I have another thread running here: http://www.hifivision.com/speakers/54324-enjoy-pink-floyd.html
My requirement for this thread is more specific and that is why I decided to open a new one. Long story short:
I am creating a stereo setup for bedroom, sonic quality is the priority. I have sourced a CA Azur 550A amplifier through the forum, which should reach me on 12th November. At the moment then I am looking for bookshelves, budget was 30K initially, stretched it to 35K....
Purpose: Music
Room size: 10 X 11
Source: Laptop with Fiio E07K DAC, mostly Flacs and 320kbps mp3, have plans to add a CD player later.
Amplification: CA Azur 550A
Budget: 35K, already stretched
I have auditioned some models, below I am mentioning the ones that are in my consideration, I am copying my impressions from the other thread to get better suggestions from experienced members, please pardon the duplication.
Usher B520:
--------------
Right from the very moment they started playing it was apparent to me the Ushers had a special quality about them which is seldom found with speakers at this price-point (the matt-wooden finish was available for 32K!).
We started with Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler surrealistically started singing 6 feet straight ahead of me and the sound flowed all around me. I craned my neck to the right and then to the left, no, could not make out where the speakers were. It all still felt it was being performed live right in front of me.
I felt these were precise, clean and 'tell-all' sort of speakers. Precisely rhythmic without masking or smoothing over anything. Due to their size however they were a little 'lean', low end presence was fairly weak. However impeccable soundstage and the sheer lucidity of vocals made me love them. I mean it when I say next when I played some Bengali Rabindrasngeet , the vocals were literally being whispered to my ears. I have never had that experience before.
Q Acoustic:
------------
After the Ushers it was the turn of the Q Acoustic Concept 20s. Soundstage was only second to the Ushers, vocals still sounded lucid, smooth and clean. With their deeper cabinets they had more weight behind the music, but lacked the fluidity of the Ushers. Somehow different musical arrangements sounded better on the Ushers, the Concept 20s were only slightly behind. These were quoted at 43K pair and available. At that point I was struggling a little to justify the price, I had already heard the Usher...a little later I would question that price much more.
I asked for the 2020i now, have been reading a lot of good things about them recently.
I won't write much about these, sound signature was similar to the Concept 20s, but these are not as refined / polished, neither that smooth. However they had more punch, nice enjoyable mids and a little subdued high, not as airy but still nice. For clinical listening Concept 20s will win, but in some ways the 2020i were more fun to listen to, principally due to greater low end presence, even though it sacrificed the clarity.
These were well within my budget, which I have now stretched to 35K. By now I had spent more than 40 minutes listening different speakers and was getting ready to leave.
The guy demoing these asked me to listen to the big Usher V601 bookshelves, much beyond my budget but I thought listening to them never hurts and I will learn a little more about quality speakers.
Usher V601:
--------------
The result was in about 2 minutes I felt I was being seduced by the sound. A guilty pleasure almost akin to a love forbidden by your parents because you are too young to understand the gravitas. Understand what I write, it was seduction, sumptuous, lusty and gratifying. They played The Wall live, one of my regrets was that I could and never will be able to attend a Pink Floyd live concert, that weighs a little less heavy now, I closed my eyes and presumed it could not sound much better live. They went deep, had the kick and weight and body that was missing on the S520. Crisp, balanced, rhythmic.
This was 48K pair, and the concept 20 were 43K, I have to say that the Usher was so much superior to the Concept 20. I was sold, but it is beyond my budget by quite a lot.
Later I was told that they can go to 42K for me, still stretching quite a bit.
I want those, but....is there anything comparable in my price range?
I heard the KEF Q300 at ProFx, good, quite good, but that seductive touch of the Usehers were missing. Q300 came second in today's race, but were admirable performers. Prominent vocals, good soundstage, clear mids. Compared to the Usher does not go as deep, nor does it have such weight and presence in music. With the Ushers there was almost a tangible quality to the music. The Q300s came the closest to that, just not quite.
Many people are talking about the Dali Zensor 3s, and some have gone on to say quite definitively that they are better than the KEF Q300. The Dalis are not available at the moment and are due sometime this or next week. They are next in my line. I already have the Zensor 1 and I liked them a lot, I feel now I am down to three,
1) Usher V601
2) KEF Q300
3) Dali Zensor 3
Having said that the Ushers have caught my fancy, can FMs suggest anything else that I should look for in this price bracket of 35K? These have to be available in Kolkata for a listen, I am apprehensive to order something without hearing them first. SKS and Harmonie both warned me against Wharfedales for some reason, so they are out.
Kolkata FMs can perhaps point me to where I can find more options to listen.
My requirement for this thread is more specific and that is why I decided to open a new one. Long story short:
I am creating a stereo setup for bedroom, sonic quality is the priority. I have sourced a CA Azur 550A amplifier through the forum, which should reach me on 12th November. At the moment then I am looking for bookshelves, budget was 30K initially, stretched it to 35K....
Purpose: Music
Room size: 10 X 11
Source: Laptop with Fiio E07K DAC, mostly Flacs and 320kbps mp3, have plans to add a CD player later.
Amplification: CA Azur 550A
Budget: 35K, already stretched
I have auditioned some models, below I am mentioning the ones that are in my consideration, I am copying my impressions from the other thread to get better suggestions from experienced members, please pardon the duplication.
Usher B520:
--------------
Right from the very moment they started playing it was apparent to me the Ushers had a special quality about them which is seldom found with speakers at this price-point (the matt-wooden finish was available for 32K!).
We started with Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler surrealistically started singing 6 feet straight ahead of me and the sound flowed all around me. I craned my neck to the right and then to the left, no, could not make out where the speakers were. It all still felt it was being performed live right in front of me.
I felt these were precise, clean and 'tell-all' sort of speakers. Precisely rhythmic without masking or smoothing over anything. Due to their size however they were a little 'lean', low end presence was fairly weak. However impeccable soundstage and the sheer lucidity of vocals made me love them. I mean it when I say next when I played some Bengali Rabindrasngeet , the vocals were literally being whispered to my ears. I have never had that experience before.
Q Acoustic:
------------
After the Ushers it was the turn of the Q Acoustic Concept 20s. Soundstage was only second to the Ushers, vocals still sounded lucid, smooth and clean. With their deeper cabinets they had more weight behind the music, but lacked the fluidity of the Ushers. Somehow different musical arrangements sounded better on the Ushers, the Concept 20s were only slightly behind. These were quoted at 43K pair and available. At that point I was struggling a little to justify the price, I had already heard the Usher...a little later I would question that price much more.
I asked for the 2020i now, have been reading a lot of good things about them recently.
I won't write much about these, sound signature was similar to the Concept 20s, but these are not as refined / polished, neither that smooth. However they had more punch, nice enjoyable mids and a little subdued high, not as airy but still nice. For clinical listening Concept 20s will win, but in some ways the 2020i were more fun to listen to, principally due to greater low end presence, even though it sacrificed the clarity.
These were well within my budget, which I have now stretched to 35K. By now I had spent more than 40 minutes listening different speakers and was getting ready to leave.
The guy demoing these asked me to listen to the big Usher V601 bookshelves, much beyond my budget but I thought listening to them never hurts and I will learn a little more about quality speakers.
Usher V601:
--------------
The result was in about 2 minutes I felt I was being seduced by the sound. A guilty pleasure almost akin to a love forbidden by your parents because you are too young to understand the gravitas. Understand what I write, it was seduction, sumptuous, lusty and gratifying. They played The Wall live, one of my regrets was that I could and never will be able to attend a Pink Floyd live concert, that weighs a little less heavy now, I closed my eyes and presumed it could not sound much better live. They went deep, had the kick and weight and body that was missing on the S520. Crisp, balanced, rhythmic.
This was 48K pair, and the concept 20 were 43K, I have to say that the Usher was so much superior to the Concept 20. I was sold, but it is beyond my budget by quite a lot.
Later I was told that they can go to 42K for me, still stretching quite a bit.
I want those, but....is there anything comparable in my price range?
I heard the KEF Q300 at ProFx, good, quite good, but that seductive touch of the Usehers were missing. Q300 came second in today's race, but were admirable performers. Prominent vocals, good soundstage, clear mids. Compared to the Usher does not go as deep, nor does it have such weight and presence in music. With the Ushers there was almost a tangible quality to the music. The Q300s came the closest to that, just not quite.
Many people are talking about the Dali Zensor 3s, and some have gone on to say quite definitively that they are better than the KEF Q300. The Dalis are not available at the moment and are due sometime this or next week. They are next in my line. I already have the Zensor 1 and I liked them a lot, I feel now I am down to three,
1) Usher V601
2) KEF Q300
3) Dali Zensor 3
Having said that the Ushers have caught my fancy, can FMs suggest anything else that I should look for in this price bracket of 35K? These have to be available in Kolkata for a listen, I am apprehensive to order something without hearing them first. SKS and Harmonie both warned me against Wharfedales for some reason, so they are out.
Kolkata FMs can perhaps point me to where I can find more options to listen.
