sohels
Member
Hello, I have recently auditioned a few tower speakers and I thought I should share my findings. I have a Denon AVR-791 (identical to AVR-1911), so I listened to the speakers with the popular AVR-1910 where possible - and used the pure direct setting.
KEF iQ30, iQ50 (Rs 35,000; Rs 45,000) - definitely on the brighter side of neutral. Very good soundstage and imaging. Good, tight, refined bass that is not at all boomy.
JBL es80 (Rs 45,000) - these speakers can handle a lot of power and seemed suited to rock music. They didn't do voices very well and lacked refinement - as such they are not ideal for classical music or even laid-back varieties of Hindi film music. The quality of drivers used seemed a little underwhelming.
Wharfedale Valdus (<Rs 20,000) - not impressed. Its like a budget version of the JBL es80. Poor imaging and the sound lacked depth and was not dynamic. Buy them only if you can't afford anything else.
Polk tsi (Rs 35,000) - Similar to JBL, did not image very well. Seemed targeted at a lower segment as compared to the KEFs and Wharfedale.
Wharfedale 9.5, 9.6 (~Rs 40,000) - very good value for money, balanced, slightly warm sound. However, slightly lacking in refinement and I could perceive some cabinet resonance and resulting coloration in the sound. Do not image as well as the KEFs.
Wharfedale 10.4, 10.7 (Rs 32,000; Rs 50,000) - I really enjoyed these speakers. They have a slightly warm and relaxed sound, similar to the series 9. However, they are also very refined, image very well and are not afflicted with cabinet resonance. The sound has depth and every nuance is captured and conveyed. The 10.4 must be used with a subwoofer - it sounds flat otherwise. The 10.7 is a true full range speaker.
Jamo S606, C407 (Rs 44,000) - Both are very good speakers. The only drawback of the S606 is that the lower midrange is a little suppressed - male voices can sound a little thin. The C407 is a great speaker - very balanced, open sound and fantastic power handling. It can really create a concert in your home.
Final showdown - Jamo C407 vs Wharfedale 10.7 - The Jamo has more powerful bass, but it was placed closer to the side walls so that may have had an effect. 10.7 reaches just as low but doesn't have the bass weight of the C407. The 10.7 does vocals beautifully - they are distinct, smooth and convey details of tone and timbre in a way that the C407 struggles to match. I also preferred the slightly warm, dark and laid back tone of the 10.7 as compared to the C407. The treble is also a little smoother and less prone to sibilance. Hence, overall I decided to purchase the Wharfedale 10.7
Hope you find this useful and I'll be glad to answer any questions that you may have.
Note - I have mentioned the prices from memory and these may not be very accurate. All prices are for a pair of speakers.
KEF iQ30, iQ50 (Rs 35,000; Rs 45,000) - definitely on the brighter side of neutral. Very good soundstage and imaging. Good, tight, refined bass that is not at all boomy.
JBL es80 (Rs 45,000) - these speakers can handle a lot of power and seemed suited to rock music. They didn't do voices very well and lacked refinement - as such they are not ideal for classical music or even laid-back varieties of Hindi film music. The quality of drivers used seemed a little underwhelming.
Wharfedale Valdus (<Rs 20,000) - not impressed. Its like a budget version of the JBL es80. Poor imaging and the sound lacked depth and was not dynamic. Buy them only if you can't afford anything else.
Polk tsi (Rs 35,000) - Similar to JBL, did not image very well. Seemed targeted at a lower segment as compared to the KEFs and Wharfedale.
Wharfedale 9.5, 9.6 (~Rs 40,000) - very good value for money, balanced, slightly warm sound. However, slightly lacking in refinement and I could perceive some cabinet resonance and resulting coloration in the sound. Do not image as well as the KEFs.
Wharfedale 10.4, 10.7 (Rs 32,000; Rs 50,000) - I really enjoyed these speakers. They have a slightly warm and relaxed sound, similar to the series 9. However, they are also very refined, image very well and are not afflicted with cabinet resonance. The sound has depth and every nuance is captured and conveyed. The 10.4 must be used with a subwoofer - it sounds flat otherwise. The 10.7 is a true full range speaker.
Jamo S606, C407 (Rs 44,000) - Both are very good speakers. The only drawback of the S606 is that the lower midrange is a little suppressed - male voices can sound a little thin. The C407 is a great speaker - very balanced, open sound and fantastic power handling. It can really create a concert in your home.
Final showdown - Jamo C407 vs Wharfedale 10.7 - The Jamo has more powerful bass, but it was placed closer to the side walls so that may have had an effect. 10.7 reaches just as low but doesn't have the bass weight of the C407. The 10.7 does vocals beautifully - they are distinct, smooth and convey details of tone and timbre in a way that the C407 struggles to match. I also preferred the slightly warm, dark and laid back tone of the 10.7 as compared to the C407. The treble is also a little smoother and less prone to sibilance. Hence, overall I decided to purchase the Wharfedale 10.7
Hope you find this useful and I'll be glad to answer any questions that you may have.
Note - I have mentioned the prices from memory and these may not be very accurate. All prices are for a pair of speakers.
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