Help for a music addict!!

[mayukh80]

Hello everybody,

I have joined this forum today itself... and after going thru the contents i am floored . i didnt have the iota of knowledge that it takes so much to have a true experience of sound.

Oki to wing down to the bottomline, i have been listening to various genres of rock music for the last 7 to 8 yrs and along with maturity have started finding dearth of quality in amps and speakers.

So i have joined this forum with a lot of hope that the experts will show me some light.

At this moment i have a budget of 30 k to start with. So shall i go for Onkyo receiver along with diamond speakers.

Please help!!

 

[venkatcr]

Mayuk

What are you looking for - two channel music or a 5.1 / 7.1 channel HT system? If you are looking for a 2 channel music system, for a little more than 30K you can have a decent system from CA or NAD.

Cheers

 

[hdgopala]

This pretty much sums up my own position. I too am looking at setting up a system with a budget of about 30+K.

Venkat, I am primarily looking at a 2 channel system. Will I be able to buy a floor-standers or bookshelf speakers? Can you also recommend the best possible components for a music system within this budget?

My requirements are:

1) 2-channel audio system. I don't want a HT

2) Good CD player. I don't need anything fancy like SACD or DVD-Audio. A plain vanilla CD player which can play MP3s and FLAC (I know that the FLAC part is almost impossible, but I am all starry-eyed ) will be great.

3) A good, scalable Amplifier.

I will use your recommendations as a starting point to do some research. There is so much information in this website alone, and I don't know where to start.

 

[mayukh80]

Thanks a lot for your prompt reply.. actually i have got a 5.1 channel dvd player which plays both mp3,mp4 and flac files.

kindlly suggest what should i go for?

 

[persiflage]

mayukh80: 30k will not buy BOTH an amp and a pair of speakers - or at least, not a rig to give you any kind of lasting satisfaction.

What i am suggesting next depends on the following: do you have an existing amp/ receiver?

If so, the most optimal way forward is to buy a pair of good speakers first. Then as you save up a bit more, a suitable amp.

There's plenty of very decent speakers to be had in the 30K range: Monitor Audio,Usher, Mordaunt Short. You could also try Acoustic Portrait from Bangalore, they make fantastic speakers that are affordable as well.

hdgopala: have you considered a DAC? The same money will buy a much better quality of DAC (than a CDP); and if you already have a substantial collection of flac/mp3 files, that really is the best way to go.

Try teaming up a good DVDP with a DAC. Any of the Philips/ Sony in the 8-10K range should be OK.

 

[venkatcr]

Venkat, I am primarily looking at a 2 channel system. Will I be able to buy a floor-standers or bookshelf speakers? Can you also recommend the best possible components for a music system within this budget?

My requirements are:

1) 2-channel audio system. I don't want a HT
2) Good CD player. I don't need anything fancy like SACD or DVD-Audio. A plain vanilla CD player which can play MP3s and FLAC (I know that the FLAC part is almost impossible, but I am all starry-eyed ) will be great.
3) A good, scalable Amplifier.

I will use your recommendations as a starting point to do some research. There is so much information in this website alone, and I don't know where to start.

This is tough. In addition to what persiflage has suggested, I can basically see four combination that will fit near your budget. Since you are not interested in a HT, it may be better to stick to a CD Player.

1. Cambridge Audio: 340A Amplifier, 340C CD Player. If you can stretch your budget a bit you can look at 540A amplifier. The 340 series is an award winner. CA has also released a new CD player called CD 5 CD.
2. NAD: C515BEE CD Player, C315BEE Amplifier
3. Marantz: One of PM 5003 or 4001 Amplifier and one of CC 4100, CD 5001, CD 5003 CD Players. .
4. Norge amplifier, Norge speakers connected to a CD Player from CA/NAD. For Norge please look up Norge Concerto Gold 1000.

Most of these products will cost around 15,000 each. You can add a pair of bookshelves such as the Wharfedale 9.1. to complete the system. For the CA, they have a matching pair of bookshelves called Siroco S30. I would not recommend floor standers as they will be expensive, and would cost around 25K. A good bookshelf will sound excellent. Other brands for bookshelf include Wharfedale, Polk Audio, Mission, Mordaunt Short, Monitor Audio, etc.

I would suggest you start looking around for prices of these products. Once that is done, we can shortlist a few combination, look at their specs, and then you can audition then.

Some of these CDPs may be able to play MP3, but none will be able to play FLAC files. You have to find another way to play FLAC files.

Thanks a lot for your prompt reply.. actually i have got a 5.1 channel dvd player which plays both mp3,mp4 and flac files.

A DVD Player that plays FLAC files? That is new to me. I need more specs of the DVD Player before I can comment. Can you give me detailed specs - power, connectivity, model, make etc? If you can give me the link to a web site that has detailed specs, that will the best.

Cheers

 

[hdgopala]

Thanks Venkat and Persilfage.

I looked up this site for DACs, but couldn't find a dedicated forum (on the lines of speakers, amplifiers, etc.).

I think that I will go with Vankat's advise and not buy a DAC. In the worst case, I will simply burn all my FLAC files onto CDs as regular Red-book audio CDs. I think that I will take your advise and buy bookshelf speakers. Floorstanders might be a bad idea as I have a 14-months old baby boy who has suddenly taken fascination to throwing things around...

Thanks for the heads-up. I will start doing some research using this info. Will keep you posted.

Mayukh. I too am very curious about your DVD player. Can you tell me the brand and model number. I never thought that FLAC support had extended to stand alone optical media players, but you never know...

 

[hdgopala]

Hello.

What is the general opinion about combining a Cambridge Audio Azur 340A amplifier with a couple of Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 speakers? Does that sound like a good idea?

Also, can anyone tell me who sells them in Hyderabad/Bangalore, and how much they cost?

Also, what do you do for service? If (God forbid, touch wood) something happens to your equipment, do you approach the dealer for service?

Please provide inputs.

 

[thevortex]

Another brand you might consider for a bookshelf speaker is PSB. The budget bookshelves PSB Alpha B1s punch well above their weight and come very highly recommended by Stereophile.

 

[psychotropic]

I heard the Sirocco S30.....they cost 7k a pair....which is a bloody steal....and they sound good-ish......but not great...the bass was decent, but not precise enough for my liking...the source was a Cambridge Audio 540A CD player and a Yamaha stereo amp.....but the material was what the shop guy had....so it was some hotel california type rubbish....i would love to dump my sheffield labs test CD into it and report on the results....maybe sometime when I get some free time....so I will hold my final verdict on the S30 till then....in the meantime if anyone else can check it out....that would be great....and for 7k they still sound like a steal...and they do go plenty loud for their size....

For the CA, they have a matching pair of bookshelves called Siroco S30. I would not recommend floor standers as they will be expensive, and would cost around 25K. A good bookshelf will sound excellent. Other brands for bookshelf include Wharfedale, Polk Audio, Mission, Mordaunt Short, Monitor Audio, etc.

Cheers

 

[psychotropic]

hey gopala, this is something that has been talked about a fair bit on these forums, even i am considering a 340A SE + Diamond 9.1 / 9.2 combo but that is some time from now.....right now i am actually very happy with my audioengine 2 speakers (small 10k a pair powered speakers, for those unaware).

Hello.

What is the general opinion about combining a Cambridge Audio Azur 340A amplifier with a couple of Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 speakers? Does that sound like a good idea?

Also, can anyone tell me who sells them in Hyderabad/Bangalore, and how much they cost?

Also, what do you do for service? If (God forbid, touch wood) something happens to your equipment, do you approach the dealer for service?

Please provide inputs.

 

[hdgopala]

hey gopala, this is something that has been talked about a fair bit on these forums.

Oh okay, I didn't know that. Thanks. I am considering Venkat's recommendation in this very thread, but felt compelled to ask this question as the review for the Wharfedale 9.1 on this forum links to an article which recommends that one should be careful about buying the right amplifier for these speakers.

I don't think that I will buy any audio equipment at least before March next year, but I want to do a fair bit of research before I actually spend money on the equipment. If you end up buying the stuff before I do, please provide feedback about your setup.

Finally, the question about service remains un-answered. I am wary of buying imported stuff simply because of this. Please provide feedback regarding this as well.

 

[afj]

also try out the monitor audio bronze and kefs

 

[heliumflight]

I also in this league...
From where can I purchase PSB's as I want to pair it up with my Bryston B- 60


Thanx

Another brand you might consider for a bookshelf speaker is PSB. The budget bookshelves PSB Alpha B1s punch well above their weight and come very highly recommended by Stereophile.

 

[venkatcr]

I also in this league... From where can I purchase PSB's as I want to pair it up with my Bryston B- 60

The Indian distributor is Lakozy. Please cal them to find out who the Delhi dealers are.

Lakozy Impex and Services
Showroom No 3, Lakozy Mansion
21 Chowpatty Seaface
Mumbai 400007
India

Tel : +91 22 23697001/02
Fax : +91 22 23698001
Email: [email protected]

Cheers

 

[heliumflight]

I actually just finalised . Please send me the dealer in Delhi

Thanks a ton

 

[venkatcr]

Delhi dealer for Dynaudio.

A SoundLounge
Contact : Siddhartth Jain
C - 780, New Friends Colony
100065 New Delhi

Phone: 011-32909864
Mob. No. +919811318329

Cheers

 

[marsilians]

Hello everybody,

i didnt have the iota of knowledge that it takes so much to have a true experience of sound.

If you are happy with a cheap cassette players output, then you have reached Nirvana. Anyone's contentment is not driven by the strength of the rupee rather by their mind.

At this moment i have a budget of 30 k to start with. So shall i go for Onkyo receiver along with diamond speakers.

Please help!!

Dont stick to one brand when starting out - Go and listen to as many brands of AVRS and speakers. Also it would help if you put down the model nos. of the components

Lastly you realize that with the purchase of onkyo/spkr you still wont be able to listen to music! you need a source (CD player, DVD plyr or ipod or ...)