First home, first HT budget build

[BBHT]

Hello all.

I've been following the Audioholics YouTube channel for awhile, and now have an opportunity to set up a home movie / music in a living room. So, I thought now would be a great time to start a conversation to get some friendly (and unbiased) advice.

I moved to Singapore a couple of years ago (courtesy of the Covid pandemic), and finally been able to purchase an apartment here. The "move in date" is around end of September, but there will also be renovations happening, so the actual move in date is probably end of this year, or early next. Most of the money is obviously going into that, so doesn't leave much room for a HT build (hence budget).

Would it be easier if I put all my questions here, or rather in each forum category?

(Sorry if this first post seems vague, but I don't want to clutter the forum unnecessarily.)

-BB

 

[}Fear_Inoculum{]

Welcome to the forums and congratulations on your home purchase. You can get all the help you need right here. A couple of questions:

1) Budget? This will determine what gear people can suggest.

2) What type of surround layout are you looking for? IE 7.1, 5.2 etc.

3) Room size/layout. Any room "weirdness" like sloped ceilings, openings to other rooms etc.

That type of information will go a long way towards people helping you with setting up a system that works for you.

Once again, welcome to the forums. There is a wealth of information here, and a lot of very helpful members.

Cheers.

 

[ryanosaur]

As a side note, being in Singapore will likely limit many of your options. You will, I guarantee, get lot's of advice on product that may not be easily available to you.

That said, have you done any shopping, yet? What is available to you?

Depending on your budget, there are a couple companies like Sigberg and Arendal in the EU that are producing some very nice gear that measures well, and they ship worldwide with all shipping and customs fees included in the price. I only list that to put it on your radar on the chance it may make sense for your situation.

Yes...
Please tell us about your room and plans. What are your goals/what you would like to achieve?

Would it be easier if I put all my questions here, or rather in each forum category?

(Sorry if this first post seems vague, but I don't want to clutter the forum unnecessarily.)

This is a good place to start. As you get a little more focused, you can start new threads in the appropriate subforum for that topic, Loudspeakers, Amps, Subwoofers, etc...

Cheers!

 

[lovinthehd]

How well is the apartment built as far as soundproofing goes?

 

[BMXTRIX]

I also always feel it is important to throw out that if there are renovations going on, which necessitate painting, that it is an ideal time to add wiring to any space which doesn't already have hard wiring behind walls. While it won't impact the final sound or video quality, it will impact the aesthetics of the space. A pathway to run/add video cabling between sources and a TV is important, and proper speaker wire to all speaker locations is a real plus in the long term. This is often overlooked during a renovation project as the AV is thought of 'last', instead of the core essentials being a starting part of the renovation.

 

[Trell]

@BBHT why do you tag @}Fear_Inoculum{ post as optimistic? Seems like good advice to me, given the info we have.

 

[BBHT]

Thank you for all the replies!

@Trell I tried to tag as "useful", but my touchpad is FAR too sensitive. I retagged to "useful". I regret asking for a Surface Pro for a work tablet...

I'll try to answer the points as best I can in a logical manner.

• Goal: Enjoy movies and music at moderate levels; work aesthetically in size, and colour; and be as toddler friendly as possible (i.e. family movie evenings, and background music when friends visit)
• System wish: Projector, screen, and a 5.2. Though, realistically I'd settle with 5.1 or even 3.1 to start with.
• Budget: SGD $5000 - 6000 (USD $3500 - 4000 ish) for all the things above.
• Home layout is pretty much open. The balcony is now converted into an entrance way, but the sliding glass doors are still there. Dimensions are all in MM. Ceiling height is about 2.6m.

• Done any shopping?: Just window shopping, and making lists. As @ryanosaur said, being in Singapore really limits options. I tried following the recommendations available on this site, but it isn't feasible or sensible! Haha!

I am trying to do my homework and found some brands that are available here, but I honestly don't know if it'll all work together as an ensemble or if I get it all, I'll be disappointed with the result.

Projector: BenQ TK700Sti / Optoma UHD38
AVR: Yamaha Aventage RX-A2A / Denon AVR-X1700H
Speakers: Wharfedale Crystal 4 (tower, bookshelf, and centre)
Subwoofer: This I have no idea. I wanted to get the RSL Speedwoofer 10s Mkii, but it isn't available here. So, um... Starke Sound SW12 or SW15 (though they are really stretching the budget).

Cables: Not looked that far yet.

Gosh, I am not sure where this post is going...apologies for it being long, and a meandering.

Thank you for taking the time to read and reply.

 

[Eppie]

As a side note, being in Singapore will likely limit many of your options. You will, I guarantee, get lot's of advice on product that may not be easily available to you.

That said, have you done any shopping, yet? What is available to you?

Depending on your budget, there are a couple companies like Sigberg and Arendal in the EU that are producing some very nice gear that measures well, and they ship worldwide with all shipping and customs fees included in the price. I only list that to put it on your radar on the chance it may make sense for your situation.

Yes...
Please tell us about your room and plans. What are your goals/what you would like to achieve?


This is a good place to start. As you get a little more focused, you can start new threads in the appropriate subforum for that topic, Loudspeakers, Amps, Subwoofers, etc...

Cheers!

Note that Arendal pays the tax and shipping only for U.S. and European customers.

 

[Trell]

I tried to tag as "useful", but my touchpad is FAR too sensitive. I retagged to "useful". I regret asking for a Surface Pro for a work tablet...

Heh, I’ve done the same on occasion but you can change it afterwards.

 

[ryanosaur]

Note that Arendal pays the tax and shipping only for U.S. and European customers.

D'oh! I thought they were doing that for all! Bastards!!!

 

[Trell]

D'oh! I thought they were doing that for all! Bastards!!!

Not even shipping to the moon is included.

 

[Eppie]

D'oh! I thought they were doing that for all! Bastards!!!

Arendal's distribution point is Chicago. Much of Canada is closer than the southern U.S. but I would still have to pay the tax and shipping. ;_; Well, either that or use a friend's U.S. address.

 

[Wardog555]

Here's an idea for speaker placement for a 5.1.2 Dolby atmos option.

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Image 7d8b731b-c417-40d5-a5a8-d566be8f0b49 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

 

[BBHT]

@ryanosaur I checked out the Arendal website, and their 1961 range looks great! The price is outside of my budget though. I will definitely keep this one in mind. (The white is so nice, and Erin gave a good review of them too)

@Wardog555 Nice. I will keep that in mind. Thanks!

 

[Eppie]

@BBHT It can be tougher to recommend an entry level system since you never know what someone's expectations are. If you're relatively new to home theatre, the components you listed are all pretty decent. The Yamaha and Denon AVRs are usually what people recommend lately. Have not seen the Wharfdale Crystal speakers reviewed, but Wharfdale does make some good speakers and buying the set as a package could save some money. If you can not audition the speakers first and have to internet order, maybe see if Monolith by Monoprice is also available in Singapore. They provide very good value for the money and make some excellent subwoofers as well. You could post a list of speakers or subs available in your area and members may be able to provide some feedback.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Projector: BenQ TK700Sti / Optoma UHD38

Not sure what screen size you are considering, but based on your throw distance a 120" diagonal would be quite common.

I would NOT get the Optoma under any circumstances, and would lean towards BenQ or Epson as a first choice, but you really want to know if you can hit a 120" diagonal from your throw distance. With about 13 feet from wall to screen and assuming a 120" diagonal, you end up with about a 11.5' throw distance (lens to screen) if placing the projector right over the seating area, which is what I would do. I would also run conduit to the projector along with at least 1, if not 2 active HDMI cables.

While my first choice, absolutely, would be the BenQ X3000i for a projector, it may be out of budget. It's a nice choice because it is a bright LED-based model so there are no lamps to replace long term and no additional calibration which really will be required since there won't be lamps failing and fading over time. It will be a very consistent long term product.

Then I would lean towards the BenQ TK700, not the short throw version, but the standard throw version. The TK700 will fill a 120" diagonal from 11.5' lens to screen just fine.

This is the list I am looking at:

Find a Projector

www.projectorcentral.com

You can modify things on the search criteria to get more refined, or broader, options.

You MUST learn to use the projector calculator, know what throw distance is, and know what offset is so you can place the projector accurately in your room.

Also, you can't fight physics. A bright room will lead to poor projection. While I love projectors, if this is a bright family room setup, then a large screen TV may be a better option at the end of the day. In the USA 85" diagonal TVs start at about $1,500 and are quite good for that money, which is less money, brighter, and easier to setup than a projector.

As far as cables, you can use fairly inexpensive cables all around except you want good active HDMI cables to the projector.

 

[BBHT]

Thank you everyone for your input. I have had a lot of time to take in all the replies (thanks to catching Covid).

@BMXTRIX This is really helpful. I am now looking into TVs. I had not considered that I do not have any control over lighting. Originally I was planning on a 100" image. (ALR screens for 120" is hard to find / VERY expensive in my research).

@Eppie Listing what is available would help everyone. I will narrow down and start specific threads in there respective sub-forums.