[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Ryuu

At the very least, I should buy an AMP with sub pre out. With that in mind, any particular model you would like to suggest within 35k? ProFx suggested yamaha - S200 or S500BL. Not sure.

Get the R-S500. A good sub woofer will set you back no less than 30K minimum. Direct this money towards a better quality speaker like the Kef Q300 and you won't need a sub at all. This KEF will demolish all the speakers you have listed.

[Ryuu]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I went ahead and auditioned the Polk S20 and KEF Q300 with Yamaha RS500. For some reason, it seemed like the KEFs were not singing. I don't know if it was amp or something else. They were just not singing. I was left underwhelmed. Then switched to the Polk S20s. Oh, there was a marked improvement. The soundstage was nice. The instrument separation was nice. The vocals sounded crisp and clear. The bass was punchy as well. The speakers are a tad bit warm, though not as warm sounding as Wharf 225's. I was playing all the songs through my phone via headphone DAC which I kept as backup (To think that Profx wouldn't have a DAC and use Logitech Bluetooth for demo). I had them put on a DVD as well with just two speakers and oh what sound do they produce. The bass especially. The overall impression was very good. I longed to audition the Zensor 3 and Q acosutics 3020, but they were not available. They are brought on the order basis only. How one can base a decision on speakers without hearing them is beyond me. Considering the experience with KEF Q300, I thought it's better to buy something which you know how it sounds. Ordered Polk S20 and Yamaha RS500.

The whole setup costed me 54K including cables. Waiting for the delivery now. Next up is DAC. The BOSS DAC + RasPI combo looks interesting. Experience with ProFx was very pleasant. I wish they dealt with more brands.

This forum has been of immense help.

Thanks a lot- sandeepmohan, S U N, HolyGhost
Ryuu.

[mashmash]

Originally Posted by Ryuu

Ordered Polk S20 and Yamaha RS500.

The whole setup costed me 54K including cables. Waiting for the delivery now. Next up is DAC. The BOSS DAC + RasPI combo looks interesting. Experience with ProFx was very pleasant. I wish they dealt with more brands.

Ryuu.

Congratulations. That's a good combination you have got there. Being a KEF user I feel another amp could have made them sing better, however, that is for another time probably.

Would this be your Music only setup? If yes, then Raspberry Pi running Volumio or Rune is a great idea. I used to run Pi&Hifiberry Digi+ combo with an SMSL Sanskrit DAC. The distro I used was Volumio. It was great headless setup. I have now moved on to a proper HTPC setup, which I finder more convenient and better sounding.

MaSh

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Ryuu

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Happy to help. Your experience with the KEF's surprise me. The Q300 in my books are the best sounding stand mounts money can buy (At its price point). I do understand that each person has a different take on what they want from their music so won't comment further.

Polks tend to favor bass more and this is what most people like about them.

KEF's lean towards being tonally accurate. However; I will admit that not all their speakers are great. Having spent a lot of time with an old iQ9, their new Q900 is nowhere near the speaker model it replaces. I have not heard any of their budget stuff priced below 40k too. The Q300 used to sell for as low as 30k once upon a time. It is almost half a lac today!

Enjoy your new stereo.

[Ryuu]

@sandeepmohan

It was probably the amp. Anyway, it was way past my budget so didn't bother asking them to switch with some other amp.

Originally Posted by mashmash

Would this be your Music only setup? If yes, then Raspberry Pi running Volumio or Rune is a great idea. I used to run Pi&Hifiberry Digi+ combo with an SMSL Sanskrit DAC. The distro I used was Volumio. It was great headless setup. I have now moved on to a proper HTPC setup, which I finder more convenient and better sounding.
MaSh

Mostly, yes. 75% music and 25% TV and Movies. This is for my dad who loves music of all kinds and generations. But I do intend to hook them up to TV as well. For that I'll buy some DAC with an optical input ( Like the FIIO D03K) if it gets the job done, then I will look no further. After going through the reviews and doing some research, I ordered the BOSS DAC and RPI3 (Thanks to S U N for the pointer, otherwise I would have never found it). At 7K, I will have the provision of USB and bluetooth added to the Yamaha. Seemed like a good deal.

[mashmash]

Originally Posted by Ryuu

Mostly, yes. 75% music and 25% TV and Movies. This is for my dad who loves music of all kinds and generations. But I do intend to hook them up to TV as well. For that I'll buy some DAC with an optical input ( Like the FIIO D03K) if it gets the job done, then I will look no further. After going through the reviews and doing some research, I ordered the BOSS DAC and RPI3 (Thanks to S U N for the pointer, otherwise I would have never found it). At 7K, I will have the provision of USB and bluetooth added to the Yamaha. Seemed like a good deal.

What are your sources for TV, Movies, Music? D03k works great to convert a digital source to stereo analog.

Along with USB and Bluetooth, you will also have Airplay and DLNA. If you are using USB, make sure you connect a drive that is self-powered. Pi will not be able to power a USB drive sufficiently. Pen Dive is no issue though.

MaSh

[Ryuu]

Originally Posted by mashmash

What are your sources for TV, Movies, Music? D03k works great to convert a digital source to stereo analog.

Along with USB and Bluetooth, you will also have Airplay and DLNA. If you are using USB, make sure you connect a drive that is self-powered. Pi will not be able to power a USB drive sufficiently. Pen Dive is no issue though.

MaSh

For Music and Movies: Chromecast and Pendrive. For TV, airtel STB. I'll route all the audio through optical to D03K and into the receiver. For standalone music listening, I'll use the Pi with DAC. For some reason Chromecast is not working with my TV anymore (no signal) so have to find an alternative- maybe a firestick.

Ryuu

[Az_Dan]

Hi Guys, need recommendations on an HTIB or Soundbar with a subwoofer. My budget is Rs. 40k. So far I have only been using an 8-year-old creative 2.1 speakers I got for Rs. 1200. I don't have a good reference point. My usage will mostly be TV content (40% of the time), Music (40% of the time) and Movies in 1080p (20% of the time). Please advise for the following:
1. Onkyo HT-S3800
2. Yamaha YHT 2910
3. Sony HT CT790 soundbar

Any other recommendation? Thank you in anticipation.

Regards.

[mashmash]

Originally Posted by Az_Dan

Hi Guys, need recommendations on an HTIB or Soundbar with a subwoofer. My budget is Rs. 40k. So far I have only been using an 8-year-old creative 2.1 speakers I got for Rs. 1200. I don't have a good reference point. My usage will mostly be TV content (40% of the time), Music (40% of the time) and Movies in 1080p (20% of the time). Please advise for the following:
1. Onkyo HT-S3800
2. Yamaha YHT 2910
3. Sony HT CT790 soundbar

Any other recommendation? Thank you in anticipation.

Regards.

Out of the three pick the Yamaha. You can upgrade the speaker once you are surer of what you want. This Onkyo does not support Active Subwoofer which a Big negative and a pain to upgrade later on. Remember, this setup will not be your last setup. It's a vicious circle and the upgrade bug will bite. How soon, will depend on what you start with.

However, if you are looking to get really good sound quality, I would suggest building your setup slowly in stages. Get a receiver and a pair of speakers. Run it in Stereo mode. A sub will be a good add on at this stage for a nice 2.1 setup. For the second stage, add rear surrounds and a center to complete your 5.1 setup. This is the common route taken by people on a budget looking for a great setup.

There are various permutations that can be put in place, for example in stage 1, get a receiver, a pair of small bookshelf speakers and a Subwoofer (2.1setup). For stage 2, use the existing bookshelf as rear surrounds and get better bigger bookshelves/floor standers for front and a Center.

There are multiple brands you can pick from depending on your budget. For receivers, Marantz NR/SR series, Denon X series, Pioneer, Onkyo, etc are good and popular brands. Pick one based on connectivity options, auto setup version, budget, etc. For speakers, you can choose from Polk, Dali, Elac, Kef, etc. Audition is the Key, you got to audition as many setups as possible to understand the sound signature of each speaker amplifier combination and pick the one you like. Do carry your own media(good quality FLAC and Bluray discs) with you for auditions.

MaSh

[S_U_N]

Originally Posted by Ryuu

For Music and Movies: Chromecast and Pendrive. For TV, airtel STB. I'll route all the audio through optical to D03K and into the receiver. For standalone music listening, I'll use the Pi with DAC. For some reason Chromecast is not working with my TV anymore (no signal) so have to find an alternative- maybe a firestick.

Ryuu

Good to see you are all set.
I have not used Chromecast, but I do have a Fire TV stick and it is a 'paisa vasool' device - as long as you have a working Internet connection and it is about 2 Mbps at a minimum.

The D03K DAC is quite cheap and gets the job done. You will need an optical cable (I am using the Amazon basics one which has not disappointed me) and an RCA cable to connect between the DAC and the Yamaha amplifier.

I switched from Volumio to MoOde several months ago - I won't say there was any jump in audio quality, but maybe my setup or my listening skills are not good enough.

Someone with far more experience has auditioned my setup a few weeks ago and said it was complete bang for the buck.

[Az_Dan]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

I have the B5 with me. Any specific queries?

I am thinking of ordering the Fidelio B5/12 from Amazon India website, are these the best soundbars within 45k range? I do not want the hassle of setting up and wiring a 5.1, i think they are too intrusive. Also, am not an audiophile. Are you happy as a consumer with the product or you wish you could have bought something better?

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by Az_Dan

I am thinking of ordering the Fidelio B5/12 from Amazon India website, are these the best soundbars within 45k range? I do not want the hassle of setting up and wiring a 5.1, i think they are too intrusive. Also, am not an audiophile. Are you happy as a consumer with the product or you wish you could have bought something better?

I got the B5 for the same reasons. The novelty of surround on demand was very appealing to me. For TV and random movie watching, keep it in stereo. A bluray of Avengers or an Iron Maiden concert, pop out the two speakers and place them in the rear and voila, instabliss.

But the only reason i even considered them was because i got a good deal on a packing damaged unit from the company for half the price. I can't imagine spending 35k+ on this or any other HT setup

Sounds good, thunders and rumbles around, highs might be a bit off but not enough to note unless you try playing your FLACs through it.

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by heydj

if there is a amp in between car stereo and speakers then technically speaking setup should be okay, provided RMS ratings match.

So, how to power the car stereo?
Would there be any off the shelf adapters which provides 12V output for car stereo from the supply?

If so, could you please suggest any?

[500ContyCruiser]

Not sure if anyone has tried this setup.

I am trying this,



I see both audio and video are going to Monitor and dont hear anything via Onkyo. I tried with different settings in Onkyo Receiver, nothing seems to be working.

Also tried,
Laptop -> HDMI Splitter -> Onkyo -> Monitor.
This shows only built-in Onkyo menu.

[r_devakumar]

Originally Posted by 500ContyCruiser

Also tried,
Laptop -> HDMI Splitter -> Onkyo -> Monitor.
This shows only built-in Onkyo menu.

Why do you need HDMI splitter here? Laptop --> Onkyo --> Monitor should get the job done, isn't it?