Stereo Speakers for Rs 50000-60000

[thevortex]

Ranakriti - that is a long list. How about a short list?

I am sure if you read reviews/opinions and match-ups between these speakers you would come to know of certain strengths/weaknesses. That should help you narrow this list down.

Ideally down to about 5 or 6. Then depending on price and availability within our country you can maybe further prune down the selections and go for auditions.

 

[Kittu]

ranakriti,

I will be looking forward for your detailed auditioning report.... believe me to audition that many speakers it sure is gonna cost you big time and the money you actually wanted to spend on speakers

Kittu

 

[Rem]

Have to agree with Bala here you got to narrow down your list there is no way you are gonna audition that many speakers and not be confused as to what you want. Also that many auditions is gonna take time.

For a start narrow down your buget. Decide on whether you want a BS or a FS.

At the moment the speakers you have listed ranges from 15k to 100k.

Narrow it down then we will get down to shortlist the amps.

 

[rana_kirti]

@ captrajesh, thevortex, kittu1977, Rem

Yes i agree the list is a long one and that it's gonna take me some time to audition them all... However i have the time available, the patience and also the willingness to go through this whole process.... maybe it's just who i am as a person..... I tend to go into deep research before purchasing anything in life... "The Process" gives me great satisfaction....

There are others reasons as well...

1. I really want to see & hear the difference between a 15000 speaker and upto a 100000 speaker and in what increments the performance moves upwards as we spend more.

2. Although my Topic Header says " Stereo Speakers for Rs 50000-60000 " but my list of speakers between Rs 15000 - Rs 100000 indicates that although i've set a budget between Rs 50000 to 60000, i'm willing to spend less than that or more than that on a pair of Speakers which really "Stand Out" during Demos....!!

3. As being suggested by you all i will narrow the list down to about 4 to 5 pairs and then re-audition the top 5 to make a final decision.

That being said i did demo of 5 speakers today.... I will write a report tommorrow afternoon..... ;-)

 

[ilar]

Please try the Montor Audio RS6 Floor Standers. You may pair them with Marantz 8003 or a NAD Amp. Allow it to break in for a while at least 2 to 3 months plus and you will enjoy it for sure I suppose. Also go for a good source like the Marantz CD 6003.

 

[rana_kirti]

@ ilar

Thanks, I'll add them to my demo list though primarily i'm looking for BS as my room is only 12 x 10. I dont know if a floor stander is appropriate.... though source will remain my laptop...

 

[rana_kirti]

Demo Day 1

1. B&W 685 + Rotel RA-06

I was expecting a lot from them. These has probably the most glowing reviews all over the world in all websites & magazines.
But i was "NOT IMPRESSED". There was nothing special about them. They sounded Crisp, slighty bright but relaxed. So relaxed that i actually should use the word "Unexciting". There was no character. After coming out of the demo room these were my thoughts...

"Why am i even doing this exercise ? My Creative Gigaworks T20 sound good enough. Why do i need to spend Rs 50000 on these speakers...???

I'm still clueless as to why people find them to be so Good. Maybe i didnt know how to appreciate them or maybe there nothing to appreciate about them.

However i'll still give them a benefit of doubt and re-audition then in the end.


2. Audio Engine A5

Went to a friends to hear these. Very good Clean & lively sound. Bass was deep too. But i dont feel going from active again to active speakers will give me as high a jump in quality which going to active to Speakers+Amp will give me.

Also i'm very scared that eventually me or someone in my house will out a hole in there speaker cone. These speakers have no Grille...!!! ??? For Purity of Sound...?!? They should provide Grills... Whoever wants to take them off can then take them off....!!!


3. Mordaunt Short Mezzo 1 + Denon PMA - 510AE

These were so exciting. I liked them within the first 30 seconds of thevery first song. I listed to them for almost more than an hour. And i loved them with all sorts of music. These speakers were literally telling me.... "Take us Home Now...!!!"

But common sense prevailed. No impulse buying. I'm gonna go and audition my entire list. As compared to B&W these sounded much more lively. They had incredeble Bass. Treble slightly bright but likable. Sound was clean and they made me want to hear more and more songs.

I only wonder if Mezzo 1 are so good then Mezzo 2 must be even better but they did not have it available for demo.

I asked for demo of Mordaunt Aviano 1&2 but the guy told me...." Sir if you already like Mezzo then you will not like Aviano as they are a grade lower ". Plus he didnt have them for demo anyways.


4. Q Acoustics 2020 + Denon PMA - 510AE

FAIL. I'm they were really good for there price but after listening to the Mezzo 1 these totally failed to get my love & affection.

Then the guy told me sir listen to a few Floor Standers. Although i'm looking out for BS and will get BS i thought ok while i'm here lets give it a try.


5. Mordaunt Short Mezzo 8 + Denon PMA - 510AE

Good clean sound. But i felt the Bass was very thin. Didn't feel that i should buy them. The guy told me they just put it on the floor so they dont have adequate break-in.


6. Wharfadale 10.6 + Denon PMA - 510AE

Very good Bass. Infact a lot of Bass. But i dont think overall sound was good enough.

Also the guy told me...

If you buy a BS for Rs 50000 & a Floorstander for Rs. 50000 then the BS will give you better sound the mids & highs but the Floorstander will give you better bass. Also that adding a sub to a pair of BS is a bad idea as a 3 way Floorstander will always give more natural blended sound.

What do you guy say about the above mentioned points....??


So at this point in time the Top Picks & Most Probable Buys are....

1. Mezzo 1 or Mezzo 2

More to follow....

 

[sud98]

Nicely done. There is nothing right or wrong as its your money and your ears.

However, your review match my views when I was looking for the same for my HT. I havent heard the B&W but the mezzo is the best in class amongst the rest I feel.

Go through the rest of your list. I would recommend you to try the Martin Logan Motion 4 to your list.

 

[ajay124]

Alright friends...

After taking in everyone's suggestions, and doing my own research i have compliled this list of Book Shelf Speakers that i'm going to Audition......

1. Audio Engine A5 - ( I'm really worried/scared that i or someone in my house will accidently make a hole in the naked speaker cone.)
2. Q Acoustics 2020
3. B&W 685
4. Epoz Aktimate Mini
5. PSB Alpha B1 & PSB - Synchrony Two B
6. Dali Lektor 1 & 2
7. Focal 706V
8. Epos M12i
9. Paradigm Atom Monitor
10. Paradigm Studio 10
11. Usher S520, x - 718
12. Dynaudio DM 2/6 & 2/7 & Excite X12
13. Wharfedale Daimond 10.1
14. Mordaunt Short Aviano 1 & 2
15. Mordaunt Short Mezzo 1 & 2
16. Dali ikon 2
17. Kef iQ 30
18. Rega RS1
19. Monitor Audio BR2 & RS1 & RX1
20. Quad 11L2 & 12L2
21. Polk Lsi, Rti, Tsi
22. Klipsh RB-61, RB-81

Should i add anymore... ? Did i miss any good ones...??

Now here is thought in my mind.... I do realise that when i go to audition these they will all be set up with different Amps which will make it kind of difficult to really know how a pair of speaker would have performed with another Amplifier.

1. What's a way around this problem ?

2. Do generally demo room people keep matching Amps for the corresponding Speakers ?

3. Or is it better that i first decide on a Amplifier and then buy one and then carry that amp to different demo rooms so that i can have a uniform judgement ?

4. But then is there any one Stereo Amlifier which will suit a variety of different Speakers ?

Whats say guys....???

@ rana_kirti
Even if you manage to audition all the 22 speakers it would be in different audition rooms with different source/amps/cables everytime.Perhaps a better speaker will fail your audition because the backup equipment was not good.Or a mediocre speaker would sound good because it was hooked upto an expensive amp/cdp or had better IC's and cables.So,its quite possible that 22 auditions may yield more confusion than clarity.I have auditioned some of the brands you have listed and read about others.Personally I would NEVER consider ANY of the 22 you have mentioned.But to each his own judgement!
I too am looking for a pair of book shelf(standmounts) to hook upto a Cyrus 6 VS2.What I would like to buy is a used pair of --
SONUS FABER DOMUS CONCERTINA
SPENDOR S3E/SA1
PROAC RESPONSE D1/STUDIO100
TOTEM RAINMAKER
MBL 321E
VIENNA ACOUSTIC HAYDN GRAND
B&W 805 MATRIX.
I am aware that when I do find the speaker I want,it may be more than my current budget but depending upon my financial situation,the condition of the speaker and finally my perception at that moment I may opt to spend a little more or less.
Hope you find a great pair of speakers!

 

[ajay124]

@rana_kirti
For the amp I would recommend Arcam FMJ A28 OR the Cyrus 8VS2.If you buy new both would be in the 75K range.For used,or if you found something in Arcam from the Diva series,prices would be considerably less.The new Cyrus 8XPD has an onboard DAC and a USB input but Indian prices would be a little over 100 K.Not worth the price as Cyrus (for me) sounds great only in small rooms..less than 200 sq feet.For your present room (10x12) an Arcam A18 at about 50K would be perfect,but may fall short if you decide to upgrade or move your setup to a bigger room later on.I have heard the budget Marantz/Nad/Denon/Creek etc. and the Arcam/Cyrus are miles ahead in terms of clarity/detail/musicality.If you could find a new/used Musical Fidelity A5 in the 70-90K range you would potentially be set for your next couple of upgrade as well!
Chord Silverscreen Speaker Cables(3K) and Chord Crimson IC's(3K) are affordable and very nice.

 

[Raghav]

I have gone thru the process and it is quite mind boggling and confusing.

you can add the Image series from PSB. They are slightly better than Alpha.

After listening to most the speakers on your list I liked the following based price and performance.

1. Quads: they were the best.
2. Wharfedale Diamond
3. MS Mezzo
4. PSB Image
5. KEF iQ

Not considering price, Dynaduio was the best. But they need very high end electronics to support the speakers. Soundsmiths play them with in a 5 lac stereo setup. I have read that they do not sound half as good with mid range electronics. Not for use with mp3 kind of music.

Raghav

 

[murali_n]

another suggestion can be-
B&W 685(similar) OR focal suggested by others.

Hai spiro,

Any idea about B&W 685 pricing in India?

N.Murali

 

[Rem]

Murali the 685 was selling for arnd 52k last time I chkd few months ago

 

[rana_kirti]

@ sud

I've added Martin Logan Motion 4 to me demo list.

@ Raghav

Yes i'm adding the PSB Image to my list. Since i'll be for music my using laptop via usb DAC & it'll will be mp3 i guess according to you Dynaudio should be out of my equation coz my budget is about 50k-75k for speakers and upto 50k for Stereo Amp.


@ ajay124

Yes i agree that the demo conditions will be different. Hence i'm atleast trying to keep the source same. i.e I carry my laptop for all the demos.

I also want to keep the Stereo Amp same for which reason i had requested suggestions for some Stereo Amps though the forum members told me slim down my speaker list to about 5 to 6 speakers before they would give me sugestions for Stereo Amplifiers.

Hey man thanks for the amp suggestions you gave me but they are all over Rs 50000. I want to keep the Amp budget upto Rs 50000. You suggested the Arcam A18 for 50K. It's rated at 50 w. I'm looking a NAD C 355BEE which is rated a 80 w & is about 40k.

Which do you feel is a better option ?

Also i'll admit this. i Have zero knowledge about Stereo Amps.

Could you or someone else breifly explain to me how stereo amps from different companys like Nad, Marantz, Rotel, Arcam, Roksan Candy, Cyrus, Denon differenciate from each other in ways of....

1. Sound Character
2. Neutral,
3. Bright,
4. Imaging,
5. Dynamics,
6. Tone
7. Timing
8. Signature
9. Rhythm
10. Drive & Dynamics
11. Etc

I mean in what ways is the sound of one brand of Stereo Amp different from another ??

Thanks.

 

[ajay124]

@rana_kirti
I bought a NAD 375 BEE amp and NAD 545 BEE CDP in January this year purely because the amp had a 150 WPC at 8 Ohms specs.I hated it from day one.I am by no means an audiophile,just beginning the journey,but I know my cd's extremely well.The Nad's made all my cd's sound dull and boring.When I could not sit through my favorite Bach/Mozart cd's I knew something was terribly wrong.And to my ears there was no sign of the claimed 150WPC .Sold the Nad pair a couple of months later at a 30000/- loss.So don't bother too much about specs.Replaced it with Cyrus 8VS2,all of 70WPC and immediately liked its clean,punchy sound.Although in my 400sq feet room with a pair of power hungry Dynaudio's the Cyrus ran out of steam at loud volumes.Arcam is in a totally different league from the entry level Nad,Marantz,CA etc.50 wpc of quality power is sufficient for the average bookshelf in a room size of 10x12.Power is merely one factor(and personally I take all tech specs with a SPOONFUL of salt).Listen to an Arcam amp with your laptop and then to the Nad and you will immediately sense the difference.One way to approach it would be to buy the amp/cables/IC's and then audition 5-6 speakers.You would have only one unknown factor(speakers)to judge.Personally I believe that at 50K the Arcam A18 is the best (new)integrated amp available in India.Good build quality,lovely sound,will pair well with most equipment.With a bit of luck and patience you could find A85 (85 wpc) from the older Diva series for under 50K.Or if you come across a 3-4 year old Bryston B60 SST for 50K or less GRAB it!Grattan at Boomarang has a Sim Moon i-I (50WPC at 8 ohms/100 WPC at 4 ohms)which would be roughly in your budget.Have not heard it but Moon amps are usually not only extremely expensive but also considered to be very good.Ideally you should do your auditions in Bombay over a couple of days.Boomarang/Lakozy/Soundsmiths/A2V/Designer Audio and you would have feasted on a fine 'audio' meal.Delhi has very little to offer in Hifi....
*http://www.simaudio.com/mooni1.htm

 

[edjamesx]

Hi rana,
You have large list of speakers. Really appreciate your crave for music.
Me too is more interestd in sound, when ever i find some show room anywhere just do a audiotion of those whether i purchase or not.

There's no best speakers in this world.. Different people like different sound.
There's more refinement coming in speakers every day and speakers were upgraded with new set of drivers..

Even though we get best speakers by listening to ears , at one point of time .. We may find other speaker sounds better than us. This is because listening to same pattern of sound boring us one point even though they sounds best.


We need variety. Choose some speakers or amp which has special features to fine tune the sound pattern like Equalizer/BASS/ Terible and different listening modes.


When ever you are auditioning take both rock and melody songs with you and adjust the settings yourself in the amp and observe how the speakers perform. As per speakers , they should be responding smoothly between bass and terible . Some speakers response good to bass are not reponding well for terible and vice versa.

My conclusion is buy the speakers which sounds best within your top 5 for now. Use it for some years and go for some new speakers after that instead of spending too much money now.

Best of luck for your Search. And keep upgrading to us which speaker sounds best to you.

Alright friends...

After taking in everyone's suggestions, and doing my own research i have compliled this list of Book Shelf Speakers that i'm going to Audition......

1. Audio Engine A5 - ( I'm really worried/scared that i or someone in my house will accidently make a hole in the naked speaker cone.)
2. Q Acoustics 2020
3. B&W 685
4. Epoz Aktimate Mini
5. PSB Alpha B1 & PSB - Synchrony Two B
6. Dali Lektor 1 & 2
7. Focal 706V
8. Epos M12i
9. Paradigm Atom Monitor
10. Paradigm Studio 10
11. Usher S520, x - 718
12. Dynaudio DM 2/6 & 2/7 & Excite X12
13. Wharfedale Daimond 10.1
14. Mordaunt Short Aviano 1 & 2
15. Mordaunt Short Mezzo 1 & 2
16. Dali ikon 2
17. Kef iQ 30
18. Rega RS1
19. Monitor Audio BR2 & RS1 & RX1
20. Quad 11L2 & 12L2
21. Polk Lsi, Rti, Tsi
22. Klipsh RB-61, RB-81

Should i add anymore... ? Did i miss any good ones...??

Now here is thought in my mind.... I do realise that when i go to audition these they will all be set up with different Amps which will make it kind of difficult to really know how a pair of speaker would have performed with another Amplifier.

1. What's a way around this problem ?

2. Do generally demo room people keep matching Amps for the corresponding Speakers ?

3. Or is it better that i first decide on a Amplifier and then buy one and then carry that amp to different demo rooms so that i can have a uniform judgement ?

4. But then is there any one Stereo Amlifier which will suit a variety of different Speakers ?

Whats say guys....???

 

[rana_kirti]

@ edjamesx

bro i agree about what you have to say and i will keep in mind the things you mentioned.Thanks..!

@ ajay

hey man, thanks for guiding me on selection of amplifier. I was kind of almost made up my mind on getting the NAD 355 but now you have put me in a confusion...!!! But a good confusion ;-)

Yes i agree that i want to minimize the variables. How do i make up my mind for the Amp ? Is there a Demo room in mumbai which has Nad, Arcam, Marantz, Rotel etc all under one roof...?? Or atleast 2 to 3 of them so that i can try to make a comparision. My budget for amp is 50K. And i'm keen on buying a new amp. So which would you recommend other than the Arcam A18...?

And thanks once again... ;-)

 

[ajay124]

Mumbai:
Arcam/Marantz/Cyrus/Moon //BOOMARANG 9820949395 (Grattan)
Rotel//A2V// 022-2625222/26255333
Nad //LAKOZY 9820024039(Premal)

 

[rana_kirti]

Demo Day 2


7. PSB Synchrony Two B + NAD C355BEE

What can i say ? Words fail me.... These were Perfect...!! Within 60 seconds of hearing them i knew they were special...!!! Just the right amout of highs, mids and lows. Perfectly blended sound. Nothing was particularly prominent which made the sound very very "SMOOTH". I througly enjoyed them...!! My experience with high level speakers is only 2 demo days old. but from all i've heard these are the best i have heard.

They had a very very clean sound. Although the speaker size is quite small the Bass was still very Deep. Sound was very non-fatiguing. My impression was that i could listen to these speakers for a long duration during the day without getting tired.

If you haven't heard these speakers... Then go and hear them out....!!!

Yes at 75k they are about 30% more than my intended budget but my budget is flexible as i had mentioned earlier and also i feel if i get these then i will be satisfied for a much longer time rather than if i got something costing lesser than these.

What would be the recoommend Stereo Amplifier for these....??


8. PSB Imagine B + NAD C355BEE

Nice but no match to the PSB Synchrony Two B. the sound was more lively than the smooth sounding Two B but i feel they will be more fatiguing to listen. And the sound was quite different from the Two B. I preferred the smoother sound of the Two B.


9. PSB Image B6 + NAD C355BEE

Although cheaper than the Imagine B these sounded much better to my ears. They were very smooth. Kind of more like the Two B but of course the Two B are just another trip altogether.

The demo guy told me that the Image B6 sounded better than the more expensive Imagine B because the Imagine B had not had proper Break in as yet. So that could be a variable.


10. Focal 807V + NAD C355BEE

Brighter than PSB Synchrony Two B and slightly more Bass. But inferior in sound quality. Louder not always better. Infact the much cheaper Mezzo 1 i heard 2 days back were much better. The Focals simply dissappointed me. FAIL.


11. Sonos Faber Toy + NAD C355BEE

Very small in size. Very Clean Sound but no Bass. FAIL.


12. PSB Alpha 1 + NAD C355BEE

Multi award winning speakers. True to their reviews these sounded very good. I might make a 5.1 system out of these when i upgrade my 5.1 setup next month after i endup completing the stereo setup.


So at this point in time the Top Picks & Most Probable Buys are....

1. PSB Synchrony Two B
2. Mezzo 1 or Mezzo 2
3. PSB Image B6


More to follow....

 

[frankmehta]

Go fast for tomorrow's demo please ;-)
Tuned into this thread now!