Hi-Fi system for Indian classical music

[sanjgupt]

I recently got introduced to this exiciting world of high-end music system. I was looking for good sound system for indian classical music (vocal/instrumental). I started my search thinking Bose as ultimate sound system.. nothing is beyond that.. within few days of search, I realized Bose does not even deserve LKG admission in audiophile world..

after reading so many thread.. I have narrowed down my search to following speakers & amplifiers.

speakers (bookself)
Tennoy F1
Jamo C403/C603
Monitor audio Rx2

Amplifier:
NAD C326BEE
Maranz PM7001

Guys, kindly suggest me, which is best cost-effective combination for my taste of music.. indian classical music.

Thanks
Sanjeev

 

[dillihifi]

Try out Virens tube gear along with his speakers. For this genre of music you will love it

 

[Nikhil]

Sanjeev,

Since you mentioned cost effective I would suggest you look at some of the Onkyo amps/receivers. They tend to sound bright which lends itself quite nicely to high and mid range sound.

You can't really go wrong with Marantz or NAD either. This one will just boil down to your local dealer service and most importantly your sound test.

Cheers!

 

[soundsgreat]

Hi,

Try out Virens tube gear along with his speakers. For this genre of music you will love it

+1 to that !! You really cannot go wrong with Viren's product and again the price just takes the cakewalk !!

So get in touch with him and check out !

Btw what budget are you Aiming ?? although from the speakers listed we can gauge but still its better you post that piece of info for better recommendations from Us !!

Another alternative is to look at pre-owned stuff which tends to work very well for folks with budget constraints !!

If you need any help please PM me !!

Regards.

 

[sanjgupt]

budget is max 50K.. looking for only bookself speaker pair without subwoofer + integrated amplifier. my listening will be limited to music only.. no movies..
monitor audio RX2 (56K) + NAD C326BEE(30K) is considered to be best combo but is reaching close to 1L. as I am new to hi-fi world. I do not want to go beyond 50K. I am sure I can get best in this range only. CD player is not included in this budget.

 

[rikhav]

Hi
for around 55k you can get a Lyrita Push pull tube amp with speakers
I think for classical music it will be a good combo

 

[soundsgreat]

Hi,

budget is max 50K.. looking for only bookself speaker pair without subwoofer. my listening will be limited to music only.. no movies..
monitor audio RX2 (56K) + NAD C326BEE(30K) is considered to be best combo but is reaching close to 1L. as I am new to hi-fi world. I do not want to go beyond 50K. I am sure I can get best in this range only. CD player is not included in this budget.
Reply With Quote

Ok its purely musical setup,that was established the moment you said classical !! but still good that you specifically mentioned !!

Under 50K its very tough to crack the nut :lol: !! how bout pre-owned as I suggested earlier ??

Have you heard Quads ??? if not please do so,they are top notch performers,also give Usher S520 a try !! at 24/25K they are also very very good value for money ! can settle with the NAD you've shortlisted or can go the pre-owned way and have a pre-power combo or a real good Integrated for the remaining budget of yours !!

Else there is one other alternative which I will tell later if none of the above works !!

Hi
for around 55k you can get a Lyrita Push pull tube amp with speakers
I think for classical music it will be a good combo

Rikhav although an excellent Amp but as he says it doesn't workout for him ( going by his budget) !! Also one needs to very careful when pairing tube gear with normal brand speakers due sensitivity issue !

Since he's not in mood for a Floorstander which is only what Viren offers,it'd be bit tough to match !!


Regards.

 

[spirovious]

You can choose spk 1st & then think of amp.
You need to match them.

With Tany F1(bright) you need laid back amp like NAD,Arcam,CA(British).Marantz can sound sharp.

http://www.hifivision.com/what-should-i-buy/4364-stereo-amp-tannoy-f1-custom.html

With Jamo Marantz,Pioneer,Denon etc(Japanese)

MA mostly laidback ,but others can match it too.

So take Demo accordingly & hear to your mind.

 

[sanjgupt]

Hello soundsgreat.

Thanks for your detialed reply..
for me 50K +/- 20% budget is fine. Lyrita audio seems to be vacuum tube amlifiers. quality will certainly be better than other solid-state amplifers as fundamental noise level is less in vacuum tube technology. But reliability and handling is always a concern. But still I would like to audition them when I visit delhi next time..

 

[bhanja_trinanjan]

@OP:

Why don't you consider audiophile headphones?

Better bang for buck than Sub 50K stereo setups.

Do not skimp on a CDP... A higher end Universal Player from Onkyo/Denon might serve you in the short term.

For Indian classical vocal, my headphone rig(See signature) does better than my Wharfedale Diamond 9.1s.


The Wharfies have a few advantages in a select few areas when it comes to Western Classical... but you are not going to listen to that genre.

 

[Rajiv]

[But still I would like to audition them when I visit delhi next time..
/QUOTE]

Hi Sanjeev,

You can audition the Lyrita system in B'lore itself.

Contact Steven(Stevieboy on the forum),he has the full Lyrita set up.AMP+SPEAKERS+PHONOSTAGE.

But reliability and handling is always a concern.

Don't worry about reliability,they are well built and I have not had a problem with Lyrita equipment .

Regards
Rajiv

 

[unleash_me]

Why don't you consider audiophile headphones?

Headphone setups can definitely give an intimate experience but it can't replace a speaker setup. As much as I like my headphones, I always get this odd feeling of being tied up to a place wearing a helmet with wires dangling around my neck. So my headphone listening is mostly limited to late night listening or when I'm working on my laptop. Not sure if OP is looking for such a compromise.

Sanjeev, if possible do audition the Usher S520 with Marantz PM7001. I had a chance to listen to it the other day with a KI model. I was expecting the sound to be on the brighter side but quite surprisingly the combo sounded very nice! This should fit in your budget as well. We were primarily playing western classical but did try out a bunch of OSTs from Gladiator, Perfume, Avatar, Dark Knight and few others I don't remember. Admittedly, I'm not sure if this will be a good fit to the Indian classical genre. My friend's first (and rather the only choice) was RS1 with Rotel RA-04 (an old but excellent little amp). After listening to the 520 with 7001, he didn't think twice.

Happy auditions.

 

[rikhav]

I was suggesting the Harmony Two Speakers which are quiet smaller then Harmony Ones.
If you can make a trip to Delhi then nothing like it


You can check the website as well

HIGH FIDELITY AUDIO SYSTEMS

 

[dillihifi]

Hi Sanjeev,

I suggested the Lyrita set because of your listening tastes and well this set up should be within your budget.

Further as regards the reliability aspect I have been using this for the last 3.5 years and no issues yet. You can seek opinions of several other members here who have the Lyrita equipment. Nothing sounds as wonderful as the Lyrita for the genre of music you are interested in. Further I am suggesting this system for 100% music no movies. I do agree that there maybe better systems but will definitely much more costlier.

For auditions you can do so at any member's place or contact Viren for the same maybe he can arrange something for you in bangalore. Btw the speakers and the amps look much better than the pics in the website

Remember the golden rule trust your OWN ears since they will be subjected to equipment you are eventually going to buy.

 

[thevortex]

I second the other recommendations. For Indian classical music, I have not heard another system which is better, more involving and basically a system which makes you less aware of the electronics and more aware of the musical performance.

I am beginning to feel that there is some truth to claims that people having gotten into tube gear are the ones who dont change their system too often.

 

[sanjgupt]

Hello thevortex
are you also suggesting me Lyrita system?
Anyway.. I am planning to take audition of lyrita system at steve's house here in Bangalore.

Thanks

 

[thevortex]

Hello thevortex
are you also suggesting me Lyrita system?
Anyway.. I am planning to take audition of lyrita system at steve's house here in Bangalore.

Thanks

Yes, in short I am recommending that.

 

[thevortex]

Headphone setups can definitely give an intimate experience but it can't replace a speaker setup. As much as I like my headphones, I always get this odd feeling of being tied up to a place wearing a helmet with wires dangling around my neck. So my headphone listening is mostly limited to late night listening or when I'm working on my laptop. Not sure if OP is looking for such a compromise.

Sanjeev, if possible do audition the Usher S520 with Marantz PM7001. I had a chance to listen to it the other day with a KI model. I was expecting the sound to be on the brighter side but quite surprisingly the combo sounded very nice! This should fit in your budget as well. We were primarily playing western classical but did try out a bunch of OSTs from Gladiator, Perfume, Avatar, Dark Knight and few others I don't remember. Admittedly, I'm not sure if this will be a good fit to the Indian classical genre. My friend's first (and rather the only choice) was RS1 with Rotel RA-04 (an old but excellent little amp). After listening to the 520 with 7001, he didn't think twice.

Happy auditions.

I am curious, Unleash_me. Would you rate the S520 as a better speaker than the RS1?

 

[unleash_me]

Yes, I would. Infact, I used to recommend BR2 wholeheartedly when someone was torn between the thought of settling for a BR2 or spend more for the RS1. But thanx to few recent encounters, the S520 makes it to my top list of entry level bookshelves! Would love to compare it side by side with my all time favorite 9.1 someday. With these excellent products, I think these are goodtimes for any newbie to get into our hobby

 

[thevortex]

Yes, I would. Infact, I used to recommend BR2 wholeheartedly when someone was torn between the thought of settling for a BR2 or spend more for the RS1. But thanx to few recent encounters, the S520 makes it to my top list of entry level bookshelves! Would love to compare it side by side with my all time favorite 9.1 someday. With these excellent products, I think these are goodtimes for any newbie to get into our hobby

Very interesting, Unleash_me! I have heard the RS1 with Marantz integrated amps as well as receivers and came away feeling very happy with the performance. I have only had a short stint with the S520s but I did not think it was comparable to the RS1 in either outright bass output or even overall sound output. The RS1 also is an easier load on the speaker if I remember right.

But I guess I can only come to a conclusion if I have a longer audition of the Usher speakers.

Am curious on another front, Unleash_me. Have you heard the PSB Alpha B1s? How would you compare them with the other two suspects here?