Budget = 3 Lakhs, No idea what to buy !

hi madhur,

Tell me where do you live ? what kind of music you listen to ? Do you want a good home theatre or a two channel stereo setup ? If you want both then what is the ratio of your movie v/s music listening time ?

What kind of sound do you like ? loud and agressive ? soft and delicate ? somewhere in between ? do you like solid state sound or tube amp sound ?

lets begin with these questions !!!

Hi Manek,

Many thanks for the prompt response.
I live in Nagpur (Maharashtra). I think i tend towards watching movies more often than listening to music.
I prefer good solid rock, funky pop music and Ghazals, for example: Bryan Adams, Linkin Park, Dire Straits, Madonna, Lucky Ali and Jagjit singh. I have a personal collection of over 260 CD's now (collectd over the past 6 years).

I guess in true layman style i would say that i want everything that i listen to sound good on the speakers that I buy. But from your choice set to this question, i guess i would prefer something that is somewhere in between.

I am sorry but i do not know what solid state sound or tube amp sound mean!

I hope that my above answers help you in helping me find the dream combination !

Thanks

Madhur

great madhur....its a start....

What you need is a home theatre system which also plays good stereo music. Not many do that but since you say 3 lakhs is your budget I see not much of a problem.

You also dont ned to invest separately into a stereo and a home theatre setup and should go in for one which does both well...a sort of jack of all trades.

Since I dont know the nagpur market well, what you need to help me out with is what equipment are you exposed to in nagpur ???? what can you go and audition ? If not in nagpur...do you have any plans of picking up stuff from pune/bombay ? Depending on that we can move forward.

BTW what would be the size of your listening/viewing room ?

Manek.

Hi Manek,

Nagpur does not have any Hi-Fi equipment vendors. The only audio systems are the small all-in-one systems by the likes of Sony, BPL, etc. However I will try and find out once more if there are any dealers/vendors i missed.

Other than that I guess i will have to venture out to Pune/Bombay to get the equipment. However I am really not sure how I would check the equipment, the integrity of the dealer, the track record of the dealer, besides other concerns like how would the delivery be made to Nagpur and who would install the system for me. I guess living in Nagpur presents all these challenges in my case.

The size of my room is about 175-200 square feet. The room has one clear wall (left undisturbed because i knew i would buy my system some day) and about 12 feet depth in front of it. On either side of this clear wall there is free space of about 6 feet.

Also at present I have a Philips DVD/VCD player (one of the new ones being advertised on TV) just FYI. I also have a Videocon 21 inch TV with a built in subwoofer.

I hope this presents a clear picture of my present state.

Awaiting reply.

Madhur

madhur...you could try looking for an Xcanvas shop in Nagpur....maybe you will find it....they usually carry LG plasma, Onkyo HT amps and B&W speakers. If there is no Xcanvas shops in Nagput then Pune/Bombay are your only hope.

Which place is closer to you ? Pune should be closer right ?In both Pune and Bombay I can introduce you to reliable Dealers who will be able to help you out. I have dealt with them in the past. I dont know if they will come all they way to nagpur for installation but then that is what you will need to talk to them about.

Would you like a 5.1 home theatre or would you watch movies/DVD's in two channel stereo ? VCD's are all two channel stereo.

Manek.

Manek,

Pune and Bombay are almost equidistant from here. So it does not matter as long as I get the right equipment, right price and an honest dealer.

I would like a setup with which i can watch VCD's and also DVD's. Because some of the new movies come out in VCD's while the original american/english films are on DVD. Hence the need for a system which does justice to both the formats.

I will certainly take you up on the offer to introduce me to certain dealers. Thanks for the same.

Awaiting your recommended config for the system. Also please let me know if i can attach a voltage stab to the system so that i can protect my system against voltage fluctuations and spikes? or is there something more sophisticated in the audio world which does exactly that?

Madhur

hi madhur...

Yes you will need a good voltage stabilizer for your system. Otherwise power problems can create hell for you.

Bombay has a more audio dealers and ranges than pune would but you get some fine stiff there as well.

You need a good Home theatre amp from either Onkyo, Denon or NAD. NAD would give you better stereo reproduction than onkyo and denon. Onkyo and Denon are multiformat specialist and will play DVD's well but stereo would not be as good as NAD. NAD also gives very good HT performance.

Onkyo is officially present in India with Hq at chennai. Denon is sold officially via distributors and so is NAD.
With the HT amp you will need a Cd/CVD/DVD player which handles the formats for you. I recommend you go in for a player from the same manufacturer as the amp. That way both pieces have synergies.

Speakers are a different ballgame altogether....jus depends on the tone of voice. Your best bet for HT amp would be either onkyo or denon.

Your choice of 5.1 HT speakers in bombay would be B&W, Jamo, PSB, Kef, Wharfedale, Quad etc. I recommend you make a visit to bombay for a day or two and hear/see all of them out. And then try and fit them into your budget. All of the above have good stuff that fits in your budget....dont know if you want to but a flat plasma screen as well.

Manek.

Hi Manek,

I have noted all the details down as per your advice.I will be visiting Bombay in July to personally check out these systems.

I have a few more questions:
1) Will the dealer arrange the HT as you suggeted for audition purposes? Speaakers, CD/DVD players and TV panel ?

2) Can you please recommend some good dealers where i could go with peace of mind for good equipment and good service?

3) What is the mode of buying from dealers? Do they take an order and then deliver after 3-4 weeks? If so then how much money do they usually ask for as advance? IS this business legal in India and do they give receipts for the transaction? What happens if the delivery is made but the equipment turns out to be damaged?

I am sorry i know these are pesky questions but i really need every bit if operational info before i get into this.

Thanks manek, I really appreciate your expert advice in helping me select the right system.

Madhur

hi madhur....

ask as many questions as you want to and I'll try my best to answer. After all thats what audiophilia is all about.

First of all let me let give you the names of dealers and what you can expect to see/hear from them :

1) Cinebels at crossroads tardeo and bandra.
Jamo spekaers, Denon amps and cd palyers, fujitsu plasma

2) Bose at cross roads
Bose speakers and digital console(amp and cdp combined)

3) LG canvas at cross roads
B&W speakers, Onkyo amps and cdp's and lg plasma

4) Pro fx at crossroads
Kef and pro fx speakers, denon amps and cd players

5) Designer audio at marine drive
Wharfedale and quad speakers, marantz and audio analogue amps and cdp

6) lakozy at chowpatty
PSB speakers, NAD amps and cdp's, onkyo amps and cdp's

7) J&B sound bandra (opposite amarsons)
Cadence speakers, Boston acoustics speakers, onkyo amps, nad amps, onkyo cdp's and nad cdp's and pioneer cdp's

8) Soundsmiths at marine drive
Dynaudio speakers, dali speakers, Sherwood and rega and mcormack and cayin amps, Rega cdp's

9) Vijay sales at prabhadevi
Mission speakers, Yamaha speakers, yamaha amps and cd players

All the ones I have mentioned do business via legal channels. They give you an invoice and a warranty. Jamo, Bose and B&W give 5 yrs warranty on their speakers. Every other brand gives one year. If anything goes wrong then it is the buyers responsibility to get the equipment to the point of sale for repairs/replacement. Thats how all the dealers work.

is the above info OK ?

do write and let me know. if you have more queries...I'm always there !

manek.