[VSG12777]

Originally Posted by guha_2001

Hey guys, need some advice. I am looking for an entry level HTIB system. Budget upto ~25k.

My preferences
- Music quality should also be good (my usage would be approx 60% music and 40% movies)
- Divx codec compatibility, I see a lot of movies in this format, so a DVD player with USB support which supports more codecs is better
- I would prefer a system with floor stands as I live in a rented place and prefer not to wall mount anything
- System should be reliable: dont want to keep running behind service centre ppl

Went to a Reliance Digital and had a look. I narrowed my options down to 3
Onkyo S3100 with free Philips DVD player ~ Rs 21k
Sony DAVDZ570 (with 2 floor standing speakers) ~ 22k
Sony DAVDZ777 (with 4 floor standing speakers) ~ 24k

Now my questions
- Which one of the 3 would u guys recommend considering my preferences?
- Is it true that Onkyo systems are not as reliable as the others?
- How much would some simple speaker stands cost? The Onkyo setup doesnt come with stands and I have to buy them if I go for that
- Is there any other setup that can match these 3 in price/performance?

Hi Guha,

The Onkyo S3100 system is very good for its price. However no HDMI inputs or outputs with the receiver you get in this model. And, the subwoofer is a passive one, meaning no separate control for the bass level on the subwoofer. Onkyo systems are quite reliable. No issues.

The Sony DZ570 and DZ777 are basically the same system, except for the rear floor standing speakers in the DZ777. Features wise, they are almost the same. Hifi enthusiasts would never recommend a system which has a single unit for the amp/receiver/dvd player. However, it's fine to start off with. It's just that expandability/upgradeability is a problem with these types of systems. Eg. if you wanna go in for a more powerful amp or better speakers, you can't. You have to change the entire setup.

I have a Sony HT-DDW840 HTiB 600W RMS system (just a receiver, active subwoofer and 6 satellite speakers) which I bought in 2003 for 33k. I am very happy with it. I use a Pioneer DV-676 DVD player which I brought from Australia. I use an optical cable (TOSLINK) for the audio output from DVD player to the receiver, while the video part is connected to a Thomson 29 inch CRT TV thru an S-Video cable. Sound is very good.
The Sony DZ-777 should be a good one for you since this model comes with 4 floor standing speakers and you don't want to wall mount anything. You would just have to make sure the speaker wires are not easily visible, making it look messy. I had a demo on the DZ270 (all 5 satellite speakers, same wattage) 2-3 months back and it was pretty good. That model costs only around 15k. I am sure the DZ-570 and DZ-777 should be as good or even better since they have a higher output. Formats wise, I think the all in one receiver/amp/dvd unit plays almost everything - JPG/MP3/DivX etc. Both of these seem to have the same power output of 1000W RMS.

If you go for the Onkyo, like you said, you would have to get separate speaker stands, which are not really cheap. I have not seen speaker stands on sale anywhere in Chennai, except for some high end audio shops. They would easily cost 1500-2000 bucks or more for a pair.

For your requirements, probably the Sony DZ-777 would be a good one. But please don't hesitate to go and have a nice demo at one of the Sony World outlets, even if you are planning to buy the system elsewhere for a lower price.

There are Samsung and Philips HTiBs around the same price range which are also pretty good. You can check out the models from their websites and see them at the retail outlets.

Thanks and warm regards,
Venkat

[PRADEEP KUMAR]

Originally Posted by guha_2001

Hey guys, need some advice. I am looking for an entry level HTIB system. Budget upto ~25k.

My preferences
- Music quality should also be good (my usage would be approx 60% music and 40% movies)
- Divx codec compatibility, I see a lot of movies in this format, so a DVD player with USB support which supports more codecs is better
- I would prefer a system with floor stands as I live in a rented place and prefer not to wall mount anything
- System should be reliable: dont want to keep running behind service centre ppl

Went to a Reliance Digital and had a look. I narrowed my options down to 3
Onkyo S3100 with free Philips DVD player ~ Rs 21k
Sony DAVDZ570 (with 2 floor standing speakers) ~ 22k
Sony DAVDZ777 (with 4 floor standing speakers) ~ 24k

Now my questions
- Which one of the 3 would u guys recommend considering my preferences?
- Is it true that Onkyo systems are not as reliable as the others?
- How much would some simple speaker stands cost? The Onkyo setup doesnt come with stands and I have to buy them if I go for that
- Is there any other setup that can match these 3 in price/performance?

Hi,
I picked up my Yamaha AV reciever from Burma Bazaar ,price advantage without B/W upto Rs 5000/-.
Sourced my 5.1 speakers form TORVIN Audio in RITCHIE STREE. Pls do not underestimate because of the location.They are manufacturers and reputed guys,they have a very good demo set up as well.

[VSG12777]

Originally Posted by PRADEEP KUMAR

Hi,
I picked up my Yamaha AV reciever from Burma Bazaar ,price advantage without B/W upto Rs 5000/-.
Sourced my 5.1 speakers form TORVIN Audio in RITCHIE STREE. Pls do not underestimate because of the location.They are manufacturers and reputed guys,they have a very good demo set up as well.

Hi Pradeep

Yes I have heard of Torvin. It's made by Power Electronics in Seeyaliamman Koil St right ? I saw an ad somewhere and one of my friends also told me about this brand. What kind of speakers did you get - floor standing ? Wattage / price ?

For A/V receivers, I feel it's not advisable to buy them from Burma Bazaar. Since they are without bill and warranty, if something goes wrong, you would have to pay in full and get it repaired at some service centre. You can't go back to these guys for any help. Their job ends after selling the unit to the customer.

Anyway which model did you buy and what is the wattage ? Was it Yamaha RX-363 ? Please do let me know.

Thanks and warm regards,
Venkat

[D.V.R]

I need a Ht for my 30 ft hall.My main priorities are HDMI upscaling and wireless connectivity.Won't mind if its wall mountable or floor standing ,I am not particular about sound quality ,just a decent setup.The budget is around 25-30k.

[VSG12777]

Originally Posted by D.V.R

I need a Ht for my 30 ft hall.My main priorities are HDMI upscaling and wireless connectivity.Won't mind if its wall mountable or floor standing ,I am not particular about sound quality ,just a decent setup.The budget is around 25-30k.

Hi DVR

Since you want wireless rear speakers, you can check out the Sony DZ-777 system (25k) which has 4 floor standing speakers but is wireless ready. You can buy the wireless module from Sony and attach it. I think it costs around 5-6k. You can check this out at one of the Sony World outlets.

This is the model I am referring to:

DAV-DZ777 : DVD Home Theatre System : Home Theatre System : Sony India

There are also 2 Panasonic models with wireless rear speakers, one with the kit included, and one which is wireless ready. Not sure about the cost though. I suppose you can get the cost from Google by searching.

Here's the Panasonic link:

Home Theatre | Digital AV | Panasonic India

P.S. - All the above systems are with the DVD player/receiver/amp all in one unit. Not a separate component home theatre. Those would go much above your budget.


Warm regards,
Venkat

[guha_2001]

Originally Posted by VSG12777

Hi Guha,

The Onkyo S3100 system is very good for its price. However no HDMI inputs or outputs with the receiver you get in this model. And, the subwoofer is a passive one, meaning no separate control for the bass level on the subwoofer. Onkyo systems are quite reliable. No issues.

The Sony DZ570 and DZ777 are basically the same system, except for the rear floor standing speakers in the DZ777. Features wise, they are almost the same. Hifi enthusiasts would never recommend a system which has a single unit for the amp/receiver/dvd player. However, it's fine to start off with. It's just that expandability/upgradeability is a problem with these types of systems. Eg. if you wanna go in for a more powerful amp or better speakers, you can't. You have to change the entire setup.

I have a Sony HT-DDW840 HTiB 600W RMS system (just a receiver, active subwoofer and 6 satellite speakers) which I bought in 2003 for 33k. I am very happy with it. I use a Pioneer DV-676 DVD player which I brought from Australia. I use an optical cable (TOSLINK) for the audio output from DVD player to the receiver, while the video part is connected to a Thomson 29 inch CRT TV thru an S-Video cable. Sound is very good.
The Sony DZ-777 should be a good one for you since this model comes with 4 floor standing speakers and you don't want to wall mount anything. You would just have to make sure the speaker wires are not easily visible, making it look messy. I had a demo on the DZ270 (all 5 satellite speakers, same wattage) 2-3 months back and it was pretty good. That model costs only around 15k. I am sure the DZ-570 and DZ-777 should be as good or even better since they have a higher output. Formats wise, I think the all in one receiver/amp/dvd unit plays almost everything - JPG/MP3/DivX etc. Both of these seem to have the same power output of 1000W RMS.

If you go for the Onkyo, like you said, you would have to get separate speaker stands, which are not really cheap. I have not seen speaker stands on sale anywhere in Chennai, except for some high end audio shops. They would easily cost 1500-2000 bucks or more for a pair.

For your requirements, probably the Sony DZ-777 would be a good one. But please don't hesitate to go and have a nice demo at one of the Sony World outlets, even if you are planning to buy the system elsewhere for a lower price.

There are Samsung and Philips HTiBs around the same price range which are also pretty good. You can check out the models from their websites and see them at the retail outlets.

Thanks and warm regards,
Venkat

Thanks a ton venkat! u have clarified every issue I raised
Only issue with the Sony system is that it cannot play Divx movies from the USB drive...which is a big problem bcos I have a huge collection of movies in that format
I havent had a look at philips/sony....have to do that
Thanks again!

[VSG12777]

Hi Guha_2001

For DivX if you are so particular that the DivX files need to be played from a USB flash drive directly, then maybe you can go for a receiver/5.1 speaker combo and get a DVD player separately which would have a USB port.

I would suggest the Pioneer DV-610 which I plan to buy shortly too, as this costs around 7k in Chennai and has good reviews. I've always been a Pioneer car audio / DVD player fan and I've been using many Pioneer systems. Reliable to the core. I am still using a 1992 model Pioneer stereo integrated amplifier in my room (50 watts RMS per channel) which hasn't given me any trouble. I had it serviced about 6 months back to have all the dust cleaned up and the static in the knobs removed etc. Paid only 600/- for that. That's the kind of long lasting stuff Pioneer makes.

The Onkyo S3100 is silver and so is the Pioneer DV-610. They would look good together too. I am not sure if the Sony DVD players have a USB slot with DivX capability. The Pioneer DV-610 sure does and you can blindly buy it. It's that good.

However if you are willing to compromise a bit on that "DivX from USB" part, you can go with the same Pioneer DVD player as above with the Onkyo S3100, or with one of the other Sony HTiB systems as mentioned in my previous post. Either way, it would work out to less than 30k for you in total.

The Philips 5996k DVD player is also supposed to be very good. It is the top of the range player in Philips. Not sure if it has a USB port though. But it is a "DivX Ultra" certified device, and so is the Pioneer DV-610. This means they can play very high quality DivX files without any problems.

Warm regards,
Venkat

[kb100]

This is both informative - and HILARIOUS!!


A must read for everyone considering a Home Theatre
Audiophile Deathmatch: Monster Cables vs. a Coat Hanger

[VSG12777]

Ha ha !! Nice one kb100 !! Just now finished reading it !!

[D.V.R]

Venkat,thanks a lot for the information buddy.I am thinking of going in fot the Panny system ,feel its going to complement my panny plasma well.

[nemo]

i intend to replace my speaker wires that was provided by Denon. Can someone recommend good quality speaker wires for me please?

thanks in advance

[jassi]

Originally Posted by nemo

i intend to replace my speaker wires that was provided by Denon. Can someone recommend good quality speaker wires for me please?

thanks in advance

you can choose between monster cables and wire clothes hangers those are the best two speaker wires as per kb100s link in the above post

[nemo]

Jassi, No good! any other options ?

After posting the request here, i looked around and found ROC had recommended MX brand cable in another forum. If anyone has other suggestions please do share

[kb100]

Any good conductor apparently is enough. My friend has used 12,14 and 16 gauge Finolex cables for his setup and no one has been able to fault it till now. MX is also good. There are others on the forum who have used regular Finolex without an issue as well. MX is also an option.

[VSG12777]

Hi Nemo

I don't know what brand it was but when I got new Sony bookshelf speakers (SS-D55AV, 3 way bass reflex, 100 watts RMS) for my Pioneer integrated stereo amp, I bought some nice thick shielded speaker cables at about 35 bucks per metre. It's been pretty good till today. It's already more than a year since I got them. It's probably 12 or 16 gauge. Not sure.

MX is a good Indian brand and I have used their S-Video, Composite RCA cables etc. They were good and value for money. A set of good RCA cables cost me only 40 bucks. So yes - you can go for MX.

MX also has other latest types in cables - like HDMI, optical TOSLINK (for audio out), firewire (IEEE 1394) etc.

Warm regards,
Venkat