budget or mid-range Stereo advise required

[Acuity]

Dear Friends, I'm from Hyderabad. I have decided to take a step into the hi-fi world and I want to get started by putting together a stereo setup for my living room.

This is a really good forum. I have read several hundreds of posts at this site, and learnt a lot of things(and also got thoroughly confused) . And now need some help


Help required: :sos:
1) Can anyone suggest some speaker-amp combos. Would be great if the two are well-matched.

2) Can anyone advise if I should go for a budget setup (50k+sub) or a mid-range setup (1 Lakh + sub) as a newcomer to Hifi.

3) In Hyderabad it appears Vector stocks Wharf (checking if they have 10.2), Any place I can find other good brands?

4) Even if I find some of thse speakers to audition, I am skeptical that the environment or the amp used will be suitable for a good evaluation (from past experience). I am thinking of just buying something highly recommended regardless of the audition. Any thoughts?


Based on my research here, and ratings from Whathifi I am considering the following options:

Speakers:
Wharfedale 10.1
Wharfedale 10.2
Monitor Bronze BX2
Dali Zensor 1
Quad 11l2
B&W 685


Integrated amp:
Yamaha A-S500 (85w@8ohm)
Marantz PM6003 (45w@8ohm / 60w@4ohm)
Marantz PM7004 (70w@8ohm)
Cambridge 640a v2 (75w@8ohm)

(Many award winners considered)


Active Subwoofer:
wharfedale or any other recommendations


Considerations:
Room size 18 x 10 (sitting 12' from the speakers)
I need to go with Bookshelf speakers

Music preference:
- Pop 70%, Rock 10%, country 10%, other kinds 10%
- 80% of the time at moderate volume and 20% of the time loudly
- I would like the sound to be a wee bit bright on the bright side
Source is primarily iPod

Budget: Rs 1 Lakh plus Sub. But hey, if I can get a good setup for 50k that would make my day!!

Not yet sure if I'll buy the Subwoofer now or later, I'd like to have the extra bass on hand sooner or later.

 

[Acuity]

Any suggestions guys?... especially on pairing of speakers with Amps.

I will be auditioning a bunch of things in the next couple of days.

 

[hifipal4all]

My recommendation:

Marantz PM7004 (70w@8ohm) - I have heard them & it's very nice. You can go for this instead of a lower wattage amplifier. Since you prefer your sound to be little on the brighter side do not go for the Cambridge Audio (Their signatures are warm & laid-back)

Quad 11l2 bookshelf speakers - Very musical ... Mids & Highs are natural.

Velodyne Impact 10 subwoofer - In general, bookshelves especially the entry level ones has limitations on the lower frequencies. So if you pair it with a subwoofer you will experience a very rich & full sound from your setup. It is a fact that a good bookshelf+subwoofer combo setup can outperform many entry level floorstanding speakers.

All the best

 

[captrajesh]

Hi

Welcome to HFV. Since you are a newbie, I suggest you to listen to as many setups as possible before taking the plunge. If possible, try to buy an entry level pre-used setup and gain experience.

If you can DIY, you may find my thread interesting; Just click on my signature and you will be taken to it. Read it fully. It is definitely a value for money proposition.

 

[Flash]

The Wharfedale 10.1 , 10.2 are not in the same league are the B&W 685 you mentioned.

The Wharfedales are warm speakers . The B&W are exceptional and very clear mid and highs .
since u like your sound to be a tad bit on the brighter side as opposed to warm and recessed. I would give the B&W +1

the price point for B&W in India sucks though. way overpriced here.

 

[Acuity]

Thanks for your inputs.

I was able to audition the following speakers at two stores in Hyderabad Vector and ProFX, all were with a Yamaha Stereo Amp, with "Pure direct" on:

Diamond Crystal - Sounds and instruments seemed muddled
B&W 686 - The sound was controlled and sharp, but clarity was lacking
Focals - Way too shrill, was bordering on jarring
KEF Q300 - Good natural sound, but was struggling with the bass.

I added a KEF subwoofer while auditioning the Q300, the bass came through, but I could still tell the Q300s were struggling with the bass input it was receiving, even with the pure-direct. Stereo amps do not provide a High-Pass feature right?

I am not sure why these 4-5 star rated speakers didn't seem to be performing so well. I think the lack of sound damping in the room may have something to do with it.

I would love to audition the following, any suggestions on where I can find them in Hyderabad?

Monitor Bronze BX2
B&W 685
Morduant Short Aviano 2
Quad 11L2
Dali Zensor 1

I also seek advise on which Amps to consider.

And should I be looking at any other Bookshelves?

Thanks.

 

[s_sachin]

Sound and vision deals with most of the speakers you mention, but they do not have any for demo . I am also looking for speakers currently and could audition most of these during my recent trip to bangalore

I heard the psb imageb6, b&w 685, dali ikon 1, MA BX2, mezzo 2 , some usher start model and MA gold bookeshelfs. After the listen I have narrowed down to psb b6.The MA gold series are really good but out of my budget. btw I have a NAD 325 amp.

So if you need a demo in hyderabad for the speakers you mention it is next to impossible. I advise you to visit bangalore , mumbai or chennai if possible or request someone who has these in hyderabad for a demo.

thanks
Sachin

 

[afj]

do also add the monitor audio silver series to your list

 

[Acuity]

Thanks afj. Only if there were a store in Hyderabad where I could audition them. Guess I will spend a day in Bangalore to listen to them like s_sachin suggested. Now I will have to search laboriously through the forums to figure out which stores in Bangalore to visit.

Guys, any chance of quick tips on stores in Bangalore? ...for the speakers listed above.

 

[s_sachin]

Hey if you want a demo of the b&w 685 visit vectors and soon. They just got one for demo today , but they were saying that it may be sold in a day or two.

I will message you info on the bangalore dealers which i visited.

 

[S.P.KRISHNA]

Which yamaha amp. you used for auditioning the speakers. I feel that you are more inclined towards speakers which delivers good highs and base. It is difficult to get them in book shelves. Why dont you try some good floor standers.

Regards

 

[s_sachin]

Hey Krishna,

Actually i carried my nad 325. Listen was ok, vocals too upfront for my taste and actually overpowering everything else, there was slight hint of excess bass too.. but these were just opened today, wonder if the burn in had anything to do .. i had heard these some days back in bangalore with a rotel. similar experience.

But my favourites still are the psb B6 i think i will be going for those soon.

 

[S.P.KRISHNA]

Sachin,
Actually I put my question to Acuity regarding Yam Amp on which he auditioned the speakers. In your case Both the Rotel and Nad amps are basically reproduce tight base with good Mids. Hence if you like to hear good highs opt for marantz. Regarding burning aspect of Amps I feel it as absurd theory. As you own a NAD choose speakers which are open to high frequencies.

Regards

 

[s_sachin]

sorry my bad and i was actually talking about burning in of the 685's which were opened from the box today.

 

[Better_than_ezra]

My latest Hook-up of home entertainment in my house is as follows:-

Sony PS3 320 GB(That's the source for optical audio of any kind)
Yamaha HTR 3063( that's the amplifier/receiver stage)
Yamaha NSP-7900 ( that's the Audio output)
For Visuals I have a Philips PF5755 (LED)
That seems to be working for me. And add an active sub woofer from any company for extra depth.

It should come to around 50K minus the LED. Hope this helps

 

[Acuity]

Which yamaha amp. you used for auditioning the speakers. I feel that you are more inclined towards speakers which delivers good highs and base. It is difficult to get them in book shelves. Why dont you try some good floor standers.

Regards

Hello S.P.Krishna, At Vector they had a new Yamaha AS-500 Amp and I auditioned the B&W 686 (and Diamond Crystal - old stock) there. No Subwoofer there.

At ProFX they had a Yamaha AS-300 Amp and I auditioned the Focals and Kef Q-300. I listened to them with and without a Sub (Polk Sub).

I feel the acoustics of the rooms were bad (inadquate sound damping) and so the sound may have been jarring.

You are right, I am looking for some bass in the listening. Unfortunately for the room that I am looking to place them due to the existing furniture, Floorstanders won't fit in. So it'll have to be bookshelves with a Sub.

@s_sachin

Thanks for the heads up. Vector confirmed they have the B&W 685, but thanks to the Telangana bandh, I can't go today. Off to Bangalore tomorrow - will hopefully audition stuff there.

Would be great if you can advise which stores I can go to in Bangalore.

 

[s_sachin]

hi Acuity

I had this written down somewhere, but cant find. Anyway listing down what i remember , you can google to find thier contact numbers and address.

Final touch - PSB Image B6
Sound & vision - B&W 685
Audio planet - MS Mezzo2, MA BX2, thery have avionos and others.
ARN systems - Dali Ikon 1, Usher i think 520

There is also HT Store , they have paradigms etc. I could not visit them.

 

[S.P.KRISHNA]

Acuity,
You say that room is not suitable to place a floor stander. In that case forget about a sub which may give a Booming effect. It is also advisable not to uae a sub for 2 channel music.

Regards

 

[aku]

Try to audition the Cambridge Audio 650 amp and cd player with the Quad 11L2 speakers. I have CA 640 and 540 V2 electronics and they are anything but laidback...in fact a lot of people find them bright and forward...with the proper speakers however I find them very punchy and rhythmic...I have heard this combo with the Quad speakers and the sound was impressive...clear, detailed, punchy and maybe a tiny bit forward and bright...but I prefer my sound to err on the bright side of neutral. Might just be what you're looking for...also the Mezzo 2s might be worth auditioning with CA electronics. All the best ( also unless you listen to a lot of hip hop and dance music you will not need a sub with the Quad speakers in a normal room).

 

[Acuity]

Acuity,
You say that room is not suitable to place a floor stander. In that case forget about a sub which may give a Booming effect. It is also advisable not to uae a sub for 2 channel music.

Regards

Thanks for the advice. Would you say there is a divided opinion on a sub with a 2 channel system for music? That's the feeling I get from browsing the forums. Its essential for me to decide now as I may need to choose different speakers if I don't use a Sub. Maybe Quad 11L2 like aku recommended.

I will be able to accommodate the Sub on the floor. I guess it shouldn't go on the shelves right?

Try to audition the Cambridge Audio 650 amp and cd player with the Quad 11L2 speakers. I have CA 640 and 540 V2 electronics and they are anything but laidback...in fact a lot of people find them bright and forward...with the proper speakers however I find them very punchy and rhythmic...I have heard this combo with the Quad speakers and the sound was impressive...clear, detailed, punchy and maybe a tiny bit forward and bright...but I prefer my sound to err on the bright side of neutral. Might just be what you're looking for...also the Mezzo 2s might be worth auditioning with CA electronics. All the best ( also unless you listen to a lot of hip hop and dance music you will not need a sub with the Quad speakers in a normal room).

Nicely explained, thanks. Would you say a sub gives a "fuller sound". I absolutely don't want a sub for giving a heavy party-like boom - but for proper reproduction of the lower frequencies. And to ensure I don't lose out on the punches when they come in.

I got the feeling like I was losing the bass when listening to the speakers without a sub (B&W 686, KEF Q300 and Focals). Quad 11L2 is surely on my to-check list. Interesting you find CA not-warm, my notes from reading the forums show CA as warm rather than bright, especially CA-540.