Hi everyone,
It has been ages since I posted anything worthwhile on this forum so feels great to contribute something tangible via this ownership review.
My hi-fi journey had started way back in 2010 when I bought Paradigm Monitor 7 along with Denon AVR. Not the most optimal set up (played via Blu-ray player and no stereo amp) but it gave me my first taste of decent sound. Stuck around with that set up for next 4-5 years till I decided to "simplify" my life without (too) many wires. I went ahead and sold my AVR/towers in favor of Dali Kubik soundbar. For those of who know of this soundbar, it is essentially a 2-channel music system in the shape (and convenience) of a soundbar. It doesn't have any fancy 5.1 or beyond set up ... even an HDMI input is not there. However, it sounds great and belies its size when it comes to scale/sound. Plus, I bought Oppo UDP203 to address the source gap which allowed me to do justice to my CDs and Blu-rays, both.
This set up kept me happy for another 4-5 years and then the itch again started. However, the years had also made me wiser and I was no longer looking to blow 7 digit budget on a hobby which is not utilized to its full extent. Plus, I was still enamored by lack of wires/complexity. I seriously started looking at couple of options:
- KEF LS50 Wireless
- Indian companies who have a great value proposition of sound vs. price.
I demo'ed LS50 couple of times and scoured articles on it all over internet. It delivered the sound I wanted without the complexity of wires. However, when I started checking on its retail price, the price on ground was closer to 3L as against the What HiFi price of 2L. This made me question the value proposition as any further upgrade will require me to uproot the entire 3L investment. This question came on back of my demos which I was having with Indiqaudio's Platinum Achal floorstanders. I had read about Amit's products on this forum and after listening to the Platinum Achals with A/B class Saptak, I realized I can get the sound I desire while retaining the flexibility of separate and without blowing big bucks. I will forego the clean set up of no-wires but it is a trade off I was ok to make. Plus, I can be assured of after-sales service. Spending on brands with iffy after-sales was a major kill joy and I had read enough threads on people struggling to get drivers etc repaired to know that it is a very likely scenario.
It was during one of my demo visits that I was introduced to the Diamond Achals. I heard them along with the A/B Saptaks. As much as I have liked slightly forward sounding speakers, they sounded a bit too bright for my taste. Maybe my listening preference has shifted over years or maybe they were brighter than all of my previous setups. However, I liked the heft and scale that the Diamonds had over Platinum. It was at this point that Amit asked me to wait for their Class A Diamond Saptak which were under development. I was happy to wait.
I finally got the call from Amit that I can now listen to the pairing. I came in, listened to songs of R.E.M and others, and left thinking - I can't recollect the last time I went through the same emotions when I listened to these songs in the past. It was also my first time of listening to a class A amp. The difference it made to smoothness is unbelievable! I put in my order and the set up was delivered over a month ago.
So how do I find the setup after period of burn-in (though not much was needed, tbh):
The speakers are polite(r) with Class A but not to the extent as I remember of speakers such as Harbeth. The vocals do not get muddied and the bass is precise without overpowering the mids. There are genres which would probably sound better with A/B amp and I do think that my Linkin' Park collection is a lot more polite on this set up.
On the other hand, Simon and Garfunkel sounds glorious as do Nat "King" Cole and Louise Armstrong. You would think that this makes the low end muddled but it is not. As I said, the bass is precise and in certain songs, it actually sounds sharp and yet in other places, it feels polite. Yes, there is no overhang of the bass notes and it is just the feel which changes based on the song.
The set up feels really comfortable and is something you can listen to for long hours without the fatigue. The same speakers with A/B Saptak felt lot more excited in their nature. It also speaks of the versatility of these speakers! They can be what you what them to be by pairing them with appropriate amp. Very neutral in their core elements.
The imaging is spot on and so is the separation. I have always valued separation in my speakers and this has kept me away from the usual suspects of warm sounding speakers. It is now an interesting experience to listen to a non-fatiguing speaker without losing separation. The set up is also now hooked into my TV and dialogues come through loud and clear.
Btw, my chain for music is apple TV -> Oppo UDP 203 (HDMI) -> Diamond Achals. I am putting out the video via Oppo to my TV. I can imagine that I can do better with a quality streamer but for CD quality music, this is great. Plus, when I play my physical CDs, the clarity of physical media shines via Oppo.
So far, I have had opportunity to do sessions with Jazz, bollywood music, and elements of classic rock. I do not get enough time to sit down and enjoy multi-hour sessions on the set up but the joy of listening to great sound even for an hour makes it worthwhile.
I must also make it a point to speak about the nice experience I have had interacting with Amit during the course of demos and the sale. Professional and prompt. He was gracious in giving demos, never pushy in making a decision, and the installation was fully owned by him (and his team). This makes me confident of the after-sales support! Plus, he has diligently checked in from time to time to see how is my experience shaping up. This experience makes the idea of buying into strong Indian brands so much more compelling.
I hope to continue to post my observations on this thread as I experience more music (and TV) with the set up. Till then, happy to respond to any queries. Sharing a few pics of my set up.
I appreciate the low end capability of Diamonds even more with this chain. The bass makes its presence felt without overpowering the mids. The low end from “Gungroo” from War was never so pronounced without feeling overpowering. AC/DC sounds swell too!
