good stereo setup ..budget 50k

Agree with Maxprocj, CA amps are great for their price, really good, but you have to be careful with the pairing. If you pair with the right speakers then it is difficult to better them at the price.
I owned a CA 550a and with a rating of 60 WPC it had spades of power in reserve, never ever struggling to drive my Ushers.
 
I was almost zeroed down on Yamaha A-s500.
But read in reviews that they sound harsh...
I can get it in 32k.
Which will be the best speakers to pair with it?
 
Tiger Sir,

"But read in reviews". These words can corrupt, confuse most sane/insane minds! Whatever gadgets you have mentioned or shown interest in till now are NOT of 'audiophile grade' from anywhere. Yes, these would be sounding far better than the mass-market one, that's all.

A newbie with a limited budget can slowly graduate after gradually understanding what good music should sound like. This comes from experience and getting to hear higher fidelity offerings over time. It is, and should be a step-by-step approach and a continued zest to invest moolah to bring in better sound.

So, would suggest (at your current level) to pick up any good brand integrated amplifier first, carry it and audition as many speakers possible with it. The best sound your ears can detect on a 'set' music track (carry it too) should be the one (speaker) you should go for.

Else, it would result in frustration at one stage ending up in arbitrary selection and dismay!!!!
 
+1 to Ghatgepatil.

Listen more -> learn more (read more to understand your listening impressions) -> upgrade more = it is a process, probably life long.

Read more, listen less - > confuse more

Read less, listen less -> buy any one you are happy with. Enjoy the system till next itch happens.
 
hi ghatgepati and sumanta
i totally agree with you.
i should listen more and read less.
to be frank whatever i like while auditioning is too ahead of my budget, and the one fits my budget ,i dont like it..
and one more thing sumanta sir, for me next itch happens in very less time:D:D
 
With a budget of Rs 50K it is quite a challenge to build a good system. Only way is either increase the budget to Rs 100k or buy used gear (at 50% price) that way you can have a Rs 100k system while remaining within Rs 50K budget.

Typical budget split could be:

35% Source Component
40% Speakers
20% Amplifier
5% Cables and accessories

For source component : Skip CD player and better invest in a USB DAC (Schitt DAC around Rs 12K direct import from manufacturer), convert you music into FLAC and go Computer based delivery system.

Buying an Active monitor (M-Audio, for example) is also a good option. That way in Rs 20-25K you could get both speakers and amp. Add 12K DAC and 5-7 K for cables. You will have a nice entry level system within your budget of Rs 50K.

Used gears: shop for used Speakers around Rs 18K + used amp Rs 15K + (new ) DAC Rs 12K + 5k Cables is also an alternative. Never buy a used CD player!

Norge (Mumbai) makes some good sounding products. their entry/ moderate level amp + speakers can be had for less than 35K . Get that , add DAc and Cables for Rs 5K , you again a nice entry level system within your budget of Rs 50K.

I don't know prices of Sonodyne products but check if they have something within your budget.

Before buying decide on your music interests as well as study your listening environment first. Your listening room itself is a very big component in your setup, so don't forget that. Moving speakers couple of inches here and there or removing first reflections could bring in dramatic (massive in some cases!) changes in sound stage / imaging than upgrading to some mega-buck component/s or some exotic cable/s.

At the end what I suggest is: Fix a reasonable budget, buy reasonably good equipment within that budget, arrange the equipment scientifically in your listening room, and leave the rest of the magic to your CD / FLAC collection. Don't run after snake-oil acoustic remedies / cables and outrageously expensive foreign brands.

Hope this helps

Suhas
 
Hi suhas
Today I bought preowend Marantz 5004 amp with Q acoustic concept 20 bookshelf's on local olx.
One year used. Got a good deal.
Pristine condition. I looked sound very much.
Followed principle suggested by one fellow members - buy whatever u like, don't read much....
Happy with them.
Plz suggest me some dac for this combo...
 
Marantz 5004 amp with Q acoustic concept 20 , nice combo ! What about some good sturdy stands for speakers? Stands are MUST, in fact cost of stands must be considered and budgeted before buying any bookshelf speaker (and also for a sub , at a later date you might want it, who knows!) ! Stands offered by Q-Acoustic (specially designed for Concept 20) are stunning and offer perfect synegy to Concept 20 but at what cost? Way expensive, one can always find something cheaper around the corner. Proper height (tweeter at the same height of your ears while in seated position) and rock solid sturdiness is what you check first, looks come next.

DIY stands using Kadappa (Cudappa?) Stone (black one, typically used for kitchen platform, sturdier than marble and a lot cheaper too) can be made at much lower cost. I know of one guy who bought two 'marble Tulasi Vrindavan' and used them as stands (after some minor modifications) !

For DAC, I recommend Schitt ! Mahendra Dave of Oceanic , Pune can source you one such or you can order directly from Schitt, cost will come around Rs 12,000. ODAC Rs 11,000 with nice wooden enclosure, another cheaper option is Fiio E10K2 Rs 5200, then there are 100s of other expensive brands to choose from but those could be over kill, given your system components.

Hope this helps
 
Last edited:
Congrats on your purchase! I think you did a wise thing by not reading too much into reviews and specs.

As SuhasG has mentioned, stands are a very very good idea. This is the first time I have heard of stone blocks for speaker stands - but anything stable and immovable/heavy is a good idea. It should also be of a height so that the tweeter is at your ear level in your listening position. I believe that one of the forum members, magma, runs a company called SoundFoundations - and they make some really good quality stands.

Speaker Stands - SoundFoundations

I think they are based in Mumbai which is not far from Pune. Personally, I would go with this option - this is real value for money, but this is only my personal opinion :eek:

What is your source? What speaker cables are you using? What cables are you using to connect your source to the amp?

I would actually say that for starters, avoid the DAC purchase. Instead, focus on speaker positioning and on the room. Basic thumb rules for speaker positioning (and this is really important!) are that the speakers and the listening position should form an equilateral triangle. Say, 8ft width between speakers, and 8ft distance between your listening position and both speakers. And experiment with a little bit of "toe in" - i.e. position the speakers a bit inwards so it faces you directly in your listening position.

Another thing that makes a big difference to bass is the distance between speaker and back (and side) walls. Nowadays we are mostly space constrained, but see if you can give anything more than 1ft. The more the better, generally speaking. The closer the speaker is to the back wall, the more boomy and flabby the bass tends to sound. And further from the wall, it becomes more tighter and more controlled.

As for the room, the more wood, furniture, and thick curtains and carpeting you have, the better (it absorbs sound and minimizes sound reflections). A sparsely furnished room will make the speakers bad. And a lot of people actually consider that the room makes about 50% difference to the sound quality! And often something we ignore.

And lastly, the one biggest factor in audio quality that I personally consider is the recording itself. Well recorded and well mastered songs make a night and day difference, and can make listening truly pleasurable or horrible.

Apologies if you knew all this or were already thinking about much of this. Just wanted to share some ideas with you to ensure a good listening experience :)

Edit: Here's a speaker positioning guide: http://www.cardas.com/room_setup_main.php

http://www.cardas.com/room_setup_golden_ratio.php
 
Last edited:
Great going, tigerwag. Enjoy!

Now, slowly, try to do some of the things suggested by asliarun.
Good stands are a must.
I have tried out the cardas placement and have seen it work very well.
mpw above had a long and informative thread on speaker placement.
 
Thank u all...
Planning to buy tono system stands .
Speaker cables are of DAC brand very thick .
I don't know guaze. Not sure about source...was planning to play flac files from Fiio x1 and Fiio e11k amp the 3.5 to 2rca connectors. But many people suggested to change source like CD player or PC...
Which will be better source? If I have to use my pc as source , do I need some special hardware In CPU like sound card or something? As my pc only have 3.5 mm headphone out and usb ports.
Which brand RCA cables should I buy?
 
Congrats for your stereo setup. It is a nice combo.
SoundFoundations speaker stands are good. You can check the suitable models for your speakers with FM magma.
 
Thank u all...
Planning to buy tono system stands .
Speaker cables are of DAC brand very thick .
I don't know guaze. Not sure about source...was planning to play flac files from Fiio x1 and Fiio e11k amp the 3.5 to 2rca connectors. But many people suggested to change source like CD player or PC...
Which will be better source? If I have to use my pc as source , do I need some special hardware In CPU like sound card or something? As my pc only have 3.5 mm headphone out and usb ports.
Which brand RCA cables should I buy?

I don't know enough about the Fiio devices but I do think it should be quite adequate. Not sure if you need the headphone amp. The player output can most likely be fed into the amp (unless there is a big gain mismatch).

The PC solution would work too - you will have more flexibility in terms of using software players like foobar or jriver or anything else. And it will also support high res audio. Plus, you may be able to control it from your phone via an app. You can use a USB DAC. Looks like Fiio has some options for this too.
 
Hello guyz
I have ordered schitt mody 2 DAC from their website.
Order no is 35003.
Had to pay (99+39)$ including shipping.
Order placed successfully . got confirmation mail also.
But could not find any link about tracking or order status.
Also while ordering did not get any option of paying custom duties...
Anybody with same experience?
I have chosen shipping within 2 days...but no update from their side...
Plz express ur thoughts....I have started lil bit worring.
Sorry guys this is rpt post as I have posted same in Latest av purchases...don't know how to delete it from latest av purchases....mods plz help..
 
Hello guyz
I have ordered schitt mody 2 DAC from their website.
Order no is 35003.
Had to pay (99+39)$ including shipping.
Order placed successfully . got confirmation mail also.
But could not find any link about tracking or order status.
Also while ordering did not get any option of paying custom duties...
Anybody with same experience?
I have chosen shipping within 2 days...but no update from their side...
Plz express ur thoughts....I have started lil bit worring.
Sorry guys this is rpt post as I have posted same in Latest av purchases...don't know how to delete it from latest av purchases....mods plz help..

I have bought from their website couple of months back. It took couple of days to get the tracking details. They will send the tracking details to the registered mail also.

I don't have any idea about custom duty as I asked for shipping to local (US) address and my friend brought to India.
 
Get the Award Winning Diamond 12.3 Floorstanding Speakers on Special Offer
Back
Top