Audiophile and gears

guys.. re-posting my query i accidentally posted on the Flipkart thread.. any pointers would be welcome!

I'm no audiophile by any means and I definitely don't use any separate amp's etc for my portable use - however I desperately am looking out for something that's a decent step up in terms of clarity but yet offers a good balanced "full sound" experience in iem's than my current Sony XB75AP which have ended up worse for the wear after 6 yrs.

one of the most important factor for me is the size - the XB75AP are rather large in the size of the chamber (presumably for their bass abilities) - however I absolutely would love something along the lines of the original Creative EP-630's..

I read up on the Rha Ma390U but they're out of stock (and also discontinued i think)

hoping you guys can suggest an alternative considering I'm a bit tired of the Sony soundstage now.

Genres I listen to: Mostly electronic music/classic trance/classic rock/country western/general contemporary stuff - no jazz/classical/alternative/heavy metal/acid/psy trance stuff. (I know my genre's are very diverse!)

TIA.
 
Nalin said:
@fLUX your thoughts on Monitor Audio speakers, heard these?

I am eying Gold 100 and a possible pairing with Hegel amplifier in near future.
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Though not directed to me but will point to one video...most people ( love good audio) I know of felt the same way. And I had the same Adam Audio monitors before moving onto something stupid expensive.
 
Nalin said:
@fLUX your thoughts on Monitor Audio speakers, heard these?

I am eying Gold 100 and a possible pairing with Hegel amplifier in near future.
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Honestly the best person to give advice on this is @bottle but he doesn't frequent the forums that much these days. He has the predecessor - GS10 for a long time.

My limited listening to MA is that they are extremely forward sounding, extremely detailed but lack the mid range warmth and presence required for a balanced presentation.

If you like the MA sound, Focal monitors would be a better bet. Have a look at the Trio6 Be actives or if those are two expensive then the Twin6 Be and pair it with a good preamp.
 
quaratineinthesejeans said:
Though not directed to me but will point to one video...most people ( love good audio) I know of felt the same way. And I had the same Adam Audio monitors before moving onto something stupid expensive.
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I was more interested in LS50 Wireless II rather, pretty sure those are way better then LSX.

Chaos said:
Honestly the best person to give advice on this is @bottle but he doesn't frequent the forums that much these days. He has the predecessor - GS10 for a long time.

My limited listening to MA is that they are extremely forward sounding, extremely detailed but lack the mid range warmth and presence required for a balanced presentation.

If you like the MA sound, Focal monitors would be a better bet. Have a look at the Trio6 Be actives or if those are two expensive then the Twin6 Be and pair it with a good preamp.
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I would be interested to know if he has upgraded his setup or is still using those, Focal Aria 906 is in consideration too if the difference is not that huge.
 
Nalin said:
I was more interested in LS50 Wireless II rather, pretty sure those are way better then LSX.


I would be interested to know if he has upgraded his setup or is still using those, Focal Aria 906 is in consideration too if the difference is not that huge.
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Compared to the actives I suggested, aria will suck bigtime


So who has experiences with high end monitors here? Looking to choose between the following. Any experience/comments welcome!

Focal Trio 11 be
Neumann KH 420
Genelec 8361A
ATC SCM 100ASL
Kii Audio III
Barefoot footprint 01

Room is 21*16 which will be treated well. Source for the time being will be my existing AMR DP777 dac/preamp. Primary task is listening and occasional recording.

Any other options within a 10000$ or so budget is also welcome.
 
Monitors sound like trash to me, but if it floats your boat, Genelec is often used. Is the ATC available in 10,000$? Is this for your home or for a studio? Personally I'd recommend going with whatever you prefer, if a monitor is what you prefer then it would be prudent to audition it.
 
mach9 said:
guys.. re-posting my query i accidentally posted on the Flipkart thread.. any pointers would be welcome!

I'm no audiophile by any means and I definitely don't use any separate amp's etc for my portable use - however I desperately am looking out for something that's a decent step up in terms of clarity but yet offers a good balanced "full sound" experience in iem's than my current Sony XB75AP which have ended up worse for the wear after 6 yrs.

one of the most important factor for me is the size - the XB75AP are rather large in the size of the chamber (presumably for their bass abilities) - however I absolutely would love something along the lines of the original Creative EP-630's..

I read up on the Rha Ma390U but they're out of stock (and also discontinued i think)

hoping you guys can suggest an alternative considering I'm a bit tired of the Sony soundstage now.

Genres I listen to: Mostly electronic music/classic trance/classic rock/country western/general contemporary stuff - no jazz/classical/alternative/heavy metal/acid/psy trance stuff. (I know my genre's are very diverse!)

TIA.
Click to expand...
Yours Sony XB75AP lasted 6 years, wow that says something about the built quality. Perhaps look at BL 03 if not allergic towards Chineese.

Chaos said:
Compared to the actives I suggested, aria will suck bigtime


So who has experiences with high end monitors here? Looking to choose between the following. Any experience/comments welcome!

Focal Trio 11 be
Neumann KH 420
Genelec 8361A
ATC SCM 100ASL
Kii Audio III
Barefoot footprint 01

Room is 21*16 which will be treated well. Source for the time being will be my existing AMR DP777 dac/preamp. Primary task is listening and occasional recording.

Any other options within a 10000$ or so budget is also welcome.
Click to expand...
Okay waiting for @bottle to chime in, can certainly wait rather than buying trash now if that's the case.
 
Chaos said:
Compared to the actives I suggested, aria will suck bigtime


So who has experiences with high end monitors here? Looking to choose between the following. Any experience/comments welcome!

Focal Trio 11 be
Neumann KH 420
Genelec 8361A
ATC SCM 100ASL
Kii Audio III
Barefoot footprint 01

Room is 21*16 which will be treated well. Source for the time being will be my existing AMR DP777 dac/preamp. Primary task is listening and occasional recording.

Any other options within a 10000$ or so budget is also welcome.
Click to expand...
Eve Audio SC series ( forgot the model number if falls within your budget, absolute monsters...only seen in Studios.
The Neumanns are great too...only heard the KH310 though ( another staple in the studios here) the mods are fabulous.
I have the exact same Barefoot model, but the room they are in is much smaller and they get very loud at 30 percent or so. Don't know how will they perform in a bigger room.
Another very good option Dynaudio 59...have only seen one pair in a big home studio. Very high quality stuff.
Where are you located? If in Eastern parts, don't forget Adam A and S series. Almost all studios including SRFT Kolkata exclusively use Adam A series.
 
Nalin said:
Yours Sony XB75AP lasted 6 years, wow that says something about the built quality. Perhaps look at BL 03 if not allergic towards Chineese.


Okay waiting for @bottle to chime in, can certainly wait rather than buying trash now if that's the case.
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Thanks. Actually a lot of people recommended it. I'll give it a shot
 
quaratineinthesejeans said:
Eve Audio SC series ( forgot the model number if falls within your budget, absolute monsters...only seen in Studios.
The Neumanns are great too...only heard the KH310 though ( another staple in the studios here) the mods are fabulous.
I have the exact same Barefoot model, but the room they are in is much smaller and they get very loud at 30 percent or so. Don't know how will they perform in a bigger room.
Another very good option Dynaudio 59...have only seen one pair in a big home studio. Very high quality stuff.
Where are you located? If in Eastern parts, don't forget Adam A and S series. Almost all studios including SRFT Kolkata exclusively use Adam A series.
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I am based in Bangalore but am a bong :). My new house is still under construction - will be done by year end. This setup will be in my den/music room/ht room.

KH 310 is the much revered model everywhere and people seem to pair it with a KH750 sub. That is an option as well. However the local guy suggests that I get the 420 as integration is hard and results are not as good as the 420. Pricing is a bit high - around 750,000 INR per pair but thats okay and he's willing to get it over for a demo. However wifey doesn't like how it looks as it is extremely plain jane.

Not a fan of Adam - I have heard the A7x and hated that ribbon. Sounds too bright and fatiguing to me. Maybe the higher end 3ways are better and their prices are great in India. Almost at the euro msrp.

The Barefoot guy locally is willing to demo his entire line in the room once it is ready. However his prices seem excessive. How's your experience been with them? Do they sound good and is it worth a stretch? Their Micro Main 26 is around 15 lacs and might fill the room well. However most barefoots seem to be nearfield only. Only one that works in midfield/farfield is the MiniMain12 which is way beyond my budget at over 30 lacs.

The focal guy in chennai is offering the Trio 11 Be for 600,000 which seems to be a stunning price for what it is. Also it is apparently very smooth and easy to listen to. I don't have any experience hearing it though.

How do Genelecs sound? There's a showroom in Bangalore that carries the entire line. Many forums are full of praise for their 3 way point source speakers which seem to have excellent room correction software.

I've always had a soft corner for dyns. Had a passive BM6 once and loved that speaker. So maybe the 59 is worth it. but there's no local dealer.

I'll check Eve audio - not sure if it is available locally. (edit: Seems to be available but has a ribbon tweeter. Will probably not be my cup of tea). Shall check out anyways.

A friend here has an ATC SCM100 ASL pair and it sounds incredible for vocal and acoustic recordings. However in his room (26*13), bass is lacking considering those huge woofers. It doesn't hit very high SPL either. They do have a cult following however and are incredibly expensive (~15-16lacs).

I heard KII Audio at an audio show where it was setup in a hotel room - sounded excellent for the money. However not sure if it is worth the 18lac asking price. At the same show I was more impressed by a Graham LS5/9 BBC monitor so not sure if it was that good either.
 
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rdst_1 said:
It is worth it if you can't order from Linsoul right now. The D will be better as it will support all normal and future headphones as well. The S does have more power but frankly there is no need for so much power. I myself might get the 9038D in the future as well.
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Is it possible to order anything from Linsoul as a personal import now ? Looks like HPZ, Hifinage, Conceptkart (not a full Audio Store) are the biggest consumer of their product catalogue.
 
dissel said:
Is it possible to order anything from Linsoul as a personal import now ? Looks like HPZ, Hifinage, Conceptkart (not a full Audio Store) are the biggest consumer of their product catalogue.
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I'd like to know too. Adding customs it'll come close to 10k. At that point you might as well get schiit magni heresy for extra 3k as you don't need portable option.
 
Chaos said:
I am based in Bangalore but am a bong :). My new house is still under construction - will be done by year end. This setup will be in my den/music room/ht room.

KH 310 is the much revered model everywhere and people seem to pair it with a KH750 sub. That is an option as well. However the local guy suggests that I get the 420 as integration is hard and results are not as good as the 420. Pricing is a bit high - around 750,000 INR per pair but thats okay and he's willing to get it over for a demo. However wifey doesn't like how it looks as it is extremely plain jane.

Not a fan of Adam - I have heard the A7x and hated that ribbon. Sounds too bright and fatiguing to me. Maybe the higher end 3ways are better and their prices are great in India. Almost at the euro msrp.

The Barefoot guy locally is willing to demo his entire line in the room once it is ready. However his prices seem excessive. How's your experience been with them? Do they sound good and is it worth a stretch? Their Micro Main 26 is around 15 lacs and might fill the room well. However most barefoots seem to be nearfield only. Only one that works in midfield/farfield is the MiniMain12 which is way beyond my budget at over 30 lacs.

The focal guy in chennai is offering the Trio 11 Be for 600,000 which seems to be a stunning price for what it is. Also it is apparently very smooth and easy to listen to. I don't have any experience hearing it though.

How do Genelecs sound? There's a showroom in Bangalore that carries the entire line. Many forums are full of praise for their 3 way point source speakers which seem to have excellent room correction software.

I've always had a soft corner for dyns. Had a passive BM6 once and loved that speaker. So maybe the 59 is worth it. but there's no local dealer.

I'll check Eve audio - not sure if it is available locally. (edit: Seems to be available but has a ribbon tweeter. Will probably not be my cup of tea). Shall check out anyways.

A friend here has an ATC SCM100 ASL pair and it sounds incredible for vocal and acoustic recordings. However in his room (26*13), bass is lacking considering those huge woofers. It doesn't hit very high SPL either. They do have a cult following however and are incredibly expensive (~15-16lacs).

I heard KII Audio at an audio show where it was setup in a hotel room - sounded excellent for the money. However not sure if it is worth the 18lac asking price. At the same show I was more impressed by a Graham LS5/9 BBC monitor so not sure if it was that good either.
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Are you trying to build a HT system? If so, avoid all these monitors...all of them will lack bass for movies etc.
I have a Dali Oberon 7, but it was not installed correctly and rattles the whole freaking house.
Don't spend so much on monitors buddy unless you earn money from production.
Genelecs sound exceptionally clean ( but you may feel the bass lacking)
Demo the Barefoot line ( it's a great opportunity) if you find the bass inadequate, it will possibly be the same for all monitors ( it's a necessity as the clubs/ pubs etc.will have anything with minimum 3dB boost in 30-100 Hz region, almost everywhere...)
 
rockstah said:
I'd like to know too. Adding customs it'll come close to 10k. At that point you might as well get schiit magni heresy for extra 3k as you don't need portable option.
Click to expand...

Importing now with DHL attract at least 50-80% of extra expenditure over the actual product value, DHL is notorious for charging Duty in before any restriction - I just can't imagine what they are doing now to the individual.
Conceptkart may bring the E1DA stuff - They just list old model in their website.

Just noticed HPZ selling Shanling UA2 in some numbers - earlier there are no takers, but it will not hold any candle in front E1DA 9038s in front of driving power.
 
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This guy is genuinely good!! Can't find Bohern and the Club of Gore anymore in Tidal!! People have serious problem with Jazz ( not the stupid Kenny G like smooth jazz...that's available everywhere!!)
 
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dissel said:
Importing now with DHL attract at least 50-80% of extra expenditure over the actual product value, DHL is notorious for charging Duty in before any restriction - I just can't what they are doing now to the individual.
Conceptkart may bring the E1DA stuff - They just list old model in their website.

Just noticed HPZ selling Shanling UA2 in some numbers - earlier there are no takers, but it will not hold any candle in front E1DA 9038s in front of driving power.
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I thought it's usually 40-45%.
 
TheCoolerPlayer said:
Oi mate good to know there's someone else here who watches Dank and Frank XD
Have to blame him for making me curious about hifi audio in the first place sometime last year lol
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He's the coolest audiophiles in youtube...by far..and a good musician.
dissel said:
Importing now with DHL attract at least 50-80% of extra expenditure over the actual product value, DHL is notorious for charging Duty in before any restriction
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Yes, DHL is notorious, they happily charge upto 200% of the product value these days ( specially for India)
 
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