budgeted music ( wharfedale + denon )

Autor

Beitrag

alpotnis
Neuling

#1 erstellt: 02. Sep 2005, 12:05

Hi all...this is my first posting.Let me come directly to my question -

I am planing to buy a set of floor standing speakers and a decent amplifier but have budget constraints. I want to limit these within Rs. 35,000 to 40,000.

Have done a lil bit of reasearch and the best i could come up with is wharfedale diamond series 8.4 speakers and denon PMA 495 amplifier.

These are british speakers ofcourse but are also manufactured in china...would buyin the chinese made speakers be any different in quality of make and sound than those compared with the one made in UK...also is it mentioned on the speakers where are the made?

I would appreciate some comments on these speakers and the amps.

-al

benkenobi
Hat sich gelöscht

#2 erstellt: 02. Sep 2005, 12:21

don't worry too much about the made in china badge..
almost evrything nowadays is..
My Harman Kardon DVD player is Chinese make, so is my NAD and my Phillips progressive scan 29inch TV..not to mention my wharfedale speakers
only hiccup so far has been my one and a half year old DVD player blowing a fuse a couple of weeks back..
Touch wood..
Basically wharfedale/quad is owned by IAG.

Benkenobi

hifinovice1
Stammgast

#3 erstellt: 02. Sep 2005, 12:26

What about the source?
That too will play a major role(budget as well),in the set-up.

alpotnis
Neuling

#4 erstellt: 02. Sep 2005, 12:37

Thanks benkenobi and hifinov for your replies..as of the source i am going to do with my discman..its mp3 compatible - panasonic. Hope there will be no issue of any compatiblity.

Benkenobi..thanks for that assurance on the make issue.

Also do i have to buy any particular kind of wires to connect the speakers with amps and is that included with the speakers or do i buy them seperately. Also will i need a stand for the speakers?

Also if you guys have any alternative suggestion to the amps and speakers, would like to check that out too...jus want to make sure i get a good value for money befor i invest in it.

-al

square_wave
Inventar

#5 erstellt: 02. Sep 2005, 12:38

The speakers are ok. I would suggest a change in the AMP.In my opinion a NAD C320bee with good cables would be a better option.They can pump out 80watts per channel according to some independant sources. I owned the 8.4 once and it rocked with the c320bee.

alpotnis
Neuling

#6 erstellt: 02. Sep 2005, 13:01

hey square can you tell me where in bombay can i check the NAD amps you mentioned. Also what other precautions should i take before buying the speakers..will the dealer make any difference... i stay at new bombay and there is a authorised shop that sells wharfedales...would you recomend any other dealer.

-al

SUB_BOSS
Gesperrt

#7 erstellt: 02. Sep 2005, 13:11

as of the source i am going to do with my discman..its mp3 compatible - panasonic. Hope there will be no issue of any compatiblity.

Good for you and easy to upgrade to a dedicated CDP,but atpresent make sure you use a good quality cable to connect AMp and disc man.

Also what other precautions should i take before buying the speakers..will the dealer make any difference... i stay at new bombay and there is a authorised shop that sells wharfedales...

If he's an authorised dealer you can pick up stuff without worries, but generally look for nicks in the cabinet, grilles.

square_wave
Inventar

#8 erstellt: 02. Sep 2005, 13:24

alpotnis schrieb:

I am not too sure about the NAD dealers. Manek on the forum would know. He owns a c320bee. Wharfedales is sold by some guy called designer audio. As Sub mentioned, just check for blemishes and make sure all the drivers are working. Usually they come packed and is opened only at your residence. One thing with wharfedales is that they are slightly low in efficiency. 86 db compared to typical 89 to 91db. This means that you need a good amp.86 db with less than 100watts per channel amp is walking a thin line. It works fine if your source, interconnects and speaker wires are all decent. I am not too sure about the disc man thing……I would suggest atleast a 6k dvd player from pioneer.

Neutral
Stammgast

#9 erstellt: 02. Sep 2005, 16:27

Sources like computers, discmans, and cheap DVD players compromise sound quality. But if you only listen to MP3s, it might not matter to you. High priced CDPs and DVPs are certainly much better for music but then you can add one when you have the cash.

alpotnis
Neuling

#10 erstellt: 02. Sep 2005, 17:29

One thing with wharfedales is that they are slightly low in efficiency. 86 db compared to typical 89 to 91db. This means that you need a good amp.86 db with less than 100watts per channel amp is walking a thin line.

I have no idea about what that means..do think u could explan that to me in brief in lay mans terms though

I inquired with lakozy and they do keep the NAD amps so will check them out.

The idea is to upgrade to a good DVP as and when i have the money

-al

Shahrukh
Inventar

#11 erstellt: 05. Sep 2005, 06:39

Lakozy stocks NAD. J & B in Bandra has NAD too. There's also a guy in Heera Panna (the shop opposite Sound Out) who stocks NAD. You'll recognize this shop if you see Def Tech speakers all over the place.

square_wave
Inventar

#12 erstellt: 05. Sep 2005, 07:53

alpotnis schrieb:

I have no idea about what that means..do think u could explan that to me in brief in lay mans terms though

I inquired with lakozy and they do keep the NAD amps so will check them out.

The idea is to upgrade to a good DVP as and when i have the money

-al

Volume is measured in db(decibels)
A wharfedale rated at 86 db will produce 86 db with one watt. A speaker rated at 90db will produce 90db with one watt from the same amplifier.
So the table for 86db is like this.

86db @ 1 Watt
89db @ 2 watts
92db @ 4 Watts
95db @ 8 Watts
98db @ 16 Watts
101db @ 32 Watts
104db @ 64Watts
107db @ 128 Watts
110db @ 256 Watts
113db @ 612 Watts

The table for 90db speaker is like this.
90 @ 1 Watt
93 @ 2 watts
96 @ 4 Watts
99 @ 8 Watts
102 @ 16 Watts
105 @ 32 Watts
108 @ 64Watts
111 @ 128 Watts
114 @ 256 Watts
117 @ 612 Watts

This means that you need a good amp to get reasonably high volumes with a low sensitivity speaker.

[Beitrag von square_wave am 05. Sep 2005, 07:57 bearbeitet]

oasisfan
Neuling

#13 erstellt: 05. Sep 2005, 11:01

Shahrukh,

Is the Heera Panna guy reliable?

Also, can you let me know how much difference will be there in the price?

Thanks,

Jim

Shahrukh
Inventar

#14 erstellt: 05. Sep 2005, 14:19

Ya, Heera Panna's reliable. I doubt there'll be differences in the price cos' all these guys are dealers who buy at a specific price from the distributor. (I THINK lakozy's the NAD distributor here).

Just make sure you get a proper bill, see the serial no. and get the proper manual/guarantee with your amp.

All the best with your purchase.

abhi.pani
Inventar

#15 erstellt: 05. Sep 2005, 14:36

You can check out Polk Audio Monitor60 also.

alpotnis
Neuling

#16 erstellt: 06. Sep 2005, 08:47

hey guys jus came to knwo that the NAD c320bee amps are costing some 20 - 21 grand odd, however they were just rs. 16,000 a year back. Apprantly since lakozy is the only dealer he has the monopoly...if that is true it sucks. Havent checked the prises with J&B - bandra.

Anyone having any idea about good deal anywhere?

-al

diskspinner
Ist häufiger hier

#17 erstellt: 06. Sep 2005, 10:05

I too got a quote of 21k for NAD320BEE (in Bangalore)...

Manek
Inventar

#18 erstellt: 06. Sep 2005, 14:13

fleecing us dry.....

manek.

SNV
Stammgast

#19 erstellt: 06. Sep 2005, 19:13

hi there,

The Nad c320bee certainly is the ideal choice.
Basically at that price its the best available.
The power ratings claimed by Nad are generally pretty conservative.
For a fact, lab analysis on this model have shown that it can deliver over 80 watts of power. (A review in a UK hifi mag)
The Nad wont have any problems driving the low sensitive Diamonds.
Anyways, with the Nad i would recommend the Diamond 8.3 over the 8.4.
Unless you are looking at better low end extension.
The 8.3 is much more detailed and has better insight.
The thing is the additional LF driver in the 8.4 sort of
over shadows the mids. You lose out on the mids.
Well, if you are someone who listens to Hip Hop, R&b, techno, Rock then yes maybe you can opt for the 8.4.
Anyways, hear them out and then decide for yourself.
Cheers.

alpotnis
Neuling

#20 erstellt: 09. Sep 2005, 11:17

hey SNV thanks for your inputs...i had been to one of the shops where they stock wharfdales and thats exactly what was told to me there, that 8.3 are better over the 8.4 in terms of the music quality, however i found the 8.4 better on the lows...better bass extension. So am a lil confused as of now...cause when i had first heard the 8.3 i was so kicked and they sounded so sweet sadly not this time...may be i need one more demo.

I had also enquired about the Monitor B4 speakers and they have drastically reduced the prices to somewhere around Rs. 28-30 grand as they want to aggressively market them. Any idea how they compare over the wharfedales 8.4's.

-alok

Shahrukh
Inventar

#21 erstellt: 09. Sep 2005, 13:04

I'd prefer the MA (Bronze) B4 sound over the Diamond 8.3 or 8.4 any day.

Arj
Inventar

#22 erstellt: 12. Sep 2005, 10:31

Does infinity (Part of JBL) have a outlet in INdia.?

If so try out the Infinity Prima series.(160 is the bookshelf and 360 is the floorstander).. designed by the genius Robin Marshall who was part of EPOS and Monitor Audio

Classic example of trickle down technology. Has a 90 db sensitivity and really surprised me with its all round performance. definitely better than the wharfies and IMHO even gives the QUAD 11 a run for its money.

best can be driven by just 3 W tubes... as a friend of mine found out. It highly recommended.

anirvan
Stammgast

#23 erstellt: 12. Sep 2005, 11:09

jbl -does have an outlet-\they sell jbl, infinity and harman/kardon + the dj stuff from denon-
i know of the delhi outlet-
can give the numbers if needed-
r
anirvan

sammygeorge
Ist häufiger hier

#24 erstellt: 12. Sep 2005, 13:24

how does wharfedale 9.1 pair up with NAD 320 BEE? Any suggestions/alternatives?

Shahrukh
Inventar

#25 erstellt: 13. Sep 2005, 06:33

Quite well actually, The NAD is a neutral amp and has enough power to drive the 86db 9.1s. It's a great budget system if paired with a good source and... well... decent cabling. Enjoy!

SNV
Stammgast

#26 erstellt: 13. Sep 2005, 16:00

Dear Alok,

If you are looking for a speaker with better bass extension
along with good detail and insight, the Monitor Audio Bronze 4
is the ideal choice. It is certainly better than the 8.4.
Try and get a demo, im sure you would prefer the MA.
Yes the same is available for rs 29k.

Regards
Jay

benkenobi
Hat sich gelöscht

#27 erstellt: 13. Sep 2005, 22:44

I like my Nad and Diamond 8.4 setup..
Very capable but there are some obvious flaws. The imaging and soundstage is pretty much accurate but it is the quality of certain frequencies that are not at all upto the mark. But for the not so serious listener..its a great VFM pair.

Viwake
Schaut ab und zu mal vorbei

#28 erstellt: 26. Sep 2005, 16:50

Hi, I too am lookin for an amp & 2 front speakers to start with, of all the speaker I auditioned the best were the wharfedale 9.5 for pure / natural music IMHO. the designer audio guy was also pretty helpful (name's shitij I think) he spent 3 hours answering my queries & also adviced me to listen to other speakers before I make my decision (in fact he told me where to find which brand !)

I checked out PSB B15 / B25 @ Lakozy, Polk RTi8 / monitor 70, JBL E50 (both polk & jbl at crossroads) & a few others at Lakozy.

I would advice to be careful of the Hera Panna shop (above sound out - shop no.12) as I went yesterday & as far as I could make out the stuff was used / 2nd hand & price was for new, infact was more expensive than other grey price i got.

I think if you are looking in the 15k ish range the B15 (PSB) & wharfs were both very good.