Entry level music system for novice - Audioengine A5 or seperates

[smitra11]

Hi all

As this is my first query thread post my joining yesterday, I hope i'm in the right forum. Mods - Pls guide me in case I'm in the wrong place.

I'm looking to gift a music system to my wife on her birthday next month. However it is not going to be a personal system only and is going to be used as the primary music system also for atleast next three years. Presently we listen to music mostly on a very old boombox and also on a couple of cheap creative speakers through PC/DVD player etc. So you can understand we are completely novice in this matter. Music format that we listen to are mostly in MP3/AAC format (I know most of you would be shaking your head by now - but pls treat me as part of the 98% crowd who is trying to understand the rest 2% ) We also have a number of CDs and several old cassettes.

Music = 100% . We listen to mostly Hindi and Bengali film music both old and new, classical instruments, western (mostly blues and country, no hard rock).

Budget = 20K to max 25K (Seems a challenge straightaway )

Room Size = 150 sq ft (15ft by 10ft) Listening distance would not be more than 8-10 ft at anytime. Normal furniture. We live in an apartment so very loud music is out of the question.

Source = IPOD, Laptop, DVD player, Boombox having cassette player.

Existing components = None.

Can used system be considered = Not preferred as i'm totally new to this so cannot make an informed decision

Preferences = Would like a system that is minimum hassle to start with but has components that i can reuse while upgrading to a home theatre system about three years hence (when we shift to our new home)

Other query = I initially started looking for a mini Hifi system like Philips FWD series, Sony MHC series etc. but then I came across your opinions on this site and I've almost junked the idea now. After some bit of searching on this site and also on the wider net the other choices that i got are as follows

a) Audioengine A5 speakers and a basic ipod dock.
b) Norge 2060 amp + wharfdale speakers plus a new audio source

The first option would cost me about 20K whereas the second one would cost me more than 25K for sure if i've to buy a new source.

Also I read that if the source is more in MP3/AAC format then the AE5 is a better system. So I'm somewhat leaning towards them at the moment but I've some doubts also.

1) I cannot audition AE5 speakers as I'm in Delhi and have to buy them online. Is that a good idea? What if there is some problem with the products during delivery? I found two websites selling these. a) Bajao.com at 19K with one yr warranty and b) audioproductsindia.com at 19.5K with 3 yrs warranty. Is there any other dealer of website selling these in India? WHo is preferred among these?

2) I saw that in certain threads a number of users are complaining of reliability issues of AE5. There seems to be some problem of overheating etc. Can any member who has used these guide me on this? Not a comforting though to spend 20K and worry about the thing going kaput. Pls give your frank opinion.

3) Can I use the AE5 later when i upgrade to a full scale home theatre system? What are the options?

4) The one thing comforting about seperates is that i'd be able to audition these and also the dealer is nearby for any reliability issue. However if i do settle for these how would the MP3/AAC formats sound in this system. It seems that it'd not make much difference because the quality of the source is not high. Am I right?

5) FInally looking at my music background give me your honest opinion whether you think I'd be better off with a Philips or Sony one box system or should I really try the above.

 

[tarunp]

Smitra, I would suggest Tripath amplifier (very affordable, low energy consumption, great sound) and a single driver (high efficiency that mates well with low powered amp) like Tekton design or Unity Audio. Of course, there may be issues with getting the stuff from overseas, but should be possible thru international shipping

Single drivers dont have crossovers, so the sound is immediate and the midrange is awesome. I have such a set up and indian classical sounds out of the world

 

[psychotropic]

One option would be to get a Topping TP20 tripath amp for 4k and Cambridge Audio S30 speakers for 8k.....and then a cheap ipod dock.....

 

[ajinkya]

Smitra.
If you love your music, then it is worth spending money and time on it So you're on the right path. One thing though: stick to your budget and don't go overboard, since you're buying for the first time. It will take time for you to understand what sort of sound you like and dislike. So don't spend enormous amounts on the first system. Use it instead to learn about your sound preferences.

That said, within your budget, your two choices are one of the best ones you can have. Members have given you two other good choices. There is also another combination to consider, useful for an upgrade path:

Cambridge Audio 340A amp with C.Audio S30 speakers. Reason for replacing the Tripath with the CA amp is because, when you upgrade to HT in the future, you can use the 340A to power your front channels, use the s30 as your rear channels, and buy new speakers for front, centre, along with new AVR with preouts.

Since you're in Delhi, find out some good showrooms and then try out combinations of the following speakers and amps (all great budget setups):

Norge series, CA 340 series, with Wharf. Diamond 9.1, CA S30, Tannoy F1 custom,

The AEs have a solid and smooth sound which is quite pleasing to hear. However, you cannot use them in an upgrade path for HT since there is no matching centre. You will have to shift them to a bedroom or something and buy new HT for hall. Also, are you sure you want to go the HT route? If not, you can spend a bit more on the stereo setup and look at the budget Marantz amps as well.

Look through all forum threads on budget setups to get a feel for cost and also for dealers in Delhi near you. I know LaKozy has recently opened an outlet in Delhi and they stock Marantz, NAD and a few others. See if they have CA as well.

regards,
Ajinkya.

 

[smitra11]

Thanks a lot. I'd be visiting a local dealer shortly 2 understand the options more clearly. Would update the final purchase once i'm through.

@Ajinkya - I'm still thinking whether the future HT upgrade should influence my decision now.

 

[magma]

take the advice offered above

get a class d amp and get the new small bookshelves from norge
alternatively get the norge amp 2060 or 4242 with one of their smaller bookshleves
consider this if looking for seperates
the norge combination (amp and speakers) gives you warranty and peace of mind that nothing will ever conk soon.Add to that after sales service

the A5 looks and functions well on the other hand.

 

[ajinkya]

@Ajinkya - I'm still thinking whether the future HT upgrade should influence my decision now.

That is a very individual choice. Some questions to ask yourself that may help are:
1. How often do you watch movies? Once a week, more than that?
2. What is the quality of DVDs you watch them on? Do they have any kind of surround sound encoding or are they stereo only? Are they played on a laptop?
3. Are you going to be spending the money to rent/buy Bluray in the (not-so-near) future? The hi-res audio on these may make it worthwhile buying a bluray player and good 5.1/7.1 speakers at that time.
4. Does your room size warrant 5 speakers? Do you have space/configuration to place 5 speakers in the required way?

If your movie watching is not that frequent, or if you watch movies that are not encoded in DTS/Dolby or if your room is better suited to stereo, then don't let HT decisions influence your stereo buying now.

 

[sonosphere]

Hi,
Considering the budget and your musical tastes, I will recommend you the Norge 2060 + WD 9.2 combo. I've heard AE5... they don't have the bass that is required by many post-1990 Hindi songs. WD 9.2 probably delivers the best bass (quality & quantity blend) in 15k price range of HiFI Bookshelves.

Don't be averse to auditioning Philips Home theatre 3571. I found it good for music @ 17k.... in fact quite close to Norge + WD 9.2 combo.

In the end let your ears be the best judge.

Regds,

Hi all

As this is my first query thread post my joining yesterday, ...

5) FInally looking at my music background give me your honest opinion whether you think I'd be better off with a Philips or Sony one box system or should I really try the above.

 

[BLASTO]

I'm looking to gift a music system to my wife on her birthday next month.

Ok. Looks like no one looked at the above part of your quote.

The problem is "you cannot select a music system for your wife".

If you even think that it is possible, You are better off with A5 and stop worrying about the hazzles which come bundled with the seperates.

Each one has a music 'taste'. Low end audiophile grade speakers like A5 are tuned as a bundled item with amplifier to crater to music needs of most people. This will suit your taste and your wife's better.

 

[smitra11]

Ok. Looks like no one looked at the above part of your quote.

The problem is "you cannot select a music system for your wife".

If you even think that it is possible, You are better off with A5 and stop worrying about the hazzles which come bundled with the seperates.

Ha ha I know what you mean. Anyway as now i've got myself into this i've to finish this well.

There seems to be no dealer of Audioengine in Delhi/NCR. This is a huge putoff as i dont want buy without listening to the system first. Moreover my online purchase experience is not very good (except for air and rail tickets). So A5 is almost off the list now.

Hi,
Considering the budget and your musical tastes, I will recommend you the Norge 2060 + WD 9.2 combo. I've heard AE5... they don't have the bass that is required by many post-1990 Hindi songs. WD 9.2 probably delivers the best bass (quality & quantity blend) in 15k price range of HiFI Bookshelves.

Don't be averse to auditioning Philips Home theatre 3571. I found it good for music @ 17k.... in fact quite close to Norge + WD 9.2 combo.

I'm pretty inclined towards the norge + wd combo advised by you. This seems to have very high approval ratings in this forum. Would listen to this at a nearby retailer very shortly.

Would also listen to Philips HT 3571 as advised by you. Thanks to all for taking your time out to post your responses. Would keep you updated on the journey.

 

[marsilians]

Since you are moving from a boombox, i would say that the A5 is probably a better bet without the hassle of goign with separtes. Women have very less patience to deal with separates (nothing wrong with it) and we get into those things as it becomes a hobby for us. To keep it simple yet get very good output Audioengine is the way to go. If you really want, you can add a sub later on but you dont really need them.

Bajaao has it for 19K now and I have bought a few things from them before.

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