When you last appreciated good sound ?

magma

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Today was at the Kala ghoda cafe in mumbai ( fort ) with my wife
The wine room section

We entered a small quaint but cosy room
Fit for wine tasting and cocktails

No drunken madness here
Just some sophisticated upbeat cocktails and fun

Even before taking my seat i realised I was hearing a really well setup audio lounge

Low and behold
I realise it just two soeakers

Stage accompany
Playing some really accurate lounge beats at just the right volume where you can talk in a normal voice yet be heard and still be apprecuating the music all at the same time

The soeakers are obviously setup high
It's a commercial space in the end
You can't have them using floor space

But
I must say 2 soeakers were covering the whole room
The bass was as tight as I've ever heard in a lounge
No stupid lingering boom

Accurate and TIGHT ( again emphasis on tight )
Something I've rarely heard in a commercial space

I dunno what amplification there was
Though i can make a call and find out

But the owner definetetly knows his music
And the style it should be played
He infact had two yamaha monitors only for the DJ

All in all.
Good musical experience

Btw
I loved the food too!!
Must visit place for Mumbaikars
 
Somehow missed seeing this thread. This is such a great topic.
Getting to listen to music in a well setup room is such a rarity these days.

I've had a similar experience a few years ago at a performance organised by the Goethe-Institut in Hyderabad. What was remarkable was that this was temporary venue where the stage was setup just for the evening. The sound was by two Peavey PA monitors that just effortlessly covered the venue with clean and tight sound. No flabby bass but most importantly the overall volume was turned down in such a manner that the sound system conveyed the performance like there was no electronics there - almost like an acoustics only setup.

Setup for an intimate near field listening is a completely different thing from concert type setups. I wish more establishments would take care to setup their music well especially given that music contributes so much to the experience.



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What are the systems that one needs to have for good sound in a public space? Are they similar to ones at home or closer to pa systems?
 
What are the systems that one needs to have for good sound in a public space? Are they similar to ones at home or closer to pa systems?

Closer to PA systems for the most part - with more robust construction.
Usually they have a mixer from which all inputs are taken.

For larger venues speakers have bass modules for low end support.
Usually this is where the sound goes wrong - when bass integration is not done properly.
The big problems are usually just the high volumes which just gives a wall of sound.

Pro audio has some really cool stuff that is worth discussing in a separate thread.

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A couple of weekends ago we were at the renovated Royal Opera House at Chowpatty, Mumbai. This was the first time I was visiting this classically decorated piece of city history as well as a cozy little play theatre. And the play was a dance drama written by Ila Arun and directed by KK Raina, both legendary artists who also acted as lead roles. With a large actor ensemble, and wonderfully choreographed dances to music set in Kashmir, where the story unfolds, the play was a musical as well as visual treat, apart from holding the audience with the story’s premise and development.

What struck me instantly the moment the first song sequence come on was the speakers! May be because with the audio journey over last three years my sense for sound has sharpened, but I found myself gawking at the speakers as I was watching the dance. I don’t know much about pro audio, but I have heard performances at many a venue in Mumbai, and found this was different! I don’t know if better, but different!

And that difference could hold my attention and interest throughout the play which was full of dance (traditional) and music (folk). First of all, I’d like to say that this sound was very unlike a typical auditorium sound. It was not loud! One way I can describe it is as optimum volume with high degree of clarity and resolution. The bass was striking in that it had no boom or even heaviness in it, yet it was going deep. Never overwhelming, but always detailed. I could get inside the bass and hear each note in the multi-instrument music. In terms of tonality the sound wasn’t dull or boring, but not bright either. Dialogues were of course involving in terms of (both content and) the sound.

2C93D740-E5B6-4751-9A1F-A55A647AA698.jpeg
(You can see the slim little speakers at a height on either side of the stage)

I have no idea what speakers those are. If anyone knows, please update. Also if you’ve attended a performance at the Royal Opera House, please write about your experience. As for myself, I look forward to visit this place again not just for the experimental theatre performances or its lovely classic decor which transports you to a different era, but even a sound system that perhaps is design to take you back to that era.


For larger venues speakers have bass modules for low end support.
Usually this is where the sound goes wrong - when bass integration is not done properly.
The big problems are usually just the high volumes which just gives a wall of sound.

@Nikhil, this is one venue whose sound is exactly the opposite.


Yes that is the context of the post - based on his visit to Kala Ghoda Cafe!.

Can the thread title be edited to: “When you last appreciated good sound at a public place?” so that it could become a useful compilation of such experiences?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
My last exposure to really good sound was somewhere in 1986 in a restaurant at Pen ( Karmarkar). I think it was a Sony amp + tape deck hooked to a largish cosmic speakers which were huge.
 
That is a JBL Line Array speaker setup details of which are on page 11 of below file:



.

Wow, great find! I dug a bit on the JBL and here are it’s specs


Unfortunately, I can’t make head or tail out of it. Can some of you who are knowledgeable here can throw light on what kind of sound characteristics would these specs translate into? And does that anywhere match the subjective perception I wrote in the message above?

Here’s the sub-compact’s brochure:

The Indian price seems to be Rs 75 lacs (not sure if for a pair) as per this site. How’s that - above/below average for such a venue?


Also, there’s the sub-woofers. How are they?
Subwoofer spec:
Subwoofer brochure (last page):

Also, can someone help put these speakers and sub woofers into perspective in terms of speakers generally used in auditoriums across the country/world
 
For me it was long ago at JAM movie theater in Shipra Sun City Mall in Indirapuram. They had installation from Martin Audio. This was some 13 years ago and even today, I haven’t been to a theater with that kind of balanced and accurate sound.
 
Wow, great find! I dug a bit on the JBL and here are it’s specs


Unfortunately, I can’t make head or tail out of it. Can some of you who are knowledgeable here can throw light on what kind of sound characteristics would these specs translate into? And does that anywhere match the subjective perception I wrote in the message above?

Here’s the sub-compact’s brochure:

The Indian price seems to be Rs 75 lacs (not sure if for a pair) as per this site. How’s that - above/below average for such a venue?


Also, there’s the sub-woofers. How are they?
Subwoofer spec:
Subwoofer brochure (last page):

Also, can someone help put these speakers and sub woofers into perspective in terms of speakers generally used in auditoriums across the country/world


Sachin, these are pro setups which are a subject by themselves.
Have hived off your queries into a separate new thread for those interested.


Regards


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The royal Opera House
Was a project done
My Mr thirwani
Who is probably the Indian guru of acoustics
Having multiple degrees in that field

I would be surprised if any place done by him sounded bad
 
For excellent sound that won't break the bank, the 5 Star Award Winning Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 Bookshelf Speakers is the one to consider!
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