Audio Suggest a great 2.0(bookshelf) or 2.1 System

Gannu said:
Does the Topping TP20 MK2 have the power to drive entry level passive bookshelves? I had read that thread on HFV thoroughly sometime ago but I really doubt if it is capable enough to drive passives. May be wrong though.

The OP of that thread was comparing it to a NAD amp!
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Gannu,

I have auditioned it and yes it has got decent power. It is adequate to be used with speakers that have good sensitivity and are a comparitively steady/easy load. As far as the sound goes, it is excellent and for 80$ you pay, it is even better!

Edit: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2010-New-Model-TOPPING-TP20-MK2-TA2020-T-Amp-Adapter-/290690711146?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43ae843e6a#ht_8974wt_1245

Here is a trusted dealer. You will have to pay a few hundreds as customs/duty.
 
Go to Passive line only when you have enough money in your hand, otherwise always go with Active Speakers. My close friend Ravi had the topping amp with mordaunt short speaker and said that when he open the volume and reach at 12 O' clock position so the AMP loses control over the speakers. The bass loses control. After some time he sold this Topping AMP and bought the Leema Acoustics Pulse AMP.
 
I agree with you - I've never been impressed by these standalone flea powered tripath amps. Most of them don't have the drive that is needed for controlling a low sensitivity small bookshelf. The other thing to note is that small bookshelves are normally some of the lowest sensitivity speakers as they normally have high excursion drivers to generate reasonable bass. Don't fall for their size - even though they are small, they still need a lot of current. The only low power amps that will work on them are Class A amps.

My advice would be to pick up a powered bookshelf - something like the swan or circle as being discussed.

@abhi_jollyguy : Could you please pm me a link to the swan price list? My musical fidelity amp that powers my desktop speakers is half dead and until it is repaired, I need a temporary pair of decent sounding speakers.
 
@Stalker

if its a good buy its understandable. However will look and read about other options. If you got any thoughts do pour in.
 
abhi_jollyguy said:
Go to Passive line only when you have enough money in your hand, otherwise always go with Active Speakers. My close friend Ravi had the topping amp with mordaunt short speaker and said that when he open the volume and reach at 12 O' clock position so the AMP loses control over the speakers. The bass loses control. After some time he sold this Topping AMP and bought the Leema Acoustics Pulse AMP.
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As iaudio mentioned, the Topping Amps shine with sensitive speakers. My guess is that the MS speakers aren't that sensitive. Many passive speakers have a low impedance in addition to a low sensitivity, and aren't a suitable match. I believe even Wharfedales aren't that sensitive, so those are also ruled out.

However the TP20 pairs well with Usher S-520, and the Cambridge S30, both of which are sensitive entry-level speakers.

I have the S-520 (bought it from the HiFiVision's OP
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), and nowadays i have it paired with TP20. The combination serves me very well for nearfield listening. Going above 9 o'clock is usually too loud for most music. Going to 12 o'clock is loud enough for listening from the other end of the room. I think it starts distorting around 2 or 3 o'clock, but never needed it that loud.

antz123, the Topping prices you're quoting seem ridiculously high. I think you're seeing the 'global import' section in Indian Ebay site. Go directly to the HongKong Ebay site, and you'll find the price around USD $80 ~ $100. When importing, i guess customs can set you back by some more hundreds of rupees. Its a hit and miss affair. I wasn't charged any customs, but others haven't been that lucky.

I think S30 should be <10k, and Topping T20 should be ~5k, so you can have a passive combo at ~15k. The only issue is that if you want to upgrade the speakers, likely that you'll have to also upgrade the amp (Passive integrated amps usually start around ~30k).
 
@Gryph0n

Thanks for clarifying and i understand the point u made about upgradation. Moreover thanks for explaining in details.

Only one more help, suppose i start to collect for a bit better system. What i mean is if for an around 15K system - S30 +Topping T20 seems like a good combo. What could be one/two step above it till like 20K(+-2K) budget
 
antz123 said:
@Gryph0n

Thanks for clarifying and i understand the point u made about upgradation. Moreover thanks for explaining in details.

Only one more help, suppose i start to collect for a bit better system. What i mean is if for an around 15K system - S30 +Topping T20 seems like a good combo. What could be one/two step above it till like 20K(+-2K) budget
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For that budget, usually you'll be recommended the Wharfedale 9.1 (~12k when I last checked) + Norge Amp (~10k). The Norge Amp is considered to be entry level, but it outputs decent power. So you can still keep the amp around, if you choose, even if you upgrade the speakers.

I haven't actually heard the S30, so I can't really state if this would be an upgrade. The Wharfedales have a tilt towards bass, while I believe the S30 is more mid-focussed.

If you are OK with used items, then i'd suggest keeping an eye on HFV's market. You might have to wait a bit to get everything together, but it'll probably work out cheaper. Usually you'll find well maintained speakers and amps, and ocassionally you'll see gems that you won't otherwise. Right now, I believe a guy's trying to sell off 9.1 over there.

Of course, always do an audition before deciding to part with your cash, whether new or old gear.

Edit: Yay, crossed 200 posts after 4 years
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Sure, No problem, I wouldn't mind. Do keep in mind that I have a somewhat limited exp, so I might not be able to help out in all scenarios.
 
Gryph0n said:
I haven't actually heard the S30, so I can't really state if this would be an upgrade. The Wharfedales have a tilt towards bass, while I believe the S30 is more mid-focussed.
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I've had a pair of S30 for 3-4 months and they were very very good for music listening. As you said, mids are quite emphasised and the bass is pretty decent too. One could listen to these speakers for hours together. I would say S30 is the best speaker one can buy < 10K. Not much impressed with Wharfedale 9.1s during my short listen.
 
I was asking Gannu something, so thought will take more views on it too.

See I got a TV (Samsung LCD) and TV Like in distance of 2 feet. (so that me n my wife can do separate things yet be in same room
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).

I wanted to add sound to that too. A Thought came should I take a good AV Receiver, and good 2.0 (later a sub-woofer) and plug both Comp n TV to it. When both are on we can take sound of TV on normal TV and comp on speakers (on very low volume) and when its TV/Media Player or only comp then sound via Receivers. So can look at may be some time down collect more money, get myself an av receiver around 15K and then speakers to go along with it.

Does that make any sense?
 
If you plan to extend it to 5.1, buy a AV receiver. If you just intend to have 2.0, get a pair of active speakers (Audio Engine etc). A decent AV receiver costs at least 20K and by the time you complete your 5.1 build, you would be set back by 50-60K.
 
antz123 said:
A Thought came should I take a good AV Receiver, and good 2.0 (later a sub-woofer) and plug both Comp n TV to it. When both are on we can take sound of TV on normal TV and comp on speakers (on very low volume) and when its TV/Media Player or only comp then sound via Receivers. So can look at may be some time down collect more money, get myself an av receiver around 15K and then speakers to go along with it.

Does that make any sense?
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As Calvin pointed out, an AVR makes sense with a HT setup. They are usually not considered a great match for 2.0 speakers.

BTW, you can get a HT setup within 40k; have a look at HT section on HFV.
 
Somehow, I feel with an AVR you compromise on music! But then, if convenience as well as movie watching is a priority, it is the way to go! You could get one of the HTIBs like onkyo 3100 or yamaha yht 196.
 
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