Decision Time - MS or Sonodyne ???

[Rahul]

Decision Time - MS Vs Sonodyne ???

Hey guys,

It was exactly a month back, my search started on this website - with your help - and now I hope it ends the same way.

As advised by the members of this forum, I have auditioned the following speakers: MS 906/MS 908/MS Aviano 2/MS Aviano 6/Usher S520/Dali Lektor 2/Wharf 10/Sonodyne Sonus 2605V2/Canton GLE 410/Q Acoustics 1020i

From the above speakers, I have FINALLY shortlisted the two combinations:

1. MS Aviano 6 (42k) or MS Aviano 8 (58k) + CA 640A (24k) - I liked the MS Avianao 6 for its clarity and depth in sound. It performed great on mid & high frequency and reasonably fine on the low frequency (wished it to be better though).

2. Sonodyne Sonus 2605V2 (25k) + SIA 102 (12k) - The Sonodyne did surprise me considering the heavyweights brands it was against. I guess it had the advantage of being a floor stander as against the most bookshelves I auditioned. I had auditioned this speaker in a 50- 60 sft area (Forum Mall, Bangalore) so I am a little concerned on how it will perform in my room of 250 sft area.

Now the final question I need to ask you guys before the plunge:
1. Which of the two speakers should be my choice ? Usage 80% music (like Eagles, Bryan Adams, Corrs, Kailesh Kher, fusion, etc) and 20% movies.
2. Are the prices quoted reasonable ? I find the price quoted for CA on the higher side compared to the price offered on website like richersound, etc.
3. With the MS Aviano 6 or MS Aviano 8, could you please suggest a more reasonably priced amplifier that would do justice to the speakers?

Lastly, THANK YOU all the members for being so helpful. Without you I would never have been able to take the step of buying a hi-fi system.

 

[psychotropic]

like a petulant parent i ask you.....why not the Usher S520?

 

[Rahul]

like a petulant parent i ask you.....why not the Usher S520?

I had auditioned the Usher S520 along side the Lektor 2. I preferred the 'brightness' of the Lektor over the Usher. So the elimination of Usher off my list.

To me the Lektor 2 was a good sounding speaker but I just wasn't happy with its low frequency handling. And that's where the MS and Sonodyne stepped in to fill the gap.

 

[dinyaar]

Hey guys,

It was exactly a month back, my search started on this website - with your help - and now I hope it ends the same way.

As advised by the members of this forum, I have auditioned the following speakers: MS 906/MS 908/MS Aviano 2/MS Aviano 6/Usher S520/Dali Lektor 2/Wharf 10/Sonodyne Sonus 2605V2/Canton GLE 410/Q Acoustics 1020i

From the above speakers, I have FINALLY shortlisted the two combinations:

1. MS Aviano 6 (42k) or MS Aviano 8 (58k) + CA 640A (24k) - I liked the MS Avianao 6 for its clarity and depth in sound. It performed great on mid & high frequency and reasonably fine on the low frequency (wished it to be better though).

2. Sonodyne Sonus 2605V2 (25k) + SIA 102 (12k) - The Sonodyne did surprise me considering the heavyweights brands it was against. I guess it had the advantage of being a floor stander as against the most bookshelves I auditioned. I had auditioned this speaker in a 50- 60 sft area (Forum Mall, Bangalore) so I am a little concerned on how it will perform in my room of 250 sft area.

Now the final question I need to ask you guys before the plunge:
1. Which of the two speakers should be my choice ? Usage 80% music (like Eagles, Bryan Adams, Corrs, Kailesh Kher, fusion, etc) and 20% movies.
2. Are the prices quoted reasonable ? I find the price quoted for CA on the higher side compared to the price offered on website like richersound, etc.
3. With the MS Aviano 6 or MS Aviano 8, could you please suggest a more reasonably priced amplifier that would do justice to the speakers?

Lastly, THANK YOU all the members for being so helpful. Without you I would never have been able to take the step of buying a hi-fi system.

Rahul,
Please hear the speakers for a considerable amount of time once u are finalising. Initial wow factor can wear of pretty soon.
I am not suggesting any speaker from your list as i HAVE HEARD NONE of the above.
Just make sure what initially appears to be pristine ' clarity' is not an over enthusiastic tweeter, as that will lead to fatigue and compressed music sessions.
Rgds

 

[psychotropic]

like Dinyaar said please listen to any speaker for at least a couple of hours at a stretch before buying it. What might be 'bright' and catchy in the beginning might be really fatiguing after an hour. The S520 itself is a touch on the bright side of neutral, so if you found something brighter, it might not be a good long term listening solution.

I had auditioned the Usher S520 along side the Lektor 2. I preferred the 'brightness' of the Lektor over the Usher. So the elimination of Usher off my list.

To me the Lektor 2 was a good sounding speaker but I just wasn't happy with its low frequency handling. And that's where the MS and Sonodyne stepped in to fill the gap.

 

[rams1977]

I have auditioned a sonodyne FS in the same shop that u r talking about an year back. Not sure of the model. But, I felt it was indeed on the brighter side. So definitely there is a chance of 'fatiguing'. I ended up with wharf 9.2 with an amp that is just right on the treble side. I have had an extended listening sessions of in the setup upto 2 hrs without any 'fatigue'. In fact, i did not feel that i had an audio session.

 

[vinod_david]

Rahul:

From the above 2 speakers, my choice would be the MS Aviano 6 and the matching amp for good synergy would be CA 650 amp or NAD C355, both would be able to drive them well. Before taking the plunge, hear it one last time with atleast either one of these amps.

You cannot get the RS prices here in India, but you can eat your dealers brain for a good discount. IMO the price of MS Aviano 6 is decent.

 

[evanoruvan]

1. MS Aviano 6 (42k) or MS Aviano 8 (58k) + CA 640A (24k) - I liked the MS Avianao 6 for its clarity and depth in sound. It performed great on mid & high frequency and reasonably fine on the low frequency (wished it to be better though).

Try the MS Aviano 8. It does better on low frequencies.

3. With the MS Aviano 6 or MS Aviano 8, could you please suggest a more reasonably priced amplifier that would do justice to the speakers?

I have MS 8 and have paired with a CA 650A. An iMac is the source and the DACMagic sits in between the source and amp. I have found the setup satisfying.

 

[Rahul]

Thanks for keeping the information flowing.

Btw evanoruvan, where did u buy the MS Aviano 8 & CA 650A, and how much did it cost u ?

 

[evanoruvan]

MS Aviano 8 (57k), CA 650A (32k) from Audio Planet, Bangalore.