5.1 home theatre suggestions

[recom273]

My old LG home theatre receiver died this week, and I have been looking through the internet for a replacement, I’m not interested in a soundbar and choice of consumer level systems seems outdated and limited.

 

Could anyone point me into an entry level a/v receiver - I don’t need Bluetooth, all the cables are already hidden away in my living room, or a new updated system. I guess I could get away with spending 20-40k.

 

All suggestions gratefully received.

 

 

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[Airalee]

NAD makes decent entry level equipment.

 

http://www.conice.co.th/Products/NAD/Theatre-Series/NAD-T748.html

[KittenKong]

3 hours ago, recom273 said:

Could anyone point me into an entry level a/v receiver - I don’t need Bluetooth, all the cables are already hidden away in my living room, or a new updated system. I guess I could get away with spending 20-40k.

My Yamaha RX-V579 was priced at the very bottom end of your price range. It does everything I need and it sounds like it would do everything you need also. I expect that a newer model exists now at around the same price.

 

[recom273]

My Yamaha RX-V579 was priced at the very bottom end of your price range. It does everything I need and it sounds like it would do everything you need also. I expect that a newer model exists now at around the same price.
 

OK .. On paper the RX-V581 looks like it fits the bill, it has a few features that appeal, airstream, can communicate with Alexa, wifi, etc.

There is a specialist home cinema shop in my local big C, maybe I can demo that receiver .. I know it’s a little defeatist, but I plan to use my LG speakers and then upgrade when the missus isn’t looking. How much is a set of speakers going to set me back .. ballpark.


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[Airalee]

24 minutes ago, recom273 said:

How much is a set of speakers going to set me back .. ballpark. 

How much do you want to spend?

 

Are you OK with second hand gear?  There are a couple places that I came across on Facebook with good deals on second hand high end audio gear.  One is “ร้าน Hi-Fi-99 ผู้ให้ความบันเทิง” and the other is “Boonyarat2013”.

 

Personally, I prefer to buy second hand high end audio as it sounds much much better than the mass market stuff.  You won’t get the connectivity (Bluetooth, Alexa, etc.) unless you spend a fortune, but you’ll get much better sound.  

Edited August 22, 2018 by Airalee

[KittenKong]

27 minutes ago, recom273 said:

How much is a set of speakers going to set me back .. ballpark.

In Thailand? Much more than they are worth. And you will get little choice.

 

I bought some remaindered (demo) Boston Acoustic speakers from Numchai and was pleased with what I got for 7000B. New ones would have been about 20,000.

 

Yamaha also make speakers, and they seem to be quite reasonably priced here though I have never auditioned them. All new Yamaha amps come with Musiccast, which is an interesting alternative to streaming systems like Sonos and may be of interest to you. Some Yamaha speakers also have built-in Musiccast.

The fact that Yamaha also makes a large number of good quality musical instruments gives me hope that their electronic products will also sound good. And my amp certainly does not disappoint.

 

As mentioned, second-hand may be a good idea if you can find somewhere that sells them.

[Airalee]

One more thing to consider.

 

How much will you be using this for music vs movies?

 

If it were my money, I would just put together a nice 2.1 system.  I would recommend a nice integrated amp and a DVD/CD player  but I don’t know what your intentions are.  

[recom273]

Mostly streaming movies from my NAS, I have already invested in plumbing in decent cables, custom built stands. I have a decent sound system in my office upstairs.



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[Airalee]

Ok...I have to admit that I wouldn’t know what to recommend when it comes to the latest technology (streaming etc).  I’m still using a 15 year old Bryston/B&W system with no frills...not even a remote control.

 

Hope you are able to find what you’re looking for. ?

Edited August 22, 2018 by Airalee

[recom273]

Ok...I have to admit that I wouldn’t know what to recommend when it comes to the latest technology (streaming etc).  I’m still using a 15 year old Bryston/B&W system with no frills...not even a remote control.
 
Hope you are able to find what you’re looking for. [emoji846]

Exactly. Spend time and money looking and it will last for time.

I’m really encouraged by what I see in the way of home integration, auto setup .. the Yamaha’s look good!


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[scotsman]

https://www.piyanas.com/?p_home=home   Have a look in this website they do have a showroom in Pattaya and many in Bangkok I bought a Yamaha receiver from them a few years back they were very helpful.

 

Regards 

Scotsman 

[Jai Dee]

On 8/22/2018 at 10:48 PM, recom273 said:

I know it’s a little defeatist, but I plan to use my LG speakers and then upgrade when the missus isn’t looking.

What impedance are your speakers? Probably only 4 ohm.

 

Most mid to high end receivers are configured for 8 ohm speakers.

 

An entry level Marantz receiver such as the NR1608 will provide you with 7.2 channel 4K ultra HD and either 2.4GHz/5GHZ dual band wifi or hard wired network support so connection to your NAS would be a breeze.

 

It is also supposedly compatible with 4 ohm speakers too...

 

I too would recommend Piyanas as I have made may purchases there over the years and found them to be very helpful and professional.

[Lokie]

In UK I have 5/1 set up running KEF Q Series speakers (Q500s Front L/R, Q600 Centre, Q8 Rears & Q400 Sub) ran from a Sony AV amp, I have had this set up about five years and its great for my UK home.

 

In LOS last year for my place from BiG C, I bought a Samsung 200W soundbar with wireless sub and rears (Has Bluetooth, Line Aux and HDMI inputs) this setup was not that much overall but I am more than pleased with sound reproduction for what it is and convenience of no cables all over the Gaff

[Formaleins]

Take a look at Maranz, they are good value and pretty good quality.

I still use my old 4200 that is almost 20 years old now and is still pretty versatile using 5.1.

[recom273]

Just to tie all this up, hopefully help others.

 

On 8/22/2018 at 6:33 PM, KittenKong said:

My Yamaha RX-V579 was priced at the very bottom end of your price range. It does everything I need and it sounds like it would do everything you need also. I expect that a newer model exists now at around the same price.

 

 

I ended up with a Yamaha V-RX585 because it offered   features that I was looking for - Such as airplay and WIFI. I found it in the last Lazada sale at 16,000B. reduced from 20,000B. The receiver came with good reviews and was a price I could afford.

 

Yes, the old speakers were 4 ohm, I used them for a couple of weeks, but it wasn't a good idea.

 

On 8/24/2018 at 11:40 AM, Jai Dee said:

What impedance are your speakers? Probably only 4 ohm.

 

Most mid to high end receivers are configured for 8 ohm speakers.

 

An entry level Marantz receiver such as the NR1608 will provide you with 7.2 channel 4K ultra HD and either 2.4GHz/5GHZ dual band wifi or hard wired network support so connection to your NAS would be a breeze.

 

It is also supposedly compatible with 4 ohm speakers too...

 

I too would recommend Piyanas as I have made may purchases there over the years and found them to be very helpful and professional.

 

I looked at budget entry speaker packages such as Yamaha NS SP1800BL and Polk TS 1600, it seemed that the speakers had a fair review but were around 15000THB, plastic construction and physically smaller than the LG system they were replacing. The Polk Audio speakers are now discontinued, either package would need to be imported from Korea, so would be risking import duty.

 

Im in Hat Yai, I visited Hat Yai Audio to find a solution, only to find it out of business. We do have a store selling second hand high end kit, but his stock seemed and looked to be outdated, im presuming this is imported from Japan.

 

I stumbled upon a place online the best picture super audio service, the guy was as helpful as he could be with his limited English via LINE messenger, and put the project on hold.

 

A few weeks later, I received a promo-message - He had Polk T50 + 15 + 30 speakers in a package for 25,000THB. This was around the price I was looking for, the reviews were pretty good. So I took up his offer.

 

I researched a Polk Subwoofer, the PSW seemed to match my entry level speakers, but with mediocre reviews I upgraded to the HTS 12". I found this at 30,000 THB reduced from 60,000 THB.

 

All arrived, new cables at 80B/M

 

As mentioned previously, I think in comparison we pay a lot more than Europe or the states. I don't think this was the best method to purchase speakers, but it really worked for me. I took a chance and im amazed at the setup, the dimensional feel in the surround sound is amazing, the sub is really nice, more of a rich feeling than the bass distortion that I accepted was the norm, from the previous setup. The high end is a bit harsh at times, but livable .. I could have spent a lot more.

 

Thanks to everyone, although just small contributions, they were really helpful - Its totally revolutionized my viewing experience. Just one issue, I had to buy a new sofa, spending so much time late night viewing, the old one just wasn't cutting it.

Edited November 3, 2018 by recom273

[Jai Dee]

Good to hear that you ended up with a good system.

11 minutes ago, recom273 said:

I took a chance and im amazed at the setup, the dimensional feel in the surround sound is amazing,

For those that have never experienced a surround sound system and have opted to go with soundbars, this is a good endorsement.

 

I hope you have many hours of viewing and listening pleasure. 

[recom273]

13 minutes ago, Jai Dee said:

Good to hear that you ended up with a good system.

For those that have never experienced a surround sound system and have opted to go with soundbars, this is a good endorsement.

 

I hope you have many hours of viewing and listening pleasure. 

I can't stand the sound of modern TV, the viewing experience is amazing at such a cheap price these days, but the audio from built-in speakers or a soundbar just doesn't do modern production justice.

I discovered HBO's 'The Deuce' last week .. there were a couple of times I jumped up to check the outside window because I thought I heard a car door slam or a small dog bark. Just amazing.

Edited November 3, 2018 by recom273

[KittenKong]

On 8/24/2018 at 11:40 AM, Jai Dee said:

What impedance are your speakers? Probably only 4 ohm.

 

Most mid to high end receivers are configured for 8 ohm speakers.

A bit late, but my Yamaha amp has a menu selector to switch between 4 and 8 Ohms.

[recom273]

24 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

A bit late, but my Yamaha amp has a menu selector to switch between 4 and 8 Ohms.

Yup thanks for the tip. No, its a 6 or 8 ohm choice, not a 4.

 

Over the life of the LG system, we replaced the all the speakers several times - they had these nice looking - intriguing domed foam tweeters, that a string of people walked in the house and poked their fingers into, crushing the dome in the process. LG charged us around 200-300B per speaker including shipping. 

 

The old sub was a passive, so needed replacing .. Using speakers that LG sold us at 1500B wasn't really an effective use of the 16,000B amp.

 

It was really time for an upgrade.

Edited November 3, 2018 by recom273

[Airalee]

If anyone is interested, HiFi 99 at fashion island just got a Bryston SP1 surround processor and a Lexicon (essentially a rebadged Bryston) 5 channel amplifier in stock.  

[KittenKong]

1 hour ago, recom273 said:

No, its a 6 or 8 ohm choice, not a 4.

I just checked the manual and you're right. I've never used it and was just quoting from memory. The choice of 6 or 8 might be useful for someone though.

[dddave]

Kudos to the OP for following up. 

I miss having a decent audio system but I live in a condo unit with cement floors that carry sound like a drumhead so I wouldn't be able to play it at a realistic level.  Soundbar and good, Sennheiser 

headphones my only alternative.

[Airalee]

3 hours ago, dddave said:

Kudos to the OP for following up. 

I miss having a decent audio system but I live in a condo unit with cement floors that carry sound like a drumhead so I wouldn't be able to play it at a realistic level.  Soundbar and good, Sennheiser 

headphones my only alternative.

I just recently put together a decent system and so far haven’t gotten any complaints from neighbors.  I think that as long as the speakers and subwoofer are somewhat decoupled from the floor, the sound transmission shouldn’t be significant.  It does take some hunting to find the good deals however as most equipment is overpriced here in Thailand.

[marcusarelus]

I game but what do you watch in surround sound?

[recom273]

I game but what do you watch in surround sound?

?? Movies and television - obviously not Thai TV, but American and UK TV.


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[KittenKong]

On 11/3/2018 at 12:33 PM, dddave said:

I miss having a decent audio system but I live in a condo unit with cement floors that carry sound like a drumhead so I wouldn't be able to play it at a realistic level.  Soundbar and good, Sennheiser headphones my only alternative.

I use my decent system in my condo without any complaints. OK, it's only a traditional 2.0 stereo configuration, and I'm not a Fast and Furious or modern music fan so they arent going boom boom all the time.

I also have some decent headphones but my speakers are on for at least 12 hours most days.

[marcusarelus]

8 hours ago, recom273 said:

 

?? Movies and television - obviously not Thai TV, but American and UK TV.


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Is 5.1 surround supported with True?  Or which service supports it?  It is not on computer with Netflix I think not all content and only Win 10 netflix ap.  I have simulated surround sound earphones (HyperX) not the same as real surround sound but OK.  I don't think there is any broadcast 7.1 sound is there? For Netflix on my computer in the audio settings for example Dr Strange it asks if you want 5.1 or 2.0 sound

Edited November 6, 2018 by marcusarelus

[marcusarelus]

I think U tube is only 2 channels.  What about Deezer?

[recom273]

3 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Is 5.1 surround supported with True?  Or which service supports it?  It is not on computer with Netflix I think not all content and only Win 10 netflix ap.  I have simulated surround sound earphones (HyperX) not the same as real surround sound but OK.  I don't think there is any broadcast 7.1 sound is there? For Netflix on my computer in the audio settings for example Dr Strange it asks if you want 5.1 or 2.0 sound

I download my US TV and stream off my NAS, I don't know about streaming services in Thailand, but I see some series ripped from US sources in 2160P, as well as the usual 1080P all with 5.1 audio, 640 kb/s. UK TV seems to slacking with 2.0/ 320 kb/s.

[recom273]

43 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

I think U tube is only 2 channels.  What about Deezer?

These services are killing music, 128kbs streaming must be punishment to your ears.

 

Storage is so cheap, you can store plenty of FLAC files, burnt to CD if the album is good enough.