Suggest Near Field Passive Speaker approx 30K ₹

[Knightrider]

Hello All Forum members,

Need Your suggestions, regarding buying my first set of speakers, to be used Near field (most of the time).
Used to have Sony MHC* 2.1 audio system which i sold few yrs ago while relocating to another city. Thereafter, have been suing 2.1 PC speakers.
Been an avid reader (almost daily) reader of this esteemed forum for many years. Have been trying to accumulate funds for Good speakers for a long time, but other necessary financial obligations always took a bite into funds, hence that desire has been repeatedly relegated to "maybe later". But I am now determined to buy now.
I live in a tier 3/4 District town now, there are no audio dealers in approx 400km diameter, nearest city where I can have audition is Delhi (approx 1000kms). But I am unable to travel out station due to responsibilities, hence Audition of various speakers is not possible in near future.
Hence I am here to get your help/ suggestions from your use/ audition experience.

I listen to bollywood music mostly. Melodies, ghazals, sometimes fast track fast music too. 90% time i listen nearfield while working on PC.
I prefer Balanced Sound with music beats, and thumping bass (not boomy).


All my music is on PC (digital files - WAV/FLACS). I play music, videos, Youtube all through PC only.
Audio Chain = Windows 11 PC (i5 12400) --> iFi Zen Air Dac (USB) ----> Aiyima A07(amp) --- Speakers (cheap F&D speakers currently).
USE = 80% Music, 20% Videos.
Budget = Around 30k ₹.
Type of Music = Bollywood - mostly 1990's - 2010s music. Genre = All
Room = 16x13 feet
Speakers - PASSIVE. which would soung detailed even on low Volume.

Please suggest passive speakers around 30k ₹. If possible, speakers that do not require milimeter precison for placement, and can be placed on desk too. Thanks for all your sugeestion and guidence.
Regards.

 

[JrM1]

Hello All Forum members,

Need Your suggestions, regarding buying my first set of speakers, to be used Near field (most of the time).
Used to have Sony MHC* 2.1 audio system which i sold few yrs ago while relocating to another city. Thereafter, have been suing 2.1 PC speakers.
Been an avid reader (almost daily) reader of this esteemed forum for many years. Have been trying to accumulate funds for Good speakers for a long time, but other necessary financial obligations always took a bite into funds, hence that desire has been repeatedly relegated to "maybe later". But I am now determined to buy now.
I live in a tier 3/4 District town now, there are no audio dealers in approx 400km diameter, nearest city where I can have audition is Delhi (approx 1000kms). But I am unable to travel out station due to responsibilities, hence Audition of various speakers is not possible in near future.
Hence I am here to get your help/ suggestions from your use/ audition experience.

I listen to bollywood music mostly. Melodies, ghazals, sometimes fast track fast music too. 90% time i listen nearfield while working on PC.
I prefer Balanced Sound with music beats, and thumping bass (not boomy).


All my music is on PC (digital files - WAV/FLACS). I play music, videos, Youtube all through PC only.
Audio Chain = Windows 11 PC (i5 12400) --> iFi Zen Air Dac (USB) ----> Aiyima A07(amp) --- Speakers (cheap F&D speakers currently).
USE = 80% Music, 20% Videos.
Budget = Around 30k ₹.
Type of Music = Bollywood - mostly 1990's - 2010s music. Genre = All
Room = 16x13 feet
Speakers - PASSIVE. which would soung detailed even on low Volume.

Please suggest passive speakers around 30k ₹. If possible, speakers that do not require milimeter precison for placement, and can be placed on desk too. Thanks for all your sugeestion and guidence.
Regards.

Hi, it's tricky as you need to place the speakers on the desk too. Usually at this price, even bookshelf speakers are a little large.
Anyway, below are some of the suggestions. All the best.

1. Q Acoustics 3020i - https://hifimart.com/product/q-acou...hCMDbrA07cjR4FV9C4CVs1AtgCM5gaCUaAoweEALw_wcB

2. JBL STAGE A130 - https://avshack.in/products/jbl-sta...u3UGF4-k35vU57XJeC5mwQEIDOYibJQaG2NDTyetiYEcA

3. Elac DEBUT 2.0 B5.2 - https://hifimart.com/product/elac-d...hCMDbrA07cjR4FV9C4CVs1AtgCM5gaCUaAoweEALw_wcB

 

[Knightrider]

@DB1989

Hi, it's tricky as you need to place the speakers on the desk too. Usually at this price, even bookshelf speakers are a little large.
Anyway, below are some of the suggestions. All the best.

1. Q Acoustics 3020i - https://hifimart.com/product/q-acou...hCMDbrA07cjR4FV9C4CVs1AtgCM5gaCUaAoweEALw_wcB

2. JBL STAGE A130 - https://avshack.in/products/jbl-stage-a130-2-way-bookself-speaker-black-pair?currency=INR&variant=32046457323573&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&stkn=cff8baf03b68&srsltid=AfmBOoqKUBQnsCu3UGF4-k35vU57XJeC5mwQEIDOYibJQaG2NDTyetiYEcA

3. Elac DEBUT 2.0 B5.2 - https://hifimart.com/product/elac-d...hCMDbrA07cjR4FV9C4CVs1AtgCM5gaCUaAoweEALw_wcB

Thanks for recommendations,
I had made a list of speakers available in price range -
1. Fayne f301 - 32k
2. Wharfdale Diamond 12.1 - 34k
3. Elac debut 2.0 6.2 - 36.5k
4. Q Acoustics 3020i - 30.5k
5. Mision QX2 MK ll - 33k
6. Mission LX3 MK ll - 30k
7. Dali Spector 1 - 33k
8. PSB Alpha P5 - Have requested price on PSB India Website.
All prices are approx as listed on Hifimart, Soundtrails - for Dali.

Issue is I am unable to go out for audition. hence requesting members to share their experience about their strengths and weaknesses (of each speakers) if they had auditioned and or owned these and any more options.

My room is 16 feet by 13 feet, instead of keeping them on desk, i could keep them separately too as one side (wall) of room is almost empty.
I was also wondering about sound effect differences between these stand mount speakers vs floor standing speakers around 70K ₹ e.g PSB Alpha T20 or other floor standers, as i don't want hassle of changing speakers for few years.
Sorry for long rant, just a bit apprehensive of making a wrong decision.

All suggestions and guidence is hugely welcome and appriciated.
Regards.

 

[sachinchavan 15865]

Considering your room size, don’t place them on desk. Desk speakers are usually smaller and for near field listening, usually while sitting at the desk. You have the room width to space them least 6 ft apart which will provide enjoyable soundstage. Place the speakers along the shorter wall, preferably. Right kind of stands make a big difference to the sound quality as does sufficient distance from the wall. It might be possible to get a stands, speakers and amp together around 1 lac. Spend once, spend wise.

Choice of speaker depends entirely on your taste. Some have forward and brighter presentation with faster bass which suits modern synthesised music, others produce fuller and fatigue-free sound and work better for older acoustic/vocal music. As you listen to both kinds, the choice would depend on which you listen to more. You’ll have to accept compromise on the other kind in this budget.

Since you cannot audition, listen to the numerous YT videos on each (use a headphone). The compression doesn’t matter, you’ll still get an idea of their respective sound signatures.

Also, decide on an amp/speaker combo together. The synergy matters a lot.

 

[DB1989]

@DB1989

Lol, i got the brief.

Thanks for recommendations,
I had made a list of speakers available in price range -
1. Fyne f301 - 32k

never heard it so can't say.

2. Wharfdale Diamond 12.1 - 34k

Heard the Diamond 12.3 floorstanders last week. Good all round sound that you can't go wrong with but the 5.25 inch driver may be inadequate to reproduce deep or sufficient bass in the 16x13 room.

3. Elac debut 2.0 6.2 - 36.5k

never heard it so can't say. I would suggest an audition as many reports suggest its a little light on bass.

4. Q Acoustics 3020i - 30.5k

Again, good sound that you can't go wrong with but the 5.25 inch driver may be inadequate to reproduce deep or sufficient bass in the 16x13 room. Mellower at the top and in the mid-range than the WD 12.1 which may either be a good or bad thing depending on your preference.

5. Mision QX2 MK ll - 33k

Excellent speaker for the money. My pick of the shortlisted speakers as it sounds good with cheap amplification and scales well enough to sound tremendous paired to the likes of the Willsenton R8. Mellow sounding but with an extended top end and more substantial bass that digs deeper than the other shortlisted bookshelfs. Best build quality amongst all the shortlisted speakers by a fair margin.

6. Mission LX3 MK ll - 30k

Good speaker but no valid reason whatsoever to pick it over the QX-2. The latter is better in every way by a good margin.

7. Dali Spector 1 - 33k

never heard it so can't say. Would caution against the small 5.25 inch driver.

8. PSB Alpha P5 - Have requested price on PSB India Website.

very good speaker with excellent mid-bass punch despite being on the smaller side. Fantastic mids though a little spicy up top, which i like.

All prices are approx as listed on Hifimart, Soundtrails - for Dali.

Issue is I am unable to go out for audition. hence requesting members to share their experience about their strengths and weaknesses (of each speakers) if they had auditioned and or owned these and any more options.

My room is 16 feet by 13 feet, instead of keeping them on desk, i could keep them separately too as one side (wall) of room is almost empty.

i would never recommend keeping speakers on a desk as they sound lacklustre at best and terrible at worst on them.

Get a nice set of speaker stands so that you can play around with placement - its crucial to get a decent sound and if you're meticulous and pedantic about it, you can get a world beating sound from even the budget speakers you've listed.

I was also wondering about sound effect differences between these stand mount speakers vs floor standing speakers around 70K ₹ e.g PSB Alpha T20 or other floor standers, as i don't want hassle of changing speakers for few years.

When considering bookshelfs, always factor in the cost of stands unless you already have a pair.

I have both the PSB Alpha P5 bookshelfs as well as T20 floorstanders - between them, the tonality is identical but the T20's sound a bit bigger and the bass is quite a bit more powerful and digs quite a bit deeper as well - you won't need a sub in your 16x13 room unless you want to go infrasonic.

Sorry for long rant, just a bit apprehensive of making a wrong decision.

The PSB's are the easiest to work with and get a good sound from as they are not picky with amplification or placement.

However, from the perspective of longevity and scaling up with better amplification, the QX-2 would be my pick.

At the end of the day, insofar as your requirements are concerned, i wager the PSB T20 would probably be the best fit for you because not only does it dispense with speaker stands but also negates the need for a subwoofer.

 

[Knightrider]

Lol, i got the brief.

never heard it so can't say.

Heard the Diamond 12.3 floorstanders last week. Good all round sound that you can't go wrong with but the 5.25 inch driver may be inadequate to reproduce deep or sufficient bass in the 16x13 room.

never heard it so can't say. I would suggest an audition as many reports suggest its a little light on bass.

Again, good sound that you can't go wrong with but the 5.25 inch driver may be inadequate to reproduce deep or sufficient bass in the 16x13 room. Mellower at the top and in the mid-range than the WD 12.1 which may either be a good or bad thing depending on your preference.

Excellent speaker for the money. My pick of the shortlisted speakers as it sounds good with cheap amplification and scales well enough to sound tremendous paired to the likes of the Willsenton R8. Mellow sounding but with an extended top end and more substantial bass that digs deeper than the other shortlisted bookshelfs. Best build quality amongst all the shortlisted speakers by a fair margin.

Good speaker but no valid reason whatsoever to pick it over the QX-2. The latter is better in every way by a good margin.

never heard it so can't say. Would caution against the small 5.25 inch driver.

very good speaker with excellent mid-bass punch despite being on the smaller side. Fantastic mids though a little spicy up top, which i like.

i would never recommend keeping speakers on a desk as they sound lacklustre at best and terrible at worst on them.

Get a nice set of speaker stands so that you can play around with placement - its crucial to get a decent sound and if you're meticulous and pedantic about it, you can get a world beating sound from even the budget speakers you've listed.

When considering bookshelfs, always factor in the cost of stands unless you already have a pair.

I have both the PSB Alpha P5 bookshelfs as well as T20 floorstanders - between them, the tonality is identical but the T20's sound a bit bigger and the bass is quite a bit more powerful and digs quite a bit deeper as well - you won't need a sub in your 16x13 room unless you want to go infrasonic.



The PSB's are the easiest to work with and get a good sound from as they are not picky with amplification or placement.

However, from the perspective of longevity and scaling up with better amplification, the QX-2 would be my pick.

At the end of the day, insofar as your requirements are concerned, i wager the PSB T20 would probably be the best fit for you because not only does it dispense with speaker stands but also negates the need for a subwoofer.

@DB1989 I tagged you, meanwhile i got lost in my thought and forgot to write what i meant to ask you and proceeded to write on, I apologize for the oversight.
PSB speakers's price seems to have gone up - P5 @40k and T20 @ 77k ₹ as per PSB india. I had read in one thread last year november around 40k at discounted price. Wondering if it can be had at that price now. If possible then will buy it and be done with it.
Having limited budget and lots of options and zero experience is quite taxing.

 

[Knightrider]

Since you cannot audition, listen to the numerous YT videos on each (use a headphone). The compression doesn’t matter, you’ll still get an idea of their respective sound signatures.

Also, decide on an amp/speaker combo together. The synergy matters a lot.

@sachinchavan 15865 Thank You for guidance on how to proceed in a systematic way.
Spent a few hours on youtube searching and listening to speaker sound test videos. Videos with bollywood songs sound tests are rather difficult to find. Still going on with the exercise.

It might be possible to get a stands, speakers and amp together around 1 lac.

Please suggest few such combos for stand mount speakers, and also Floor standers around 70k (if possible to get one around this price) as stand mounts along with stands is already veering towards 40-45k + . I guess stands will be also 8-10k and above.

Spend once, spend wise.

Thats what in am hoping and aiming for, hence asking too much info, as i have nil experince in Hi-fi stuff.

Place the speakers along the shorter wall, preferably.

Dropped the idea of placing on desk. Will Keep speakers along the wall.

 

[Amarendra]

@sachinchavan 15865 Thank You for guidance on how to proceed in a systematic way.
Spent a few hours on youtube searching and listening to speaker sound test videos. Videos with bollywood songs sound tests are rather difficult to find. Still going on with the exercise.

Please suggest few such combos for stand mount speakers, and also Floor standers around 70k (if possible to get one around this price) as stand mounts along with stands is already veering towards 40-45k + . I guess stands will be also 8-10k and above.

Thats what in am hoping and aiming for, hence asking too much info, as i have nil experince in Hi-fi stuff.


Dropped the idea of placing on desk. Will Keep speakers along the wall.

If you are willing to go beyond popular brands I would highly recommend the Micca RB42 speakers. Used to cost around INR 15-17k. I primarily listen to my KEF LS 50 Meta speakers but every now and then I revert to Micca as well. You will be pleasantly surprised by what you get for the money. Don’t equate performance with price and read / listen to reviews before you buy.

Also would suggest active speakers such as the Edifier R1700 BTs- excellent speakers for INR 18k. Have used these as well and will again surprise you.

 

[CKumar]

Another speaker you can add to your inventory is Tannoy XT mini...
Good speaker all around, a bit shy in bass
Keep a isolation b/w this speaker and table, a bit close to front wall and this sound amazing.
This speaker is so good for near field listening, I keep them 5-6 feet apart and listening distance 5 feet from speakers , though I use with a subwoofer.
May be you can check some YT videos too.

 

[Knightrider]

I would highly recommend the Micca RB42 speakers. Used to cost around INR 15-17k.

Since last year i have been waiting for it to be back in stock, but it isn't available anywhwere, If available would have bought it. MX42s are in stock online, but their reviews aren't good at all.

Also would suggest active speakers such as the Edifier R1700 BTs

Have used actives, now want to move on to Passives.

Another speaker you can add to your inventory is Tannoy XT mini...

These seems to 4" speakers, looking to get 5.5" and above speakers to get decent bass without sub woofer. From brief search it appears no dealer has listed tannoys.

@mods If possible kindly change title of thread from - "Suggest Near Field Passive Speaker approx 30K ₹"
to - Suggest Passive Speakers upto 70K ₹.

 

[rwnano]

Focal chorus 706 V & V2, second hand

 

[Knightrider]

Focal chorus 706 V & V2, second hand

Thanks for recommendation. Where can i find these 2nd hand and at approx cost?

 

[rwnano]

Facebook marketplace and OLX

 

[rwnano]

Amplifier...get an old AVR

 

[Knightrider]

Facebook marketplace and OLX

I guess will have to do face to face deal if get from fb and olx, thats a bit difficult fro me as i reside 1000kms away from any big city.

Amplifier...get an old AVR

I already have Aiyima A07 amp + iFi Zen Air Dac, connected to PC. All my music (WAV + FLAC) is in PC.
Right now I am short on funds, so tentative plan is to get speakers, save more upgrade better Amp/ Integrated Amp.

 

[DB1989]

I guess will have to do face to face deal if get from fb and olx, thats a bit difficult fro me as i reside 1000kms away from any big city.

i just googled and there seem to be a bunch of hifi dealers in Patna. Aren't you situated somewhere in its vicinity?

@mods If possible kindly change title of thread from - "Suggest Near Field Passive Speaker approx 30K ₹"
to - Suggest Passive Speakers upto 70K ₹.

This makes your choice much simpler in fact.

Pay 8-9k over 70K and get either the Castle Knight 5 or the Q Acoustics Concept 30 from Hifimart.

The Castle Knight 5 is a floorstander with a transmission line design and therefore, it extends really low. It also has excellent build quality with real wood veneer so that takes care of the longevity bit.

Stellar build quality is something that the Concept 30 shares. In fact, its quite literally second to none in the sub-1L segment and even better than the Castle Knight. It'll also give you the most resolution of any speaker under 1L and goes toe to toe with the likes of the Kef LS50 meta.

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

@sachinchavan 15865 Thank You for guidance on how to proceed in a systematic way.
Spent a few hours on youtube searching and listening to speaker sound test videos. Videos with bollywood songs sound tests are rather difficult to find. Still going on with the exercise.

Please suggest few such combos for stand mount speakers, and also Floor standers around 70k (if possible to get one around this price) as stand mounts along with stands is already veering towards 40-45k + . I guess stands will be also 8-10k and above.

Thats what in am hoping and aiming for, hence asking too much info, as i have nil experince in Hi-fi stuff.


Dropped the idea of placing on desk. Will Keep speakers along the wall.

Happy to see @sachinchavan 15865 advise taken seriously. I was looking for a near field desktop speaker and ended up with a pair of Kef LS50 meta's on my desk. They were too distracting and demanding way too much attention this close up. Iam presently using some tiny powered 2.1 PC speakers, and these suit the role a lot better for near field.

So as Sachin correctly mentioned, most Hifi bookshelves will be too much on a desk. And best to place them in the open within a room. And try to acheive a listening distance of atleast 6 feet.

As to speakers themselves, I tend to lean towards high effeciency speakers and I like speakers that are non-fatiguing over long listening sessions, as I do a lot of back ground listening, while Iam attending different tasks. In this role, I like Qacoustics speakers a lot. I havent heard the newer Concept 30 and concept 50. But I have the older Concept 40 which I still love, and you can consider the Concept 20 if you want smaller versions with more placement flexibility.

The above said, I havent been out shopping speakers in more than a decade, so my opinions are out dated. So will look for newer suggestions from other forum members too.

All the best and happy listening

 

[sachinchavan 15865]

Iam presently using some tiny powered 2.1 PC speakers, and these suit the role a lot better for near field.

Manohar, which speakers are these? Am sure you must have gotten something nice. Couple of decades ago I had a 2.1 active speaker combo for my desktop from an Indian brand whose name started with A (I don’t recollect it now) and I was so happy with them. Somehow got lost during transit. Currently I use some BT speakers, but can try a 2.1 config again if there’s something good at a reasonable cost (say under Rs 20k). The source would be my MacBook Pro 16” which itself has good sounding speakers, but with limited soundstage, esp as they are upward firing.

Please suggest few such combos for stand mount speakers, and also Floor standers around 70k (if possible to get one around this price) as stand mounts along with stands is already veering towards 40-45k + . I guess stands will be also 8-10k and above.

@DB1989 has given good suggestions as also the others. There’s no better/worse sound as such in any given price range, so it’s about one’s preferences. And auditioning or YT videos are teen only two options I can think of to do that. QAcoustics can be a good option if one is going blind… these are popular and difficult to go hugely wrong with.

I am more of a melody & acoustic music person, so my Castle Knight 2’s have kept me happy for over 8 years now. As DB said about CK5, even the CK2 dig low (I record sizeable db at even 30 Hz on the Decibel app) and are good choice for large room (mine is 300 sq ft). But these aren’t for fast, electronic music.. and also very sensitive to room placement (that’s a common challenge with speakers that go deep).

I agree that bookshelf with good stand comes almost to the price of an equivalent floorstander. The choice depends on whether one wants to feel the bass in one’s body… because there’s also the downside of disturbing the neighbours and between a comparable floorstander (typically 3 way) and standmount (typically 2 way), the latter images better.

 

[Knightrider]

i just googled and there seem to be a bunch of hifi dealers in Patna. Aren't you situated somewhere in its vicinity?

Almost all of them deal in commerical stuff like. One dealer deals in home audio just called them - has Yamaha, Polk, Klipsch for demo. Says, can arrange any brand if ordered, that means no demo of any other product. Think i'll have to visit Delhi for demo, if time permits planning to do it in February.
Please suggest a few dealers where i can get demo of maximum number of brands in Delhi.

get either the Castle Knight 5 or the Q Acoustics Concept 30

Just listened them on youtube, I don't know if its due to youtube compression - both sounded lacking mid range punch, Will take demo of these.

try to acheive a listening distance of atleast 6 feet.

Have dropped the idea of desktop mounting, will place them along the wall, can easily keep 8+ feet distacne between speakers and listening distance.

I tend to lean towards high effeciency speakers and I like speakers that are non-fatiguing over long listening sessions, as I do a lot of back ground listening, while Iam attending different tasks

My requirements are almost same, only 5% of time i do focused listening, rest 95% time its kind of background music for almost 10hrs everyday. Most of the time its soothing music, with occasional burst of EDM.

In this role, I like Qacoustics speakers

Will keep them as top contender.

While youtube surfing listened to "Mission QX-2MKII vs LX-3MKII" - I felt LX3 to be more punchy and balanced, whereas QX3 sounded like low end over powering other frequencies and a bit laid back. - requesting those who own or have auditioned both, is my inference from youtube correct regarding their sound signature?

 

[DB1989]

While youtube surfing listened to "Mission QX-2MKII vs LX-3MKII" - I felt LX3 to be more punchy and balanced, whereas QX3 sounded like low end over powering other frequencies and a bit laid back. - requesting those who own or have auditioned both, is my inference from youtube correct regarding their sound signature?

I have both speakers and your inference from youtube is unfortunately entirely inaccurate - The LX is not a bad speaker but a clear rung below the QX-2 in every department.

I saw this other video on YT featuring a comparo between the KEF Q350 vs Klipsch RP600M through the Cambridge Audio CXA81 - i have both speakers and the amp and the video was a terrible approximation of the sound of the speakers played through said Amp.

Stop trying to deduce the sound from YT videos as that's going to lead you completely astray.