Favourite speakers under INR 20k

[srikarkav]

I wonder if anybody else other than me has felt that the Wharfedale Diamonds add an extra layer of sweetness to female vocals - especially the husky, softly sung ones.

For example - 'Spanish Harlem' by Rebecca Widgeon.

Hi vortex,

I second your opinion. Another fine example is 'PieceByPiece' by Katie Melua.

cheers,
sri

 

[thevortex]

I just realised I forgot to mention one possibly important point. WHen I auditioned the BR2, I was using a Marantz SA7001 CD player, whereas when I auditioned the Wharfedale 10.1, I was using a Marantz CD5001 CD player. I am wondering aloud if this could have played some small role in my preference for the BR2, because one of the areas i preferred the BR2 was in the level of detail.

Oh definitely, psychotropic! It is going to make a difference. Ultimately though it has been my experience that these equipments always end up sounding different in your own home in your own room. So, all these auditions can only take you so far. Looking at your quest reminds me of how I was just a short while ago - always having one or the other speaker on my mind and wanting to make sure that I end up buying something which is not just value for money but also a leader at its price point in all the factors that I rate highly

That is a nice place to be in. Once you are committed and the purchase is made, you are only good till the upgrade bug bites you. And in Hifi - it seems like they sell the equipment with an infestation of the upgrade bug(s)!

 

[srikarkav]

Hi Tropic and others,I propose to get the speakers for my 13'x9' room(untreated). Will 9.2/10.1 be overpowering for the room and will i be better off settling for 9.1?

Hi cooltoad/wobble

My room is just 10 by 9 and the 9.2s are not overwhelming at all.

cheers,
sri

 

[thevortex]

Hi vortex,

I second your opinion. Another fine example is 'PieceByPiece' by Katie Melua.

cheers,
sri

Phew! Glad there is company

But the thing is I know many people who quite prefer this sweetness and even buy this speaker for that quality. Nothing wrong in it at all whatsoever.

 

[Rem]

I just realised I forgot to mention one possibly important point. WHen I auditioned the BR2, I was using a Marantz SA7001 CD player, whereas when I auditioned the Wharfedale 10.1, I was using a Marantz CD5001 CD player. I am wondering aloud if this could have played some small role in my preference for the BR2, because one of the areas i preferred the BR2 was in the level of detail.

Psycho I do believe that makes a fair amount of difference I found that out when I was auditioning the Mezzo 2 when we changed the source from CA 340 to 540 & lastly the 640. the SA7001 is in a different class altogether I guess.

 

[psychotropic]

hmmm, so it looks like, if the Ushers fail to knock the BR2s off their perch and the BR2 is not available for a quote that is closer to 22k, then I may seriously consider the Wharfedales (25k is not a price point i am prepared to go up to). But I think I'll have to really nicely and sweetly ask Grand Cinema for a home audition, as I will be only able to give them some 8 - 10" space at the back, and although that is how I listened to it and liked it, I'd still like to see how they sound at my place, and to experiment with foam plugs (will have to source them myself as Wharfedale doesn't provide any, any ideas for DIY foam plugs?) and positioning and stuff to see if there is a position in my room where they sound good.

I've also concluded that I am definitely no audiophile. I can sort of make out when a speaker is a little more accomplished (such as the PSB Alpha B1 was), but i still preferred both the Epos ELS8 and the Wharfedale 10.1s to it, so fidelity for me is overshadowed by how well the speakers handle my music.....

Oh definitely, psychotropic! It is going to make a difference. Ultimately though it has been my experience that these equipments always end up sounding different in your own home in your own room. So, all these auditions can only take you so far. Looking at your quest reminds me of how I was just a short while ago - always having one or the other speaker on my mind and wanting to make sure that I end up buying something which is not just value for money but also a leader at its price point in all the factors that I rate highly

That is a nice place to be in. Once you are committed and the purchase is made, you are only good till the upgrade bug bites you. And in Hifi - it seems like they sell the equipment with an infestation of the upgrade bug(s)!

 

[cooltoad]

Hi cooltoad/wobble

My room is just 10 by 9 and the 9.2s are not overwhelming at all.

cheers,
sri

Thanks Sri, that will surely help my decision making. BTW,have u placed it on stands or wall mounted .Wall mounting without any noticeable effect on quality at least to non-audiophile ears does give some flexibility.

 

[ajinkya]

"I've also concluded that I am definitely no audiophile. I can sort of make out when a speaker is a little more accomplished (such as the PSB Alpha B1 was), but i still preferred both the Epos ELS8 and the Wharfedale 10.1s to it, so fidelity for me is overshadowed by how well the speakers handle my music....."

And that is exactly how it should be. Don't worry about the 'audiophile' tag...in many cases, it's a euphemism for obsession. As long as you keep enjoying your music, that's the goal of any system, 'audiophile' grade or not.

 

[bhanja_trinanjan]

Equipment is certainly not smaller than the music.

As long as you keep enjoying your music, that's the goal of any system, 'audiophile' grade or not.

Not really! Music shouldn't be unnecessarily spiced up to sound "catchy".

Tonal truth, resolution, imaging and timing are of great importance.

Why listen to a violin concerto if it doesn't sound like one?

Why listen to a Piano if it doesn't sound like a piano? Piano is exceedingly difficult to render. Perfect transients, attack, decay and timing are needed to do Piano well. And power handling too! (A lot of transducers can't handle Piano well without clipping)

Our speakers are like messengers... and who wants messengers to spice things up and cook their own message? hyeah:

 

[thevortex]

hmmm, so it looks like, if the Ushers fail to knock the BR2s off their perch and the BR2 is not available for a quote that is closer to 22k, then I may seriously consider the Wharfedales (25k is not a price point i am prepared to go up to). But I think I'll have to really nicely and sweetly ask Grand Cinema for a home audition, as I will be only able to give them some 8 - 10" space at the back, and although that is how I listened to it and liked it, I'd still like to see how they sound at my place, and to experiment with foam plugs (will have to source them myself as Wharfedale doesn't provide any, any ideas for DIY foam plugs?) and positioning and stuff to see if there is a position in my room where they sound good.

I've also concluded that I am definitely no audiophile. I can sort of make out when a speaker is a little more accomplished (such as the PSB Alpha B1 was), but i still preferred both the Epos ELS8 and the Wharfedale 10.1s to it, so fidelity for me is overshadowed by how well the speakers handle my music.....

Foam bungs can be procured in Ritchie Street, I think. Raghu or Venkat told me where to find them. I just dont remember their directions now. Maybe you can reach them on this?

A home audition is the way to go. Believe it or not, I have generally found that speakers that I really liked, sounded better in our own room than in the showroom. Whether it is the smaller dimensions or whether I am wrong in my estimation - God only knows. However in my case I was also able to eliminate a couple of floorstanders from my list solely because I auditioned them at my home. Thanks to Raghu of Decibel for that. If you are able to get the speaker to stay with you for at least half a week, nothing like that.

That way you will be able to hear all the different kinds of songs in the various moods - energetic, tired, sleepy, grumpy, frustrated, I guess you got the point. That composite system which is able to nurse you through all these moods is the one for you! Simple, right?

Who cares whether one is an audiophile or not? As long as you are a "music-phile", anything goes

 

[thevortex]

Re: Equipment is certainly not smaller than the music.

Our speakers are like messengers... and who wants messengers to spice things up and cook their own message? hyeah:

Well said! Although there is something to be said for each one of us only preferring certain messages to be conveyed in a certain tone in a certain language, maybe also in a certain way.

Reality is all well and good. But who wants to wallow in it all their life? And if we pursued reality so avidly, there would be no room for entertainment, sports and all those pursuits we dedicate ourselves towards after we are done earning money!

By the way piano sounds are very difficult to render as you rightly say. Mainly because it has aspects of both a percussive instrument as well as a stringed one.

Organ music and even ambient music are also examples of genres that are tough for speakers to render faithfully. As in a live concert, that is.

Leave alone all those instruments combining together. In many systems, even a simple vocal-dominated carnatic music recital (live recording) fails to sound up to scratch. Definitely horses for courses.

 

[psychotropic]

Re: Equipment is certainly not smaller than the music.

hehe, but the thing with rock music is that messengers are in effect trying to replicate other messengers, because most rock music, even in its 'pristine', live form is amplified and reproduced on loudspeakers starting from the guitar and bass amp-cabinets, which are then mic-ed again and amplified and played out through the PAs. And the PAs at a rock concert (the usual box-bin configuration) do add some colour to the sound, gives the kick drums more thump and the snares more bite, so maybe there are some types of music where the colour is necessary for enjoyment?

Of course I have heard rock bands in studios and how they sound over studio monitors (and i do play the electric guitar myself), so I have a fair idea of how rock music sounds in various settings, and the thing is that they all sound very different.

My guitar over my small Marshall combo in my bedroom sounds one way. The same guitar with a nice big Laney combo in a studio will sound another way, and plugged into a massive Peavey 5150 amp and cab at a live concert, will sound a different way.

So i guess it's not very easy to do rock music "faithfully" since it's hard to define what 'faithful' is.

Our speakers are like messengers... and who wants messengers to spice things up and cook their own message? hyeah:

 

[somen24in]

DEAR psychotropic ,


psychotropic
Now I only have the Usher S520 and the Dali Lektor 1 left to audition. I hope the Usher S520 makes me at least as happy as the BR2, in which case I'll pick it up just because it's cheaper!

as this sounds I'd pick them over the definitely more accomplished PSB Alpha B1

i am also waiting for your USHER s520 review therefore i think which one buy for my arcam fmj a18 amps
GIVE ME THE LATEST PRICES of speaker
1,PSB Alpha B1

2,Wharfedale 10.1

3,Monitor Audio Bronze BR2

4,Usher S520

5, EPOS ELS 8

6, EPOS 12.2 /new 12.i[ its avobe 20+]

7, ELS-3 mini monitor [Archive]
8, dali L2
give me the latest prices or any advice of speaker match with arcam fmj a18

 

[moserw]

Re: Equipment is certainly not smaller than the music.

Our speakers are like messengers... and who wants messengers to spice things up and cook their own message? hyeah:

Reminds me of a friend who always wants to hear good things only from an astrologer he visits. He does not like bad news. A fact not lost on the astrologer who will always tell my friend what he wants to hear.

Why not the same in music?

 

[Rem]

1,PSB Alpha B1

2,Wharfedale 10.1

3,Monitor Audio Bronze BR2 - it varies from 20-25k

4,Usher S520 - 22-25k

5, EPOS ELS 8

6, EPOS 12.2 /new 12.i[ its avobe 20+] - 12.2 was 36k/ 12.i is 40+

7, ELS-3 mini monitor [Archive]
8, dali L2 - around 24k


Hope it helps these were the quotes I got and I heard from different people who like me where auditioning for speakers, I never bargained since I have not made up my mind as to which one I want; Epos 12.2 was the one I want but is the one in the list I dont have the budget for

 

[srikarkav]

Thanks Sri, that will surely help my decision making. BTW,have u placed it on stands or wall mounted .Wall mounting without any noticeable effect on quality at least to non-audiophile ears does give some flexibility.

Hi cool,

I can't do either until i move to my own house in the middle of next year. Right now i am in a rented flat so as to be near my son's college. In this bedroom there is absolutely no space either to stand mount or wall mount my speakers. So i am ashamed to say i have parked my 9.2s on the loft The bass was overpowering and i solved it by stuffing the cone with foam. But lot of details are lost since the speakers are way above the ear levels. I know i have done great injustice to the 9.2s. Still they are giving very nice SQ. I know i am in for a grater experience once i stand mount them after moving next year. That is a thought that keeps me happy for now.

If you want to take an audition in a home environment without minding the positioning of my speakers you are welcome home.

cheers,
sri

 

[psychotropic]

Considering the class of amp you have, you should maybe look at a higher standard of speaker than the ones I am looking, but here is the price information anyways.

These are all before bargaining prices. So they might go lower with bargaining.

1PSB Alpha B1 - 14k

2,Wharfedale 10.1 - 15k

3,Monitor Audio Bronze BR2 -25k

4,Usher S520 -21.5k

5, EPOS ELS 8 - 20k

6, EPOS 12.2 /new 12.i[ its avobe 20+] - No idea

7, ELS-3 mini monitor [Archive] - Not available AFAIK

8, dali L2 - no idea

 

[thevortex]

psychotropic - I have a question. What did you hear the PSB Alpha B1s with? In terms of CD Players and amplifiers?

Like I said I do have a pair of PSB Alphas and a Marantz receiver lying around. If you are interested maybe we can fire them up together to see how they go. Plus I do believe that the Marantz-PSB Alpha combination sounds better to me than the NAD BEE amps with the same speaker.

But then I hear different kind of music - so you should be the best judge on which combination is better.

 

[thevortex]

Also psychotropic - did you have an audition of the Dali Lektors? How did they sound to you?

 

[somen24in]

how old the speaker? is it psb alpha b1 or other, you sell it only speaker ? if then how you want?
thank you
somen bhowmik

psychotropic - I have a question. What did you hear the PSB Alpha B1s with? In terms of CD Players and amplifiers?

Like I said I do have a pair of PSB Alphas and a Marantz receiver lying around. If you are interested maybe we can fire them up together to see how they go. Plus I do believe that the Marantz-PSB Alpha combination sounds better to me than the NAD BEE amps with the same speaker.

But then I hear different kind of music - so you should be the best judge on which combination is better.