Advise needed urgently

[Klord]

Hi guys,

 

Need your expertise. I was offer onkyo 414 plus 648 speakers for $1100. I need to confirm the order by tml. I'm looking for basic entry level Hts. May I know it's good for basic use like 80% movie, 20% music. Will be using pioneer bdp450 and Sony 70" r550a. And my budget is abt 1k. May upgrade te speakers but need to spend time to research.

 

Was actually comparing with yamaha v375 with 5.1 speakers(quoted $699), and denon x2000 without speakers(quoted $760). Wanted to get x2000, but can't find cheap speakers, was whafedale 5.1 for $600, so was like 1300....

 

Hoping to get somewhere near $1k.

Any advises are welcome. Thank you very much!

[DizzyD1624705734]

my advise is don't buy any of the packages offered to you...You will not be satisfied and you will upgrade so overall lose and waste money...that onkyo with whatever 4D number speakers is not going to cut it..might as well buy a soundbar under 500 to tong first..once your budget is healthier then revisit your 5.1 needs...70' TV already very tong kong already.

 

this is my honest 2 cents and not something you like to hear I guess :D

[Klord]

Bro DizzyD! U're wrong! I like truthful words from u!

 

And u're right! I should not take up the offer~

 

Lol, last night was too anxious cos my contractor going to put up my false ceiling.

 

After much study, I am going to stick with denon x2000, and for speakers wise, going to Adelphi to walk around to find the satellite speakers that I want.

 

My finance director (wife), refuse to get those bookshelves type and refuse to pay more than 600 for the speakers~ I have spent many days to convince her that denon x2000 is worth getting. Initially she only allow me to get the $699 yamaha packages.

 

So right now, I have $600 to spent on satellite speakers, any advise.

 

Bro dizzyD, once again thanks for your honest advise~ very ear smoothing as it confirm my decision to give up that package.

[DizzyD1624705734]

600$ will not get you any decent 5.1 speakers. Even Kef and Mirage 5.1 needs more than 1000..Harvey Norman is having some promotion now go to the millenia one and look at mirage omnisat...Seriously just run the wires in the false ceiling for the speakers first and hide it until you have approval to spend more.

[fishball79]

This is totally left field and i'd probably get get thrown to the wolves for saying this but...

 

if you have a limited budget and space,  one single large active speaker may serve your purposes better than any surround system for the same price (or even double).

 

You get tremendously better sound quality and surround sound is gimmicky anyway.  Vocal intelligibility and bass however is imo much more important.  A large enough monitor would go low enough such that you don't need a sub.

 

You just need the player to connect to tv and from tv straight to the speaker, there isnt a need for HT processing.  Also, being active, you dont need an amp.

 

It's quite a clean solution imo.

[francis wu]

 

You get tremendously better sound quality and surround sound is gimmicky anyway. 

 

 

Oh Oh, this statement will get you in trouble :o ;D

[Began]

Hi Bro,

 

Bring your wife to Francis or SDDS house for audition.  She will ask you to spend more on HT and other reno can do later.

 

Cheer.

Began

[fishball79]

francis,

I forgot to quantify that this is given the limited budget of about $1k :)

[Klord]

Going to test out what I can get best out of the 600~

 

Tested Boston 5.1, not very fantastic.

 

Saw whafedale 5.1, but never try.

 

Bro dizzyD, will drop by Harvey Norman to test out.

 

Bro fb79, hehehe I still prefer to get AVR first and maybe in future at least still can upgrade speakers.

 

Going to get wires now, any recommendation for the wires? Running 15m each along the wall from console to the rear on false ceiling.

[Klord]

Last night tried onkyo speakers 648, quite decent and they weigh heavy/ solid. But sub only 80w. Any comments?

[wizardofoz]

80 Watt sub sure cannot make it. Maybe for a desktop but not HT.

 

 

Look for a second hand sub in the sales section...HSU or SVS, many to look for a good bargain.

[Klord]

Exactly! I am ok with the speakers, but 80w sub... I think my sound system in my previous car sound better lor

[DizzyD1624705734]

 

if you have a limited budget and space,  one single large active speaker may serve your purposes better than any surround system for the same price (or even double).

 

 

101% Echo that and I add again that just get a SOUNDBAR la ...600 for new 5.1 speakers I think only Sim Wong Hoo sells ..Go look for him else wait until Finance Director approves revised budget.

[etnt]

Actually AVR tech is always changing, no point splurging too much if budget is limited.

 

Put more towards the speakers first and start stereo. When you upgrade later, they can be relegated to surround duties, minimal wastage.

[Klord]

Lol! Bro dizzyD, that's a good one~

 

Bro etnt, true true

[fishball79]

Thanks for the support Dizzyd!

 

In my (oft described as demented) mind, there is a perfect upgrade path where one wastes nothing and there's no loss from selling off stuff to upgrade. 

I dont expect anyone to follow this la but i hope i get validation from others or at least  just count the # of wolves that'll feed off my dead xp carcass. :D 

 

Please do point out where the plan is flawed though... I actually plan to do this for my future home theatre :)

 

0. This assumes you have a bluray or media player with stereo out that connects to the tv and u use tv as source selection.

1. Get 1 bigass active speaker, combine stereo signals to mono.

2. Get 1 more to make stereo (stopping here is absolutely fine)

3. Upgrade to a new BD player with onboard HT processing (e.g. Oppo 105) or add on a dedicated HT processor (media players in the future will do this) or a media playing pc/mac.  You now control which source and volume from the player/processor instead of the tv

4. Get active subwoofers (Yes, i mean many subwoofers)

5. Get smaller active speakers to get surround effects (if u like, really miss it)

6. Get affordable multi channel eq (not until you get multiple subs)

7.  Move to wireless signal active speakers

 

There are a few caveats to this,

1. You are limited to the # of sources your tv has, which i think is usually 3

2. I assume future media/movie players will accept other sources as a pre too.  Or you have the budget for a dedicated HT pre cum processor

3. You dont get the (pretty crappy) EQ or radio that receivers have

4. Power socket locations may cause some problems

 

Why this lunacy?  I hate receivers.

1. Home theatre receivers performs exactly as they are relatively priced, they never seperate processor from amps to allow you to upgrade seperately because they want you to buy a new one, preferably once a year.  When they do seperate, they charge you alot for it.

2. Receivers are almost always underpowered for speakers you have.  Do you know you need more power for a tiny 2 way bookshelf compared to a large 3 way one? :D

3. They now even limit the outputs you can have based on price.  Want analog out? pay for higher end model

4. You will end up with this path with receives.  Buy speakers 1 & receiver 1, sell & buy receiver 2, sell & buy speakers 2 and so on.

5. Active speakers will never need amp upgrade, the amps they come with are tailored to the speakers.  You just got to make sure the speakers go loud enough for your needs.  You skip the underpowered speakers problem.  Upgrading to better active speakers are alot easier

 

Yours in lunacy,

fb79

[fishball79]

Klord,

Forgot to answer you, i feel the best solution for you is a highend (at least ~$2-3kMSRP) soundbar like the B&W Panorama.  At that price range they do sound right.

[Guest francishuang]

U can get the focal xs book. Ard 500 bucks. Tilt tweeter to eye level. Its a desktop speaker...but it do pack a punch, mid n lows are pretty realistic. Just connect it to your blu ray player stereo out

[etnt]

If you are set on the x2000 (don't waste the effort you spent convicing ur wife), then look at satellites like KEF eggs and Anthony Gallo micro. Start with 2 and expand the channels as when budget and other factors allow.

 

What's the verdict on subs? You'll need them but most have poor WAF.

[wizardofoz]

My wife was there when I did the deed on this....BIG and heavy man...its about 70KGs!!! moves you...really!

 

 

http://www.svsound.com/subwoofers/ported-box/pb13-ultra#.UoSPnpEdxCc

 

 

[etnt]

I defied my wife (in her presence) and went for a 70kg+ fridge (duo kk 12012) and now suffering the consequences...

[Klord]

First i would like to thanks all bro for your contribution. This is really eye-opening.

This is interesting as more informations pouring in and it's so knowledgeable.

 

Why ask in forum, just like bro fb79, our view need to be validated and if it's not, why so?

 

Of cos, one man's meat is another poison, there'll be many contributions so please forgive me if I did not take up for kind suggestion.

 

Today I have test out denon x2000 and onkyo 525, it seems like onkyo is kinda cool. Comparing these two AVR, which is a better choice?

 

As for the speakers, I am still searching. I may just get as bro etnt mentioned, get centre, front left and right and sub first. I should be getting front left and right first then slowly buy the rest~ camouflage my way to buy other, hiding from my wife~ my CFO is like that, as long as dont see one lump sum, she's ok~~ lol

[etnt]

525 is multeq, while x2000 is multeq xt. I'd take the x2000.

[Guest francishuang]

I defied my wife (in her presence) and went for a 70kg+ fridge (duo kk 12012) and now suffering the consequences...

 

Buy bag buy bike for her

'Happy Wife Happy Life'

[Audio Lover1624706150]

Side track abit. Its sound sad. Who is paying for the equipments?

Your money or hers..... :P