SPEAKER IDEAS

Dali Ikon

BOB

Why not the Cadence Diva's or the bookshelves(forget what they are called).

While I'm at it perhaps you could also consider the Quad 11/12L...

BTW I've heard Virens floorstanders- the Sequel.

Tonally they seemed a perfect match his amp.

Cheers

I second krish. Pick up the sequel if you are planning to keep the valve amp. They are matched very well by Viren and performs in perfect synergy. YOu will save a lot of money too..

He is talking about high-sensitvity speakers for hi 25 watter.....whats the point in discussing Dynaudio, Dali or even the Cadence ????

I havent heard the sequel but is it sensitive enough to do well even with a 25 watter ??

Why not Klipsch RF3 ?

He is talking about high-sensitvity speakers for hi 25 watter.....whats the point in discussing Dynaudio, Dali or even the Cadence ???? I havent heard the sequel but is it sensitive enough to do well even with a 25 watter ?? Why not Klipsch RF3 ?

Dear Abhi,
Purnendu auditioned the Dyns b'cos they can be driven by valves.In fact I've heard them powered by a Cayin valve amp a long time back.

Cadence b'cos all their speakers can be driven by valve amps.In fact I'm sure their integrated valve can certainly drive their dynamic speakers and even the entry level electrostats with ease.

Sequel b'cos Viren designs his speakers to match with his amps ( or vice versa??).I have heard the Sequels with some other valve gear at his place and to my ears they sure sang.

Cheers
K

PS - Perhaps the RF3s would do as well.Wasn't Arj driving a pair with his Sugden's ?

RF3's will work fine but they have a slight peaky response which is not to everyones taste.And they cost well over 50k. To my ears, the sequels with virens valve amp sounds much more musical and coherant and they cost around 28k. Well, it depends on ones taste. He needs to listen and decide.

purnendu schrieb:

Hi All, Anyone has ideas on a matching speaker for my 25 watt Lyrita amp. I can spend between 50 AND 75 GRAND; It should be high sensitivity. I have heard the Dynaudio 52 and Jamo 790 and liked the latter especially. But both were a little above my range. Are there any other suggestions. Purnendu

Try the Totem Arrows, absolute value , amazing sound clarity, sounds great at low volumes.

No doubt,the dyna's can be driven by the tubes. Heard them with Cayin's at soundsmiths several times. Sound fabulous, but it rests on vibing with the amp.

Remember that tube amps have a higher current output[twice actually] than solid states and can drive even floorstanders easily. the question shud rest on your ears and testing the control that the speaker gets from the amp expecially in bass sequences.

sHi Guys,
Thanks a lot for all the replies. I sincerely hope that the closure of HIFI forum . net does not mean that we lose each other. The Indian HiFi gang is small and we do need each other.
Now for the suggestions. I have heard the Sequel. Goodspeakers but not great ones. Terrific value. However the bass is a bit flabby, the tweeter could be more refined, I have heard it extensively at a friends. Good for Jazz but not so much for western classical. I have also heard viren prototype fostex transmission line. Its good - even balance and tighter - but I did not listen to it for a long session. Same price as Sequel.
I liked the dynaudio 52 SE although its a lot more expensive. But I have not heard it with my amp. Personally I would love to have the dynaudios. Has anyone heard them with small tube amp. May be I should ask Viren himself.

I dont know anything aout the Dali, so thats a new suggestion. Has anyone heard a sonus faber. Are they way beyond in price range.
I liked the Jamo enormously D series top model with lots of speakers. I was expecting a boombox but it surprised me. The price however surprised me also. The Delhi bells chap was aking Rs 90 somethng grand for what should have a been a 60 grand speaker. If the price had been right I would have bought it by now. I tried contacting Jamo but it doesnt work. Does anyone know the Jamo dealer in Dubai. There is a small chance my going there on route. The Delhi dealer quoted the dubai price as Rs; 64000 or 1500 Dollars. Ofourse its better to buy at home but not if they rip you.
The cadence speakers are getting too expenive. Infact if I could afford it I might have considered the Rethm lot. At least George replies to an email. The cadence dont even answer. The small rethem is in my range, but its not a good deal for a main system speaker.

Purnendu
Purnendu

correct thought process. the rethm is brilliant with tubes and the guys deserve respect for product and service. met them and heard the products at the show in bombay some time back.

jamo does overprice by about 20-30% international prices and that doesnt appeal to travellers like me. mind you though the upper end stereo stuff from jamo does deserve an include in the options list.

the 52 se's are fabulous and remember that they use the old contour series bass driver and crossover and the new contour tweeter.

the price should be right in your ballpark, but check with the soundsmiths. seems that u are from delhi and me thinks they have a dealer there.

the dali ikon is a new speaker that i dont know but it seems to all over the press with reviews and awards. nevertheless, i always insist, always listen and that too with your own frontend and amplification before choosing. from the international pricing even the ikon 6 floorstander may be at your pricing.

soundsmiths do both the brands actually,conincidentally.

Purnendu,
Why not Quad ?

Cheers
Krishnan

hi purnendu,

the monitor audio silver and gold series. they are high sensitivity and are supposed to be real good. at least the bookshelf models in each series. i'm waiting to buy the 10 watt valve amp and monitor audio bronze b2 is first on my list. 91 db sensitivity and supposed to be real musical.

RF3's will work fine but they have a slight peaky response which is not to everyones taste

Very true...some hate it's sound.

Hi Again,
Why not the Quads Krish? Guess I have a mental block. When I see Quad I think ESL. Thats all I guess. The Monitor with the ten watt amp. That sounds interesting. Let us know how it sounds. Does it also have a metal dome tweeter like the Gold Series. In fact the Gold series Stand mount competes with the Dynaudio 52 but with a different sound quality. Some people dont like the dome tweeter and they say its power hungry. About the Rethms: whats the one up from the bottom model like? Anyone heard it. Are there too many compromises with the low frequencies? Its got a Lowther driver unlike the bottom model. thanks for the Dali suggestions I will try and follow it up.
I know that one should listen before you buy, but sometimes this is not possible. I bought my Project Expression TT purely on review and am delighted with it. With speakers however it may be different.
Purnendu

Hi Purnendu
I would second krishh on the Quads. I own a pair of the Quad 11L and they work beautifully with my SS amp. After breaking in, they sound even better.
I have read a lot of reviews that they lack bass but if you listen to classical music and jazz (my assumption from your posts) then they are worth a listen. You cannot match the ESLs with these speakers but then at the price they are worth it. If you are in Delhi please give me a call and I can get them over to your place or you are most welcome to come over and we can judge them ourselves. i was contemplating to go to Viren's place to hear them with his 30 watter tube amp.
let me know your thoughts.

Purnendu,
The Totem Arro are now available in Mumbai.A friend of mine has just got them and he just can't stop listening to them

Here is a review

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/totem/arro.html


Cheers

Krish schrieb:

The Totem Arro are now available in Mumbai.

How much are they reailing for here? 87db / 4 ohms means they're not made for every amp out there. IMHO, I don't think low power tubes will drive them well.

Purnendu, if I'm not mistaken, you have the Missions 780s, right? What happened to those??

Actually the Arros inspite of a medium sensitivity are very easy to drive. I have heard them with 10W Audionote tubes..

although they are floorstanders, they need to be considered as bookshelves on a stand. they do have alow bass extension but do not expect them to move Air..and those who like deep bass need to think of a sub as well.

they are very good with vocals and are ideally matched with slightly warm sounding amps and wtint their 4.5 woofer are quite "Fast". As with all totems placement is very very important to get sufficient bass response and if got right they will really surprise you

Hi Guys,
There is one speaker that no one has mentioned and it has a good reputation that is the proac studio monitor 130; I have heard the 140 and they are really good clean sounding, very refined. How come I never thought of them. Thanks Panditr for the invite but I am not likely to be Delhi for a while. Do try out the Quads with virens integre and see how it jells. Viren knows my tastes he will have a good idea of whether it will suit me. By the way how much are the quads for 11:12? May be thats the way to go.
I checked out the reviews of the Ikon 6 these are really flattering and it has 91 DB sensitivity. Now I must get down to checking out the Totem Arrow, on the net that is. Thanks to all of you the range of choices has suddenly bloomed.
Yes Shahrukh I do have the Cyrus Mission 780S; Theres nothing wrong with them although they are quite old now. I just have an upgrade itch!
Purnendu

purnendu,
IMHO, proac floorstanders do not do the bass thing very well..especially the studio series. slightly boomy from what i have heard and from some other discussions.

I would recommend either the Tablette or the Respose 1 SC bookshleves as with a solid stand they can be really good and they go very well with tubes.
in a nearfield setup (around 2 M) they give sufficient bass respo,se as well.

purnendu schrieb:

sHi Guys, Thanks a lot for all the replies. I sincerely hope that the closure of HIFI forum . net does not mean that we lose each other. The Indian HiFi gang is small and we do need each other. Now for the suggestions. I have heard the Sequel. Goodspeakers but not great ones. Terrific value. However the bass is a bit flabby, the tweeter could be more refined, I have heard it extensively at a friends. Good for Jazz but not so much for western classical. I have also heard viren prototype fostex transmission line. Its good - even balance and tighter - but I did not listen to it for a long session. Same price as Sequel. I liked the dynaudio 52 SE although its a lot more expensive. But I have not heard it with my amp. Personally I would love to have the dynaudios. Has anyone heard them with small tube amp. May be I should ask Viren himself. I dont know anything aout the Dali, so thats a new suggestion. Has anyone heard a sonus faber. Are they way beyond in price range. I liked the Jamo enormously D series top model with lots of speakers. I was expecting a boombox but it surprised me. The price however surprised me also. The Delhi bells chap was aking Rs 90 somethng grand for what should have a been a 60 grand speaker. If the price had been right I would have bought it by now. I tried contacting Jamo but it doesnt work. Does anyone know the Jamo dealer in Dubai. There is a small chance my going there on route. The Delhi dealer quoted the dubai price as Rs; 64000 or 1500 Dollars. Ofourse its better to buy at home but not if they rip you. The cadence speakers are getting too expenive. Infact if I could afford it I might have considered the Rethm lot. At least George replies to an email. The cadence dont even answer. The small rethem is in my range, but its not a good deal for a main system speaker. Purnendu Purnendu

Hi Purnedu,

Since you enquired about the Sonus fabor, I have heard the "Extrema" model which is now quite old driven by the famous Prima Luna Valve amplifier rated @ 40 Watts per channel. Though they are quite inefficient, the amp did not sound as though it clipped although the listening hall was quite large by standards of a 40 Watt amp. They sound very detailed, bright and airy. The dispersion too was quite wide and one did not have to select a "sweet spot" to appreciate the detail. The low end was not heavy but then that may be due to the amp's characteristics.

Behram.

Behram schrieb:

Hi Purnedu, Since you enquired about the Sonus fabor, I have heard the "Extrema" model which is now quite old driven by the famous Prima Luna Valve amplifier rated @ 40 Watts per channel. Though they are quite inefficient, the amp did not sound as though it clipped although the listening hall was quite large by standards of a 40 Watt amp. They sound very detailed, bright and airy. The dispersion too was quite wide and one did not have to select a "sweet spot" to appreciate the detail. The low end was not heavy but then that may be due to the amp's characteristics. Behram.

WOW, the Extrema is a very rare model..supposedly wonderful but only available 2nd hand that too a very rare occurance.

Always wanted to hear one..

the Guarneri Homage is usually available 2nd Hand at around 5.5 K USD.. suppsedly very nice too..again have not heard it but is on the top of my "Wanna haves and if only i could's"

I have heard the electa amator and the first thing which strikes you is the very very seductive midrange.. apparently they do it best with tubes.

From what i have heard the old budget models ie Minimi/electa/concerto or concertino are wondreful bargains 2nd hand)

For Jamo, i have heard the concert 8s and they were very nice with a full range feel to it.. I think the model names have changed now.
Cheers !

WOW, the Extrema is a very rare model..supposedly wonderful but only available 2nd hand that too a very rare occurance. Always wanted to hear one..

I am based in Mumbai, and use the SF Extrema.

They are VERY inefficient bookshelves ( but Deep ). Hence their bottom octave cuts off by approx 30 Hz.

Damping is electrical ... a switched resitor across a rear firing B139. The B139 has not drive to it, the resistor is simply an electrical damper...

The 2 way speakers are unique in their Xover design. Only 1 Series Inductor. NO Capacitor.

About a decade ago, they were the SF Flagship model, priced at US $ 14K.

They dont look much, and I doubt if buyers would fork out that much money for these relatively dimunitive speakers.

Detailed review & tech on the Stereophile website ( past reviews )

Today, pre owned ones have been advertised in India for Rs 80K to Rs 150 K.

Anyone interested in a listen, welcome.

I suspect that my system still does not fully exploit the capabilities of the Extremas....

I would LOVE to listen to any other Sonus Fabor speakers...

Is There Anybody Out There ?

Amplfication ?

Front End ?

Cables ?

I would like to take you up on that offer - for an audition - i.e.

BHAGWAN69

Hi Bhagwan,

Simple system :
Denon 2900 Universal Player
Prima Luma Prologue 2 Amp
LAT-2 Interconnects.
Cardas & AudioPlus Power Cables
(I think) Kosun Speaker cable... simple OFC multi strand.

My Music Pref : Rock, Pop, Patricia Barber, Mary Black, Jenifer Warnes....

Whiskey - Single Malt.

If still interested, please send me a personal message.

That holds for any one else also who would like a listen.

Babes in the Woods
Columbus

Very Very Good !!!
Mary Black.

Just a bit curious, does the Prima Luna [Play - Sushil]
drive the SF - Extrema ? Load ?

BOB

Just a bit curious, does the Prima Luna [Play - Sushil] drive the SF - Extrema ? Load ? BOB

Yeah, the PL-2 makes the Extremas SING, even in my fairly large ( 25 feet x 15 feet ) room.... though its often pushed to the brink .. I like my music loud enough ( 1 violin sould sould like 1 violin, not half a violin )

Only did not understand your "[Play - Sushil]" ... ??

Just a bit curious, does the Prima Luna [Play - Sushil] drive the SF - Extrema ? Load ? BOB Yeah, the PL-2 makes the Extremas SING, even in my fairly large ( 25 feet x 15 feet ) room.... though its often pushed to the brink .. I like my music loud enough ( 1 violin sould sould like 1 violin, not half a violin ) Only did not understand your "[Play - Sushil]" ... ??

you will understand once you read the latest post i've put up. for those who have been followin this thread you will recall a post made by bhagwan in which he accidentally replies under the id 'bhagwan' explaining a comment made by his other alias 'bob ludwig'. i caught him out and made a post pointin this out. subsequently, i deleted it on his request since he wanted to remain anonymous, but on repeated asking, he still did not offer any explanation for having two different ids! this is for the information of those who'd like to stay clear of a cheat like him. after all, what good could someone possibly have in maintaining two different ids? something fishy afoot right?

I like my music loud enough ( 1 violin sould sould like 1 violin, not half a violin )

thats true and if it sounds like 100 violent violins to my neighbour I don't mind.....

SUB_BOSS schrieb:

I violin ) thats true and if it sounds like 100 violent violins to my neighbour I don't mind.....

Way to go !

You are a ROCKER;
I love it.

Bhagwan69

Hi Guys,
Good News! I have decided to go in for the Proac tablette Reference 8 speakers. I have heard the larger studio 140 and liked them. But I dont have a large room. This tablette has been well reviewed and is a favored speaker among tube lovers. Another reason I have gone for them is that they are similar in driver and cabinet size to my old Cyrus Mission 780. So no danger of being coloured. I guess its a conservative choice but since I tend to hang on to equipment for ages, best not to do something radical and risky. I have just paid the advance now so it will be a while before I get them: at least a month. Will let you guys know how they sound when I get them. Thanks for all the friendly and knowlegeable advice.
Suggestions for speaker cable anyone?
Purnendu

hi Purnendu,

Congrats ! The tablettes were in my shortlist as well before i fell in love with my french speakers

the difference was only in the presentation of sound which is a very personal choice..

proacs usually recommend a very long breakin time I presume the first 50 hours is for the drivers and the rest for ones ear


regarding cables.. what cable do oyu use now ? it might be a better idea for the speakers (And your ear !) to break in and once you get used to the sound then decide if you really want to change them ..

Enjoy the music !

While speaker cable DO make a difference,

IMHO mains cables and interconnects have a greater effect.

I would tend to agree with Arj.

Fisrt break the speakers in, then check out different speaker cables.

OK,
Will do.
Thanks
Purnendu

Amp_Nut schrieb:

While speaker cable DO make a difference, IMHO mains cables and interconnects have a greater effect. I would tend to agree with Arj. Fisrt break the speakers in, then check out different speaker cables.

Try and borrow cables from your friends; Use different cables in your set - yes do this only after you have 'burnt in' your gear.
Only your ears will tell a difference - if there is any.....
I do believe & that too very strongly that cables do make a difference & that too a very very big difference.
The main issue is, will your gear show that difference. Does the equipment under review have the 'potential' & 'pedigree' to 'show' the difference between different cables ????

BOB

Bob Ludwig wrote:
[I do believe & that too very strongly that cables do make a difference & that too a very very big difference.
The main issue is, will your gear show that difference. Does the equipment under review have the 'potential' & 'pedigree' to 'show' the difference between different cables ????]

Yes cables do make difference, but let me ask you why a power cable should make a big difference ?

Is it because of the higher resolving power of the "Highly pedigreed" equipment or due to equipment manufacturer skimping on implementing proper power supply filtering and EMI/RFI interference suppression systems !!!

Is it because of the higher resolving power of the "Highly pedigreed" equipment or due to equipment manufacturer skimping on implementing proper power supply filtering and EMI/RFI interference suppression systems !!!

I agree that theory would indicate that Mains cables should not make a difference/. After all, there are Hundreds of Kilometers of Electrical cable between the Power Station and the amplifier, so the last 2 Yards seem to do Magic ?

My ears & system tell me that Mains Cable DO make a significant difference.

The audiophile persuit is not yet an exact science. Engineers and designers do not Yet, know everything...

Much like Astro Physics, there is also a lot of Bullshit doing the rounds...

So let our ears decide, for that we need to keep our ears, and more inmportantly our minds open !

The audiophile persuit is not yet an exact science. Engineers and designers do not Yet, know everything... Much like Astro Physics, there is also a lot of Bullshit doing the rounds...

What a statement Sir, I fully agree with you.

Thats wgat makes this interesting and diverse

Also thats what mkes some things more controversial...IMHO the most "Ignorant" audiophile is not really the newbie but the one armed with too much of knowledge from "Reviews" but very little with his own ears

I feel reviews give you a fair idea and should be paired with intensive listening.Any person who concludes with help of reviews is a fool.

well not everyone has access to be able to listen to many systems. eg if you are in Bangalore you may never hear an JM Lab or a Harbeth or a spendor..

hence your only source of info is reviews and forums. so calling them a fool is harsh. but folks who consider themselves experts after reviews are the dangerous folks.. especially when commenting on equipment queries by newbees with a scary authority

all of us can fall into that trap.. being aware of it is hence perhaps more important !!

especially when commenting on equipment queries by newbees with a scary authority

It happens everywhere...even dealers do that for monetary gains and guys here do it just for the kick of it..right Abhi

Reviews to me are like reading your daily horoscope. Read them with an open mind! (And ears!)

After all, there are Hundreds of Kilometers of Electrical cable between the Power Station and the amplifier, so the last 2 Yards seem to do Magic ?

perhaps an analogy of water coming through the mains and passing thru an aquaguard would be appropriate? though in the case of audio, i guess the mains cable job is not to DO anything but rather to NOT induce/let any inteference/crap whatever and let a pure flow through. wot say? i think its the same with speaker cables.

So let our ears decide, for that we need to keep our ears, and more inmportantly our minds open

looks like you're also keeping your mouth wide open for some cool ale

stevieboy said: perhaps an analogy of water coming through the mains and passing thru an aquaguard would be appropriate? though in the case of audio, i guess the mains cable job is not to DO anything but rather to NOT induce/let any inteference/crap whatever and let a pure flow through. wot say?

I agree with you. A 'filter' action seems to be the most logical explanation.

However, Mains Cables have all sorts of effects .... eg :

Adding Bass and bloom ( Cardas on my system)
Leaner Sound.
Sharper sound, etc etc.

That sort of tonal manipulation seem to be hard to link to filtering the mains .....

no no amp nut. what i meant was the water in the mains can be bad but the last stage cleans it up. ditto with power. it can go through miles of bad cable but if the final stage is good, the impurities, inteferences are kept out and current flows in its proper force or whatever. so you get good clean power. wasn't talking about a power conditioner.

just my theory of course. seems a logical explanation to me.

SUB_BOSS schrieb:

especially when commenting on equipment queries by newbees with a scary authority It happens everywhere...even dealers do that for monetary gains and guys here do it just for the kick of it..right Abhi

Not only that, some also do it just to show off, but we have to bear/ignore that..right sub
Else jump from one forum to other..

Not only that, some also do it just to show off, but we have to bear/ignore that..right sub Else jump from one forum to other..