Reviews / Comments on Budget range speakers- Floor standers- Below Rs.25K

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srinisundar

srinisundar

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Hi,

Searched the forum and could not get a very clear comparison on the below typical range of budget floor standers. Generally read it and found good for music and also for movies.

1) Wharfedale Diamond 9.5 Floor standing Speakers -Rs.24,900
2) Morduant short carnival 8 Floor standing Speakers -Rs.20,000
3) Mordual short carnival 6- Floor standing speakers -Rs.13,600
4) Polk TSi 300 Floor standing Speakers -Rs.21,000

Could owners of the above speakers or demo's done by our members who spent considerable time in reviewing this, please put your Pro's and con's + your final recommendation of these speakers.

Let it be your guide to select the same blindly for the new entrants:)

If possible mods can make it sticky if some good reviews poured in.:) as budget floor-standers below 25K.
 
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I almost had the same list of speakers on my wishlist during the HT upgrade. You can safely stay away from the mordaunt's and they don't sound that crisp.The music was always shadowed and never came through. I heard them over and over and they never seemed to strike the right chord when I played various genre's of music.

The Wharfedale's 9.5 were pretty good and never sounded too laid back, even the Valdus 400 was pretty nice. However after some serious auditioning with varied genre's of music I ended up buying the Monitor Audio M4's. To each his own and the M4's did the trick for me after a few sleepless nights.
 
I guess the main intent of opening this thread was to find out a pair of decent floor standing speakers under 25000/-Rs budget to help all the floor-standing speaker fans out here.

So ,if you could all share your experiences with only floor-standing speakers under the specified budget, it will be great.

You can follow this format :

Speakers : Brand/Model/Version/Specs/Price/Pros/cons and a brief review.


Thank you.
 
Thanks Kittu,

Exactly i want to share this, but don't want to disappoint/hurt anybody with my words. You came up openly:)

Infact you have put an valid point/rule for the thread you have mentioned and members have to read the thread fully and reply if they suits for it. So dignity of the forum and contents on the thread will be useful for the new entrants:)

For the above reasons there is no threads which were made sticky and for easy search reference.

I like imgene comments which he came up and like similar can add value for the 25K below Floor stander or it will be an "strander".
 
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I like to post some initial impressions on my 7.1 setup since it contains a MS Carnival 6.

I dont have enough time to sit back and enjoy my system. Still I want to give some review based upon my little experience.

My audio set up contains Pioneer VSX 920
MS Carnival 6
Craftel Center, surrounds and sub.
Asus Oplay HD Mini

I have already posted some images on this. Am not that much audiophile giving my own review.

The setup has been installed 1 week back. 2 week before I connected My AVR and MS Carnival 6. I played some AR Rahman hits to it. It produced the highs and mids in an outstanding quality.:yahoo: I hear some Rahman hits for years though I never heard those minutes cool sounds with my previous Sony 5.1 or creative 5.1 . It lacks some bass. Still My setup is intended for Movies so sub is going to play a role for the Low frequency.

It was a tough time installing the 7.1 and configuring my AVR. But its interesting :licklips:.

2 days back I played some home demo movies such as Transformers Revenge of the fallen which is an downloaded one from torrents and also Toy story 2 or 1st not remember with DTS EX matrix.
The scene from Transformers 2 were Optimus Prime killed by megatron was just amazing. The trees gets fall due to the curious action I can feel those trees get fall on me. Not have much time to watch the full movie.

When playing the Toy story which has DTS EX. A scene were a globe gets roll down. I just feel like a big metal ball gets rolled from my left to right.

Blurays will be far better than this I think so. I dont have a bluray player now.

Will give more reviews in the future.

Thanx
 
In an attempt to see if we can have a thread that has only uselful posts, I have deleted a number of posts from this thread.

If you are the owner of any of the speakers that the OP has listed, please write as detailed a review as possible. At the end, a reader should be able to get a fair impression of what each speaker delivers.

Let us keep away for comments such as, 'leave aside xxxx', 'bookshelves are better' etc. There are other threads where you can let loose with your writing and commenting skills. To make this a sticky, I need to see some quality content here.

Cheers
 
Srini Sir,

Did you put Carnival 6 in that list intentionally?:D...jokes apart...I'd say MS Carnival 6 are good for starters and mostly use them as movie speakers. But for a stereo setup, I think I should first listen to other favorite speakers of many audiophiles and then compare it with these to conclude on what these speakers lack. I've connected these speakers to ra-06 amp today. There was a lot of improvement(onkyo606 to gaya bhaad mein, just for movies now) in these speakers. It did handle 1'o clock position on the amp with some clarity. Beyond that, I was not able to handle it:lol:. toooo loud. All credits to the amp. So what I'd suggest to any one about MS Carnival 6 are:

1) If you have less budget?
2) If you need a Floor-stand speaker in your living room for less budget again?:D
3) If you want to add a center channel and use it for Movies?

You can go for these. With my limited experience in movie watching, I found them satisfactory for HT purposes. But for 2 Ch setup, save some money and buy a better bookshelves.

Words like tonality, resonance, sweet treble, boomy bass, brittle, sharp, inface, subtle, laid back, etc are known to me by reading dictionary definitions only. Yet to learn them through my ears. So excuse me on not using that audiophile vocabulary.

Cheers!!
Kevian
 
I do agree with Kaptan on Movies. Last week, I tested few scenes of Terminator Salvation, U-571 and Star Trek:licklips:, I simply fell in love with these speakers.

cheers!!
Kevian
 
Each person have different taste. So better audition the speakers if u like buy or wait for the sp which is going to satisfy you.:clapping: Definitely u going to enjoy your set up.
 
Hi Naveen,

I've coupled MS Carnival 6 and Rotel RA-06 with 4sqmm finolex cables. I am using my laptop as a source via normal headphone jack(not spdif/ usb) for now. Most puzzling part is, many here say Carnival 6s lack bass and few online reviews say same about ra-06 amp too, but surprisingly, the bass is Gooood(probably because of my listening distance is 5 ft). The speakers nicely handled the amp's power till 1'o clock position and after which it has become toooooooo loud for me to hear yet I didn't notice any blaring or phrr phrr sound. I listen to music at 9'o clock position now. And I am expecting more improvement once I have a dedicated source (SBT) with a pair of nice interconnects. Also, on the movies part, I drove these speakers with Onkyo 606 after audyssey setup and it is AWESOME at 15ft viewing distance with no subwoofer. These are going to be my dedicated HT speakers for a long time to come once I get a pair of bookshelves for rotel amp.

Just my thoughts!!
Kevian
 
Hi pals,

Did not see many posts/fans/recommendations for our own home grown hi/mid/low-end audio equipment manufacturers Sonodyne. I have been using their Sonus range of Floor standers and centre speakers for about 6 years now and let me tell you, they have served me well.

Short review:

Brand: Sonodyne
Model: Sonus 2605 (Version 1) floor standers for fronts, Sonus C2401 V2 centre
Components/materials/specs: check website (Welcome To Sonodyne)
Hooked these to Yamaha RX-V457 AVR.

I ll be writing only about the fronts as they form the main portion of the sound wall.
When i had auditioned them before buying, they were connected to Denon AVR and sounded quite punchy (with two 6" bass drivers). After I got them (directly delivered from their factory in Calcutta) and connected to my AVR I felt as if the sound is being held back- then after going through forums i realized i need to give them some burn in i.e. make them work for some time with varying levels of sound load. My music interest at that the was more in to trance and electronica (hence the inclination towards 'punchy' sound) and i made good use of my collection to burn them in.

Since then i have been enjoin the sound to full extent, i have had parties at home when the volume knob on my AVR was turned like there is no end...into positive decibel levels. Till a point when the AVR tripped due to heavy load/too much heat (not quite sure), but the speakers just went on - no distortion at all. Off late i have moved towards more of Indian classical fusion and more jazz-y music and still going good with my speakers. Though I would say that they are not as laid back or warm sounding as a jazz music connoisseur would like, but not bad either. They sound a bit bright- as in accentuated highs and subdued mid range (though it has a dedicated 5 1/4 " polypropylene cone driver for mids).
Four rockers and alternate music lovers they are just perfect, they throw out sound like a big sound wall on your ears, though it feels as if on low volume levels some sounds are missed out- especially the mid freq's - this might also be a factor of the AVR.!

Well as for movies, they are just outstanding. I was managing with 2 fronts and 2 surrounds (Bose 201) for quite some time with no centre ch spkr, then there was this issue of the dialogues (which are supposed to come out of the centre) were always very low, I had to yank up the volume. But then the background music used to get too loud. This was solved after I got the centre spkr.

I had bought them for INR 21.5 k (+ INR 6k for centre) back then and had auditioned Jamo, Wharfadale, JBL, PSB, Polk Audio and even B&W (not to forget Bose as well). I found Sonodynes to be the best in my budget.!

Hope my 2 bits help.
 
Kevian said:
Most puzzling part is, many here say Carnival 6s lack bass and few online reviews say same about ra-06 amp too, but surprisingly, the bass is Gooood(probably because of my listening distance is 5 ft). The speakers nicely handled the amp's power till 1'o clock position and after which it has become toooooooo loud for me to hear yet I didn't notice any blaring or phrr phrr sound.
............
Kevian
Click to expand...

Yeah, agree. No, when I say deep bass, I mean "chest-thumping" bass that many people love so much. I don't like bass like that. The bass produced by these speakers are good for my listening tastes and I love it. And I also listen from close - maybe around 4 feet!! :)

And it does handle the input well, there has been no cowing the speakers even at the 12 o'clock position! Well worth it!! :yahoo:

Hahaha, Finolex cables - et tu?
 
naveenroy said:
Hahaha, Finolex cables - et tu?
Click to expand...

Yes. Because I run cables along the wall almost 10 meters either side.So 20 meters of chord or qed or anything else will simply drain me out. Xiro recommended 4sqmm finolex cables. For ?700 , I got the cabling done. Finolex cables will remain at my place as HT speaker cables may be till their lifetime. They do a good job.

cheers!!
Kevian
 
Mordaunt Short Carnival 6

Purchased new for Rs 14K from Gega Acoustics on eBay. Well packed, quick delivery and responsive customer support when I had a couple of questions post purchase. It was a blind purchase based only on fellow HFV member's feedback.

Current Usage - Almost exclusively for music in my office recreation-room/gym. (Originally purchased for HT use at home.)

Driven by - Norge 2060 stereo amplifier, with QED speaker cables and Nakamichi banana plugs.

Source - A transcend MP3 player and various mobile phones of the office staff with a standard no-name Y-cable bought locally.

At the price point, they are a great VFM. I had almost made up my mind to buy Wharfedale 9.2s when I bought the C6s on an impulse. I can't say one is better than the other (never did a side-by-side comparo), but for me, a big plus of the C6s is that I didn't have to worry about buying matching speaker stands ;)

Also, the C6s are slim and have a small foot print. So their presence is not so "obvious" in the room. A plus for my wife who doesn't like big towering speakers -she feels speakers should be heard, not seen :)

Mid-range & Vocals - Simply excellent, nothing else to say here.

Highs - Superb, but the tweeters get a bit carried away on occasion.

Lows - Tight & accurate. But placement is key - the speakers have to be at least a foot away from the walls, else they tend to get boomy (or maybe it is just my room acoustics). I find the bass more than adequate, it literally rattles the windows - granted, they are aluminum windows and rattle in even smallest wind, but still .....

Sound stage - Good feeling of space and instrument placement/separation. I am not sure if it is a speaker thing or amp thing, but I feel the Topping TP-20 gives a better sound stage with these speakers, than the Norge 2060.

If I had to find a fault, I'd say they are just a tad bright which can get annoying on extended listening with certain types of music. But for the regular bollywood fare, the C6s are simply excellent. Office staff are quite happy.

I rate them a great buy.

Cheers.
 
Mordaunt Short Carnival 8

Bought used (but like-new) from a fellow HFV member who bought them blind and promptly decided that they didn't meet his needs. I had the C6s for a couple of months and was in love with them when I saw his ad. I was bitten by the upgrade bug and decided to go for the C8s. I was expecting a larger and better version of the experience I had with the C6s, but I was wrong.

Driven by Norge 1000 stereo amplifier. V-Guard 6 sq mm (84 strand) electrical cable as speaker wire terminated with Nakamichi banana plugs.

Usage - 60% Movies & 40% Music.

Out of the box, the speakers sounded nothing like the C6s. I was very disappointed. The seller said he hardly used them, so I decided to use them for a while and see if they break-in. These speakers took the longest time to settle in ~ almost 2 months before they fully opened up. My wife says they do not sound any different from the first day and that it is my ears that got broken-in by the speakers :D

I have no complaints about the C8s at all. But my wife has a couple:
- They are big and imposing. She misses the C6s.
- They are with black finish and have to be cleaned regularly.
- She prefers the C6 sound signature over the C8s.

But seriously, the C8s are a very different speaker from the C6s. Sound is neutral & mature. Vocals have to be heard to be believed. Excellent for movies also. I find that I prefer the C8 sound over the C6 as I can listen for hours without any ear fatigue. I find the C6s a tad bright for my liking and extended listening with them tires my ears. No such issues with the C8s.

Overall an excellent buy - especially since I got them slightly used at a good discount.

Cheers
 
Sonodyne 2605v2 can get you the sound upto speakers costing Rs45,000.
That was my experience 1yr back.Highly satisfied.
I was never into instrumental cd's before, until this beauties got me wedded to instrumentals and now i am hunting only for Cd's with various instruments on play.
My setup is hooked with a Yamaha 667 AVR.In 2 channel mode, it kicks good non boomy bass, very good midrange,crystal clear highs.A tad bright, which I toned down by increasing the bass in tone control of AVR and placing speakers slightly outward facing.
Play Beyond Rhythmscape or Rhythmscape Cd's any track or Bryan Adams any number with the guitar and you will be in Heaven.That too with a Dvdp and not a dedicated CD player.
Even at low volumes, it's awesome.
Compared with Jamo,Polk,Yamaha,PSB,Kef,Elac.A very balanced was 2605V2 and thus my choice anyday.
The bad part is that it's Made in INDIA.So, doesn't draw much attention.
 
Teja said:
Mordaunt Short Carnival 8

Bought used (but like-new) from a fellow HFV member who bought them blind and promptly decided that they didn't meet his needs. I had the C6s for a couple of months and was in love with them when I saw his ad. I was bitten by the upgrade bug and decided to go for the C8s. I was expecting a larger and better version of the experience I had with the C6s, but I was wrong.

Driven by Norge 1000 stereo amplifier. V-Guard 6 sq mm (84 strand) electrical cable as speaker wire terminated with Nakamichi banana plugs.

Usage - 60% Movies & 40% Music.

Out of the box, the speakers sounded nothing like the C6s. I was very disappointed. The seller said he hardly used them, so I decided to use them for a while and see if they break-in. These speakers took the longest time to settle in ~ almost 2 months before they fully opened up. My wife says they do not sound any different from the first day and that it is my ears that got broken-in by the speakers :D

I have no complaints about the C8s at all. But my wife has a couple:
- They are big and imposing. She misses the C6s.
- They are with black finish and have to be cleaned regularly.
- She prefers the C6 sound signature over the C8s.

But seriously, the C8s are a very different speaker from the C6s. Sound is neutral & mature. Vocals have to be heard to be believed. Excellent for movies also. I find that I prefer the C8 sound over the C6 as I can listen for hours without any ear fatigue. I find the C6s a tad bright for my liking and extended listening with them tires my ears. No such issues with the C8s.

Overall an excellent buy - especially since I got them slightly used at a good discount.

Cheers
Click to expand...

Hi Teja,

I am very new to this Forum. I have recently bought the Norge 1000 amp and looking to hook it up with Mordaunt Short Carnival 8 (19k). I can see that you are quite happy with this combo. Any thoughts on the Bass with this combo, because i listen to a lot of Rock. Please share your thoughts :)
 
R u guys saying that a sonodyne tower at 27k performs better than a kef-q300 at 30K??
Assuming that a subwoofer is present, how would one compare the 2? I know 1 is a tower and another a bookshelf speaker, but still, can the sonodyne reproduce the kef's outstanding clarity???.
 
Audiolab 6000A Integrated Amplifier
Purchase the Audiolab 6000A Integrated Amplifier at a special offer price.

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