Where in Mumbai (or online) should one look to buy speakers/amp/audio equipment

[NRK]

Hi all,
I'm new to the audiophile world, and this is in preparation for putting together my first setup.

From a price & availability point of view: Where should I be looking to buy audio equipment from? I'm looking for Mumbai specific retailers or online players that would deliver here, but feel free to suggest other cities in case other members could benefit from this.

Most of the big box retailers in India don't carry 90% of the names here (instead you'll see a few boat soundbars, bose wireless speakers,Philips, LG, etc). To add to that, I often read of price ranges out here that are considerably lower than the listed prices on online retailers (e.g. Amazon India, AV Shack, etc). It would definitely hurt to buy something at say 100 only to find out that it retails routinely enough for 80 or less.

Separately, are there any suggestions for places in Mumbai to demo different pieces out, and/or get in-person advice ? I recognise this list gets shorter the smaller the budget, and I will be starting out small.

 

[rikhav]

Visit hiifimart.com

Genuine products and correct prices.

They have demo room too

 

[efernand1]

Hi all,
I'm new to the audiophile world, and this is in preparation for putting together my first setup.

From a price & availability point of view: Where should I be looking to buy audio equipment from? I'm looking for Mumbai specific retailers or online players that would deliver here, but feel free to suggest other cities in case other members could benefit from this.

Most of the big box retailers in India don't carry 90% of the names here (instead you'll see a few boat soundbars, bose wireless speakers,Philips, LG, etc). To add to that, I often read of price ranges out here that are considerably lower than the listed prices on online retailers (e.g. Amazon India, AV Shack, etc). It would definitely hurt to buy something at say 100 only to find out that it retails routinely enough for 80 or less.

Separately, are there any suggestions for places in Mumbai to demo different pieces out, and/or get in-person advice ? I recognise this list gets shorter the smaller the budget, and I will be starting out small.

https://audiomaxx.in/ Audiomart...andheri.....

Others are Cinebels / MZ Audio - Bandra......FairDeal...Crawford Market / Vile Parle......The Den....Worli

 

[k-pad]

https://audiomaxx.in/ Audiomart...andheri.....

Others are Cinebels / MZ Audio - Bandra......FairDeal...Crawford Market / Vile Parle......The Den....Worli

All the above +
Total Home Theaters, AvenueSound (both in town)
Ooberpad (Marol)
and
Kadam Sir
There was one jogeshwari place, which a person recommended here a few days ago after getting a great experience.
This:

Recounting my experience of buying an HT on a budget

I have been enthusiastic about tech and gadgets since my childhood. A couple of years ago, for the first time I thought about getting a home theater. However, I soon had to move from Chennai to Mumbai and I dropped the idea for a while. Earlier in August this year, I once again started thinking...

www.hifivision.com

But above all, a humble suggestion: You do a lot of research on your own, shortlist:
1. What works best for your room,
2. Your budget,
3. What you want for your budget, and
4. Then approach these places depending on your needs.
Wishing you all the best
Regards

 

[jenson]

Genelec at sitladevi, mahim

Hifimart would be awesome to deal with.

 

[NRK]

@rikhav @efernand1 @k-pad @jenson
Thanks for your inputs, this will definitely help. I also read a post by @gourav which listed a few more names so I think I have more than enough to start with.

All the above +
Total Home Theaters, AvenueSound (both in town)
Ooberpad (Marol)
and
Kadam Sir
There was one jogeshwari place, which a person recommended here a few days ago after getting a great experience.
This:

Recounting my experience of buying an HT on a budget

I have been enthusiastic about tech and gadgets since my childhood. A couple of years ago, for the first time I thought about getting a home theater. However, I soon had to move from Chennai to Mumbai and I dropped the idea for a while. Earlier in August this year, I once again started thinking...

www.hifivision.com

But above all, a humble suggestion: You do a lot of research on your own, shortlist:
1. What works best for your room,
2. Your budget,
3. What you want for your budget, and
4. Then approach these places depending on your needs.
Wishing you all the best
Regards

I agree completely on doing the work first. I am still a long way from even speaking to any of these stores. I will be moving homes so only once I finalize a lease and I know my dimensions will I get in touch with these ppl.

In the meantime I shall continue to research, dream about floorstanders and contemplate what my 6 month old golden retriever may do to them if left unattended.

 

[jenson]

There is a monitor audio gold on sale here.. It's a super deal and its their top of the line. Do check it out. It's right there in mumbai

 

[gourav]

You can talk to Mr. Kavish Katre of Voila Audio, near D. N. Nagar police station. There's Kripa Electronics in Kanakia Wall Street, near J. B. Nagar Metro Station. Then there's Next Gen audio video in Ghatkopar. They have a nice demo room. Unfortunately they didn't have anything in my budget. Ooberpad is very close to J. B. Nagar Metro station as well. If you happen to visit Ooberpad, feel free to hit me up on DM and you can pop in and listen to my Taga Setup, my flat is 5 minutes' walk from Ooberpad.

If you're looking for local brands, then you can visit Telome Audio in Bandra, Norge Audio in Mahim, Rave Audio in Bhandup, and DNM Audio in Saki Naka. I have bought DNM Audio's speakers for surrounds, just to complete my setup. So far they sound pretty good. If you're on a really tight budget, these might serve you well with a used AVR.

contemplate what my 6 month old golden retriever may do to them if left unattended.

Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen

 

[raghupb]

<snip>

In the meantime I shall continue to research, dream about floorstanders and contemplate what my 6 month old golden retriever may do to them if left unattended.

If it is male dog, tower speakers, for some strange reason, look like lampposts or fire hydrants to dogs.
And the speaker grill is also fair game.
So you may want to push the purchase a few months at least until your dog weans out of puppy behavior.

PS: We used to have a Boxer who, even after becoming becoming an adult, had almost succeeded peeing on my amp.
I had nicknamed him "Ampere"

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[sandeeprao]

I had a great experience with www.therevolverclub.com .

Cheers

 

[NRK]

If it is male dog, tower speakers, for some strange reason, look like lampposts or fire hydrants to dogs.
And the speaker grill is also fair game.
So you may want to push the purchase a few months at least until your dog weans out of puppy behavior.

PS: We used to have a Boxer who, even after becoming becoming an adult, had almost succeeded peeing on my amp.
I had nicknamed him "Ampere"

Cheers,
Raghu

He (male dog indeed) needs no further encouragement, as he's named 'Chew'bacca. I think I'll start reading more about bookshelves...

 

[NRK]

There is a monitor audio gold on sale here.. It's a super deal and its their top of the line. Do check it out. It's right there in mumbai

By here - do you mean at hifimart in Mumbai ?
I will reach out to them but I suspect monitor golds may be out of my price range for the near term.

 

[efernand1]

By here - do you mean at hifimart in Mumbai ?
I will reach out to them but I suspect monitor golds may be out of my price range for the near term.

With all the pointers and information you have, I am sure you will be able to shortlist some system which meets your expectation around functionality and performance and also within budget.

Maybe some of us can guide further if you share some details (if not done so in a separate post ):

• How big approximately would be the listening area / hall - existing place or future place?
• What is the % of use for movies / music / gaming (this will help to select certain brand of AVRs)
• Speakers = 5.1/2 or 7.1/2 or 5.1/2 .2 or 5.1/2.4 setup?
• Total Budget planned for the system.
• Given you have a Dog, may make sense to invest in Satellite / Bookshelf speakers which can be wall mounted and a subwoofer added if required.
• New products are a bit less in the market and hence expensive, if you are ok with pre owned, you may find something good in the Sale section of this site or even OLX.

 

[RRR]

If you are ok with pre-owned and floorstanders you may consider this -

Thread 'Monitor Audio Gold Speakers' https://www.hifivision.com/threads/monitor-audio-gold-speakers.86466/

 

[RRR]

By here - do you mean at hifimart in Mumbai ?
I will reach out to them but I suspect monitor golds may be out of my price range for the near term.

By here...he meant in our For Sale section on this forum. Have posted the link above.
Cheers

 

[amrutmhatre90]

Hi @NRK
I have Q acoustic speakers 3050i , 3090ci & 3010i with QB12 hooked up to x3700.
I also have NAD integrated and a crown amp with tube pre amp.
You can listen one song atleast in 3-4 different ways with same speakers
Had 2 people come over the weekend, one chap sat listening songs for over 3 hours!


I stay in Andheri East Shere Punjab, you can come and listen to how it sounds.

What is your budget? looking for HT or stereo ?

 

[NRK]

Hi @NRK
I have Q acoustic speakers 3050i , 3090ci & 3010i with QB12 hooked up to x3700.
I also have NAD integrated and a crown amp with tube pre amp.
You can listen one song atleast in 3-4 different ways with same speakers
Had 2 people come over the weekend, one chap sat listening songs for over 3 hours!


I stay in Andheri East Shere Punjab, you can come and listen to how it sounds.

What is your budget? looking for HT or stereo ?

You can talk to Mr. Kavish Katre of Voila Audio, near D. N. Nagar police station. There's Kripa Electronics in Kanakia Wall Street, near J. B. Nagar Metro Station. Then there's Next Gen audio video in Ghatkopar. They have a nice demo room. Unfortunately they didn't have anything in my budget. Ooberpad is very close to J. B. Nagar Metro station as well. If you happen to visit Ooberpad, feel free to hit me up on DM and you can pop in and listen to my Taga Setup, my flat is 5 minutes' walk from Ooberpad.

If you're looking for local brands, then you can visit Telome Audio in Bandra, Norge Audio in Mahim, Rave Audio in Bhandup, and DNM Audio in Saki Naka. I have bought DNM Audio's speakers for surrounds, just to complete my setup. So far they sound pretty good. If you're on a really tight budget, these might serve you well with a used AVR.


Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen

Apologies for the late replies, the combination of work & apartment hunting has me fairly preoccupied.

Thanks for the offer to listen in on your setups @gourav and @amrutmhatre90. I will probably take you up on your offer in the hopefully not-so-distant future.

 

[NRK]

With all the pointers and information you have, I am sure you will be able to shortlist some system which meets your expectation around functionality and performance and also within budget.

Maybe some of us can guide further if you share some details (if not done so in a separate post ):

• How big approximately would be the listening area / hall - existing place or future place?
• What is the % of use for movies / music / gaming (this will help to select certain brand of AVRs)
• Speakers = 5.1/2 or 7.1/2 or 5.1/2 .2 or 5.1/2.4 setup?
• Total Budget planned for the system.
• Given you have a Dog, may make sense to invest in Satellite / Bookshelf speakers which can be wall mounted and a subwoofer added if required.
• New products are a bit less in the market and hence expensive, if you are ok with pre owned, you may find something good in the Sale section of this site or even OLX

Yes, the idea of this thread was to help me with my budgeting so I can shortlist things appropriately.
As a layman "I can't describe what I like, but I'll know it when I hear it" --> But it doesn't help my cause if said setup is many multiples above my budget. Then I'll just be cranky and not appreciate what I can have.

To your points above:

• Size of space: Unknown for now, am still apartment hunting and layouts and sizes are very different (the fact that i am renting and may move again in a year or two will not help matters).
  
  
• Preference: 70% music; 30% movies
  • While usage is the other way around right now, any sound system I buy is for enjoying music.
    
• Setup (HT/Stereo & speakers): Home Theatre, 5.1 is the medium term goal (long term: 7.2), but I am happy to get there gradually, starting with two speakers and a sub (if required) for the time being.
  
• Type of speakers: The inner child in me wants floor standers, but it may not make sense for several reasons (a) budget (b) the fact I may move in 2 years. (c) Chewbacca, who is the least of my concerns here, cause he's a good boy, and I believe him completely when he says the wires, floor ascents and wooden furniture were all chewed up by invisible squirrels.
  
  
• Budget: This is in flux.
  • My rental budget is evolving due to limited options + there may be further furnishing costs. Off the cuff, I would like to start around 60-80K for an initial setup that I can enjoy the way it is (but this can move).

Given where I am in the process, I thought it would be premature to ask for guidance on a setup. And I think will start a new thread when that day comes. However, just writing these points down has helped me with my thought process.

Side note: I have an old stereo receiver that my late uncle built/assembled for me nearly 20 years ago. It is attached to a pair of outdoor speakers (Bose 151) and sits in my parents house. It doesn't sound too good anymore, and I would like to restore it purely for sentimental reasons.
I intended to speak to some of the stores mentioned earlier in this thread, but if anyone has someone in particular they would recommend for this - please do share.

 

[raghupb]

Good idea to stick to window shopping until you finalize on your apartment.
Once you settle in you may narrow down on what you need and audition accordingly.
Stand-mounts are a great way to start off and do plan for stands

60-80K will definitely get you a good stereo rig.
For HT you may have to budget more because of AVR cost.
Keep an eye on the classified section on the forum.

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[gourav]

My final cost was also around 71k, so your budget would be similar to mine. However, I wanted a full system right away. If you are willing to wait and build in parts, then you can get something better than me. My current set up is in my signature. I would definitely recommend getting an AVR from Denon, slightly higher end than mine.

My speakers are fine, but you'll have a lot of options for bookshelf speakers if you are going to spend about 30k for it. Definitely take a look at Mission, Dali, Q-acoustics, and Wharfedale speakers. Taga is not bad, but I've heard Dali does music better than Taga. You can also listen to Norge, but keep in mind that they don't have center channel speaker. Indiq Audio might be out of your budget, and also difficult to audition, given they are in Bangalore.

Also, when budgeting, make sure you account for expenses related to installation. You might need to get stands (especially considering Chewbacca ), and will definitely have to get speaker wires. You might also need an electrician to do the installation of the surround speakers. You might also have to purchase wall mounts for surround speakers in case they come without the mounts. You might need PVC casing or something similar to run the wires. All this cost me an additional 6k after the speakers and AVR. For speakers wires, I got Finolex 2.5 sq. mm. for front and center and Polycab 1.5 sq. mm. for surrounds, cost me a total of Rs. 1200 for about 50 meters of wire. These were normal electric wires and not speaker cables. 1.5 sq. mm. is approximately equal to 14 gauge.