Audio Beginning the journey: Suggestions for a Stereo setup

S

Spy king

Adept
Hello,

I would like suggestions for a basic budget stereo setup (Amp + bookshelf speakers) for a budget of 20k.

Music preference would be mainly my dad, so Ghazals, old Hindi music, country and a bit of old rock.

The room is about 20X16Ft, so I guess a pair of floor standers will come into the equation later!

The source for now will be a CD player/Sansa Fuze/Laptop, plan to set up a PC + DAC later on for music!

Need some suggestions and places to audition in Chennai!
Thanks!
 
Re: Beggining the journey: Suggestions for a Stereo setup

I guess for 20k you could get the commonly recommended Wharfedales + Pulz / Norge amp. Last time I think Pro-Music next to Don Bosco Egmore was the dealer you can have a look there
 
Re: Beggining the journey: Suggestions for a Stereo setup

for 20 k get norge amp and pair of wharf BS.. that would be good... FS in range of 20K are no worth... and that will leave no room for AMP.
 
If you can, audition stuff before going the default Norge + Wharf way. I use Wharf for my Home theater system, so I am not biased against Wharf. But anyone who begins their journey should at the very least consider other brands and choose the one which sounds best to their ears.

Start with this - Play It Clear: Ultra Budget Stereo - NuForce Icon uDAC + Topping TP20 + Cambridge Audio S30

Then, patiently try to go through this thread - Favourite speakers under INR 20k. Though it is about Speakers themselves costing less than 20K, it should give you an idea about brands to look at and a general idea about the sound quality within the budget range. It is a 2 year old thread, so actual costs on the ground might be a tad lesser.
 
I already considered the Topping TP20 combo, but decided against it for the current purpose. It would be a nice combo for my room, so shall give it a listen too! :)

What Amps should I look at, other than the Norge 2060, Norge 1000? I might be able to stretch the budget a bit, and spend about 15k for the amp, and hook them up to my current sony(bony:p) speakers and get proper BS next month.
 
Spy king said:
I already considered the Topping TP20 combo, but decided against it for the current purpose. It would be a nice combo for my room, so shall give it a listen too! :)

What Amps should I look at, other than the Norge 2060, Norge 1000? I might be able to stretch the budget a bit, and spend about 15k for the amp, and hook them up to my current sony(bony:p) speakers and get proper BS next month.
Click to expand...

Hmmm... going my way.

What is the model no of your bony bookshelves?

Norge 1000 is the best of the lot, though Mr. Bajaj have currently released a new separate pre power combo which costs a lot more than 1000.

The Norge 1000 will cost you around INR 13.5K. Stellar amp. But bass is little less. Anyway, at this price you will be hardpressed to find a better amp.

I will choose the Norge Millennium speakers over Wharfs. I have listened to both this speakers with 1000, and the Millenniums simply are paired better with 1000, than Wharfs.

But another way is through seconds sale. You can get very lucky in extreme cases a get a amp or bookshelves at 1/10 the original price.

I got a 1995 Yamaha DSP-A2070, 7 channel integrated audio amplifier at INR 8K, which used to cost over INR 1 lakh back then. I was simply lucky.

Look for quickr.com & olx.com for seconds sale.

Anyway the choice is your's now. Best of luck.:)
 
OT, but I'll be putting up my Denon AVR-1705 for sale @8k on TE this weekend in case you are interested.
 
RishiGuru said:
Hmmm... going my way.

What is the model no of your bony bookshelves?

Norge 1000 is the best of the lot, though Mr. Bajaj have currently released a new separate pre power combo which costs a lot more than 1000.

The Norge 1000 will cost you around INR 13.5K. Stellar amp. But bass is little less. Anyway, at this price you will be hardpressed to find a better amp.

I will choose the Norge Millennium speakers over Wharfs. I have listened to both this speakers with 1000, and the Millenniums simply are paired better with 1000, than Wharfs.

But another way is through seconds sale. You can get very lucky in extreme cases a get a amp or bookshelves at 1/10 the original price.

I got a 1995 Yamaha DSP-A2070, 7 channel integrated audio amplifier at INR 8K, which used to cost over INR 1 lakh back then. I was simply lucky.

Look for quickr.com & olx.com for seconds sale.

Anyway the choice is your's now. Best of luck.:)
Click to expand...

Model: SS-DX30 - 6Ohms. I need to go audition the warf and Millenniums. What are the other speakers in the 10-13K range that I should audition? I think I shall get a good Amp now, and get the speakers later though.
Grease Monk said:
OT, but I'll be putting up my Denon AVR-1705 for sale @8k on TE this weekend in case you are interested.
Click to expand...

Regarding the Amp, I am confused. Where does an AVR come into the picture? Should I go that way or go for an Amp? If I understood correctly, AVR is to hook up your Tv/other sources to this set of speakers?

Also, what are the amps I can look at in the 10-15-20k range, I have already included the Norge 2060 and 1000 in my audition list. What else will fit into this budget?

Thanks!
 
I have made a small audition list!

Amps:

Norge 2060

Norge 1000

Denon PMA510AE

Marantaz PM5004

Cambridge Audio Topaz AM10

Onkyo A9155

Speakers

Norge Millennium

Warf 10.1/9 series

Tannoy Mercury V1

Mission MX1

Mordaunt Short ALUMNI 2

Would anyone have info as to where in Chennai I could listen to them?
 
Go visit every audio shop in Chennai before you decide :p I think Denon is there at Pro-Fx in Spencer Plaza, Wharfedales will be at Pro-Music. You can visit The AudioPeople in TNagar and Decibels off Cenotoph road. Decibles recently posted that they had an Epos ELS8 for about 15k which you may want to check out

You can get the address of the cambridge audio dealers from the website

Another lead for you http://www.hifivision.com/group-buy...ale-diamond-9-1-9-2-bookshelf-speakers-3.html

Edit: I have a Marantz PM4001 amp lying around but not sure how much to sell it for. Let me know if you would be interested
 
bottle said:
Go visit every audio shop in Chennai before you decide :p I think Denon is there at Pro-Fx in Spencer Plaza, Wharfedales will be at Pro-Music. You can visit The AudioPeople in TNagar and Decibels off Cenotoph road. Decibles recently posted that they had an Epos ELS8 for about 15k which you may want to check out

You can get the address of the cambridge audio dealers from the website

Another lead for you Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 & 9.2 Bookshelf Speakers - Page 3

Edit: I have a Marantz PM4001 amp lying around but not sure how much to sell it for. Let me know if you would be interested
Click to expand...

I been going through the group buys at hifivision. But first have to give them a listen before buying!

PS: you got PM bout the amp!
 
Add Paradign to your list of speakers. Id say they are much much better then the wharf bookshelves and in the same price range.

Dont own either but have heard both and this is my honest opinion
 
edge111hussain said:
Add Paradign to your list of speakers. Id say they are much much better then the wharf bookshelves and in the same price range.

Dont own either but have heard both and this is my honest opinion
Click to expand...
The paradign atom monitors? Hmm okay, will add to my list!

Are the pbs alpha's also in the same price range?

Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk
 
spy king, was about to ask you try out the psb alpha b1 if available, they must be in your budget. Psb's do vocals pretty well.
 
It would be worth visiting several audio shops and auditioning everything you can. It would be a time consuming and fuel consuming affair, but consider it an educational expenditure. Also, remember that the final sound you hear is the result of the entire chain : Source CD (Quality of recording) -> CDP -> Integrated / Pre-Power -> Speakers + Placement + Room Treatment. So, whatever works it's magic in the audition may or may not work at your home. As you cannot eliminate the impact of every variable, at least carry your own music - something you know every second of, tracks you know can give you an idea about bass extension, treble extension or sound stage. It would be very difficult to carry your own CDP and Amp, but that was one advantage TP20 had :)
 
dunno abt the pbs, but on your list are the tannoy's, which for the longest time that i can remember, considered to be one of the best. I want you to listen to the paradign, because i found it to be a couple of leaps ahead of the wharf's.
BTW, in wharfs, audition both, the .1's and the .2's.
 
I have sent out a few emails to set up auditions for various setups.. So far, most dealers don't seem to have stock of stuff for demo :(

What to do? I wouldn't want to get stuff without listening to it first!
 
Spy king said:
I have sent out a few emails to set up auditions for various setups.. So far, most dealers don't seem to have stock of stuff for demo :(

What to do? I wouldn't want to get stuff without listening to it first!
Click to expand...

What is your combined budget of amp + speakers?

If you can stretch your amp budget upto INR 22.5K, there is an excellent amp, the Yamaha AS-500. I find Yamaha being quite underrated in the audiophile world of India, not in the other parts of the world though.

AS500 is regarded the best amp under INR 25K by whathifi.Some Reviews:

Yamaha A-S500

Yamaha A-S700

The AS500 will drive almost all bookshelves & floodstanders with ease.

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Spec of AS500:

Minimum RMS output power

(8 Ω, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, 0.019% THD) ...................... 85 W + 85 W

(6 Ω, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, 0.038% THD) ...................... 100 W + 100 W

Dynamic power per channel (IHF) (8/6/4/2 Ω) .................... 130/150/185/220 W

Power band width (0.06% THD, 42.5 W, 8 Ω) ................. 10 Hz to 50 kHz

Damping factor (SPEAKERS A) 1 kHz, 8 Ω........................ 240 or more

Total harmonic distortion

PHONO (MM) to REC (20 Hz to 20 kHz, 3 V)..... 0.025% or less

CD, etc. to SPEAKERS

(20 Hz to 20 kHz, 42.5 W, 8 Ω) .......... 0.015% or less

Signal to noise ratio (IHF-A network)

PHONO (MM) (5 mV input shorted) ..................... 88 dB or more

CD, etc. PURE DIRECT on (200 mV input shorted)................ 100 dB or more

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Looking at the excellent distributor & service centers available for Yamaha in India (hey they have a dedicated website for India):

Yamaha Audio India

Yamaha Stereo Amps in India

Yamaha Authorized Dealers in India

Yamaha Authorized Service Centers in India

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Check TechnoGuru for online transaction

Yamaha - Stereo Amplifer - A-S500

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If you get a good amp like AS500, later you can upgrade to good bookshelves. Best of luck.
 
I looked at the Yamaha, but it's slightly out of budget! What started out as a 20K budget for both amp + speakers has not become a 20K budget for amp, with speakers being added in some time.

I shall still try to listen to the Yamaha though.
 
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