HT for simple TV viewing and occasional USB/BT music/movie - Around 20-25K

[shashankm]

Hi guys,

Want a home theatre setup to connect to simple D2H TV and for weekend USB movie fest. All I want is

1. Classic sound requirement - I just want the sound to be perfect, bass should be tight and punchy and not the BOOM type. And fidelity is what I need the most, since most of the listening would at lower to medium volume levels, hence require clearer sound ensuring a perfect aural spectrum.
2. Bells and whistles such as wifi, BT, remote features should be in there with the system. I am not much of a BlueRay type nor do I require them. Though if they are there with promise of rounding up the sonic experience, have no issues as well in having them.
3. System that is easy to use, setup and hopefully long lasting.

Questions
1. USB Movie watching - Not sure, but does watching movies with hi res rips, via USB will have any impact on sound quality delivered through the subs and speakers?
2. If in future I want to attache the DVD/bluray player to the system, will it have impact on output?

My budget is around 20K

So far I have shortlisted systems like:
Sony BDV E4100
LG BH6731
Sony BDV-E3200

Any other suggestions are most welcomed.

Please guide the HT noob!

 

[baiju]

I will suggest HTs from Onkyo, Yamaha or Pioneer. They are HT specialists and the Sonys and LGs won't even come close to them in terms of sound quality. But you will need to increase the budget to around 25-30K. If you are tight on budget then buy the Sony DTH IV300 for around 17.5K. It has two hdmi inputs to connect blu-ray or ps3 later. It also will play hd movies through usb and has wi-fi support. Do not buy HTs with built-in blu-ray or dvd player. Look for connectivity options like hdmi ports, coaxial and optical inputs.

 

[shashankm]

Much thanks for reply. I demoed Yamaha YHT196 at one of my buddy's house. According to him the HT was installed officially by Yamaha guys and according to the manual.
Seriously, it sounded pretty flat on bass, rest it sounded good. I checked the woofer placement which was, again, according the manual, on the exact spot. The system looked so classy and sophisticated, and the remote looked like touch one button and explosion ensues. Hence decided to leave it as it is.
Maybe it was one off incident. Can you pls explain what could've been the problem?

I can stretch for Onkyo but Pioneer starting at 41K is ridiculously out of my budget. Which onkyo model do you suggest?
3400? or 3500?

 

[baiju]

I have demoed Onkyo 3400 and it was quite good for a small room. 3500 is recommended as it is a new version with better speakers. The only problem with these HTs is that the subwoofer is passive (amplifier inside the avr). You can't upgrade to a better active subwoofer (amplifier within subwoofer) later. Yamaha 299 is equally good if you can find it. Yamaha has released new versions YHT-2910 and YHT-1810. Home Theater Packages - Yamaha - India. I suggest you to take a demo and decide accordingly.

 

[GhorMaanas]

onkyo 3500, yes. this should be it for your budget. yamaha 299 is getting increasingly difficult to source, and the prices of whatever units are available cross the 30k mark. yamaha 2910 is what yamaha has launched in replacement of 299, and people who have used 299 and have demoed 2910 report 299 to be better, and that 2910 is no upgrade over the former. about 1810, have no idea. there's a good review of onkyo hts3400 on this forum itself, by member 'S_V'. there are many places in delhi where you could demo the hts3500, profx and reliance digital being 2 of them. get going!

 

[shashankm]

I have demoed Onkyo 3400 and it was quite good for a small room. 3500 is recommended as it is a new version with better speakers. The only problem with these HTs is that the subwoofer is passive (amplifier inside the avr). You can't upgrade to a better active subwoofer (amplifier within subwoofer) later. Yamaha 299 is equally good if you can find it. Yamaha has released new versions YHT-2910 and YHT-1810. Home Theater Packages - Yamaha - India. I suggest you to take a demo and decide accordingly.

I could and the bugger
(Audiophile, IHC) quoted me damn 40K! He said it was one of the last pieces and is in demand like anything. Also an IMP UPDATE: Have a sad news for you all: Yamaha's reliability is a thing of past.
The guy about whom I mentioned in the post, told me that few days after the warranty expired, the system wouldn't turn on. Calling Yamaha care, they quoted 1500/- just to get the device checked and gave estimates of 11200/- since the board was non responsive.
And now he is contemplating picking one of the Sony's TAZ series .
Looks like death of an audio-fool

I am scared like a pussy walking into the unknown dark lanes with few bucks in her pocket!

onkyo 3500, yes. this should be it for your budget. yamaha 299 is getting increasingly difficult to source, and the prices of whatever units are available cross the 30k mark. yamaha 2910 is what yamaha has launched in replacement of 299, and people who have used 299 and have demoed 2910 report 299 to be better, and that 2910 is no upgrade over the former. about 1810, have no idea. there's a good review of onkyo hts3400 on this forum itself, by member 'S_V'. there are many places in delhi where you could demo the hts3500, profx and reliance digital being 2 of them. get going!

Hahah, isn't that obvious? Not everyone can acknowledge their money getting obsolete this fast
Not all RD stores pack them, do they? Will surely try to do maximum demos out tomorrow!

And boy, that Onkyo reviewer mostly seems neutral towards the product and remains passive about it's performance. W...T...F! Need to demo these lest I want to splatter my brains out!

 

[Gollum]

the cheapes poineer htp starts at 30k
its caled home theatre in a box.
comes with an active sub, receiver with 4hdmi inputs, spdif, 4k, 3d, component, composite, ipod play and of course 5 satellites. 100w rms per satellite.

 

[baiju]

I could and the bugger
(Audiophile, IHC) quoted me damn 40K! He said it was one of the last pieces and is in demand like anything. Also an IMP UPDATE: Have a sad news for you all: Yamaha's reliability is a thing of past.
The guy about whom I mentioned in the post, told me that few days after the warranty expired, the system wouldn't turn on. Calling Yamaha care, they quoted 1500/- just to get the device checked and gave estimates of 11200/- since the board was non responsive.
And now he is contemplating picking one of the Sony's TAZ series .
Looks like death of an audio-fool

I am scared like a pussy walking into the unknown dark lanes with few bucks in her pocket!

This problem is possible with avrs of any make. I have serviced my Denon AVR like 5 or 6 times and spent almost 20K. I bought it for 27.5K three years back. Always check for service availability. In case of Denon it is available in Chennai and Banglore, but for Yamaha and Pioneer they have extensive servicing centers. If you intend to buy Sony, then look for the dth-iv300. do not buy other models which doesn't have connectivity options.

 

[GhorMaanas]

Hahah, isn't that obvious? Not everyone can acknowledge their money getting obsolete this fast
Not all RD stores pack them, do they? Will surely try to do maximum demos out tomorrow!

And boy, that Onkyo reviewer mostly seems neutral towards the product and remains passive about it's performance. W...T...F! Need to demo these lest I want to splatter my brains out!

that's a bane of buying consumer goods in these times, and no one other than extensive PC users (like many on this & such forums) can understand it more.
but apparently, a few truthful dealers & distributors are also telling that the 2910 is mostly only a 'ploy' of yamaha to 'trick' unaware customers to spend (more), as well as to stay relevant in the continuously-changing-&-most-times-deceiving (i won't say 'continuously-evolving') mkt. objectively put, 299 still has better features and connectivity options than 2910, which has only a couple of more specs & nitty-gritties, while what remains the same in both is the sub.

P.S. - nevermind yamaha. its anyway not relevant for this thread's purpose. go onkyo!
and chk. about that pioneer model too that gollum suggested.

 

[shashankm]

Pioneer SPE335XT

How are these guys? Can have a great deal on them

 

[GhorMaanas]

this doesn't have an avr, and you would need one, or an amplifier, to drive them. i would rule them out.
though if you wish to assemble HT components, there are better ones available, but that venture would almost certainly cross your budget-limit.

 

[shashankm]

Pioneer HTP072?

Seems to tick every specs I have been looking for...though no demo available anywhere in Delhi!

 

[shashankm]

Any dope on the Pioneer model guys?