How about having a thread to list down recommended gears to buy?

swamytk

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I would like to thank again for such a wonderful platform to share the knowledge. Especially information available in this forum is much more in Indian user context than International.

I have browsed a few reddit threads with recommendation for best gears to buy in various budgets. Here in HFV we have abundant of talent. A team of Senior members can contribute to such list of recommended gears. A simple overview and approx. price may be enough to describe a gear. This list can be updated periodically. This will be helpful for everyone. It may be in this format:

Amplifier:
Amplifiers recommended under 20,000
Amplifiers recommended under 50,000
Amplifiers recommended under 1,00,000
Bookshelf Speaker pair:
Bookshelf Speaker pair recommended under 15,000
Bookshelf Speaker pair recommended under 30,000
Bookshelf Speaker pair recommended under 50,000
Subwoofers:
Subwoofers recommended under 30,000
Subwoofers recommended under 50,000
Subwoofers recommended under 1,00,000
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I believe you guys may have better idea along with this, you may please share.
 
I would like to thank again for such a wonderful platform to share the knowledge. Especially information available in this forum is much more in Indian user context than International.

I have browsed a few reddit threads with recommendation for best gears to buy in various budgets. Here in HFV we have abundant of talent. A team of Senior members can contribute to such list of recommended gears. A simple overview and approx. price may be enough to describe a gear. This list can be updated periodically. This will be helpful for everyone. It may be in this format:

Amplifier:
Amplifiers recommended under 20,000
Amplifiers recommended under 50,000
Amplifiers recommended under 1,00,000
Bookshelf Speaker pair:
Bookshelf Speaker pair recommended under 15,000
Bookshelf Speaker pair recommended under 30,000
Bookshelf Speaker pair recommended under 50,000
Subwoofers:
Subwoofers recommended under 30,000
Subwoofers recommended under 50,000
Subwoofers recommended under 1,00,000
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I believe you guys may have better idea along with this, you may please share.
I think it would also be better to add a pairing category i.e. which speaker pairs best with which amplifier for a given budget.
 
This may be the reference thread for sound quality , build quality, matching equipment and price. New buyer may get more benefited as they will have handy data while approaching for auditions and purchasing equipment. This will definitely save time and money as we unnecessarily audition to many equipments. I have auditioned speakers which were way out of my budget and may not purchase for that price. I have auditioned almost 30 speakers before purchase and visited more than 15 dealers. It took me more than five months to finalize and purchase. New buyer can ask advice more precisely on what they want and with what budget. If this thread is back by all FM , this may be great help for new FM/buyer....


Thanks for initiate @swamytk
...
 
Waiting for such a thread for so many days. But along side all these already mentioned if the source for buying those ( on line) is provided then it will benefit many prospective buyers.
Thanks @swamytk for his relevant thread.
Regards
 
I feel this exercise will be futile. Because the sheer amount of variables involved are quite large. It basically needs a audiophile reviewer who has heard most budget speakers and their combinations with different amplifiers in a variety of placement scenarios, to compile such a list. Issues with guides for Speaking about 2 Channel Listening...

1. Audio is subjective, there's no clear cut hierarchy that can be assigned except price hierarchy. Which is again overruled many times by subjective preferences ( X person may prefer Lower Entry level over the flagship, or the price difference may not be appealing). There's no Antutu or 3d gaming benchmarks to differentiate the performance of X gear with Y gear. (These benchmarks help in categorizing the recommendations for Say Mobiles or Laptops for X budget)

2. Price hierarchy isn't absolute. Pricing varies considerably from city to city and dealer to dealer. Year end and Festival discounts, clearance deals change it more frequently.
Many Speakers/amps serve for at least 7 years without appreciable deterioration if maintained well. Used Gears, like a 5 year old flagship offered at New entry level component pricing is quite preferable by many ( myself included). Person adhering to such guides should only be considering Brand new Under Warranty for the guides to be helpful.
Demo pieces offered at 40-60% discount locally which breach the price hierarchy, similarly if the person is able to import at a lower price. DIY options further complicate the scenario by providing better bang for buck.
Pro audio gear offers a totally different price per performance equation, if the buyer is willing to go that route.

3. Not every option is suitable for everyone, Room impacts the SQ by a huge margin and the component needs to be suggested taking this important parameter into account. Listening Genre preference changes the choice of the components a lot.
Sources and accompanying electronics have an equal impact on the components we choose.

4. Variables in gear, like Pre Power vs Integrated, Powered Speakers vs Passive Speakers make the suggestion much more difficult. Again subjectivity takes a greater part in decision making.

My Suggestions.
Make it Mandatory to include Price bracket In the Header of a Every thread which invites Suggestions for certain gear. Make it easier to search such threads by tagging properly. So they can be grouped and searched easily, for eg bookshelf recommendation under 50k can be easily searched. Reader can go through all the threads before opening his own thread.
For Every one Requesting for Suggestions Make it Mandatory to fill out a default template So the recommendation and later a search can be easier.
HT recommendation can be bit easier because the hierarchy in AVRs and Speaker systems is more predictable and room correction corrects many of the irregularities.
 
Make it Mandatory to include Price bracket In the Header of a Every thread which invites Suggestions for certain gear. Make it easier to search such threads by tagging properly. So they can be grouped and searched easily, for eg bookshelf recommendation under 50k can be easily searched. Reader can go through all the threads before opening his own thread.
My suggestion is to create only one pinned / sticky thread/post for evey category - to be maintained by a small group of experts in forum. This thread/post should list various price range and recommendation. Periodically this post may be updated by experts.

I understood and appreciate the exception cases you have pointed out. But I consider this as just a guide not a Bible. All these exception cases are applicable to thousands of recommendation threads already there on forum also; still our experts keep recommending and guiding newbies like me without any fatigue; many people like me are getting benefitted. So this will also help the experts not to repeat same answers again and again for same questions raised again and again.

I believe let's start something basic and go ahead and add more detailed/accurate data if possible in future. Every journey starts at zeroth mile :)
 
There will always be questions and there will always be personalized suggestions and advices. The reason being each one has his or her preferences. And then comes the rest of the setup, the room, the sources, the room, the usage, each one's budget, skill in setup and knowledge, did I mention the room, etc. Way too many variables to have a generic thread.

The Buyer needs to do his basic research, home work, shortlist his components based on the parameters above. Members can then help him pick from his shortlist.

MaSh
 
There will always be questions and there will always be personalized suggestions and advices. The reason being each one has his or her preferences. And then comes the rest of the setup, the room, the sources, the room, the usage, each one's budget, skill in setup and knowledge, did I mention the room, etc. Way too many variables to have a generic thread.

The Buyer needs to do his basic research, home work, shortlist his components based on the parameters above. Members can then help him pick from his shortlist.

MaSh
Yes, definitely buyer has to research if he is really interested or aware of variables you have mentioned. Not every buyer try to become a audiophile. Seeing a lot of new profiles here just came with a basic stereo/HT setup and does not come back after a few questions. This will be most useful for those users. Not only for them, rest of the budding audiophiles will also find it useful to get start in recommendation thread and slowly build more specific queries on variables you have mentioned.

I again want to emphasis that recommendation thread can be a good starting point, not a complete solution.
 
As a slight modification to this, maybe we could have a thread listing forum favourites segregated by budget? (Assuming such a thread doesn't exist already)
 
This forum is for members to interact and seekers to gain knowledge. Sound is a personal thing. Some love bright sound while some are bassheads and some may adore the midrange purity. So a gear so appealing to someone may sound appalling to the other. To each his own. Moreover, giving recommendations will diminish the neutrality that is expected out of the forum.
 
This may be the reference thread for sound quality , build quality, matching equipment and price. New buyer may get more benefited as they will have handy data while approaching for auditions and purchasing equipment. This will definitely save time and money as we unnecessarily audition to many equipments. I have auditioned speakers which were way out of my budget and may not purchase for that price. I have auditioned almost 30 speakers before purchase and visited more than 15 dealers. It took me more than five months to finalize and purchase. New buyer can ask advice more precisely on what they want and with what budget. If this thread is back by all FM , this may be great help for new FM/buyer


Thanks for initiate @swamyt!
Curious which speakers you bought ultimately?
 
Thanks for initiate @swamyt!
Curious which speakers you bought ultimately?
Two weeks before I ordered Polk S50/S35/S10, but it is held up in Chennai Customs which is not cleared due to known issues as per seller :) Even if it is cleared it has to pass three cities Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune which goes to lockdown mode alternatively :)
 
Yes, definitely buyer has to research if he is really interested or aware of variables you have mentioned. Not every buyer try to become a audiophile. Seeing a lot of new profiles here just came with a basic stereo/HT setup and does not come back after a few questions. This will be most useful for those users. Not only for them, rest of the budding audiophiles will also find it useful to get start in recommendation thread and slowly build more specific queries on variables you have mentioned.

I again want to emphasis that recommendation thread can be a good starting point, not a complete solution.

+1 to the idea. Also helps a lot of people who don't have big budgets or can't audition but can get the items delivered.
 
This forum is for members to interact and seekers to gain knowledge. Sound is a personal thing. Some love bright sound while some are bassheads and some may adore the midrange purity.
Bright sound, bassheads, midrange purity - all these we learn over the period of time. May beginners can't even appreciate such nuances even if their audio system exhibit. It takes years and ears :) So our recommendation thread can help them to get decent gears to get started.

Moreover, giving recommendations will diminish the neutrality that is expected out of the forum.
This I agree partially, then it is applicable to many existing recommendation threads too; in pure world, all newbies should be asked to go for audition only.

I can understand the audiophiles's disagreement with this proposal on their passion towards pure audio.
 
Bright sound, bassheads, midrange purity - all these we learn over the period of time. May beginners can't even appreciate such nuances even if their audio system exhibit. It takes years and ears :) So our recommendation thread can help them to get decent gears to get started.
If that's the case, where's the need for recommendation? Let them buy whatever pleases their eyes; and suits their budget. :D

Jokes apart, they may not know the terminology but can easily discern what sound pleases them.

This I agree partially, then it is applicable to many existing recommendation threads too; in pure world, all newbies should be asked to go for audition only.
Fellow members recommending some equipment is one thing and forum stepping in to recommend is entirely another thing; which is what is being discussed. Hope you are getting it.

Members are always welcome to give suggestions. That's what is the forum meant for. Sharing of knowledge and information from genuine users to those seeking it.
 
A beautiful, well-constructed speaker with class-leading soundstage, imaging and bass that is fast, deep, and precise.
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