Hi,

I have set my mind to below budget stereo system:

stereo amp: NAD C352
cd player : NAD C542
speaker : B&W 602 S3 or Paradigm Studio 20 or Monitor Audio Bronze B2
interconnect : Van den hul the name or QED QUNEX 2
speaker cable : Chord Carnival Silver Plus Biwire

The question is how can i find these item in KL or Johor?

Any KL people can help?

In additoin, how is the system sounds like?

I haven't decide the speaker yet and need go for more audition recently. Any recon show room in KL as i will wen to KL next week for holiday? Any reconmendation on speaker in that price range? (<RM1500)

Thanks in advance.

very good in overal.very well bodied bass and mid

If you're in Johor, would it be too much trouble (taxes, support) to get them in Singapore?

Is your budget of 5K based on actual research, or is it a shot in the dark?

I don't know the price exactly for the Paradigm Studio 20s in KL but the comparison is this:
Paradigm Atom US$189 per pair, SG$289 in Singapore and RM 1,071 in KL. (I just called Asai Sound last week, and was quite shocked)
Studio 20 is SG$1,200 in Singapore, and Mini Monitor is $500

B&W 602S3 is SG$475 each (i.e. SG$950/pr) or RM1,270 each (RM2,540/pr)


I think you may be able to make the budget if some of the items you want are on the used market.

U can get the DM602 S3 for RM2000-2100 (or maybe <2k) if you know the right contacts....try HI Way Laser.....they offer better prices than Monsoon.

The MA B2 are good for the price, always a keeper.

The Quad 11L, 12L, Epos M5 etc are actually a notch above the B&W but only your ears will tell & of course the separates matching.

I m using the NADC352CT/Marantz CD7300/Grado SR80/Quad 12L-Epos M12.2 & the classic integrated Pioneer A400(a legend in its time 8-10 years ago - Japanese product, this one is used but in pristine condition...looks almost new to the uninitiated).

If u r used to NADC352 sound, u will find the Pioneer A400 sound a margin on the bright side but more exciting.

Cheers

You can find NADs at the Music Room at One Utama (old wing). 2nd floor. There is currently a sale on at the Music Room. http://www.mormarks.com/musicroom.htm

B&W at Hiway Laser as mentioned above. See http://www.hiwaylaser.com .

cheers
jediknight61

How bout my audio setup as per my signature...? It is quite near to your budget and can easily found in KL.

PM me if you need assistance.

the 1 at music room is still selling old stock,they are the old disti for nad.now the new disti is extreme audio

It will be difficult for you to find a supplier who can paired up your configuration for you to have a listen. Most suppliers will set-up whatever they carry and you will be better off listening to their set-up. Of course, you can go to different suppliers to get what you want but you will run the risk of not liking the final sound.

Personally, I am using a NAD amplifier, Denon CD Player and Monitor Audio Bronze 2 with QED Silver Anniversary cables and DNM interconnects. All these are rated 4 or 5 stars in WhatHifi but somehow, the final sound just don't come out right.

Thanks for everybody replies.

I am back from KL trip and bring back only Marantz 5400 CD player for my yamaha av receiver which is 4 year old in my living room. They sounds great with my rm300 japanese interconnect with JBL speaker. They sounds ok since the living set are not meant for serious sounds.

Check the one utama for nad, the cd player is sold out and the c352 cost rm1600 for old stock/display set which i found is not worth for the money. (since kef shop from aldephi is only only SGH 750++ for new set). They are asking for rm2000 for nad c352 and 542 cdp sepately which add up 4000+ in total.

One great news is that i got the chance to listen to epos m12.2 (around 2.6k) really sounds good. To my ear, it even sounds better than paradigm studio 20. m12.2 just sounds natural but too back it is currently out of stock.

I had listen b&w 602 and paradigm studio 20 and monitor audio b2, they are just ok and to my ear, some are not very natural regardless they are paired with tube-amp/arcam solo/integrated amp and good interconnect/speaker cable.

Just my opinion only and nothing more.

Will thinking to get epos m12.2 and listen to m5.

And I will not believe what-hifi and take it as a guideline, and use my ear as the final judgement.

Anyone know any good interconnect for cd player and subwoofer?

hi guys...
a n00bie to the home stereo setup...

just went to a few places (namely moonsoon in midvalley - very expensive, and the music room - ok priced for old stock)

currently, narrowed down to the below :

amp - maybe the nad 352ct (think it's 1.6k in music room) or even maybe a nad (150w one - 2.5k)
cd player - currently, can anyone recommend cos so far most sound the same.. maybe nad c542/521bee (where to find and how much?)
bookshelves - just demoed the b&w (way off budget for the ones i like) and psb (not bad for the price - 1k+ for image series).. or anymore recommendations ?

additional info :
1. i listen to quite a number of genre of music - R&B, pop, easy listening, jazz, blues ... (no classical so far).
2. i prefer a sub (cos i like some bass especially for R&B and jazz)
3. hopefully not over 7k budget...


so if i could all you sifus for help :
1. anywhere else i can demo or even buy from (good places -reasonabled price and good advise
2. what kind of interconnects / cables should i use?
3. the setup above good enough ??
4. i've heard much about the A.E. being really good but haven't demoed them... are they better than psb ? or are psb really good already (according to sales person)


finally, thank you all for your help!! much appreciated

+ one more thing... i might be able to squeeze some more money if the system can do A/V for my room as well..
but if i've been told if i do A/V on the same set.. will seriously jeopardize the stereo.. so better to leave it separate...

wat do u guys think ?

tq!!!

is the c352 for 1.6k really not worth the money ?
i mean .. else from going all the way down to sg to buy new ...

how much did u get the marantz for and where from ?

tq!!!

today i just listen to a 4.3k setup.consist of nad 320bee amp,nad 521bee cd player and ae-aegis evo 1 speakers.as for the nad u mentioned.the nad 352 in music room.i believe thats the last unit they clearing.a display set.a new set from the new local distributor is around 2.4k.the diff between nad 542 and the 521bee cd players is the bit rate and the special funtion.

nad - 542 (rm 2.1k - 2.5k)
1)24 bit proccessing
2)come with microsoft hdcd decoder.

nad - 541 (rm 1.3-1.4k)
1)20 bit proccessing
2)without hdcd decoder

judge from the spec above.u might think the sound will be a lot different.i tested both of them b4.u might or might not accept the diff for the price u pay.who knows u can live with the cheaper 1. did u try the b&w 601 or the 602?
the diff between both ae and b&w are the bass.thats the most obvious diff i can hear.not to say the highs are the same .i find ae speakers work best on strings and acoustic instrument.as for the vocals and bass is still good though.here is what i like about b&w speakers,u might attracted to it at the very first time u listen to it.good speakers.fully imported and a very good price tag .b&w's bass are soft compare to the hard bass ae.b&w bass are good for almost all kind of music.as for the cables and the psb speakers u asked,i'll answer u in my next post tired of typing

................to be continued

I have auditioned the NAD C542 B4. C542 produce good vocal and i must say it definitely produce wondeful strings and acoustic equipments sound. However, bass is a lilttle laid back although it does carry enough weight.

If you are looking for a good deal on NAD or interconnects or anything on AV stuffs (no promise here) PM me. Of course, it is brand new with guarantee ler.

tq for all the advises..

for the cd player, i think price does matter for me.. cos i'd rather invest in a better set of bookshelves...

amp i think i'll go with the 1.6k one if they still have it cos 800bux different is quite alot...
or does anybody have a place where i can quote a brand new one ?

for speakers.. i'd like to listen to more advises before barging out and demoing everything i see.

B&W i think i can demo in midvalley, but where can i demo the AE ?

how about Epos ELS3 or if you can raise the budget, audition the Dynaudio 42

how about a 2nd cdp to further flow the budget to bookshelves.

Perhaps u should also try the wonderful ATC SCM7 (RM3000), a well hidden secret of mini monitors, the sound is simply astoudingly natural with lush mids and surprisingly punchy lows but extension is limited by physical size of the midbass though, extremely suitable for a small study or bed room (if meant for ur living area, please go for the bigger ATC SCM12 but this would be beyond your budget RM6000). ATC is world class mind you, no audio mags worth its salt should criticise ATC speakers much apart from the real plain Jane looks.

Can try out the MA Silver S1 or S2 or the newer RS1 bookshelf, the MA B2 is the bargain of the whole line (tried it & liked it).

Epos, ah the lower profile company that makes great speakers for the moolah, would recommend the M12.2 and for a smaller room the M5, difference in sound is there but not night vs day to justify the almost RM800-1K difference in $$
More cost-effective would be the ELS3, check them out, nearly every audio mag/website has some mention of them.

Quad, don't u just love the glazing finish on these babies, the 11L are no surprise for regular fans of What HiFi S&V, the 12L adds more bass & larger sound stage.

Latest entry, Nbien speakers NX-6 (RM5600) or the smaller siblings sound quite remarkable for the price.

Wharfedale, what else apart from the diamond 9.1 for as low as RM800+ (new)

Mordaunt short (MS), for the MS914 floorstander (~RM1600+)

B&W of course, how to forget these classy ones, the DM602 S3 seems to be the worthy one, money for a big chunk of sound transducer, but this is not shielded mind you(pls don't put them too close to your CRT/TV), this goes head to head in terms of size against the Focal-JM Labs 707S(which is not available in M'sia according to Asia Sound Ltd)......602S3 remain a tried and tested one throughout quite a few years.....I suppose you can't go wrong if u like its sound

JPW 202 bookshelf with a curve(convex) metallic grille, sounds very musical for its RM1500+ price)

Amps(solid state): NAD C352CT/320BEE/Rotel RA-02 or 03(new)/Rotel RA-1062/ Marantz PM7200/Cambridge Audio 640A or wait for the coming 740A($$$)/ Naim (another world class, still affordable)/ Creek A50iR or 5350SE

Sorry...tired need to go for now....the rest are as suggested by others...and Supra cables(I ditched my QED Silver Anniversary some time ago) or the Chord Carnival....but this depends...if your system is laid back...use silver based cables, if it's already bright, use bronze/tin based or coated ones.

Cheers

ATC SCM7 for just RM3000!!?? A pair??? Really??? Can give hint where they selling this in KL anot?

the list price for the speakers is around rm 4750.if u got a good contacts with the store owner they will eventually give u that kind of price.so be nice to the taukeh just jk just jk

LOL.. RM4750.. just when i thought my upgradetits had kicked in.. maybe i should start being nicer to Omegaminx since he can get at that price

I get even better than that price...hehehe RM2xxx, well back then, haven't contacted the dealer for yonks these days

Categg, u an ATC fan, if you r seriously interested, maybe can get for RM3000+ a bit (new). PMC DB1+(transmission line) is also very musical (LS3/5A musicality we r talking about here) but that cost a bomb, like RM5000 (RM4800+)...I think ATC would be a better buy, equal or better mids/highs but a bit bass shy (sealed) compared to the PMC DB1+ which is a transmission line = more bass

Some speakers u don't need to buy if u have good rapport with a dealer, just drop by and listen when u feel like it, after work, happy hour, holiday etc....a bit longer into hifi, we all learn how to economize (unless u r into money-printing business)

can anybody recommend me a good dealer / supplier to go to ?

else frmo music room and the one in midvalley i really dun know where to look...

tq to omegaminx for providing a good list to start..

although i haven't really heard them yet but i think i kinda like the way the epos looks .. maybe will give that a try first

the B&W i've heard ... not so much with bass ... so maybe i'llt ry others first..

anyway still need to build some contacts .. so would appreciate if anybody can lend a helping hand to a n00b... tq~!!!!!

There's CMY at S.Wang,Damansara, Sunway Pyramid, 4 shops in Amcorp Mall, many more at City Square Jln Ampang. Tong Lee at LowYatPlaza..manymore.
Don't be impulsive..go audition the offerings, review the prices and se which suits you. There's always the 2nd hand route too!..Star Audiofile, www.music-matters.net..take your pick

okie there are few dealers carry ae speakers and nad.but if u want the rm 1.6k for the nad 352,i think u need to stick to music room in 1U.that the only place where u can get this price.if u want a brand new nad 352 should be aroound 2.3k.as for the ae.try the disti in puchong ioi mall.perfect hifi sdn bhd.but they dont carry nad.another option is hiway laser in ss2.they carry both of the brand u looking for.as for the price,must see how u perform when bargaining

I think Tan from perfect do carry NAD brand.

u mean andy tan kah?hehehehe.well can give it a try.no harm doing so.but do bargain a bit on his price hehehe.

dsiew, replied ur PM liao.

utellme, u r here again. Nice to c u around.

Hi,

I would suggest that you guys go for used ones rather than new ones. Much better value for money. Sometimes you will not believe what you might just get.

but it is still risky to some as you do not know the history of the equipment esp CDP. Amp and Spkrs are the safer bet but I am not saying that it is 100% okay.

i think amp maybe i'll go with the music room one (if it's still available)...

wat do u guys think ?
both nads on offer...
1.6k for the 80w one .. or 2.5k for the 150w one ..

sprks to go for 2nd hand ? is that advisable ? i know then it won't need to be run in (heheh but i do hope it wasn't really runned into the ground by the previous owner) ...

anywya for 2nd hand route ? only online or are there better plaecs to go to ?

oh ya.. forgot to mention

is 1.6k for the 352ct a good deal or not ?
cos it looks pretty good to me... just getting a 2nd opinion ...

whoops... one more thing... just wondering .. how do u guys rate the
nads vs the marantz ?

seems that the marantz 7200 amp and 7300 cdp is in my range as well...

Hi Fi Choice has good remarks for both amps - Marantz PM7200 and NAD C352, u have to listen for yourself though, objectively, Marantz gives 95 wpc and can be switched to pure Class A mode (there are 2 modes to choose from, Class A might give you a more warm - and some say tube-like sound, others who heard can't tell the difference & I m one of the latter LOL). And the PM7200 cost less. On the other hand, the NAD C352CT runs at 80 wpc and has a less classic facade on the outside - looks like plastic-feel comparatively. Soundwise u have to listen as there are mixed views. WHF rates NAD C352CT as "Integrated Amp of the Year 2004".

If you r planning to get the Marantz CD7300, it might be worth while to consider the PM7200 - guess they look more matching
Do not get the bigger sibling, NAD C372 as this is the "black sheep" of the prestigious NAD line, even WHF ditched it with a 2 or 3 star rating. It does have lots of watts but mostly plain grunts & lacking in SQ. This NAD372 was the worst amp in one group test if I remember correctly.

I personally like the NAD sound a notch better, more natural and musical for tracks I tested.....one thing to note also about the Marantz CD7300 is it seems to play music at a slower pace (alone u won't realize it, but when u A/B with faster CDP like the Cambridge 640C, Rotel etc... it feels more slow-paced...I also read about this on a website- audioenz i believe).

Good Luck, if I were on your budget RM5000, I would get the Epos M5(~RM1600+, sale price), NAD C352(~RM1600 demo), NADC542 CDP (RM1700+) , some Supra cables

There are many combos to mix & match, that's the beauty of hifi line as compared to the studio setup(using active speakers...which have great sound too but at the same time...u can't change the flavour of the sound to macth your system at times)

Good Luck....

http://www.music-matters.net/cgi-bin/yabb/yabb.cgi, you can go his show room to listen.

btw omegaminx,did u listen b4 the setup u mentioned ?i just wonder how the setup gonna be?or any shop i can test it out 1 shot?with all the speakers and amp and the most important thing is the supra cable in case u donno what i was saying,here is the setup.

and 1 more thing to add?will marantz cd player sounded slow?i always thought marantz is very dynamic sounding.fast and punchy and as for the cambridge cd or rotel will sounded too british?british = neutral or smooth

where to get the epos m5 for 1.6k ???

for that type of price u can get a lot of speakers.i'll list them down here

1.B&W (dm-601 s3)
2.Acoustic Energy(add few more buck and can get the aegis evo 3)
3.Mission (m-33)
4.JPW
5.psb

ok...
b&w i know in midvalley
AE in puchong
PSB in 1U
but where to find the missions and psb ?

im a newbie in this area. just got my quad 11l and soundstage 1.5. but my useing dvd player. thinking might get a new player. can anyone share some idea for the new player. the budget is aroung 1000

Dsiew: Try Acoustic Arts in City Square for Epos M5, the RM1650+ was promotion price during AV fest, u can try and see if it's still available for that price and hear the setup first b4 buying.

Scotty: I heard this in a colleague's house, the only difference in his setup was the CD player, he was using a NAD521BEE instead but should be quite the same sonics. Regarding the Marantz CD7300, I just dunno why but the 1st impression on listening to it was music sounded tardively slower, just by a bit, especially after switching CDP to a CA640C/Rotel RA-01, at first I thought it was just me but later I read this:
http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2003/marantz_cd7300.shtml
But this is not saying that it slows everything down, in fact, depending on music taste, u might like the slow but melancholic speed.

I agree that AE Evo 3s are a great buy for ~2k+ (forgot about that), so is the Mission 33i(new model has an i=improved) which got a good WHF rating of 5/5. Apparently IAG has bought over Mission as well, making them boss of Quad, Wharfedale, Mission, Audiolab(amps-coming back). So I suppose we'll see lots of similar designs but different labels - hopefully the characteristic sound of each will be retained. Have read good things about PSB/Energy speakers but only tested the Energy C-3s (Mediaplex) but found them too $$ for the sound (aka can get better speakers for their price).

Cheers!

guys...
just tested the b&w 602 on the 352ct and 521bee.. loved it .. especially with the help of a b&w sub...
but wayyy out of my budget because of the sub...

b&w 602 - 2k .. sound reasonable ?

btw, omeganix..

where did u get a quote for cdp 542 for 1.7k ??

merge by scotty

after reading the stuff u tested u must have went to hi way laser in pj rite?i guess thats the only place tha have carry all the stuff u mention.btw did u test the b%w asw 300?

dsiew: try Desa Home in LYP or Acoustique System in Amcorp for the NAD CDP 542

yup hiwaylaser..
quite exp IMO for some items..

yes the b&w asw300 was the one i liked actually
dunno why in their website they advertise cheaper than they quoted me in person ... funny ppl ..

just did some analysis since no hifi shops opened today

b&w 602 for 2k
and if the epos m5 is really around 1.7k .. then i bet the epos is a pretty good buy (with all the recommendations i've been getting and reading online)...

btw, anybody know where i can get wharfedale products in KL ?
read that the SW150 sub is really good... and also considering to get the wharfedale cinema speaker package for my dad too...

tq!!!!

sometimes the sale person there is a bit blur blur dey.like i say u need to know how to bargain with them.if not they wont simply give u good price btw.buy what u like to hear.not what other ppl like to hear or some good review on the speakers.cheers

oh ya.. besides wanting to know :

1. where to get wharfedale products
2. anybody know where i can get the denon AVR-1905 ?

wharfadale can try the shop in amcorp mall.where the denon u can test it out at most of the shop in kl.but there is new model coming in soon.p and c

im just wondering how will dsiew's setup sound like for heavy metal/rock music ?

I got my wharfedales from A&L Audio Station in sungai wang last time..... now dunno whether they still carry but u can drop by and see.....