HT setup - help needed

V

vint

Contributor
Hi,
I was referred to this forum by Jerin. I’m basically in the process of setting up a HT audio system. My room is around 15x15. I will be mainly using it for playing games with my X360 and PS2 (maybe a PS3 sometime in the future  ), I might be using it for watching dvd movies and occasionally/rarely for listening to music from my ipod.

Based on some of the comments here, I went and auditioned Onkyo HT3105, yest in onkyo showroom at Blore. I played some of my fav hip-hop songs and I felt that the bass was a bit weak or rather it quite didn’t meet my expectations. I asked the same to the shopkeeper and he said that it had a passive subwoofer and that’s the best it can give, the models with active subwoofer was priced at or above 30k, which is beyond my budget !

Now my q is, with this sort of lower bass (there was heavy distortion, once the bass was set above 3DdB), can I still get a very good experience while playing video games/movies? Does this passive sub degrade my video game / movie experience in any way ?

If I go in for a custom setup instead of HTIB, can I get a better system in the same budget (20k) which can give me a good exp w.r.t movies/games ?

Sorry if my questions sound a bit noobish, I’m completely new to this HT thingy :)
 
Just wait for sangram/chaos/greenhorn to reply - they are some of the masters of this genre!

Until then do a search - there are a few threads where topics around HT audio is discussed.
 
a separates system won't fit in that budget,

if you want to go separates way settle for a entry level amp and decent pair bookshelves for startes and and then lose the amp in the future get a Harmon Kardon, Cambridge Audio or better still Marantz avr for about 20k and keep on adding components as and when possible.

The dream system is product of an organic process and cant be had overnight even if you had the moolah.

My recommendations would go for the HK jbl setup sangram has picked in the thread above and later on replace the fronts with decent booksleves.
 
^^ ok, will see if i can find it at my place. another q is, if i'm looking for movies and games, what kind of features should i be looking at ?
 
ok. Will check if i can find jbl 140.5 at my place and give it a try too before finalizing :) If there is anything else you can think of , post it here.

thanks for the help :)
 
Had an audition of jbl scs 140.5, it was just okie :no: . The bass was very meek, i asked the guy to increase it and he says - 'thats the max sir' ! The total package along with HK AVR was 30k, looks like onkyo is back on da table !
 
Hi Vinit. I have an Onkyo HTiB and its abt 2 yrs old now. I use it regularly for watching dvds and playing on the Xbox 360. While gaming, the surround sound is very enveloping and the bass is more than enough to wake up the neighbours ....but i havent demo-ed the model ur considering. Music is not ideally suited when talking abt HT systems with a budget of 20k.But u can try the DSP modes available on the Onkyo receiver where u can switch between Direct,Stereo,Surround modes for a better listening experience as per ur liking. If possible, carry ur console to the showroom and see if they let u try it on the Onkyo model ur interested in. I havent had any problems with my Onkyo HT system, since ive had it *touchwood* and am more than satisfied with its performance for the price i paid for it at that time which was 26K. Hope u will find the system that offers what ur lookin for...
 
Two quick points on the 140.5

1. I had the opposite experience of yours, I found the bass very boomy at the default settings. I usually take the remote control in my own hands as I find most showroom attendants clueless about settings on stereo amps, let alone receivers. I think your dependance on the attendant would have hampered your experience, as there are controls on the back of the sub and on the receiver. For best results fiddling with both is required. Additionally, placement and the nature of the room have a huge role in bass reproduction. A square room or one that is too small will not allow the bass to develop correctly, causing the impression of 'wrong' bass.

2. I got the one with the Pioneer receiver, not the HK. The HK receiver adds 5K to the cost and it isn't worth the difference.
 
^^ Hmmm. Can you tell me where did you get this AVR and how many inputs it has? I was actually planning to just audition the JBL speakers there and get an AVR seperately. But I couldn't find any AVR under 20k, if you have got the whole package for 25k(pioneer + JBL), then even I can have a look at the AVR.

And any thoughts on philips HTS 4750/98 ? Its HTiB though !
 
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