5.1 Setup for £ 600 - £ 850

[rana_kirti]

Hi Frens,

Living Hall size in feet.

Length = 20’
Width = 13’
Height = 9’

Equipment:

Optoma HD65
Screen 110” or 120” Diagonal
Yamaha AVR RX V-450
Denon [style="color: blue ! important; font-family: verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; font-size: 13.3333px; position: static;"]DVD[/style] 1940

I’m planning a new 5.1 setup for the above mentioned living hall.

The Setup will be used 100 % for Movies.

I ve narrowed down a few combinations..

1. Wharfedale 9.1 + 9 CS/CM + 9 DFS/9.0 + SW 150
2. Wharfedale 10.1 + 10 CS/CM + 10 DFS/10.0 + SW 150
3. PSB Alpha B1 + Alpha C1 + Alpha LR1 + Subseries 5i

I’m yet to hear any of the combinations above. I have a few queries which you guys could help me with…

1. Since the 10.1 is rear ported will it make the screen move/wave when in operation ? As the speakers will be slightly in front of the screen and towed in.

In that case is it wiser to go with the 9.1 combination ?

2. The 9.1 is quite old which makes me wonder if it is the right choice at this point in time…?!?

3. Should I get the 9/10 DFS or the 9.0/10.0 for Surround Sound Duty ?

4. Will these speakers be able to fill the Room Size mentioned or do I need larger Speakers ?

5. Any current owners of the above mentioned combinations could give some feedback….

6. Any other packages I should consider ?

Thanks. ;-)

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

Rana_Kirti,

I would suggest you also consider the following 2 systems:

1. Up to £600.00 - Q Acoustics 2000 Cinema Pack, Mordaunt-Short Alumni

2. Up to £850.00 - KEF KHT3005SE, Monitor Audio BR2 AV

Ronald

 

[richardw42]

The BR5 AV is at 861 on petertyson

 

[rana_kirti]

Hi,

I'm consider the Q Acoustics 2000.

How ever it seems that the 2070S Subwoofer is suspect to problems.It seems some people in UK had to undergo failed Subs & replacements.

I'm keen on it since it won the best speaker package award at What Hifi last year.

But I also noticed that the Wharfedele 10.1 won the product of the year & won the best speaker award in a slightly higher price category than the Q Acoustics 2010. Which makes me believe that the 10.1 should be slightly better than the 2010.

However there is no review of a Wharfedele a 5.1 Package based on 10.1/10 CS/ 10 DFS/ SW 150. But there is a review available for the Q Acoustics 2000 as a complete package and it has also won Product of the year.

So you can see this confuses me.. lol.

What do you say ?

Thanks

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

Rana_Kirti,

There were indeed some issues with the 2070 sub and I suspect these issues have been sorted out by now.

The Q Acoustics 2000 would be a great buy.

Ronald

 

[rana_kirti]

Hi Friends...

Today i heard the following Setups...

1. Wharfedale 9.1 + 9 CS + 9 DFS + SW 150

I liked the sound... Very smooth and mellow... but forward enough to make movies sound good. The demo room was the same size as my installation hall so it kind of gave me an idea as to how it will sound at my place.

2. Wharfedale 10.1 + 10 CS + 10 DFS + SW 150

This sounded more like a movie sound than the 9.1 setup. The sound was more forward and much more exciting. It felt more alive and more in your face than the 9.1 setup which was lacking the dynamics and forwardness of the 10.1.

However i felt the 10 CS was not very clear as far as dialogue was concerned. My brother who went with me did not notice the same but i felt that the 9 CS was clearer than the 10 CS.

Now i understand that the 50-60 % of the sound comes from the center and it is the most important speaker in a 5.1 setup hence i'm kind of in a confusion because of these reasons.....

1. The 9.1 AV Package had won 5 stars with the what hifi many years ago and my assumption is that the 10.1 AV Package should also be 5 stars however there is no reviews available of the Wharfedale 10.1 + 10 CS + 10 DFS + SW 150 as a 5.1 package

2. Also... although its little brother package 9HCP (Based on 9.0 & 9 CC) had won "Best Speaker Package Awards 2005".....

However the 10HCP package (Based on 10.0 & 10 CC) got a review of only 4 stars at what hifi and they said....

"Centre channel could integrate better & The 10.CC centre channel doesn't gel with its 10.0 brethren as well as it could. You find yourself too aware of the role it is playing in the package. Dialogue sounds a tad closed-in and lacks clarity."

This makes me wonder if the 10 CS is also suspect to "lack clarity & not gel well with 10.1.... ?!?

What do you guys feel and think about the same...?!?

Any owners of 10 CS wanting to share there experiences...?!?

Thanks

 

[rana_kirti]

wharfedele 10 CS owners...?!?

 

[professorhat]

I do seem to remember seeing a review for the Wharfedale 10.1 surround package and, although it was good, it wasn't considered the best. I can't remember where that was now though I'm afraid.

I would see if you could also listen to the Monitor Audio BR2 or the BR5 package as suggested above (available even cheaper at £725 from Frank Harvey).

 

[Anonymous]

professorhat:

I do seem to remember seeing a review for the Wharfedale 10.1 surround package and, although it was good, it wasn't considered the best. I can't remember where that was now though I'm afraid.

I would see if you could also listen to the Monitor Audio BR2 or the BR5 package as suggested above (available even cheaper at £725 from Frank Harvey).

If it was my money I would get the BR5 pack from frank harvey stupid cheap and amazing quality and sound

 

[richardw42]

The Frank Harvey deal on BR5 pack has to be one of the best bargains around.
If you paid four figures for the br5 it would still be money well spent

 

[rana_kirti]

guys,

in my country the Monitor Audio have a premium of 25% over the wharfedeles.... ;-(

1. Could you suggest another 5.1 setup..??

2. Also what do you and others think about the 10 CS matching/not matching with 10.1 ?!?

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

You have not stated that you live abroad.

The 10cs will match the 10.1.

 

[Anonymous]

100% movies eh...Curveball for you..Teufel of germany have their system 5 thx select system on sale at the moment, it's available delivered to the uk for around 820 pounds( black finish only on sale )..home trial the system for eight weeks ( return it if it's not your cup of tea )..12 year warranty on all speakers

Dipole rears, decent sub, thx certification.. not sure what that will translate to you locally price wise..google for reviews, there are plenty of positive ones online

 

[professorhat]

rana_kirti:1. Could you suggest another 5.1 setup..??

Tricky really - whereabouts are you from? Are there any other brands which compare to the Wharfedales in price? If we keep recommending based on UK prices, we might not get very far! The Q Acoustics were mentioned - are you able to audition these?

rana_kirti:2. Also what do you and others think about the 10 CS matching/not matching with 10.1 ?!?

Well, I wouldn't worry too much about what we think really as you heard it and found that the centre wasn't very clear, so what others think is irrelevant really. Of course there always a chance the centre speaker they used in the demo was faulty - are you able to ask them to swap for another or audition elsewhere to check this?

At the end of the day, the best system for you is the one that sounds best to you, not the one that got the most stars in WHF. So if you audition with that in mind, you should be fine.

 

[rana_kirti]

Hi guys...

Today i heard the following Mordaunt Short Combination....

Aviano 1 + Aviano 5 ( Center ) + Aviano 1 Surrounds + Aviano 7 ( Sub ) + Cambridge AVR

- I was not impressed.
- It sounded pretty dull. ( I thought MS speakers were supposed to be Bright )
- but the Center seemed very clear with dialogue & details. ( Clearer than Wharf 10 CS )
- Subwoofer didn't excite me. It was a mess.

My search has so far not found me any worthy combination....

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

Rana_Kirti,

The MS speakers are fine. It's the Cambridge Audio AVR that needs replacing - that is what is making the sound dull (IMO).

Try an Onkyo or a Pioneer and you will notice a huge difference in sound quality.

Ronald

 

[rana_kirti]

@ Ronald...

The dealor only deals in CA AVR's so i had no option to check the Aviano's with another AVR ;-(

Anyways.... Today i heard this combination...
Q acoustics 1050 + 1000 C + 1010i Surrounds + Yamaha AVR 863.

- The sound was very very good. It had a Bite to it. It was like a complete movie sound. I didn't get that sound with the wharfedele or the MS Aviano setup.

- And most importantly the Center was simply superb. The Dialouge was absolutely clean & detailed. It was much crisper & cleaner than the wharf 10 CS & Aviano Center 5.

- I'm gonna go again in a weeks time as the dealor would have the 2000 series 5.1 package by then. I guess if i liked the 1000 series then the 2000 series should be 10-15% better.

Guys whats your experience with the Q Acoustics 2000 as compared to others in the same price range ? Any owners out there ?
__________________

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

Rana_Kirti,

The Yamaha DSP-863SE is a very accomplished amp. The quality of the sonic feed to your speakers makes all the difference to how it sounds.

Ronald

 

[rana_kirti]

a funny question but been on my mind...

if my room size is 20 x 15 x 9

and length being 20 feet....

if my viewing distance is 15 feet then does the room length become 15 feet or is it still 20 feet ?

trying to figure this out since i'm having second thoughts about whether a Bookshelf in front will do or will i need floorstanders ?

Important aspect is that i'm mostly getting the SVS pc 12 nsd sub. and that i believe is a lot of bass. So 2 questions then...

1. if my viewing distance is 15 feet then does the room length become 15 feet or is it still 20 feet ?

2. Bookshelves will do or should i look at floorstanders for the front ?

Thanks ;-)

 

[Anonymous]

I have the Wharfedale diamond 10 5.1 setup and although I don't have a great deal of experience I am very happy with them.

My living room is approx 5m X 4m and I found it hard to fit them in along with my TV and a fireplace. I've had to do quite a lot of playing around with the placement of all the speakers but I think I had a Eurika moment last week. I use them mainly for movies and gaming however I would probably consider others if you were wanting to use them for music.

They seem to perform pretty well when close to walls which is handy for me as my girlfriend is not on side at all with AV and would hide them under the stairs if she could! The build quality is not as good as other brands in the price range however it certainly isn't bad.

The Sub can at times be very excitable (I'm not sure that's the right word...) however if you give it some time it seemed to mellow out after about 2 months and integrate well. I found the other speakers were pretty good at coping with bass if you needed to tweak/change it depending on your amp. The center performs well and integrates well, annoyingly though it has a strange height measurement which means if you want to put in a shelf they you may have to move a few things around. Their website doesn't quote the correct height as it doesn't account for the rubber feet it sits on!

I auditioned a Kef setup with my amp and the Whafedales seem to win in my opinion.

Hope that helps

 

[rana_kirti]

hi friends,

after researching, reading reviews & doing demos for about 2 months i have come to a realization that a 5.1 setup upto 850 pounds as i was looking out for is not going to give me a quantum jump in sound quality that i am looking for.... I'm currently using a yamaha htib ( NS P110 ) i got from vijay sales 4 yrs ago.

Also i'm looking to invest once for a system that will keep me happy at least for 5 yrs minimum if not more. I dont want an upgraditis in 1 or 2 yrs.

Hence there is only one option and that is to increase the budget..... So i have decided to increase it to 1600 pounds.

I have already pretty much made up my mind for the subwoofer. It will be a BK Monolith which removes about more than 450 pounds from the equation.

Hence this has essentially now become a hunt for a 5.0 Setup with the remaining 1100 pounds.

Room size is 20 x 15 x 9. And the setup will be used entirely 100 % for movies....

I invite advice from fellow members.... Suggestions are welcome....

Thanks ;-)

 

[Anonymous]

If its just movies please try the B&W MT30. I bought the Quad l-ites when they went down to £500!!!! Bargain. I was gona decide between the B & W or Quads. The B & W was ever so slightly better with movies but the Quads were alot better with music and as I was going to use my system for both it made perfect sense to go for the Quads. Also do try The Audica System aswell alot of it flying about. It does have a really nice integrated sound and it was very good with movies. I got the Audica System 3 for so cheap I used it for awhile and I was happy to keep it... but the temptation to sell it, double my money and get the Quad l-ites (which are better) for nothing by the payement I recieved for the Audica was too much to resist. Deal of the decade feels like I stole it in a legitimate way lol. Now thats a hustle