Top-tier Indian Loudspeaker Brands

[Kannan_madhu]

Just in case you didn't know - I was O&B's first monoblock customer. I know Ardhendhu (Aniket) on personal terms. Yes really really good amps for the money and I have the deepest respects for the designer but I'd class them as midfi. Nowhere near the best in the world like CH Precision or FM Acoustics or D'Agostino. He is on the right tracks to get there and I wish him the very best though.

When you said that legacy, brand recall don't come overnight - yes they do if done the right way. Look at D'agostino amps - while the designer was well known for his work earlier in other brands (read Krell), this brand has taken the upper end of the market by storm - so much so that more or less every wilson or magico is paired with these in shows. Ten years ago, the brand didn't exist.

Also look at Rethm - their marketing and product line sitting in India was as good as it gets. It is a study on how to get brand positioning spot on.

I think OnBs highest priced amp is around 15 lakh, you are comparing that with brands cost more than crores of rupees .Dan D'Agostino amps cost more than a crore. Ch will also cost many multiples of OnB. If you give half that amount to Aniketh he will build you much better amplifiers. Do you think any Indian customer would pay 1 crore for a Indian made amp ? . Even those who have budget of 15k for a used amp specifies made in UK USA or Japan is preferred .

And why is Rethm is perceived equivalent to international stuff ,they marketed their products in European and American shows and magazines . Our people only agree to buy such products once they see foreign customers or international reviews.

And howcome some brand attain the legacy if the customers from their own country won't encourage them . Many of the local brands can't go to international shows or get a review from a mag like stereophile or from a well acclaimed youtube reviewer because of the serious spend involved .

Top end market we face established legacy brands and other part the cheep Chinese stuff . And when we build, we have to spend very high on components compared to our counterparts in the US or Europe. Also, for test and measuring equipment, we have to pay a huge import duty. An oscilloscope which costs $300 in the US will cost $500 or $600 when we buy it here. Establishing and surviving is not only difficult it's almost impossible.

 

[reignofchaos]

I think O n Bs highest priced amp is around 15 lakh, you are comparing that with brands cost more than crores of rupees .Dan D'Agostino amps cost more than a crore. Ch prrcission will also cost many multiples of OnB. If you give half that amount to Aniketh, he will build you much better amplifiers. Do you think any Indian customer would pay 1 crore for a Indian made amp ? .

And why is rethm is perceived equivalent to international stuff ,they marketed their products in European and American shows and magazines . Our people only agree to buy such products once they see foreign customers or international reviews.

There is a big difference between oh he will build something better (as they say khayali pulao) and oh here is the product - now compare it to the world's best. D'Agostino starts at 18k usd and their progression stereo amp is 30k. These are msrp and street prices will be lower by at least 15-20%. Can we compare the 15 lac O&B with that on all parameters?

Rethm is considered equivalent to international stuff as it is right up there in all the parameters above. Sure they are voiced in a particular manner but if you like that voicing, it can be your endgame system.

I am all for buying domestically manufactured systems. I have bought very many of them in the past and have lost a lot of money on resale. I still have an Anode Acoustics No 1 headphone amp as I consider it to be comparable or better than most branded headphone amps available in the 1-2 lac region. But such things are few and far between. The primary problem is quality - that is simply not there in domestically manufactured hifi.

 

[square_wave]

The discussion around Dan D’Agostino is quite interesting. But I wonder if brands at that level are really a reflection of a very mature market. Products like these sit at the extreme high end. Not just in terms of price, but also in terms of brand equity, distribution, and a customer base that has already gone through multiple upgrade cycles.

In a market like India, it feels like we are still building the foundation. Especially in the mid-level segments, where awareness, access to demos, and brand discovery are still evolving. Perhaps the bigger opportunity right now is not to replicate ultra high-end positioning, but to strengthen this middle layer. Then, people can enter the hobby, experiment, and gradually build trust in local brands.

Can we focus on the mid-level segments ? I wonder how O&B sounds compared to amplfiers in the mid-segment in the global market. Amplifiers from the 8k to probably 15k USD ? There are many people even in the global market who don't go beyond those price points for amplfiers for their music system. Even many die hard audiophiles.

@reignofchaos , how does O&B's sound compare to an equally priced global established brand ? Or even 30% higher priced one to adjust for resale value losses due to lower brand visibility ?

 

[rwnano]

The discussion around Dan D’Agostino is quite interesting. But I wonder if brands at that level are really a reflection of a very mature market. Products like these sit at the extreme high end. Not just in terms of price, but also in terms of brand equity, distribution, and a customer base that has already gone through multiple upgrade cycles.

In a market like India, it feels like we are still building the foundation. Especially in the mid-level segments, where awareness, access to demos, and brand discovery are still evolving. Perhaps the bigger opportunity right now is not to replicate ultra high-end positioning, but to strengthen this middle layer. Then, people can enter the hobby, experiment, and gradually build trust in local brands.

Can we focus on the mid-level segments ? I wonder how O&B sounds compared to amplfiers in the mid-segment in the global market. Amplifiers from the 8k to probably 15k USD ? There are many people even in the global market who don't go beyond those price points for amplfiers for their music system. Even many die hard audiophiles.

@reignofchaos , how does O&B's sound compare to an equally priced global established brand ? Or even 30% higher priced one to adjust for resale value losses due to lower brand visibility ?

Here I'd like to include @corElement and @yogibear in the discussion

 

[viren bakhshi]

You guys should sit back, and reflect on the market in India. You do want to sell in India, don't you, or only in the "rest of the world"?

Just go through the discussions in this forum itself. This forum represents a subset of people genuinely interested in home audio. For most people here, one lakh rupees spent on a full system is a substantial expense (maybe two lakhs, now that the rupee is sinking dramatically). Are you interested in selling to these people? Or, only to the "audiophiles" in your select whatsapp groups?

Making a product with "cost no object" is a foolhardy venture. Real and meaningful engineering consists of making products that perform well, at prices that people can afford. The intention should be to expand the market in India, not to serve a select few.

Only very lately, have some of you admitted that price and sound quality have no correlation. So, adding 20 kg of "space grade" aluminium to an amp chassis does not get you better sound. Only satsfies your ego!

 

[square_wave]

You guys should sit back, and reflect on the market in India. You do want to sell in India, don't you, or only in the "rest of the world"?

Just go through the discussions in this forum itself. This forum represents a subset of people genuinely interested in home audio. For most people here, one lakh rupees spent on a full system is a substantial expense (maybe two lakhs, now that the rupee is sinking dramatically). Are you interested in selling to these people? Or, only to the "audiophiles" in your select whatsapp groups?

Making a product with "cost no object" is a foolhardy venture. Real and meaningful engineering consists of making products that perform well, at prices that people can afford. The intention should be to expand the market in India, not to serve a select few.

Only very lately, have some of you admitted that price and sound quality have no correlation. So, adding 20 kg of "space grade" aluminium to an amp chassis does not get you better sound. Only satsfies your ego!

I really appreciate this perspective, and I think it’s an important grounding point for anyone thinking about the Indian market. I have always found Lyrita to be a brand that creates very niche, thoughtfully created music creating gear that marries great value and musicality. I also agree with the points about "audio jewellery" that don't really add much to the results in terms of audio quality.

Full system cost - 1 to 2 or 3 Lakh - Potential is high but unless it is some really focussed demographic who seeks niche products like Lyrita, people tend to just buy cheap chinese made stuff. I know many such folks. Entry level china assembled speakers and source / amps from makers like wiim, topping, fosi, smsl etc.

Mid segment - There is surely a ceiling under which there is enough leeway to meaningfully increase cost of production and surely get the rewards. I am aware of certain ceilings beyond which the benefits are marginal to non existent but costs are prohibitive. I was hoping to get some information about the mid level segment. Even within India, there is a small but growing segment that has global exposure, higher disposable income, is willing to experiment. Ignoring them entirely is surely not an obvious default, no?