Whats your pick John ? Any other experts...take your pick !
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New member Username: KishoreDubai Post Number: 3 Registered: Dec-07 | Hi John...took ur tip..read the details on the link...also went and heard quite a few speakers and their performances...and i'm now thoroughly confused!! In Dubai there are these packages that are being offered. 1. ONKYO-TXSR705 & JAMO SPEAKERS WITH 250w output combination of 5 speakers. 2. YAMAHA RX-N600/RXV-661 & BOSE ACOUSTIMASS 15. 3. Harmon Kardon AVR 245/445/247 with JBL Northbridge E80/E10/E150/EC25. Basically the more popular/available speakers in Dubai are Bose, Jamo, Wharfedale, Def Tech, Infinity, Harman Kardon, JBL, Focal JM Labs AV Receivers are Onkyo, Harman Kardon, Denon, Yamaha, Marantz & NAD. The dealers who make the combos typically have the following brands within which they make the mixes... Dealer 1 - Onkyo / Denon / NAD / Jamo / Wharfedale / Focal JM Labs. Dealer 2 - Bose / Denon / Yamaha Dealer 3 - Harmon Kardon / JBL / Infinity I plan to spend approx $2000 on the AV/DVD player and Speakers...and my living room size where I plan to place my home theatre system is 13ft * 17ft....and the distance from the TV to my couch is 9 ft...I've already picked up a 42 inch plasma from panasonic as mentioned earlier...and hey thanx for the compliment on that one. Not sure, if this is sufficient for you to help me decide my home theatre...but I definately need HELP !! Things I thought would be useful info : 1. I'm more into movies than music 2. I'd like a radio AM/FM feature 3. I like the Yamaha N600 feature of a USB port and its internet connectivity feature..with my wireless lan at home..it'd be useful to plug into internet radio..and most of my music is in MP3 format in my lap top..so thought a USB port connectivity can be easy for music access.. 4. I've an Xbox & regular satelite TV & and iPOD which also needs to be plugged in thru the AV. THIS IS MY FIRST BUY!! HENCE CAN UPGRADE LATER WHEN I HAVE A PERSONAL HOME THEATRE ROOM..FOR NOW I NEED SOMETHING GOOD FOR THE EARS..MORE THAN A SONY HOME THEATRE OF SORTS..NOT JUST BASIC..AND IS ALSO BANG FOR A BUCK!! |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 2048 Registered: Feb-04 | Hey Kishore, let's get something straight here --- I am no expert, so you really must take my comments with the proverbial grain of salt. Of course, not considering myself as an expert doesn't prevent me from having an opinion. I should also add here that I don't go around town auditioning equipment, especially speakers. I therefore hesitate to recommend any particular speaker system except to say that you should stick with the same brand and series within that brand for the sake of timbre matching. Also, if I leave something out (like Jamo or Focal) it's because I know next to nothing about them. Your short list of dealer system options is interesting. Apparently it is common for retailers throughout the mid and far east to "bundle" surround systems from the lines they carry. While many of these systems offer better performance than the average HTiBs, they also tend to encourage you to buy it all at one place, which is good for them but maybe not ideal for you. Over here, AV gear is mostly sold on a individual basis, leaving the actual matching of components up to the consumer. None of these receivers stick out as the clear choice for you, feature wise. The Onkyo 705 is getting high praise and is the most "future proof" one here. This is due to its full HDMI 1.3 support with full lossless digital format support and decoding (DD TrueHD, and DTS-MA, and also DD+). It will send all video signals input to the receiver (composite, S-video, component) out via its HDMI output, thus making a single HDMI wire to the display a reality. Over the years, I have found Onkyo's owner's manuals and ergonomics to be very user friendly. The 705 also won The Perfect Vision magazine's editor's choice award for 2007. This is high praise indeed, as I have found them to be pretty picky. There's only one problem with this unit. Onkyo has elected to unstall a USB connection only on its $2000 flagship receiver. So no USB on the 705. I've not had much experience with Yamaha. They do enjoy an excellent reputation for performance and reliability. The 600 seems OK for an entry-level receiver. It has no HDMI connections, but that isn't necessarily a deal breaker. The 661 does have HDMI 1.2a connectivity, but the USB input is dropped. If I had to choose between these three dealer options, I would go with the HK/JBL combo. But only with the HK 445, as this is the first in their line that has USB. It also has enough reserve power to drive the JBLs and its warm sound would match well with these speakers, imo. The drawback to the HK is that its HDMI inputs are switching only. With respect to digital audio you would have to use the standard optical or coax connection, which means you would be limited to the old DD and DTS bitstreams from standard DVD players. Finally, I would stay away from Bose at all costs. All their audio systems are overpriced and underperforming. Their appeal is that they can usually get by the decorator police of the residence. |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 2049 Registered: Feb-04 | Hey, somebody else chime in here too!  |
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New member Username: Brayski98Post Number: 8 Registered: Jul-06 | Your desires are similar to mine. I am into movies and like the sound. I also want to plug in my iPod and Wii. I bought a Pioneer AV receiver. If you skimp, do it in the electronics. But not the speakers. That is where you'll get the best sound. I have built speakers from speaker city in Burbank. Nice components inside each speaker. I have friends who are audiophiles and use them as well. I have 5 MTM speakers and a powered subwoofer. I think I have about 2k in them. The receiver was $369 and I have it doing most of the video switching. It also controls my iPod with the receiver remote and displays it on my TV. I've had an issue with HDMI switching, but turns out to be in my TV. |
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New member Username: KishoreDubai Post Number: 4 Registered: Dec-07 | Thanks a million!! Now there's some kind of direction in which i can go about this whole thing...maybe you are no expert...but hey your views on this maked my life that much easier..cos i've got no views...ask me my views on banking and investing and i can come up with some interesting ideas!! Now I got a few questions : 1. Without the USB port..is it possible to connect my laptop to the AV thru the headphone jack ? And when thats done, does it reduce the quality of music ? Cos' then the USB port is not much of a deal breaker... 2. Since the Onkyo seems like winning most laurels (not just in your views...but seems to be the case with most other people and websites )..guess I'll go with it...but can the JBL speakers series go hand in hand ? 3. Where can i get a view on speakers...especially if i want something thats compatible with the Onkyo AVs ? 4. Guess you are right..Bose with its design and wireless options just seems to win the hearts of decorater of the home !! Guess the only reason that even I almost fell prey... |
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New member Username: KishoreDubai Post Number: 5 Registered: Dec-07 | unfortunately bryan...i dont know of any reliable speaker manufacturers...else i would fully go with em..need some good advice on branded speakers... |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 2052 Registered: Feb-04 | 1. Without the USB port..is it possible to connect my laptop to the AV thru the headphone jack ? And when thats done, does it reduce the quality of music ? Cos' then the USB port is not much of a deal breaker... On notebook computers, headphone jacks may have a volume control knob or slider nearby. If you must use the headphone jack to connect to an external stereo, start with the volume control at about one fifth of the way up to minimize noise. A better solution for notebooks is to use an external digital-to-analog converter that connects to the USB. With any type of connection, always start with the volume control of your stereo receiver or preamp turned all the way down and adjust it only after your computer is turned on and all cables are connected. http://www.teamcombooks.com/mp3handbook/10.htm 2. Since the Onkyo seems like winning most laurels (not just in your views...but seems to be the case with most other people and websites )..guess I'll go with it...but can the JBL speakers series go hand in hand ? All I can say is that over the years, Onkyo has gotten sort of a 'neutral' sound reputation. If true, I consider this a good thing. It makes matching their receivers with any number of speakers much easier. But the only way to find out for sure is to audition this combination for yourself, preferably in your home. This could be very difficult --- especially if the speakers and the receiver come from different retailers. 3. Where can i get a view on speakers...especially if i want something thats compatible with the Onkyo AVs ? Beats me. Even if there was some source such as this, it would boil down to someone's subjective opinion. The only thing that counts is your ears in your room. Regarding #4, I won't bash Bose anymore. They are obviously very sucessful at filling a market niche, and making a handsome profit doing it. |
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Platinum Member Username: Project6Post Number: 14359 Registered: Dec-03 | I am not a big fan of Onkyo. I am not too fond of their weak power supplies and I think that they sound a little on the tinny side. (My opinion...yours will differ). With its feature set, however, it is tough to beat. But I lean towards the sound part of things and how well it reproduces the material I like. USB...HDMI...etc, all take a back seat for me. Things are different nowadays. But the choices that you have makes me gravitate towards the Harman Kardon and Definitive Technology (Jamo is excellent as well)combination. I have heard a lot of those combinations and I think that they work rather well. But the best thing to do is go to your dealer, have some tea and listen to the equipment using your own material....but please, no MP3s or any compressed sound format. |
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