Home theater vs Stereo System

[ManFromKathmandu]

So I live in a country where taxes in imported electronics is very high and there is nothing available readily in the market.
I have a ordered a Denon PM600NE from Dubai which is yet to arrive. And I don't have a speaker yet as I am waiting for someone to carry it for me to save taxes and courier charges.
I am not sure when I'll be able to make a complete set of speakers and subwoofer.
Now a friend is selling a Yamaha Home Theater system with the recivers and everything for around $800 used. The brand new set would cost above $1200 here.
So my question is, is there a lot of difference in listening to vinyl records through home theater and stereo system? Is it worth investing in a home theater if I won't be able to change or upgrade at least for a few years now?

 

[12th Monkey]

A stereo amp of a similar price to an AV amp should be better, as the budget is spent on a smaller number of components and channels, but there are no absolute rules. $800 from $1,200 doesn't sound like much of a discount to me, but maybe that's supply and demand where you are.

 

[ManFromKathmandu]

Supply and demand. These things are very hard to come by here.

 

[nopiano]

In my experience of AV or home theatre items it very much depends on the model of receiver and especially speakers. Some speakers are not much more than plastic boxes, but others are multiples of proper Hifi speakers.

Do you have a link or the model of the Yamaha you might get? FWIW, Yamaha is probably about as good as it gets for the money. But it’s not a bargain if it sounds awful and has no facility for accepting a turntable. There are work arounds to the latter though. Have you chosen the turntable yet?

 

[ManFromKathmandu]

Hey..thanks for the advice. The receiver is Yamaha AVR HTR 3067, speakers are: NS8390(tower), NS P51 (Side and centre), NS SW050 (sub)
We're a landlocked country and shipping is very high. Also, taxes are almost 40% and the dollar is around $1 = Rs 120. So considering these factors, $800 is a HUGE investment for me.
For turntable, I am wating for the Sony Ps-Lx310bt to arrive from the US.

 

[nopiano]

A few links for reference..

HTR-3067 - Specs - Yamaha - Music - Australia

Designed for ease of use and full-scale AV entertainment with outstanding Yamaha sound quality from features such as discrete amp circuit design and other convenient functions including YPAO, SCENE and USB input for iPhone/iPod.

au.yamaha.com

NS-8390 - Specs - Yamaha - India

With an Impressive Appearance and Superb Performance, the NS-8390 Will Be the Centerpiece of Your Home Theater.

in.yamaha.com

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/audio-components/ps-lx310bt/specifications

The turntable has a phono preamp, so it should connect ok to the Yamaha. The Yamaha is probably about 50wpc, as they quote 6 ohms, which isn’t unusual in an AV amp. The speakers look like superior AV ones, but aren’t exactly Hifi in the traditional sense.

With your very unusual constraints on price and availability I can see the temptation of the used Yamaha. With a bit of care in setting up, mainly speaker positioning, you should get an enjoyable result.

However, the usual question remains - are you wedded to vinyl, as it’s fine for those like me who’ve been buying since the 1970s, but it’s very costly for a beginner? I dread to think how much LPs might cost you. Is streaming or CD more available or cost effective?

 

[ManFromKathmandu]

Thank you so much for taking your time to reply to me. I'm thinking of getting around 50 classic albums for the record player. I'll have to import them all from US or other available countries. I'm sure I'll be able to collect all of them in at least two to three years from now.
I also have Spotify subscription.

 

[AJM1981]

I would probably get what is within reach given these conditions and what you can get is fine.

 

[Deleted member 108165]

Personally, in your situation, I think I would stick with digital and streaming services and leave the turntable out of the equation. Getting LP playback to sound as good as digital requires a fair amount of cash, kit, time, and effort. If I were starting my hi-fi journey again I think I would bypass vinyl playback.

However, if it's an itch you desperately need to scratch then go ahead

 

[AJM1981]

In the last case when skipping vinyl I would probably look around for some second hand studio monitors / active speakers as an alternative.

 

[Tinman1952]

In the last case when skipping vinyl I would probably look around for some second hand studio monitors / active speakers as an alternative.

He has already ordered a Denon PM600NE….. 🙄
Plus active studio monitors are designed to listen ‘forensically’ in the near field, not relaxing at home……