 Floorstanders fronts, CRC center, CR-65 as surround & rears and PV-500 Sub. My room size is about 15'x15'. I am quite satisfied with the performance both for movies & music (though I have a separate system for music). There is enough muscle, slam or bang - whatever you may call it. And since the dealer / distributor for Marantz & Boston is same you may get a good deal & it will fit your budget very well. I suggest that you must consider this combination seriously & audition it well.

I am using Denon DVD-1920 right now but earlier I had Pioneer DVD. Both worked well. So your existing DVDP should be OK.

Going for separates for the HT does not make sense to me unless you want to go for an altogether different league and build a high-end home theatre. Then you must have a separate dedicated room for HT, a good projector and all the other components of a higher level.

In my opinion if you have the funds then you should put together just a decent HT system and have another good system dedicated for pure 2 channel music.

BTW in addition to my DVD my Worldspace radio, TataSky settop box and my kids Playstation also run through my AVR.

So remember that AVR usually becomes the family system and the stereo tends to remain your personal

SDhawan schrieb:

Tim_Choco schrieb: Thanks Abhi Saachi, would you have the specs of Arasu's 502 Bookshelves? Can the Marantz 4500 drive the Bookshelves effectively? or should I go for the Marantz 7500? (If I go separates, I may be able to afford the amp. But the processor (a quality one) is way beyond my reach. So isnt buying a good tested integrated amp a better idea?) Dear Tim ! I have Marantz SR-4500 which is driving Boston Speakers 7.1 setup: CR-95 Floorstanders fronts, CRC center, CR-65 as surround & rears and PV-500 Sub. My room size is about 15'x15'. I am quite satisfied with the performance both for movies & music (though I have a separate system for music). There is enough muscle, slam or bang - whatever you may call it. And since the dealer / distributor for Marantz & Boston is same you may get a good deal & it will fit your budget very well. I suggest that you must consider this combination seriously & audition it well. I am using Denon DVD-1920 right now but earlier I had Pioneer DVD. Both worked well. So your existing DVDP should be OK. Going for separates for the HT does not make sense to me unless you want to go for an altogether different league and build a high-end home theatre. Then you must have a separate dedicated room for HT, a good projector and all the other components of a higher level. In my opinion if you have the funds then you should put together just a decent HT system and have another good system dedicated for pure 2 channel music.

I rmemeber my audition of the marantz and boston combo.

IMHO, the Bostons need better amplification.
Heard the VR2(maybe it was VR-3) and the PMA7000.
And the Boston speakers were good, but i think the corron MS301 beats it all the way.

Have also heard the Marantz 4500 on other occasions with Polk Audio and Wharfedale speakers.
THey are very good for HT and acceptable for stereo, but still way underpowered to really utilise speakers to their maximum extent.

While i agree with you that ideally one would want a HT seperate and a stereo for personal use, not everyone can afford it.
Hence i suggested that he go the seperates way thereby having the best of both worlds.
With seperates too he would have the multiple connectivity option.
But most importantly, not everyone has two rooms for music and movies when real estate is preposterously expensive.

Saachi

Regarding Philips dvd players,they dont output Dts signal.
checkout their website.check the specifications.thers no dts-DigitalOut- logo.but dolby digital EX provided.Also check some foriegn reviews.If u are not concerned about about playing dts encoded dvds then u can go ahead.I think ,that why philips dvdp come real cheap-3k.

Forgot to add a vital point which needs high attention (but we normally overlook that aspect)....Room treatment !!!
My personal experience says, this single factor can easily make a mediocre system sound top class and vice versa. We normally dont think much about it and obviously dont include it in our budget, but they make a huge amount of difference IMO.

Incidentally most hifi showrooms have a well treated HT room and thats one reason why HT sound so good in the showrooms. We normally dont budget for it (room treatment) because HT still works without this investment (unlike cables, speakers, amps etc) but believe me Tim, once you have a decent system in place, each and every penny that you spend towards room treatment can actually take your HT to newer levels. Unfortunately we tend to upgrade our system more often than upgrading our room and almost everytime we plan for an upgrade its mostly the system. Hence I somehow have a bent to suggest you to reserve atleast 10-15k for room treatment while you are still setting up your HT. If you think you can do this later, may be possible but mostly gets neglected. Either increase your budget by 10-15k or adjust your equipment selection so that you are left with 10-15k for acoustic treatment of your room.

You may be wondering, what kind of treatments can your room undergo with that money and who will guide you in that process!!....dont worry, there are people who can do it for you...infact acoustic treatment in itself is a subject to be discussed in a separate thread.
Let us know what you think about it...but please do some research on this before you reach a conclusion.

Abhi, do you mean there are actually experts who come home and do a Room Treatment for Home Theater setup?
How much would that cost?

How is the Marantz7500 compared to the 4500? Does the 7500 have enough power to drive the speakers efficiently?

Abhi, do you mean there are actually experts who come home and do a Room Treatment for Home Theater setup?

Yes, there are people who do this for you. And believe me if wisely spent, it will enhance your HT a lot more than spending 3 times that amount on equipments. You certainly have to have a decent equipment in place but anything beyond that would only marginally improve the Sound quality whereas the same amount spent in the room can take your whole HT to another level.

How much would that cost?

Depends...it could start from as low as 5-10k and could run into lacs of rupees, but I suppose the basic treatment (suitable carpets, curtains, acoustic panels, bass traps) should be possible within 20k...and believe me most of us would be happy with this basic treatment. Incidentally most of the living rooms/listening rooms demand and deserve these basic treatments and ironically even though we know it can make our systems sound so much better we dont pay attention to this factor as much as we pay to the equipments and its upgradation. I know people who have spent more than their system on acoustic treatments alone but lets not discuss them, the very same people recommend just to spend 20-25k on treatment and enjoy the difference.

Currently even I am planning the same for my room. In my equipment equipment chain, my CDP was the weakest link hence I was planning to upgrade them but slowly and steadily I am realizing that in my audio chain my room is the weakest link and needs more attention than my CDP.

I will send you a PM on this.

How is the Marantz7500 compared to the 4500? Does the 7500 have enough power to drive the speakers efficiently?

Vpriyan,
I cant comment on this particular AVR because I havent heard them. But I have compared the SR-4500 and SR-5500, 4500 is 80w/channel and 5500 is 90w/channel, frankly speaking I couldnt hear any noticeable difference at listeneable volume levels, may be at higher volume levels the 5500 could have shown a bit more character but then thats occasional and I suppose one needs to think before plunging in extra 10k for the 5500. About 7500, the power rating (105w/channel) and power consumption (650w) doesnt reveal a lot about the amplification improvements but what could have improved is the surround processing and the DAC and may be a few more addtional features. Now the ball is entirely in your court. You need to audition 4500, 5500 and 7500 and see if you find the differnce in price worth spending. No one can help you here.

BTW, how much are you getting the 7500 for ???

The Room treatment concept sounds cool. Abhi, could you suggest someone who can help me with the Room treatment in Bangalore.

Marantz 7500 is around 40-45K.

How is the Corrson MS-101 compared to the Arasu's 502 Bookshelves? (apart from the cost...I know the MS-101s are more towards the expensive side).
What kind of music does each cater to?

Saachi, you must have heard both the speakers, right?

nope.
Have not heard them.

Guess, you could give your opinion after you have auditioned them.

Saachi

Howz the Quad Bookshelves (11L and 12L) as a 5.1 setup?

Its been a long time anyone mentioned the Quads.

juggy_25 schrieb:

Howz the Quad Bookshelves (11L and 12L) as a 5.1 setup? Its been a long time anyone mentioned the Quads.

Lovely speaker - I like them a lot;

However, I always felt they were more inclined towards music and not to HT.
They are very musical sounding to my taste.
I like them a lot. Would recommend them !!!!

bhagwan69 schrieb:

juggy_25 schrieb: Howz the Quad Bookshelves (11L and 12L) as a 5.1 setup? Its been a long time anyone mentioned the Quads. Lovely speaker - I like them a lot; However, I always felt they were more inclined towards music and not to HT. They are very musical sounding to my taste. I like them a lot. Would recommend them !!!! :hail

Actually, I preefr the 12Ls to the 11Ls! I agree with Bhagwan - their warm laid back sound makes them better suited for music than HT. But then, that glossy veneer would sure "LOOK" good in an HT setup.

I too like the L 12's better.

http://www.quad-hifi...ge_id=11&model_id=33

However, if budget is an issue, then the L 11's may suffice. If the room is not bigger than 150 sq. ft. then the L 11's would work well.

quad 12L i like too.....very good speaker all round...

manek.

A Lithos setup would be great: 5 Noa1s or Pro-10s would cover both music and movies. They have a natural sound and are fairly affordable. They can be wall-mounted too The matching pasive sub + amp is also a good complement to these speakers. If you want good Indian stuff at your price point, this is arguably your best option. Else, go with the foreign brand recommendations of Sachi and Abhi.

If your DVD player has a good decoder, and you want Indian, consider a multi-channel amp from Pulz. It has 60W/ch and is definitely better than an entry-level AVR for power amplification.

Note: My two bookshelves in a 220 sq ft room can't be played at full volume. So do not overinvest in overly powerful equipment. 5 speakers + a sub in a small room might be overpowering

Sachi,
How loud do your play your HT? I have been to Observer's place. He uses a Yamaha AVR in a 200 sq ft room and plays it real loud. But, it never clipped noticeably, forgetting shutting down.

Which Sonodyne speaker did you dissect? I know the 2605 sounds good, and the 1605 mediocre. I would definitely like to know which of their speakers is compromised. My suspicion is that all flrs available within Rs 20,000 must have some compromises to keep cost down?