Hello Everybody
Please help me choose the right equipments
For starters I am no audiophile , but I like to listen to good sounds. My budget is around 1.20L including amp. The system would be for 95% music and 5% movies . I guess a pair of good floorstanders will do justice for my tastes. I am located at Mumbai presently with a listening area of about 250 Sft.
I have short listed the following speakers after reading the reviews
Monitor Audio RX6 / PSB T5 / PSB T6 /B&W 683 / 684[/B]
So Ive kicked myself out to audition the speakers and I am more confused than ever.
As so many variables like source/amp/cables/ acoustics are involved , I have kept the same songs as non variables ( Hotel California / Sultans Of Swing/AR Rahman)
AUDITION ONE : MONITOR AUDIO RX6 WITH MOON
The vocals were dead centre. I was wondering if there was some centre channel hidden somewhere. The highs were crisp but seriously, where are the lows. I am not a bass head but this is a disappointment for me. May be I was expecting too much from the MAs. . I believe that good speakers must make you crave for some more but with this pair I did not feel that craving if you know what I mean. The sound was more ?ON YOUR FACE?
rather than enjoyable.
May be it was due to the wrong AMP . Should I be trying with Marantz. But I don?t thing there will be radical change in the sound signature to entice me .
AUDITION TWO: MA GX100 WITH ACCUPHASE
The first impression I had seeing this one is WOW .Very Sturdy and very goodlooking. My first taste with ribbon tweeters and the clarity was amazing. Had a second thought whether to settle down for this bookshelf rather than FS. But still, the magic I was expecting was not happening here.
AUDITION THREE : JAMO D590 :
It was not there in my list originally, but I did give it a shot because of the rave reviews.
The D590 is definitely not my type of sound. It has the floor vibrating lows but not the clarity or airiness in the least. Within two minutes I asked them to switch it off. I dont remember the amp as well.
AUDITION FOUR: B&W 684 WITH ROTEL PRE-POWER
The speaker looks okay. The synergy between the Rotel and B&W is amazing. The highs are well defined and the lows are there. The midrange is good. But did I hear a slight dip inbetween. Overall a very satisfying experience.
AUDITION FIVE : B&W 683 WITH ROTEL PRE-POWER
This is what I was expecting .The Speakers look unique with their Kevlar and aluminium combo. Suddenly the sound has opened up and though the song was not played very loudly, I could here all the nuances and subtle sounds without having to specifically search for the same. It was all out there in the middle .The bass was controlled and tight and never overpowering. I was in a blissful trance. The difference between the 684 and 683 is like night and day.
These guys were driven by 120 Watts Per Channel Pre Power Combo. I am not sure if I can afford the same. Will the quality of sound change drastically if I settle down for 60WPC.
But in hindsight I felt that the B&W/ Rotel combination is too clinical and analytical rather than involving. But I would definitely be satisfied with the overall performance of the speaker.
AUDITION SIX : PSB T5 WITH NAD 356
The speakers looked definitely small for a floorstander. For the first time I heard a very wide soundstage. The sound just magically escaped the borders of the speakers and I could place each instrument/singer with pinpoint accuracy. It was like Mark Knopfler standing in front of me and performing for me .The sound was airy and very involving.. The bass was adequate, the Highs were crisp, and midrange was divine. + 1 for this pair. My immediate thought was to go for the kill
AUDITION SEVEN: PSB T6 WITH NAD 356
My personal impression on the switchover from T5 is , How T5 is sounding better than T6. May be it has got something to do with the vocals. There is something missing when compared to T5. May be T5 is more dynamic than T6.
The T6 does everything the T5 does but on a bigger and larger scale. For my taste I felt the bass was a little overpowering .But that does not mean I did not like the way it sounded. I kept on changing song after song listening to the duo.
The PSB T5 is offered for INR 67000, T6 for INR 87000, B&W 684 INR 90000+ 12.5% Tax, B&W 683 INR 120000 + taxes
The NAD 356bee(DAC) around INR 62000
All the above prices are MRP. What % of discount can I expect
I can live with the Sound of T5 and NAD 356 Combo. This definitely falls within my budget as well. But the sound of 683 is so alluring though it is way above my budget. But I find the US Price is USD 1500: What would be final cost if I choose Import Route
So what should I do guys. Am I missing something. Or Should I try audition some more speakers before taking the plunge.
Thanks & Regards
Please help me choose the right equipments
For starters I am no audiophile , but I like to listen to good sounds. My budget is around 1.20L including amp. The system would be for 95% music and 5% movies . I guess a pair of good floorstanders will do justice for my tastes. I am located at Mumbai presently with a listening area of about 250 Sft.
I have short listed the following speakers after reading the reviews
Monitor Audio RX6 / PSB T5 / PSB T6 /B&W 683 / 684[/B]
So Ive kicked myself out to audition the speakers and I am more confused than ever.
As so many variables like source/amp/cables/ acoustics are involved , I have kept the same songs as non variables ( Hotel California / Sultans Of Swing/AR Rahman)
AUDITION ONE : MONITOR AUDIO RX6 WITH MOON
The vocals were dead centre. I was wondering if there was some centre channel hidden somewhere. The highs were crisp but seriously, where are the lows. I am not a bass head but this is a disappointment for me. May be I was expecting too much from the MAs. . I believe that good speakers must make you crave for some more but with this pair I did not feel that craving if you know what I mean. The sound was more ?ON YOUR FACE?
rather than enjoyable.
May be it was due to the wrong AMP . Should I be trying with Marantz. But I don?t thing there will be radical change in the sound signature to entice me .
AUDITION TWO: MA GX100 WITH ACCUPHASE
The first impression I had seeing this one is WOW .Very Sturdy and very goodlooking. My first taste with ribbon tweeters and the clarity was amazing. Had a second thought whether to settle down for this bookshelf rather than FS. But still, the magic I was expecting was not happening here.
AUDITION THREE : JAMO D590 :
It was not there in my list originally, but I did give it a shot because of the rave reviews.
The D590 is definitely not my type of sound. It has the floor vibrating lows but not the clarity or airiness in the least. Within two minutes I asked them to switch it off. I dont remember the amp as well.
AUDITION FOUR: B&W 684 WITH ROTEL PRE-POWER
The speaker looks okay. The synergy between the Rotel and B&W is amazing. The highs are well defined and the lows are there. The midrange is good. But did I hear a slight dip inbetween. Overall a very satisfying experience.
AUDITION FIVE : B&W 683 WITH ROTEL PRE-POWER
This is what I was expecting .The Speakers look unique with their Kevlar and aluminium combo. Suddenly the sound has opened up and though the song was not played very loudly, I could here all the nuances and subtle sounds without having to specifically search for the same. It was all out there in the middle .The bass was controlled and tight and never overpowering. I was in a blissful trance. The difference between the 684 and 683 is like night and day.
These guys were driven by 120 Watts Per Channel Pre Power Combo. I am not sure if I can afford the same. Will the quality of sound change drastically if I settle down for 60WPC.
But in hindsight I felt that the B&W/ Rotel combination is too clinical and analytical rather than involving. But I would definitely be satisfied with the overall performance of the speaker.
AUDITION SIX : PSB T5 WITH NAD 356
The speakers looked definitely small for a floorstander. For the first time I heard a very wide soundstage. The sound just magically escaped the borders of the speakers and I could place each instrument/singer with pinpoint accuracy. It was like Mark Knopfler standing in front of me and performing for me .The sound was airy and very involving.. The bass was adequate, the Highs were crisp, and midrange was divine. + 1 for this pair. My immediate thought was to go for the kill
AUDITION SEVEN: PSB T6 WITH NAD 356
My personal impression on the switchover from T5 is , How T5 is sounding better than T6. May be it has got something to do with the vocals. There is something missing when compared to T5. May be T5 is more dynamic than T6.
The T6 does everything the T5 does but on a bigger and larger scale. For my taste I felt the bass was a little overpowering .But that does not mean I did not like the way it sounded. I kept on changing song after song listening to the duo.
The PSB T5 is offered for INR 67000, T6 for INR 87000, B&W 684 INR 90000+ 12.5% Tax, B&W 683 INR 120000 + taxes
The NAD 356bee(DAC) around INR 62000
All the above prices are MRP. What % of discount can I expect
I can live with the Sound of T5 and NAD 356 Combo. This definitely falls within my budget as well. But the sound of 683 is so alluring though it is way above my budget. But I find the US Price is USD 1500: What would be final cost if I choose Import Route
So what should I do guys. Am I missing something. Or Should I try audition some more speakers before taking the plunge.
Thanks & Regards
