After a lot of contemplation, I finally got hold of my very first stereo setup and set it up yesterday with the help of a friend. And I must say I am really impressed. All these years, despite all the recommendations I have come across on the forums and elsewhere, I did not really bother with a 2.0 setup. But I must admit, a good set of stereo speakers can make a world of difference when listening to music. I was completely blown away by the sound that was reproduced by the system! It might improve gradually by a couple of notches as the drivers and the amp. burns in. And what started off with a mere MX5021 with the onboard sound has finally led me here 4 years on, thanks to this forum and its veteran members around. I owe my heartfelt gratitude to them.
I had considered at least a dozen amps and speakers with several combinations, before I could zero it down to the NAD C316 BEE and the PSB Image B6. Besides, being in Surat I had limited or almost no access to places where I could get a demo and audition something I had in mind. There is just one dealer in the entire city and barring a few HTIB systems, he did not have many stereo setups I could audition. So it all boiled down to the individual reviews of the systems from the web and sound being a very subjective aspect, what may sound musical to some might sound harsh to the rest! It became very confusing and frustrating as it progressed. I sought opinions and reviews from a lot of folks around; while some may detest an amp or a particular set of speakers, some others used to speak highly of them. However, there were a select few who shared a similar taste of music that I did - warm with deep bass and extended soundstage. Some others prefer bright setups with extra tonal clarity. Some others may love very dark setups with added sub-bass.
TLDR:
Stands - The bases, top plates and the pipes of the stands were powder coated after sand blasting. The pipe is held to the lower base with the help of a M8 hex. head bolt and a spring washer. Both ends of the pipes are sealed with plates which have the threaded holes. In addition, an extra hole is used for filling the damping material. I could not locate a dealer who retails beach sand (the one that is brown in color) and most construction related work uses the river sand (black in color). So dropped the idea of filling the column with sand for now. As such these stands are quite heavy and sturdy. Spikes are SS304 CNC machined - absolutely no qualms here. There were a few minor niggles with the stands though - scratches, a small dent on the pipe. I'd certainly appreciate the impeccable workmanship that went into the fabrication of these stands but a little bit of extra precautions during handling will be really good.
Amps considered (in no particular order) - Denon PMA 710 AE, Cambridge Audio Azur 350A, 550A, NAD C316 BEE, C326 BEE, Marantz PM5004, PM 6004, Sonodyne SiA 320, Topping TP20 MK2 (
) and Norge 2060.
Speakers considered (in no particular order) - Usher S-520, Wharfedale Diamond 9.1, 9.2, 10.1, 10.2, KEF Q300, Monitor Audio (don't remember the model), PSB Alpha B1, Image B5, B6, Tannoy Mercury V1, Monitor Audio BR1, BR2.
Active setups considered - KRK Rokit 5, 6, M-Audio BX8 D2.
Damages: 34k for the PSB Image B6, 26.5k for the NAD C316 BEE, 7.9k for the custom stands. All inc. of shipping with insurance charges. Looks like the prices of the equipment were jacked up post Nov. 2011. As much as I wanted to invest in the C326 BEE, the budget wouldn't permit me to. What started off with a mere 22k shot up to almost 70k! Besides, reviews suggest that the NAD C326 has an improved pre-amp section but besides that the 6k difference in the pricing did not seem justified to me.
Source: Lakozy, Delhi for the equipment and Ali of Sound Foundations for the stands.
Many thanks to #[member='abhi_jollyguy'], #[member='hydrashok'], #[member='cranky'] for the inputs. Really appreciated!
I had considered at least a dozen amps and speakers with several combinations, before I could zero it down to the NAD C316 BEE and the PSB Image B6. Besides, being in Surat I had limited or almost no access to places where I could get a demo and audition something I had in mind. There is just one dealer in the entire city and barring a few HTIB systems, he did not have many stereo setups I could audition. So it all boiled down to the individual reviews of the systems from the web and sound being a very subjective aspect, what may sound musical to some might sound harsh to the rest! It became very confusing and frustrating as it progressed. I sought opinions and reviews from a lot of folks around; while some may detest an amp or a particular set of speakers, some others used to speak highly of them. However, there were a select few who shared a similar taste of music that I did - warm with deep bass and extended soundstage. Some others prefer bright setups with extra tonal clarity. Some others may love very dark setups with added sub-bass.
TLDR:
Stands - The bases, top plates and the pipes of the stands were powder coated after sand blasting. The pipe is held to the lower base with the help of a M8 hex. head bolt and a spring washer. Both ends of the pipes are sealed with plates which have the threaded holes. In addition, an extra hole is used for filling the damping material. I could not locate a dealer who retails beach sand (the one that is brown in color) and most construction related work uses the river sand (black in color). So dropped the idea of filling the column with sand for now. As such these stands are quite heavy and sturdy. Spikes are SS304 CNC machined - absolutely no qualms here. There were a few minor niggles with the stands though - scratches, a small dent on the pipe. I'd certainly appreciate the impeccable workmanship that went into the fabrication of these stands but a little bit of extra precautions during handling will be really good.
Amps considered (in no particular order) - Denon PMA 710 AE, Cambridge Audio Azur 350A, 550A, NAD C316 BEE, C326 BEE, Marantz PM5004, PM 6004, Sonodyne SiA 320, Topping TP20 MK2 (
Speakers considered (in no particular order) - Usher S-520, Wharfedale Diamond 9.1, 9.2, 10.1, 10.2, KEF Q300, Monitor Audio (don't remember the model), PSB Alpha B1, Image B5, B6, Tannoy Mercury V1, Monitor Audio BR1, BR2.
Active setups considered - KRK Rokit 5, 6, M-Audio BX8 D2.
Damages: 34k for the PSB Image B6, 26.5k for the NAD C316 BEE, 7.9k for the custom stands. All inc. of shipping with insurance charges. Looks like the prices of the equipment were jacked up post Nov. 2011. As much as I wanted to invest in the C326 BEE, the budget wouldn't permit me to. What started off with a mere 22k shot up to almost 70k! Besides, reviews suggest that the NAD C326 has an improved pre-amp section but besides that the 6k difference in the pricing did not seem justified to me.
Source: Lakozy, Delhi for the equipment and Ali of Sound Foundations for the stands.
Many thanks to #[member='abhi_jollyguy'], #[member='hydrashok'], #[member='cranky'] for the inputs. Really appreciated!
