heymulls78
New Member
Hi All,
Looking to build a stereo setup in the living room. My preference was for floorstanding speakers, unfortunately I have a ledge and can only place bookshelf speakers.
I've currently shortlisted the following based on inputs for a knowledgeable audio dealer.
1. KEF R3 Meta
2. Gustard X30
3. Atoll IN300
4. REL T7x
Please let me know your thoughts this chain.
While personally I feel this is a good chain , please don't by my or dealers word alone. Go ahead and audition similar offerings from other dealers across Bangalore. Most brands are well represented via dealers in Bangalore across Qacoustic, ELAC, Dali, Focal, Wharfedale, B&W, Pylon etc. Some headers are
Focal showroom , KEF, B&W dealer & Mahtobar ( Pylon , Qacoustic) are all within 3 km radius of each other in & around MG road.
Neat acoustic, Sonus Faber also have dealerships where you can audition & form an opinion.
I recently picked up KEF R3( non meta) for my relative as his use case was HT+ Music & I knew his music taste & KEF would fit right. They do very well for modern music.
Thanks for your inputs @fLUX. I will check the Focal Store and Mahatobar stores over the weekend. Does the Focal showroom also dealer with B&W and KEF?
Also any suggestions on equipment that will allow me to connect to the TV via the HDMI eArc?
You could also connect with Prithvi at Absolute Phase in Bangalore. He carries the Harbeth range. I’ve dealt with him in the past and found him quite helpful.
Does it have lot of furniture around?
Do you sit very close to the wall?
How much space can you have between the speakers and the sidewalls and the wall behind the speakers ?
How big is your room?
How far do you sit?
How wide can you keep the speakers if you still have some 75 cm/s left to both left and right walls?
Can you sit exactly in the middle of the stereo triangle while listening to the music?
How tall is your room?
Is it possible to add a carpet?
If lot of these thing cannot be optimal, Kef is a good option due to their relatively narrow radiation and good directivity.
1. Yes have a tall glass crockery cabinet and glass sliding doors to the balcony.
2. The seating position is close to the back wall, the distance to the speakers will be 13ft. The distance between the speakers will be around 10ft. Ceiling height is 9.5ft.
3. The right side speakers will have a curtain right next to it, while the left speaker will have an open space.
4. I will be able to sit in the middle of both speakers and I can potentially add a carpet as well.
5. Added some pics for your reference.
Mod's note:
Multiple messages merged into single post to prevent clutter.
At the moment, there are a very limited number of DACs which support HDMI.
I would suggest skipping a DAC altogether and going for an integrated which supports HDMI - ARCAM, NAD and Marantz are a few who offer HDMI on their latest integrated amps.
To augment the bass of a KEF R3, something beefier than a T7x would be required since its -6db point is only 30hz - a minimum of a REL T9x or the Rythmik LV12M or F12.
I suggest that you actually audition instead of simply going by reccomendation of the dealer.
Speakers have very different sound signatures.
Many love the KEF sound, and many do not.
Please audition different speakers until you decide what type of sound you like.
You can try Dali, Wharfedale and Q Acoustics, to mention just a few.
For stereo listening you need to sit as much as possible in the stereo triangle. https://www.hifi-im-hinterhof.de/bl...ngle-optmisation-of-set-up-with-loudspeakers/
In your spot, I think its not perfectly possible if your planning on keeping the speakers on the deck below the tv. But angling them out or angling them straight without any toe in would work better in this case. If the room was wider and less longer, you could have lot of choices with speakers which sounds good on axis. Considering everything, R3 Meta would a good choice, provided you plug their port since they will be kept closer to the wall. Also you might need some isolators to avoid the deck to resonate. Stands are always better though. You will loose some bass energy, but anyway you have a sub. So thats covered. I am not sure about IN300 though, I think you can get a cheaper amp and a DSP for the same money. A mini dsp flex + dual Fosi ZA3 would be compact and will have enough headroom for the R3.
At the showroom with lot of acoustic panels around, the Bowers and wilkins / focal might impress you as we all tend to associate louder treble/treble details as more clarity. However on long term listening it will become an assault to the ears. Also speakers with poor directivity would sound very different in different rooms. So, what you enjoy at the showroom may not be what you would get at your home.
Thanks @fLUX , will check them out. B&W I remember seeing a store in UBCity, not sure it still exists.
A sub a can be added later at any point of time and ideally, should be selected after you finalise your main speakers. For example, imagine if you end up buying a speaker which extends below 30hz or thereabouts - a REL T7x would be pointless though its a very competent subwoofer when paired with small bookshelves.
If you can travel to Chennai, would suggest auditioning Chario Delphinus/Lynx speakers in AV lounge Chennai. I believe they are on similar price range of KEF R3 meta. I had an audition of them recently and they are fantastic sounding speakers. They have down firing ports and have a good low end and should be ideal to place on cabinets such as yours.
Mod's note:
Multiple back to back messages are merged in a single post to prevent clutter.
Looking to build a stereo setup in the living room. My preference was for floorstanding speakers, unfortunately I have a ledge and can only place bookshelf speakers.
I've currently shortlisted the following based on inputs for a knowledgeable audio dealer.
1. KEF R3 Meta
2. Gustard X30
3. Atoll IN300
4. REL T7x
Please let me know your thoughts this chain.
While personally I feel this is a good chain , please don't by my or dealers word alone. Go ahead and audition similar offerings from other dealers across Bangalore. Most brands are well represented via dealers in Bangalore across Qacoustic, ELAC, Dali, Focal, Wharfedale, B&W, Pylon etc. Some headers are
Focal showroom , KEF, B&W dealer & Mahtobar ( Pylon , Qacoustic) are all within 3 km radius of each other in & around MG road.
Neat acoustic, Sonus Faber also have dealerships where you can audition & form an opinion.
I recently picked up KEF R3( non meta) for my relative as his use case was HT+ Music & I knew his music taste & KEF would fit right. They do very well for modern music.
Thanks for your inputs @fLUX. I will check the Focal Store and Mahatobar stores over the weekend. Does the Focal showroom also dealer with B&W and KEF?
Also any suggestions on equipment that will allow me to connect to the TV via the HDMI eArc?
You could also connect with Prithvi at Absolute Phase in Bangalore. He carries the Harbeth range. I’ve dealt with him in the past and found him quite helpful.
Is your room having lot of glass area?
Does it have lot of furniture around?
Do you sit very close to the wall?
How much space can you have between the speakers and the sidewalls and the wall behind the speakers ?
How big is your room?
How far do you sit?
How wide can you keep the speakers if you still have some 75 cm/s left to both left and right walls?
Can you sit exactly in the middle of the stereo triangle while listening to the music?
How tall is your room?
Is it possible to add a carpet?
If lot of these thing cannot be optimal, Kef is a good option due to their relatively narrow radiation and good directivity.
Focal showroom is only Focal, B&W is stocked by a different showroom ( fail to recollect the name) , KEF is ProFX ( authorized dealer)
Thank you @vis , I hadn't considered Harbeth earlier, let me check this as well.
Hi @Passive_audio_enthusiast, thank you for your questions, made me think more.. let me try and answer them below.
1. Yes have a tall glass crockery cabinet and glass sliding doors to the balcony.
2. The seating position is close to the back wall, the distance to the speakers will be 13ft. The distance between the speakers will be around 10ft. Ceiling height is 9.5ft.
3. The right side speakers will have a curtain right next to it, while the left speaker will have an open space.
4. I will be able to sit in the middle of both speakers and I can potentially add a carpet as well.
5. Added some pics for your reference.
Mod's note:
Multiple messages merged into single post to prevent clutter.
If HDMI eARC is a priority, then you might want to select a DAC or an integrated amplifier which sports an HDMI port.
At the moment, there are a very limited number of DACs which support HDMI.
I would suggest skipping a DAC altogether and going for an integrated which supports HDMI - ARCAM, NAD and Marantz are a few who offer HDMI on their latest integrated amps.
To augment the bass of a KEF R3, something beefier than a T7x would be required since its -6db point is only 30hz - a minimum of a REL T9x or the Rythmik LV12M or F12.
I suggest that you actually audition instead of simply going by reccomendation of the dealer.
Speakers have very different sound signatures.
Many love the KEF sound, and many do not.
Please audition different speakers until you decide what type of sound you like.
You can try Dali, Wharfedale and Q Acoustics, to mention just a few.
I think R3 meta works the best in this space here. The room has lot of reflective surfaces around, so you might need to use some EQ to correct the sound reaching your spot. You can do that to some extent on focals however then your sweet spot for the good tonality is going to be very limited to the middle seat. Again the ceiling is not very tall and floor is very much reflective, again works in favour for a speaker with better vertical directivity.
For stereo listening you need to sit as much as possible in the stereo triangle. https://www.hifi-im-hinterhof.de/bl...ngle-optmisation-of-set-up-with-loudspeakers/
In your spot, I think its not perfectly possible if your planning on keeping the speakers on the deck below the tv. But angling them out or angling them straight without any toe in would work better in this case. If the room was wider and less longer, you could have lot of choices with speakers which sounds good on axis. Considering everything, R3 Meta would a good choice, provided you plug their port since they will be kept closer to the wall. Also you might need some isolators to avoid the deck to resonate. Stands are always better though. You will loose some bass energy, but anyway you have a sub. So thats covered. I am not sure about IN300 though, I think you can get a cheaper amp and a DSP for the same money. A mini dsp flex + dual Fosi ZA3 would be compact and will have enough headroom for the R3.
At the showroom with lot of acoustic panels around, the Bowers and wilkins / focal might impress you as we all tend to associate louder treble/treble details as more clarity. However on long term listening it will become an assault to the ears. Also speakers with poor directivity would sound very different in different rooms. So, what you enjoy at the showroom may not be what you would get at your home.
Thanks @fLUX , will check them out. B&W I remember seeing a store in UBCity, not sure it still exists.
Thank you for your inputs @DB1989. Honestly I haven't looked up much on the subwoofer, I'll read up more on this topic. Any idea if it's possible to demo the REL subwoofer in Bangalore?
The Bangalore folk will be able to better help you with a demo.
A sub a can be added later at any point of time and ideally, should be selected after you finalise your main speakers. For example, imagine if you end up buying a speaker which extends below 30hz or thereabouts - a REL T7x would be pointless though its a very competent subwoofer when paired with small bookshelves.
Agree with you @argho, I will need to audition the speakers before pulling the trigger. I've had a pair of wharfedale earlier, will check the Dali and Q Acoustics.
If you can travel to Chennai, would suggest auditioning Chario Delphinus/Lynx speakers in AV lounge Chennai. I believe they are on similar price range of KEF R3 meta. I had an audition of them recently and they are fantastic sounding speakers. They have down firing ports and have a good low end and should be ideal to place on cabinets such as yours.
Mod's note:
Multiple back to back messages are merged in a single post to prevent clutter.
Attachments
Last edited by a moderator:
