I moved to Bangalore from the U.S. with a simple and decent amplifier and Monitor Audio RS6 towers. Within three months, a power surge took out my amp and put me in the market for a replacement.
However, the search was not easy. SP Road was not the answer and most electronics stores in Bangalore carried a limited selection of mass-produced, overpriced and unnecessary receivers. I didnt want a radio and didnt need AV hook-ups. I have more than 3,000 albums and just wanted a clean amp with sufficient power. Given my initial experience, I wasnt sure how much of an investment I wanted to make on my replacement, coupled with the fact that I may only need it for a couple years.
Fortunately, I found this forum and learned that I had some options. Being of Norwegian descent, the brand Norge caught my eye. I quickly learned that it wasnt an import. Rather, it was named by Shyam Bajaj as a reminder of his early, formative experience working for Tandberg.
Reading the reviews and comments on the Norge Concerto Gold 1000 and the Reference 2000, I went with the former. The price was the right hook and I bit. I placed my order and made my way to the local retailer to pick it up. I liked the black old-school look to the amp. But, as they say (at least in my country), the proof is in the pudding. For the next three days, I ran the Norge continuously to burn in the amp and withheld my judgment. On day four, I sat down with an eclectic mix (Amos Lee, Ben Harper, Bill Evans, Calexico, Diana Krall, Kings of Leon, Mark Knoffler, Radiohead and a mix of latin music).
My early experience was mixed. The bass and mid-range sounded really good. In particular, Scott Lafaros bass on the Bill Evans tracks sounded sweet. However, the high-end vocals and instruments sounded shrill. It wasnt until a friend with more discerning ears than mine put his ears to one of my speakers then popped off the grill. As it turned out one of my tweeters was punched in and was stuck on the magnet of the woofer. Once the damaged tweeter was put back in place, the Norge did not disappoint.
While rough handling caused the damaged tweeter, the good people of Monitor Audio shipped me a replacement at no charge. (They are a class act! Please check them out if you are in the market.) Now with the new tweeter installed, the Norge Concerto Gold 1000 shined. It had plenty of power to drive my tower speakers without cranking the amp beyond of full power. At 1/2 volume my ears bleed. Someone on this forum asked whether the amp had a buzz or hum. At full power, the Norge 1000 was dead quiet. (Just don't forget this an start a CD!)
If you live in Bangalore and you want to demo a Norge amp, you will be disappointed by the local retailer who doesnt do justice to its products or its customers. So you may just have to take me and others at our word that this is a good buy for the money. Not perfect but, pretty darn good! You can count me as a satisfied customer.
However, the search was not easy. SP Road was not the answer and most electronics stores in Bangalore carried a limited selection of mass-produced, overpriced and unnecessary receivers. I didnt want a radio and didnt need AV hook-ups. I have more than 3,000 albums and just wanted a clean amp with sufficient power. Given my initial experience, I wasnt sure how much of an investment I wanted to make on my replacement, coupled with the fact that I may only need it for a couple years.
Fortunately, I found this forum and learned that I had some options. Being of Norwegian descent, the brand Norge caught my eye. I quickly learned that it wasnt an import. Rather, it was named by Shyam Bajaj as a reminder of his early, formative experience working for Tandberg.
Reading the reviews and comments on the Norge Concerto Gold 1000 and the Reference 2000, I went with the former. The price was the right hook and I bit. I placed my order and made my way to the local retailer to pick it up. I liked the black old-school look to the amp. But, as they say (at least in my country), the proof is in the pudding. For the next three days, I ran the Norge continuously to burn in the amp and withheld my judgment. On day four, I sat down with an eclectic mix (Amos Lee, Ben Harper, Bill Evans, Calexico, Diana Krall, Kings of Leon, Mark Knoffler, Radiohead and a mix of latin music).
My early experience was mixed. The bass and mid-range sounded really good. In particular, Scott Lafaros bass on the Bill Evans tracks sounded sweet. However, the high-end vocals and instruments sounded shrill. It wasnt until a friend with more discerning ears than mine put his ears to one of my speakers then popped off the grill. As it turned out one of my tweeters was punched in and was stuck on the magnet of the woofer. Once the damaged tweeter was put back in place, the Norge did not disappoint.
While rough handling caused the damaged tweeter, the good people of Monitor Audio shipped me a replacement at no charge. (They are a class act! Please check them out if you are in the market.) Now with the new tweeter installed, the Norge Concerto Gold 1000 shined. It had plenty of power to drive my tower speakers without cranking the amp beyond of full power. At 1/2 volume my ears bleed. Someone on this forum asked whether the amp had a buzz or hum. At full power, the Norge 1000 was dead quiet. (Just don't forget this an start a CD!)
If you live in Bangalore and you want to demo a Norge amp, you will be disappointed by the local retailer who doesnt do justice to its products or its customers. So you may just have to take me and others at our word that this is a good buy for the money. Not perfect but, pretty darn good! You can count me as a satisfied customer.
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