Entry Level Stereo setup

[koushik]

You can get a Quad 306 at that price including shipping ... that will be your life time investment.

 

[tumpa]

+1. For reasons of budget and being in Kol.

ciao
gr

Having tight budget is not a virtue....
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
it is not a crime either

 

[sound_cycle]

Having tight budget is not a virtue....
it is not a crime either

my +1 was to the Sonodyne recco and not a comment on a budget.

ciao
gr

 

[koushik]

I would sincerely not recommend Sonodyne for pure stereo listening. They are very muddy and not true sounding.

Why don't you just visit SKS near padmapukur and checkout few stereos - Mordant Shorts Aviano 2, Monitor Audio BX2 or even a Cambridge Audio S30.
You will be lucky to get demo on PSB Alpha B1 in Kolkata. Checkout if possible.

Go man, move around and listen them live. Review will give you starting point but you can't choose based on reviews.

Speaker is the good starting point to build your system.

 

[shuv]

Promises on Theater Road opposite Kala Mandir stocks PSB. Koushik, has dear old Chanchal babu started stocking MA?

 

[elangoas]

What sounds good to some, may not appeal to others because of budget.. Same way what might sound not so good will appeal to buyers on a budget...

Anyways if you were budget is anywhere close to 50K for the stereo setup, consider Sonodyne DAC P1 & SRP 201 (Active speakers)...Approx 50K..

Take a demo with your material & then decide...

 

[sound_cycle]

I would sincerely not recommend Sonodyne for pure stereo listening. They are very muddy and not true sounding.

welcome for a listen.

edit: muddy bole to Muddy as in http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary - Not clear. Weak harmonics, smeared time response, I.M. distortion.

With stuff from itunes (say "where did the good people go" or "ganges delta blues") or Flacs ("radha kaise ne jale" "Is it a crime" from CD/ EAC) and the PM 6005 I *strongly* disagree.

So you hear it from me let me say that I am noob (I M distortion WTF is that, no clue ?) to mid-fi, have cotton ears and that those ears are put to work in a tube of a room

but am curious what, how and where did you listen to the 2605s? Surely they are not the world's best. what would you suggest I compare against in the 30 K range

ciao
gr
/not a fanboy of anyone or anything

 

[koushik]

Since 1995, it was all Sonodyne for me. I used to swear by their quality. Uranus I...that amp sa580, famous for getting heated up, uranus ii, SA6000, SCR2065 used them all. Very recently I had an integrated amp forgot model now you see the pic in my forum album. Owned the speaker 306 for more than 14 years which evolved to 2605 of recent times. I heard 2605 at their showroom both in southcity and manisquare.

When I came across all other brands and listened to them, I started feeling ashmed of myself about what I used to say about there quality.
Like Elangoas, once it was all Sonodyne for me. Used agrue with people that they're the best etc etc. Anyway been there done that type of thing for me.

Now, muddy means muddy "gholate". A grainy offcourse. Bloated bass. And that is my personal opinion. I would never ever suggest Sonodyne to anybody anymore for pure stereo. I apologize to all friends whom I guided to buy Sonodyne. 2065 is excellent for HT front channels but not for pure stereo IMO.

 

[sound_cycle]

Now, muddy means muddy "gholate". A grainy offcourse. Bloated bass. And that is my personal opinion.

again no idea what that means. bloated bass - no nein nyet.

just trying to figure out how low my standards and expectations are, so what should i try and listen to and on what in about 30K

ciao
gr

 

[koushik]

Don't really want to argue personally. I have nothing to point on your standard and expectation. It is your personal taste and good if are happy.

If you really want to test side by side than any of the recommended models by me in the previous posts will do. All are in 10-25k range

 

[sound_cycle]

Don't really want to argue personally. I have nothing to point on your standard and expectation. It is your personal taste and good if are happy.

If you really want to test side by side than any of the recommended models by me in the previous posts will do. All are in 10-25k range

Ummm absolutely nothing personal. Purely objective, unemotional and exclusively in the interest of improving my understanding and auditory experience.

Respectfully and humbly you say "I apologize to all friends whom I guided to buy Sonodyne. 2065 is excellent for HT front channels but not for pure stereo IMO" and that " And that is my personal opinion"

I am trying to discover if there is an objective point and a take away there ? Could you please help me find it. Till then it is IMVHO opinion that is used to make a far bigger point - because I do not note the boomy bass and have no idea what "ghotale" means. Also curious as a relative newcomer to this forum - Is it okay to ***comprehensively trash*** <somethingofyourchoice> based on "personal opinion" ?

I will try and read up reviews and get an audition the "Mordant Shorts Aviano 2, Monitor Audio BX2 or even a Cambridge Audio S30 and PSB Alpha B1" which I guess will be useful knowledge for an eventual "upgrade"

 

[koushik]

I am not bashing them. Neither I am saying they are trash. It was not boomy bass and was quite tight and goes low for casual listen and HT. Talking about sound in subjective terms like mids were muffled and lack texture means different to different people.

 

[shibashis]

@ Koushik : Where can I get an audition for Quad ? Does SKS stock them?

On another note, this thread is in the risk of being hijacked on account of merits and demerits of Sonodyne. Although I do agree that better options can be had than Sonodyne, however they are beautiful to start the journey.

I do not agree with your argument Koushik that better equipment ca be had in the 'similar' price range than what Sonodyne has to offer. I paid 9K for 1501 bookshelves 2 years back, first of all nothing comes in that price, and even with 15K you can not get anything much better. If we bring the 2605 in picture then the story changes substantially. They cost upward of 30K, and I will agree 100% that many many better offerings can be found for that money, but better speakers in that range are mostly bookshelves and not floor standers like the 2605. So the comparison is not quite right. At the same time if I had the option to spend 30K+ then I would rather buy a quality bookshelf than the 2605. An year or so back my decision would have been exactly the opposite (i.e. I would have bought the 2605s because they appeal to my fickle and frivolous kind, they are floor standers after all!), but now I know more and I have been listening to better sound (my very entry level Dali Zensor 1s).

So for me it is very simple: for the price paid 2605 are in simple words amazing speakers and are floor standers to boot, but you can have better speakers even though it is not exactly in the same category. Very importantly 2605s deserve better amplification than the Sia range, like Sound_cycle is doing with Marantz. I am still stuck with Sia 320 because of funds crunch at the moment. It will be wrong to discount Sonodyne altogether, what they offer at a meager price is nice.

 

[jai1611]

The Sonodyne speakers are good in their price class. Their electronics are a couple of notches below their speakers IME - unfortunately they insist on pairing them together for demo.

If you want a 20-30k floorstander, Sonodynes are worth considering. However, if you are ok with a bookshelf, there are better options in that price range. For pure stereo listening, I would look at the bookshelf options more closely than budget floorstanders.

 

[Kushanava]

Hi,
I am new to HiFi Vision, I am from Kolkata; I want a basic 2channel stereo set-up for my 15*13 feet room. I have tight budget. I've decide to buy Yamaha A-S500 Integrated amp. and for speakers, I've selected Kolkata based Allied Accoustics'(sic) TS 803 floor standing speakers. They are asking for Rs 15000/ a pair. They sale products only form their Behala, (Kolkata) office-cum-manufacturing base. Does anybody in Kolkata or elsewhere have any idea, how the said company is.....? In UK, there is a company named Allied Acoustics (with correct spelling) but the company in question has wrong spelling 'Accoustics' though 'what's in a name ?'

===
Considering your room size , if you can live without a fat bass, please listen to the following speakers ~30K.

1.a>Epos M12i (though discontinued , but still can try to poke the dealers.SKS sold the last pair for ~35K a months ago.)
b>Epos Epic 2 (not heard them , but it is said to be softer than M12i and more laid back)

2a>.Usher S520 in harmonie -Very open Sounding speakers with the right amplification.
b>Dali Zensor in SKS -You will miss the Bass but will get a clean sound.

3.Kef Q300 in Pro-Fx -It has a better room filling capability than any of point 2 but to my ears , less open with a bigger Bass.

4.There is a new dealer,Sollfege in Kolkata who is stocking some Golden Ear speakers.I heard some HT entry level speakers from Golden Ear.They seem to be worth the money.Yet to hear a stereo speaker from Golden Ear.

5.I have heard an Elac bookshelf (not sure if it was the discontinued B52) which Promises were selling for <20K a year ago.Not sure if they still have it.I liked them over the PSB's they had.

6.Sonodyne Active monitors(SRP series) -Could not judge them as they were player in a bad environment. or Wharfedale 100 series

 

[sound_cycle]

QFT from up thread (emphasis added by me)

I would sincerely not recommend Sonodyne for pure stereo listening. They are very muddy and not true sounding.
<snip>
Speaker is the good starting point to build your system.

I would never ever suggest Sonodyne to anybody anymore for pure stereo. I apologize to all friends whom I guided to buy Sonodyne. 2065 is excellent for HT front channels but not for pure stereo IMO.

and then you say something completely contrary

I am not bashing them. Neither I am saying they are trash. It was not boomy bass and was quite tight and goes low for casual listen and HT.

I am now utterly and completely confused.

What is your final stand on the matter ?

Is it okay with you if Sonodyne figures in an "entry level stereo setup" discussion, Or not.

If not, just how bad do you say they are

ciao
gr

 

[koushik]

@ Koushik : Where can I get an audition for Quad ? Does SKS stock them?

They use to stock Quad speakers, yes. I don't know the scenario for the last 2 years though.

Although I do agree that better options can be had than Sonodyne, however they are beautiful to start the journey.

Somewhat agree with you. But now a days Kolkata is flooded with all types of brands. It was very true 10 years ago and I myself started with that.

I do not agree with your argument Koushik that better equipment ca be had in the 'similar' price range than what Sonodyne has to offer. I paid 9K for 1501 bookshelves 2 years back, first of all nothing comes in that price, and even with 15K you can not get anything much better.

You have all the rights in India to disagree anybody. Especially when election commission is in force Democracy, you know

BTW, do listen to CA S30 if possible @10K

If we bring the 2605 in picture then the story changes substantially. They cost upward of 30K, and I will agree 100% that many many better offerings can be found for that money, but better speakers in that range are mostly bookshelves and not floor standers like the 2605. So the comparison is not quite right. At the same time if I had the option to spend 30K+ then I would rather buy a quality bookshelf than the 2605. An year or so back my decision would have been exactly the opposite (i.e. I would have bought the 2605s because they appeal to my fickle and frivolous kind, they are floor standers after all!), but now I know more and I have been listening to better sound (my very entry level Dali Zensor 1s).

That was my point. And my 'that' time passed 4 years ago. And I am trying to save OP from repeating the history.

 

[sound_cycle]

Although I do agree that better options can be had than Sonodyne, however they are beautiful to start the journey.

An year or so back my decision would have been exactly the opposite (i.e. I would have bought the 2605s because they appeal to my fickle and frivolous kind, they are floor standers after all!), but now I know more and I have been listening to better sound (my very entry level Dali Zensor 1s).

Thanks. that puts the matter in perspective.

ciao
gr

 

[elangoas]

I had quoted this example before, don't mind doing it an other time.....

Nothing wrong with Sonodye speakers.... From my understanding, It is something to do with the speaker material used & the amplification they are paired up with...

I have used Wharfedale Diamond 9.2 (Kevlar cone), Mission M35i (Paper cone) & Sonus 2605 (Polypropylene cone) with the same AVR Marantz & with the source material. Now all being equal (Source & amplification), there is perceivable level of difference in the way the sound is presented which is because of the speaker material used....

The best combo was Marantz & Mission M35i, Simply unbeatable but there were problems with the FS as it was rear ported & it demanded lot room space, boomy bass.....Wharfedale comes second (Mind you they are the darling of the forum), that doesn't mean they are bad....The third Sonodyne 2605, which again doesn't mean they are bad....

Now the scenario changes when i paired all the speakers with with NAD C326 Amplifier & NAD C541 CD player & original Audio CD's...

The best combo was Sonus 2605, superb presentation,bass was very precise, the combo was tad bright but still good to my taste, second was Diamond 9.2 & the last was Mission M35i....

Right now i have paired them with Onkyo TX NR 818, which per specs pumps out 130W of power @ 8 Ohms which is more than enough for Sonus 2605 to drive it crazy & i confidently feel that this is best pairing i have made till date for Sonus 2605....

 

[sound_cycle]

I heard 2605 at their showroom both in southcity and manisquare.

A grainy offcourse. Bloated bass. And that is my personal opinion. I would never ever suggest Sonodyne to anybody anymore for pure stereo. I apologize to all friends whom I guided to buy Sonodyne. 2065 is excellent for HT front channels but not for pure stereo IMO.

In the interest of understanding your point/ gaining from your experience

Would you remember what was the source/ tracks you heard ? the ones that were grainy and/ or bloated

do you think the bloated-ness would be f(room, source, >>>>>other factors, speaker)

(I assume by bloat you mean that regardless of frequency it all sounded like one note)

Also, If there in fact is any bloat/ bloatedness how good for HT? which movies would benefit from it ?

ciao
gr