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Hi All,

Since this was the home theater thread, thought I would post my queries and requirements below.
This query is only for the AV receiver :

Wrt attached layout :
#1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 = approx 100W RMS satellites (no space for loudspeakers, thin towers or book shelf kinds)
#3 = approx 100W RMS center channel (above or below TV)
#8 = 200W - 500W RMS self powered sub woofer (8 - 10" only)
Receiver and the DVD/CD player will be placed below the TV(32" or 40")
There is no physical partition between Section 1 and 2 except a small couch. Though there is a small pillar which protrudes about 3/4 feet from the ceiling across the entire 17 feet which separates the sections.

Requirement for the AV receiver is :

1. 7.1 channel amplifier ( 80-100Watts RMS per channel)

2. While playing audio cd & dvd & mp3 disk & ipod through external dock & any other external music source connected, it should have the Ability to switch between :

• 2.1 stereo mode (1, 2 and 8 playing)
• 5.1 stereo mode (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 playing)
• 7.1 stereo modes ((1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6, 7, 8 playing)

Reason is depending on where I am sitting/roaming and who all intend to hear the music, I need this.
Basically, need the 7.1 to fill the entire room with music.

3. When watching a television program, ability to switch between

• 2.1 stereo mode (1, 2 and 8 playing)
• 7.1 stereo modes ((1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 playing)

Again reason is same: depending on where I am sitting who all intend to hear the music/vocals, I need this.

4. when watching a DVD movie from disk, ability to switch between

• 2.1 mode. If I don't want the sound to surround me :)
• 5.1 surround mode (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 playing)
• I think 7.1 surround will not work great with the speaker placements but still must have for me to try.

5. ipod compatible (dock can be optional) but remote should support ipod functions.
6. capable of playing music from any other external music source.
7. HD pass through at least (up scaling is not mandatory)

Good to have :

• Usb slot with ability to play almost any music/movie format(wav, mp3, dvd, common video files) from a portable hard disk/ pen drive. The remote could be capable of browsing files of the device connected via usb.
• Bluetooth connectivity for playing songs wireless from the computer or mobile phone.

As you can see from the above requirements, focus is more on music than on movies/HD.
Request all to understand and suggest keeping in mind that the 7 requirements are a MUST HAVE exactly as mentioned.

Which receiver would you recommend in the sub 40000 segment. Yamaha RX-V663 seems nice and is available for just a little above 40000.

Some comments I had
1. Stereo mode
In 2.1 stereo mode (1,2, and 8) is possible when you say 5.1 and 7.1 , then its no longer stereo mode.Stereo mode is only 2.1, This would be surround mode.

2. Your speaker orientation is not right for 7.1
First of all do you have media that has 7.1 content ?
I believe movies at max come in 6.1. However 5.1 is all you need.
In the absence of the sixth speaker the AVR will route its channel stream to the surround speakers.

3. Looking at your setup
If Section 2 is an independent sitting area, then do not include these speakers in your 7.1 setup. Rather have these 2 speakers as a different set. i.e. Set B. Which you can use to play music only in stereo mode.

All the best for your setup cheers:
-Fillmore

I would strongly suggest a Marantz AVR for musicality. I have SR 5003 and its far better and warmer than the Denon1507 I had earlier. Yamaha and Onkyo are said to be more bass (movies/effects) oriented.

I know stereo is always 2.1 But I want music to play from 5 speaker as well as 7 speakers as an option. This is referred to as "5-channel stereo and all channel stereo" by manufacturers.

For movies I intend on listening in 5.1 mode only, but I wanna hear how its sounds when I play in 7.1 mode in my arrangement.

I want only satellites in section 2. I dont want music to play through an seperate loudspeakers/bookshelfs in 2.1 mode in section 2. Besides I cant have bigger speakers. eg: Even Tannoy Mercury F1 custom is big for me.
For music I would like entire room to be filled with sound.Hence I want sound from all 7 speakers.
Thanks for your comments. Feel free to argue or comment on any of my answers/requirements.

I know Marantz is very good for music, but does it meet my needs of switching channels on the fly as mentioned in my requirements.

Philips HTS4750 is available at eZone for 20k. Think its a decent HT for the price. My friend might get it probably.

Dipen...

From your post I assume you want the ability to switch audio modes on the fly - 2.0 to 2.1 to 5.1 to 7.1. Almost ANY/ALL of the AVRs will permit you to do this.

Dipen,

I'm sure you have your reasons to split the room into two halves...

You should be using the full 25ft as the viewing area and do a full 7.1 setup.

On the Yamaha, you have a 2 channel and 7 channel stereo mode -which plays all speakers for audio etc.,

If you dont have any partition between the two sections, do you really need the spkr 6 & 7 ? IMO I dont think you really need the xtra speakers.

cheers!
Srini

Srini
Thank you for your inputs.
You are right, there are reasons the room is that way. Cant use the entire length as view area.
The only reason why I want the 6 and 7# speakers is that when I am in section 2, I don't want to be deprived of any sound. It shouldn't sound as if the sound is coming from a distance (or a different section)

kb100,
Not all 7.1 receivers allow you to switch from 7.1 to 5.1 and 2.1 irrespective of the input source. Some allow but only when DVDs are played. Some don't allow 5.1 in stereo mode. It could be 2.1 or 7.1(referred as all channel stereo)

Hi guys,

I am looking to buy a Home Theater system, preferably under 20k. I guess the budget kind of restricts me to a Home-Theater-In-a-Box solution?

What are the available options?

My preferences are:
1. Should have USB port, through which I can play .avi for sure (other video formats would be a nice-to-have feature)
2. HDMI enabled
2. Should be able to play home laptop recorded CDs/DVDs/CDRW/DVDRW (and other pirated stuff occasionally!)
3. Preferably 5.1 speaker setup
4. Other nice-to-haves include: S video port, Component audio and video ports and good FM radio reception

You can go for the logitech thx z5500 speakers, VFM speakers for under 20k.

I got a logitech z2300 which i got 2.5 years ago and they have worked very well for my bedroom. Believe me logitech speakers are under-rated in the market but they have good ones too in their portfolio.

@nishantgandhi,
I think the Onkyo 3100/3105 fits the bill in the ~ 20k budget.
If you stretch a little more, the 5105 @27k would be nice with identical features and a little more powerful.

Also the JBL Cinesystem 50 5.1 is a decent system at 21k approx.

Hi Nishant, I just got the Philips 3569, and it is amazing value for money. Its sounds really awesome compared to similar priced systems. Check it out yourself and go by the ear. I compared it to a Sony system and the Samsung HT-TZ315, and it sounds way better than them. It has all the features that you are looking for. My only gripe was that it does not have an optical in for digital audio, but only a coaxial in. But I just got to know that you get Optical to Coaxial converters, so that solves my issue. I also tried to get a demo of the Panasonic SC-PT565 but could never locate a dealer who stocks it. Anyways I am really happy with the Philips 3569 sound quality. Check out the specs HERE

Thanks for the link Haril.

I have one question - Does it play .avi / .divx movie files through USB?

Also, I noticed in the product specs leaflet that MP3 bit rate compatibility is 32-256 kbps only. I wonder why it cannot play 320 kbps MP3 files?

Which all systems in Philips did you audition? And how much did you pay for this one?

I would second haril

I have the 3569 system at home. Its an amazing VFM system. Everything sounds fantastic.....audio CDs, DVDs, Divx, MP3. And yes it can play .avi stuff you download from torrents through the USB port. As an icing on the cake u get 4 floorstanding wooden speakers which look great

Before choosing this system I had auditioned Sony/Philips systems in the 15k to 25k range (dont remember the models nos...i had mentioned them in an earlier post in thsi thread). 3569 is probably the best system u can buy in that price range

I bought mine in bangalore for abt 22k

You are welcome Nishant. Yes, it does play divx files through the USB. I connect my 250 GB (powerless) Harddisk to it and it works like a charm. I am not too sure about the bitrate.. all my MP3s that I have played are mostly 128 or 192 Kbps.

This is the only Philips system I auditioned since I was looking for all tall boy speakers. I payed 21,990 at Reliance Digital. He threw a free HDMI cable with it (not a branded one).

It does a decent job of upscaling to 720p (I have a HD Ready Plasma). I guess if I use a higher quality HDMI cable, like the ones from Panasonic, the picture will improve drastically.

Cheers
Hari