Hello

[balu613]

My name is Balu, and I have been dabbling in this hobby for almost 30 years now. I'll be relocating from California to Bangalore later this year and have some questions regarding what I should bring, and things that are better bought in India. With that in mind, I'll appreciate any pointers to audio/video stores in Bangalore so that I can get an idea of the selection and the prices, especially for amplifiers, speakers and subwoofers. I am primarily interested in audio and not in a home-theater setup.

Thanks.

 

[venkatcr]

You query is too broad based. You have to find a way of short listing items in the chain so that we can provide specific answers.

At a broad level, let me give you a few answers:

1. If you are looking at bookshelf speakers, it is certainly worthwhile looking at some options in the US. At the budget level there are companies such as Aperion Audio, SVS, and others who make excellent speakers.

2. DACs are a good option to look for in the US. Again, at the budget level look at Emotiva. At the audiophile level, look for the Benchmark Dac1.

3. If you are an avid iPhone/iPod user, see if you can get the iPod dock from Wadia.

4. Cables and interconnects are good options to pick up from the US.

5. CD Players are also good option. If you want an universal player look for the BD-93 or the BD-95 from Oppo.

Cheers

 

[spirovious]

Welcome to HFV...

 

[hemant0285]

Get an AVR ferom dere....Prices are very low there...compared to India...U jus need to buy a Step-Down Transformer here...for 110V conversion

 

[balu613]

Sorry, I should have made myself clearer.

I've been trying to replace most of my equipment with those that can be switched between 110V and 220V. With DACs, that has not been a problem since I have a few that have such a switch (like the Benchmark, for example). However, for amps it is a different story. There are not many that have such a switch - I don't know the technical reasons for that but I did communicate with Ayre and Portal, and both of them indicated that for the kind of power supplies they design, a voltage selector is not very practical. Most manufacturers also do not recommend that you use step down transformers for amps that can draw a high current to avoid degradation of sound. Rather than dealing with such complexities, I wanted to explore what is available in India at reasonable markups. Alternatively, I'm also interested in the experiences of those who have 110V equipment, and how they use them.

As far as speakers go, size could be the problem. I have floorstanding speakers and would like to replace them with compact bookshelf speakers. If the selection and prices in Bangalore are competitive, I can shop for them after I relocate.

Another area I was hoping to get some information on is the customs duty one has to pay when transferring residence, especially when bringing multiple devices that perform the same function (such as two sets of speakers).

I have a few more questions, but I'll save them for later.

 

[venkatcr]

However, for amps it is a different story. There are not many that have such a switch - I don't know the technical reasons for that but I did communicate with Ayre and Portal, and both of them indicated that for the kind of power supplies they design, a voltage selector is not very practical. Most manufacturers also do not recommend that you use step down transformers for amps that can draw a high current to avoid degradation of sound. Rather than dealing with such complexities, I wanted to explore what is available in India at reasonable markups. Alternatively, I'm also interested in the experiences of those who have 110V equipment, and how they use them.

I have always maintained that using a step down transformer for amplification is a not good. If you already have an amp, see if you can get the manufacturer to replace the internal power unit with a dedicated 220 Volts / 50Hz units. Then you do not have to worry about step down transformers. ALL manufacturers do have 220 versions.

Cheers