Confused...floor standing vs bookshelf

[Arjun4]

arjun! Thank u so much! That has cleared my doubt!

I see u are into the Dali.....can u please recommend me how the Dali zensor 3 are?

Not a bad choice but make sure you have a good amp. Bass is good in 3 compared to 1. Please make sure you have listened to both with the desired AVR.

 

[grunthos]

Hi ,

I recommend you should go for moniter audio Mr 4 as u are getting a mini tower in price of a bookshelf secondly your place is too big for a bookshelf
also tell u that for av receiver u should go for Denon AVR 1000 which can drive the Mr 4s easily.

I respectfully disagree with Homi sir here

The Monitor Audio MR4 does not sound that good. It is priced very well, and you should definitely try it out, but I think you will find yourself liking the Zensor 3 sound

The Monitor Audio BX-5 is a very good floorstander on the other hand, but they are priced exactly double of MR-4

 

[Deleted member 38504]

Thank u so much for that opinion grunthos..... boy im getting more and more confused now floorstanders vs bookshelves

sheesh......

 

[grunthos]

Let me give you my thoughts.
Having recently picked up my first speakers (floorstanders) 3 months back and having seen first hand whats on offer in Mumbai for what prices, I think these are your options

Get a 3k DVD player from Philips/Samsung/LG. They come with USB drives and will play all kinds of video content.
(The higher models have optical audio out, which means you can let your AVR (superior) DAC do the digital to analog conversion rather than the dvd player DAC)

Once you have the USB problem sorted, here is the real options
1. AVR/Stereo amplifier
The Denon X500/Yamaha 375/Pioneer 323 are all entry level AVRs and they will let you upgrade to 5.1 later from your 2.0 currently. Plus they can handle multiple video inputs (HDMI). However, because they are a little down on power, they wont drive the higher power (usually high end) speakers well

Instead, you can check a entry level stereo amp like Marantz PM5004 or the NAD 316BEE. Stereo amps will drive speakers much better than AVRs
It means you wont be able to upgrade to 5.1 soon, but if you go for stereo + floorstanders, a good pair of floorstanders create such a wall of sound that you dont feel the need of 5.1 system (I am VERY happy with my Dali Zensor 7s and so is FM @karhick-raja)
Most people do not have multiple video sources, and even if you have, most flatscreen TVs have multiple inputs

2. Bookshelves/Floorstanders
Among the bookshelves, I can speak about the Dali Zensor 3s because I have the Zensor 7s and I have listened to the Zensor 5s. The sound will be very musical, and with the 6.5" driver there will be very decent bass.
Somewhat better will be the PSB Image B6, which provide even bigger sound, but at a higher costk
(There are lot of other very highly rated bookshelves like Wharfedale 10.2, Q Acoustics 2020 etc)
The only question is whether it can fill your somewhat large room

In floorstanders, apart from the Monitor Audio MR4 mentioned by Homi sir, I strongly recommend the Boston Acoustics A360. These large sized floorstanders are just under 40 and provide big sound. There is the smaller A250 model too, but I think the A360 is worth it.
Listen to both if you can

There is the out of the box option of the Pioneer SP-FS52 for about 29k. Some forum members have doubted whether they are as good as they are hyped to be, but they have been rated highly by some AV magazines. Finding them in any store is another challenge though

 

[Deleted member 38504]

Grunthos thank u so much for taking out the time and effort to write up such an elaborate post

My budget for the speakers is about 30k hence the zensor 7 is out of the question.

Pardon my ignorance again,but like u said a stereo amp like the marantz PM5004 or the NAD 316BEE wud drive the speakers better..... but that means later i cannot add a subwoofer or any other speakers right? Also with this stereo amp that u mentioned.... can i connect it to my TV and watch movies and my tata sky? I'm guessing not right......??

The best floorstanders i saw in my budget were the polk audio TSX330T for 27000. How good would u rate them?

I'm going to ampa skywalk today to see the bose 301.... yes i know people dont like bose.... but im still gonna go and see them.... dont wanna keep any leaf unturned

Thanks grunthos waiting for a favourable reply soon from u!

 

[BLASTO]

Avoid MR4.
MR vs BX is like comparing chalk and cheese.

 

[Deleted member 38504]

MR4 anyways not an option above budget thanks blasto!

 

[grunthos]

Grunthos thank u so much for taking out the time and effort to write up such an elaborate post

My budget for the speakers is about 30k hence the zensor 7 is out of the question.

Pardon my ignorance again,but like u said a stereo amp like the marantz PM5004 or the NAD 316BEE wud drive the speakers better..... but that means later i cannot add a subwoofer or any other speakers right? Also with this stereo amp that u mentioned.... can i connect it to my TV and watch movies and my tata sky? I'm guessing not right......??

The best floorstanders i saw in my budget were the polk audio TSX330T for 27000. How good would u rate them?

I'm going to ampa skywalk today to see the bose 301.... yes i know people dont like bose.... but im still gonna go and see them.... dont wanna keep any leaf unturned

Thanks grunthos waiting for a favourable reply soon from u!

2) I did not say you buy the Zensor 7s. I said I have the Zensor 7s and hence I can venture an opinion about the Zensor 3 (same drivers etc meaning similar sound signature)

3) Yes the stereo amp does not take any video inputs. But most TVs do - my 3 year old non-LED TV has 4 HDMI inputs. It also has a digital audio out which you can plug into an amp which has a digital audio in - A Marantz CR510 or a Onkyo 8050. All your WD Live, Tata Sky etc can connect via HDMI to TV and digital audio out to the stereo receiver

4) Polk TSX330T will work fine for movies but it is really not very good for music. Please check Tannoy Mercury V4i in the 35k range. It has won awards as the best value for money floorstanders by multiple magazines.
Or try the Boston Accoustics A250/360. For a few thousand more your experience will improve measurably

5) You should definitely try Bose - dont bother about what other people say. It is your money and your ears. Whatever sounds good to you

 

[magma]

celester

Before hearing speakers please dont decide on anything

the forum is a good place for groundwork
However in the end you need to see what works for you

In my limited expereince i have seen the following

There are a section of listeners who watch movies more than they listen to serious music

Also another section listens to music only occasionally and casually
and they are happy with - and why not - ( and will probably always be happy with a casual mp3
They rarely do recognize nuances in songs and in general dont really want to recognize it

they love music
But only casually

If you fall into one of these you will probably be happy with a Bose
And most of the time this section generally buys floorstanders because they tend to give that "big" sound with the bass precedence
Now how real that sound it and how real that bass is compared to the real thing
this section is probably not mature enough to recognize
that will come in time

 

[sash]

celester

Before hearing speakers please dont decide on anything

the forum is a good place for groundwork
However in the end you need to see what works for you

In my limited expereince i have seen the following

There are a section of listeners who watch movies more than they listen to serious music

Also another section listens to music only occasionally and casually
and they are happy with - and why not - ( and will probably always be happy with a casual mp3
They rarely do recognize nuances in songs and in general dont really want to recognize it

they love music
But only casually

If you fall into one of these you will probably be happy with a Bose
And most of the time this section generally buys floorstanders because they tend to give that "big" sound with the bass precedence
Now how real that sound it and how real that bass is compared to the real thing
this section is probably not mature enough to recognize
that will come in time

This is sane advice. Not all music lovers critically analyze music. There is a lot of people like me who use the bigger system only for movies (for that dynamic range, effect and punch) and listen to music mostly through headphones.
Listen and see what floats your boat

 

[Deleted member 38504]

My apologies grunthos..... i was not able to get the dali 3/7 point across

1. Again since im a lil doh.... i'll ask.... with any stereo amp....will i be able to add speakers at a later stage? Like a subwoofer or center speaker etc? Or to add speakers,i need a av receiver only?

2. Understood the part about the hdmi and digi out and in thank you.

3. I had a look at the bose 201 and 301 and honestly i quite liked them,however they dont sell the speaker stands which is sort of a compulsion for me. The fellow at bose told me to check outside for 3rd party stands.... eh!

4. As far as floor standing speakers go..... only the Boston Acoustics CS226 fit my budget.... i checked on hifimart.... the Boston Acoustics A250/360 are over my budget again.

You have been very kind enough to actually review and throw in names of products. Could you tell me how the Boston Acoustics CS226 stand up against the Polk Audio TSX330T?

Magma what u and sash have said is absolutely true! I just love listening to a few mp3s and seeing movies now and then and im not really overly critical about the music. I'm not like a serious audiophile like most of u guys here are

 

[efernand1]

Hi Celestor340,

If you are totally in for a stereo setup and want to stay with it, a decent stereo integrated amplifier with ample power output should work. Cambridge Audio, Marantz, Yamaha, Denon etc are available....the key is to audition and check which one appeals to you in performance and budget.....

You can add a subwoofer later, some subwoofers have the L+R high level speaker connectors which help to connect the same to any integrated stereo amplifier. This you can research and take a call later.

LFE / SUbwoofer Out options are available on High End models of some known stereo amp brands...

Based on your budget, if you are open to pre owned equiptment. there are some good deals by sellers on Quikr, HiFiAds and OLX where Bookshelfs, Towers are being sold.....some of them are unused, brand new with warranty....choose wisely

All the best

 

[kanna.sridharan]

1. Again since im a lil doh.... i'll ask.... with any stereo amp....will i be able to add speakers at a later stage? Like a subwoofer or center speaker etc? Or to add speakers,i need a av receiver only?

you could try these stereo amps which have sub outs :- NAD - C326BEE / CA 651A (has an inbuilt DAC). These amps would have enough juice to drive most entry level floor standers and would definitely be better than a entry level AVR. 5 years back I was in the same dilemma as you are in, I went onto buy an AVR + bookshelf + sub, now I've cleared all of it and in search for a good stereo amp & speaker combo (floor stander / bookshelf, whatever satisfies my ear).

Ultimately choose what you like, what one says is good may not please you! I've made it point now, always buy what you get to listen too. Reviews and specs are good to read, but its your ears that's going to be the final judge.

will PM you contacts for CA & Dali

Cheers! good luck hunting

Regards,
Kannan

 

[grunthos]

1) You can add a subwoofer to some of the stereo amplifiers, but not all (the Marantz CR510 has subwoofer preout, for example). And no question of centre channel. Hence if you want to add anything more than 2.1, a stereo amplifier is of no use and you will have to get an AVR
The reason stereo amplifiers are recommended is that music plays much better than AVR, everything else remaining constant. But since you say you are more enthusiast and not overtly critical, AVRs offer much more options than stereo amplifier. So I think you can ditch stereo and go for AVR

3) If you like Bose speakers, then go ahead with them. Remember the adage about buying what sound good to you. Irrespective of your status as an enthusiast or a criticial listener, buy something you have heard and liked, instead of buying online based on internet reviews
Why the "eh" expression with third party stands? Most hifi speaker companies do not offer stands. And forum member @magma has some excellent products at Speaker Stands - Sound Foundations

4) I have not had a chance to listen to the Boston Acoustics CS226, but if there is no other floorstander is being offered at Rs 23,000, it is probably for a reason. But nevertheless, find a dealer and listen to them if you can - sometimes life can throw delightful surprises. And while you are at it, check the Boston Acoustics A250 too.
Another floorstander you can try, is the Pioneer FS52, which I believe are available at Reliance Digital and retail about the same Rs 23,000 mark

Also, if you want to strictly limit yourself to the Rs 30,000 range, then the floorstanders are probably better avoided - because you'd be settling for the really entry level stuff - and that has big disadvantages. Maybe you should revisit your original plan of good bookshelves instead - Dali Zensor 3, Tannoy Mercury V1, Wharfedale Diamond 10.2 or Monitor Audio BX2. Each of these bookshelves are around the 30k mark (Tannoy is slightly cheaper). All are excellent speakers

 

[Deleted member 38504]

hi guys! Here is a quick update.....

I went and heard the Polk audio TSX440 today.....really loved them

I will hear the Zensor 3 next week. Its gonna be a tossup between these two speakers now i think I'm getting a really good price on them btw...

I think I'm gonna stick to a stereo amp.... I was suggested the CA SR-10. How wud u guys rate this amp?

Grunthos the guy at the bose showroom told me to check in the local market next door for stands....hence the "eh" expression lol

The Polk 440 sounded way better than the 330!

So its definately a stereo amp! now i gotta either decide on the CASR10 or maybe something by marantz or denon in that range...... dont mind paying slightly more if i get a better amp honestly......

 

[hemantwaghe]

Hi Celestor340,

If you are totally in for a stereo setup and want to stay with it, a decent stereo integrated amplifier with ample power output should work. Cambridge Audio, Marantz, Yamaha, Denon etc are available....the key is to audition and check which one appeals to you in performance and budget.....

You can add a subwoofer later, some subwoofers have the L+R high level speaker connectors which help to connect the same to any integrated stereo amplifier. This you can research and take a call later.

LFE / SUbwoofer Out options are available on High End models of some known stereo amp brands...

Based on your budget, if you are open to pre owned equiptment. there are some good deals by sellers on Quikr, HiFiAds and OLX where Bookshelfs, Towers are being sold.....some of them are unused, brand new with warranty....choose wisely

All the best

What is ample power .. how AMPLE is Ample

Do not misguide - some of the finest amplifiers I heard is 2.5 + 2.5 watt RMS connected with right speakers..

Mods please take note .. again misguiding

 

[Deleted member 38504]

Hello People! I am so excited!! I went ahead and bought the Cambridge SR-10 amp and the Polk TSX440 floorstanding speakers! If u guys wanna know from where and how much send me a pm I will guide to as best I can!

Now the trouble begins

1.I have connected my tata sky HD box with a red/white cable to my amplifier. Sound coming from polk speakers.

2.My stupid LG LED TV 47" 2014 model does not have the red/white RCA connection to connect to my amp. BUMMER! CANNOT put USB in TV and play music/movie and hear on speaker.
Help me connect my USB in my TV so i can get the sound on my Polks. Please!!

3.If I cannot use my USB-TV combination then please how and what medium do i need? A good Bluray player? (yes i know all bluray players have usb)

3. If not a bluray player...what else? Asus media players?? Or something like that right?

4. Does anyone have any dedicated cd players that they wanna sell? I am looking to buy a dedicated CD player.....

Thanks for all your help guys....Im halfway there..... help me get to the top of the mountain! Oh and btw next month.... Dali Zenzor 3 speakers will be added to my current configuration

 

[grunthos]

2.My stupid LG LED TV 47" 2014 model does not have the red/white RCA connection to connect to my amp. BUMMER! CANNOT put USB in TV and play music/movie and hear on speaker.
Help me connect my USB in my TV so i can get the sound on my Polks. Please!!

Most flat TVs now have a optical audio out.
You can take audio out, but it is in digital form - needs to be converted to analog because your stereo amplifier is analog only

You need this
FiiO D03K Coaxial/Optical to R/L Audio convertor

Fiio is a very well regarded DAC/headphone amplifier company and Pristine Note/Proaudiohome are their official dealers in India.

Since the Fiio D03 is unavailable currently and if you do not want to wait for it to become available, there is the even more acclaimed Audioengine D1 DAC
Audioengine D1 Premium 24-bit DAC
(of course, price is suitably higher)

Thanks for all your help guys....Im halfway there..... help me get to the top of the mountain! Oh and btw next month.... Dali Zenzor 3 speakers will be added to my current configuration

I do not understand your configuration. You just bought Polk floorstanders. Now you are getting Dali Zensor 3s? How do you plan to use them ?

 

[Deleted member 38504]

Grunthos,thanks so much for ur input always!

The amp has two sets of loudspeaker terminals- A main and B secondary switchable.

This lets me connect all 4 speakers together or use them in separate rooms too if i so desire.

The amp also has a sub out.

Thanks for the links...... maybe i'll wait for the Fiio DAC amplifier to be available..... Till then....any suggestions?? Bluray or media player?

 

[grunthos]

Get in touch with Proaudiohome.com guys at their contact number
They are usually very helpful with such queries