Speaker Shortlist Help - 80k Stretchable to 1L

[kanna.sridharan]

At Decibel, Chennai contact Raghu - 98-84-012550. Mrp 66k

 

[mukuntharajaa]

Hi All
After extensive auditioning through the last 3-4 weeks I have come up with the following shortlist to pair with a Yamaha RX V475. Do note this is for a listening area of approximately 20' X 16' which is a part of a largish living room of 17' X 30'. The choices after auditioning (all without subs) are:

1. Tannoy V4i + VCi. App 50k, which would leave me with enough dough to invest in a Velodyne impact 10 / comparable sub. Crystal clear and clean sound with okay bass
2. Dali Zensor 7 with Vokal center (hats off to the exhaustive review posted by @Grunthos that sparked my interest in these). App 80k leaving me with hardly 20k in an already stretched budget for a sub. Very musical, sweet and lilting sound. I auditioned only the Zensor 5 at a friend's place where I found the bass a bit lacking, but was assured the Zensor 7 has a slightly more punchier sound
3. Used MA BR6 with a BX center which are being quoted at 75k, can be reduced to say 70k or so. I am told they have > 6 months of warranty left all bills, etc will be provided. Havent auditioned but have heard these speakers are bassy and I feel that I have a room big enough to soak up the sound. These are in another town and auditioning is diificult
4. Used Wharfedale 10.6 (about 6 months old) which are being quoted at 42k. I have to buy a center channel (10.CC?) at approximately 20k and I would have about 30k or so to splurge on a sub (again Velo impact 10/equivalent). Also, I have heard that the mids are a bit recessed in Wharfedale - is that a matter of concern?
5. Finally, PSB Image T6. Kick ass speakers with mind blowing sound, and with enough punch to leave you punched in the midriff. The mids were also very clear, however, I felt the highs were a bit subdued. I am being quoted 80K with hardly any money left for the matching center (image c5 if I am not wrong) which costs app 30-35k. The low frequency response at +/- 3db is a spectacular 32hz , so i am wondering a sub is necessary at all with this

Any help, suggestions for an aspiring audiophile would be much appreciated

Thanks
Harsha

Harsha,

I have auditioned all the speakers you have quoted above except wharfedale. In Dali zensor i have auditioned 5 not 7.

Plus few more speakers a little above 1L. Frankly speaking, None of them has matched the clarity, sound stage, clarity, mid / high / lows of PSB T6.

The moment song started playing, i was completely blown out with its performance. Its on par with > 1L speakers like, MA RX6, Tannoy DC6T.

And a little more information about your centre, floor standers and SUB. Even I had the same setup in my mind initially when i started auditioning. But then i slowly realised, that if i push my budget for good FS, its gonna help me a lot down the line.

Since then i have auditioned only the FS and I will ask to disconnect centre / SUB / rear. I have played same videos, songs for all the speakers which ihave auditioned. PSB T6 doesnt actually require SUB. Slowly you can think about buying SUB. same goes for centre as well. You can try auditioning PSB T6 without any centre or sub connected. I am sure you will be impressed with that.

BDW, which showroom quoted 80k for PSB T6 ?

 

[shriharsha.p]

Succintly put and as summarized by FM Blasto as well, the T6 is in a league of its own. But I felt it had a worthy competitor in the QA2050i, which I auditioned today. Superb speakers which at first sounded very similar to the Tannoy V4i but had a lot more punch in the mid bass and more importantly, refinement and poise at higher octaves. Which again brings me to my conundrum - if I am going to use a subwoofer as a significant part of my usage will be movies, then does it make better sense to say settle for the T5/QA2050i along with a subwoofer? You could probably very nearly get the same effect with the added oomph of a sub for movies. I know purists would frown on this from a music perspective but it would serve my dual purpose of Music and movies.

You can contact final touch in mission road, Bangalore where the MRP quoted for the T5 is 87k. The rest is upto your negotiation skills

BR
Harsha

Harsha,

I have auditioned all the speakers you have quoted above except wharfedale. In Dali zensor i have auditioned 5 not 7.

Plus few more speakers a little above 1L. Frankly speaking, None of them has matched the clarity, sound stage, clarity, mid / high / lows of PSB T6.

The moment song started playing, i was completely blown out with its performance. Its on par with > 1L speakers like, MA RX6, Tannoy DC6T.

And a little more information about your centre, floor standers and SUB. Even I had the same setup in my mind initially when i started auditioning. But then i slowly realised, that if i push my budget for good FS, its gonna help me a lot down the line.

Since then i have auditioned only the FS and I will ask to disconnect centre / SUB / rear. I have played same videos, songs for all the speakers which ihave auditioned. PSB T6 doesnt actually require SUB. Slowly you can think about buying SUB. same goes for centre as well. You can try auditioning PSB T6 without any centre or sub connected. I am sure you will be impressed with that.

BDW, which showroom quoted 80k for PSB T6 ?

 

[shriharsha.p]

Sorry for a typo - the MRP of 87k was for the image T6.
Harsha

Succintly put and as summarized by FM Blasto as well, the T6 is in a league of its own. But I felt it had a worthy competitor in the QA2050i, which I auditioned today. Superb speakers which at first sounded very similar to the Tannoy V4i but had a lot more punch in the mid bass and more importantly, refinement and poise at higher octaves. Which again brings me to my conundrum - if I am going to use a subwoofer as a significant part of my usage will be movies, then does it make better sense to say settle for the T5/QA2050i along with a subwoofer? You could probably very nearly get the same effect with the added oomph of a sub for movies. I know purists would frown on this from a music perspective but it would serve my dual purpose of Music and movies.

You can contact final touch in mission road, Bangalore where the MRP quoted for the T5 is 87k. The rest is upto your negotiation skills

BR
Harsha

 

[shriharsha.p]

+1 and really liked the QA2050i which I auditioned today. Babbler audio also had a nifty listening setup and the overall experience was pretty nice. But I felt that compared to the Tannoy Mercury V4i, these are overpriced, as both retail for almost the same price in the UK. So somewhere someone in the distribution chain has jacked up the price. But they do look like a million bucks and have excellent build quality as against the plain Jane look of the V4i. For my ears, the QAs had more refinement and felt that they would be better for extended listening sessions. I am again going to HTstore tomorrow with my own music collection to have a long session with the V4is to try and guage the differences.

BR
Harsha

I was quoted 1L after discounts couple of days back.

I had been auditioning a few systems in the last few days and I'm looking for speakers in the same budget as you are, the only diff. is that I'm looking for a stereo setup. I was really impressed with the Qacoustics 2050i and the Revel P12, but I really think what made the difference was the amp that was driving them the Naim Nait 5.

You should consider auditioning the Qacoustics with your AVR, I think it should pair well.

Regards

 

[kanna.sridharan]

+1 and really liked the QA2050i which I auditioned today.

I was hoping you would say so. Did you by any chance get to listen to the Tannoy DC6T? I'm planning a trip to Blore, next month in search of speakers, would be grateful if you could share some contacts, for the PSB, Tannoy & Dali

Thanks & Regards,
Kannan

 

[mukuntharajaa]

Succintly put and as summarized by FM Blasto as well, the T6 is in a league of its own. But I felt it had a worthy competitor in the QA2050i, which I auditioned today. Superb speakers which at first sounded very similar to the Tannoy V4i but had a lot more punch in the mid bass and more importantly, refinement and poise at higher octaves. Which again brings me to my conundrum - if I am going to use a subwoofer as a significant part of my usage will be movies, then does it make better sense to say settle for the T5/QA2050i along with a subwoofer? You could probably very nearly get the same effect with the added oomph of a sub for movies. I know purists would frown on this from a music perspective but it would serve my dual purpose of Music and movies.

You can contact final touch in mission road, Bangalore where the MRP quoted for the T5 is 87k. The rest is upto your negotiation skills

BR
Harsha

I was about to take audition of QA2050i at babbler yesterday and somehow got missed. So far in my list PSB T6 stays at top and next to it MA RX6. Now i am excited to take QA audition

And also note this, QA 2050i is going to need more power to get its best. Nominal Impedance: 6ohm

Did you audition with your AVR or with theirs ?

 

[BLASTO]

QA 2050i is the politest of the bunch. Iam not sure how 2050i and RX6 both come in the short list of the same person. ??

Mild, mello, laidback smooth vs aggressive, revealing, bright speakers.

 

[shriharsha.p]

I dont't think the DC6T is available anywhere for a listen in. Here are some of the dealers with whom I have interacted:

PSB/Paradigm - the best bet would be Final Touch in Mission Road BLR. They are the distributors and could (potentially) offer the most competitive pricing.

PSB/Tannoy - Music Ranch, Jayanagar BLR. Their place is under renovation and they have moved to a new place near Cosmopolitan Club.

Tannoy/Paradigm/Wharfedale - HTstore.in, JP Nagar. Mr. Lokesh is well known to numerous FMs and they have had good dealings with him. I have in fact booked a Velodyne Impact 12 with him and awaiting delivery.

Feel free to PM me when coming to BLR and I can help you in any which way I can with directions and phone numbers.

BR
Harsha

I was hoping you would say so. Did you by any chance get to listen to the Tannoy DC6T? I'm planning a trip to Blore, next month in search of speakers, would be grateful if you could share some contacts, for the PSB, Tannoy & Dali

Thanks & Regards,
Kannan

 

[shriharsha.p]

You can contact Ivoryedge.com for Dali. I was quoted pretty competitive rates by them. HTstore also sells but will not have the benefit of audition with both. I think the Dali auditions are possible only in DNi home theatre, outer ring road, Bellandur.

Harsha

I dont't think the DC6T is available anywhere for a listen in. Here are some of the dealers with whom I have interacted:

PSB/Paradigm - the best bet would be Final Touch in Mission Road BLR. They are the distributors and could (potentially) offer the most competitive pricing.

PSB/Tannoy - Music Ranch, Jayanagar BLR. Their place is under renovation and they have moved to a new place near Cosmopolitan Club.

Tannoy/Paradigm/Wharfedale - HTstore.in, JP Nagar. Mr. Lokesh is well known to numerous FMs and they have had good dealings with him. I have in fact booked a Velodyne Impact 12 with him and awaiting delivery.

Feel free to PM me when coming to BLR and I can help you in any which way I can with directions and phone numbers.

BR
Harsha

 

[shriharsha.p]

Hi
If you are taking audtition today/tomorrow and you happen to like them, I think we should team up to get better pricing. I have got a quote which is okay but I feel, QA is over-priced in India. Please PM once you audition and we can decide our go to market strategy Also, i wouldn't think the nominal impedance thing should matter much between 8ohm and 6ohm. The QA specs state amps in the region of 25-150 wpc should comfortably drive the speakers.

BR
Harsha

I was about to take audition of QA2050i at babbler yesterday and somehow got missed. So far in my list PSB T6 stays at top and next to it MA RX6. Now i am excited to take QA audition

And also note this, QA 2050i is going to need more power to get its best. Nominal Impedance: 6ohm

Did you audition with your AVR or with theirs ?

 

[shriharsha.p]

Hi All
My sincere thanks to everyone for their collective wisdom and advice. I bought the Dali Zensor 7 and Vokal centre yesterday. After some preliminary tweaks to the AVR and speaker placement, I am enjoying music like never before. I think I still need to make a lot many adjustments to enjoy movies. i am also getting a Velodyne Impact 12 by the weekend. I will post my impressions and many queries in a couple of days as I am traveling,

Once again, many thanks

Harsha

 

[mukuntharajaa]

Hi All
My sincere thanks to everyone for their collective wisdom and advice. I bought the Dali Zensor 7 and Vokal centre yesterday. After some preliminary tweaks to the AVR and speaker placement, I am enjoying music like never before. I think I still need to make a lot many adjustments to enjoy movies. i am also getting a Velodyne Impact 12 by the weekend. I will post my impressions and many queries in a couple of days as I am traveling,

Once again, many thanks

Harsha

Hey Congrats first of all . Do post your thoughts on your recent buys and their final prices

Sorry I was busy for whole week. Tomorrow only I am going to take audition over there. Enjoy your new speakers

 

[kanna.sridharan]

Dali Zensor 7



Harsha

Congrats on your acquisition, do let me know ur opinion when compared with the QA 2050i.

 

[poppy]

Hi All
My sincere thanks to everyone for their collective wisdom and advice. I bought the Dali Zensor 7 and Vokal centre yesterday. After some preliminary tweaks to the AVR and speaker placement, I am enjoying music like never before. I think I still need to make a lot many adjustments to enjoy movies. i am also getting a Velodyne Impact 12 by the weekend. I will post my impressions and many queries in a couple of days as I am traveling,

Once again, many thanks

Harsha

Congrats can we have some pictures and detail experience.

 

[grunthos]

Hi All
My sincere thanks to everyone for their collective wisdom and advice. I bought the Dali Zensor 7 and Vokal centre yesterday. After some preliminary tweaks to the AVR and speaker placement, I am enjoying music like never before. I think I still need to make a lot many adjustments to enjoy movies. i am also getting a Velodyne Impact 12 by the weekend. I will post my impressions and many queries in a couple of days as I am traveling,

Once again, many thanks

Harsha

Congrats on the Dali Zensor 7s

 

[shriharsha.p]

Hi All
Many thanks for the congratulatory messages. Just back from travels and have had very limited time with speakers but they rock! Saw a liitle bit of saving Private Ryan and the Velodyne impact 12 literally shakes the room with The Vokals deliver crystal clear dialogues even when the voices are barely a whisper. Also, i actually dont prefer the sub for listening to music as the Dalis have more than enough bass - 2 channel stereo sounds super. I will try to post some pictures and impressions in the next day or two.

Very different sounding speakers compared to the QA 2050i, so will make sure some (layman's) comparision is also included.

Cheers
Harsha

 

[karthick raja]

Congrats Harsha. Please do share your impressions. Looks like Dali zensors are raining these days.

 

[Arjun4]

Hi All
Many thanks for the congratulatory messages. Just back from travels and have had very limited time with speakers but they rock! Saw a liitle bit of saving Private Ryan and the Velodyne impact 12 literally shakes the room with The Vokals deliver crystal clear dialogues even when the voices are barely a whisper. Also, i actually dont prefer the sub for listening to music as the Dalis have more than enough bass - 2 channel stereo sounds super. I will try to post some pictures and impressions in the next day or two.

Very different sounding speakers compared to the QA 2050i, so will make sure some (layman's) comparision is also included.

Cheers
Harsha

Congrats for your Dali Zensor 7 ! Would you mind telling me the reason for choosing Velodyne impact 12 over a Dali sub ?

_____________________________________
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[Maxprocrj]

Sir if possible extend your budget slightly and go for Usher BE 718 SM OR FS N 6361 as Yamaha is very good match of Usher.

Very difficult to bit this combination, don't believe it just look for a local retailer for demo.

Could be your last Speaker for this lifetime.

Thanks