Which Amplifier...

zoozoo

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Hi

This is my first journey towards high end hi fi systems & am confused. I'm listing down some queries which I request you guys to answer.

1. As said above am planning to go for a high end 2 channel audio system, pls. tell me shall I go for an amplifier first or speakers first ?

2. I wish to buy pre-power amplifier separates. Last week i auditioned Rotel RB 1510 power amplifier & Rotel RC 1550 pre amplifier. Pls. tell me is how Rotel amps are ranked in the market ? Are they worth their cost of Rs 1 Lac plus ?

3. How are Quad amps ? I saw the listing on HiFi Mart. Are these amps worth their price ?

4. How are Quads as compared to Rotel ?

5. I'm also open to integrated amplifiers. So any suggestions on good integrated amps are welcome. I like listening to Hindi music with English songs of mid 80s thrown in sometimes. So i like music which is very open, high highs & just good amount of lows.

6. Now coming on to the speaker part. I would like to invest in towers. Heard a couple of JBLs. JBL Studio 590, JBL ES 100. I would want to know which is a good brand of tower speakers to go for besides JBLs?

7. Are B&W speakers good or better than JBLs ? And are they worth their price of 1 lac plus ?

Request you to pls. reply my queries point by point so that it becomes easy for me to look out for hifi systems... I know i need to listen extensively before buying and also different systems may sound different. But still need the inputs from you hifi-vions.
Thanks in advance.
 
1. i would go for speakers first but there are some that would go for the amp first

2. separates are good (better than integrated) but i dont think warrant the extra price considering the budget you are looking at. rotel is a good brand - they are on the brighter side of listening and not warm

3. i havent heard a quad amp

6. the jbl series you are looking at is not such a great speaker. there are other speakers out there that are better

7. b&w speakers are good (well atleast some of the models are). im not a big fan of the 6 series. they do pair well with the rotels

leaving the points aside im assuming you will be spending about 2 lakhs or so on your system. there are many brands out there that imo are better than the ones you listed. imo the speakers to beat at that price point are the monitor audio rx6. very versatile and good for any music you throw at it. its also important to pair your system well. your amp and speakers need to match eachother. it also has to suit the kind of music that you like listening to and how you like the sounds. on a basic level you can divide the sound signatures into warm, neutral and bright. you need to go and listen to a few systems out there to get a feel for what you like. take a couple of cds and listen to the same songs on different systems. you will notice the difference and get a feel for what sound signature you like. you can start off with the monitor audio rx6, b&w, etc. as for amps the ones to look out for are nad, cambridge, marantz and rotel (rotel specifically for b&w)

once you perform this exercise you will have a better feel for what you want and we can help you better
 
Hi

First select your speaker. Then amplifier according to the requiement of the speaker. Some speaker works well with powerfull solid sate amps and some works well with tube amp. Synergy is very important. Apart from famous and mass market brands , there are some niche brands that might outperform an well known brand at a particular price point.

Also look into used market - you might get much better value if you can find a good product.

Regards
 
Hi thanks all for your replies. I have somewhat decided on B&W 683 towers speakers. I heard them with Rotel integrated RA-12. I felt the bass was too high.How is the Rotel RA-12? Any other amplifier you suggest should I audition with these B&Ws ?
The Rotel is being quoted at Rs 73K & B&Ws at 1.23 lacs for a pair. Is the price ok ?
 
In case you have not decided on the amp and are interested in a mint condition Cyrus Pre power PM me
 
In case you have not decided on the amp and are interested in a mint condition Cyrus Pre power PM me

Hi Zoony

I'm unable to PM you since there is no PM link available to me. pls. tell me your model no of Cyrus pre and power and ur quoted price.
 
How is the Marantz Reference series integrated amplifier ?
I have an offer of a 2 year old Marantz PM-15S1 for Rs 80 K, from a distant friend of mine.
Please tell me is the price ok for this model. The new piece of the same model retails at Rs 2 Lac.
I auditioned the new one with B&W 683 and the sound was amazing.
Pls. let me know if 80 K for a used one is ok or not.
 
B&W speaker is power hungry....when choosing speaker is not about the brand you are looking for but more into material they are using such as, Alnico, ceramic magnet, rubber cone, paper cone, etc....

Regarding about pre-power amp you better listen to few of them...I would go for Bolder, Cary or Burmester...
 
hi

I want more responses to my query quickly... Pls. help.

How is the Marantz Reference series integrated amplifier ?
I have an offer of a 2 year old Marantz PM-15S1 for Rs 80 K, from a distant friend of mine.
Please tell me is the price ok for this model. The new piece of the same model retails at Rs 2 Lac.
I auditioned the new one with B&W 683 and the sound was amazing.
Pls. let me know if 80 K for a used one is ok or not.
 
can your friend not lend you his amp for a few days for audition ? that would be best.. but that depends on the location of your friend too..

mpw
 
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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