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.

This post has been edited by SiriuslyCold: Aug 2 2005, 10:16 PM

The guy's got a HK receiver, why is everyone recommending powered speakers???

Logic7,

go to Asia Sound Eqpt and listen to Paradigm Atoms (RM$1,070)

I've used both Atoms and the AE Aegis 1 (predecessor to Evo1), and traded the AEs for a second pair of Atoms. Today a friend came by the house, and he said they sound better than the Wharfedale 9.0

At the very least you should go an audition a few in that price range, Wharfedale 9.1, AE Aegis Evo 1, Mordaunt Short MS902, Monitor Audio Bronze 1, and Paradigm Atoms.


Stereophile review
"...bass concerns evaporated in my first hour of listening-in fact, its bass performance turned out to be one of the Atom's greatest strengths. The entire midbass region, although a touch warm and rounded, was well-defined and uncolored. On Jim Hall's Jim Hall and Basses (Telarc CD-83506), the master guitarist is paired in duets with a serial Who's Who of the bass fiddle, and on every track the various basses sounded natural, articulate, and well-defined throughout the instrument's range, with no trace of overhang. The Atom's convincing reproduction extended down to the 50Hz region with no loss of definition, weight, or impact
.
.
.
Congratulations to Paradigm for setting a new price benchmark for true audiophile performance that anyone can afford. Though not without flaws, the Atom reproduces a level of realism I've come to expect only from speakers at twice or thrice its price, and does so over a wide range of musical genres at all volume levels."


Goodsound review
"... what really counts is how the Atoms sound, and this is where the big surprises started. The Atoms presented such a full, lush sound and threw such an enormous soundstage that, while I was breaking them in, I walked into the room and wondered aloud if all that sound was really coming from those two little speakers
.
.
.
During the course of this review, my own $4000 Silverline Sonatinas sat in a corner gathering dust, but what came as a big surprise is that I didn't really miss them. Not that the Atoms were necessarily better in every way, but they did act as proof that you don't have to spend a small fortune to get really good sound"

And a lot of consumer reviews on Audioreview.com.

This post has been edited by SiriuslyCold: Sep 3 2005, 11:11 PM

I think the Concertino and a good amp will quickly show how deficient the Akira DVD player is...

at least as a CD transport compared to even an entry level player. a good reasonably cheap experiment would be to get a standalone DAC (like Yeo's Monica II) and hook up to one of the digital outputs of the DVD Player; even if you eventually get a decent CD transport the DAC will be usable

This post has been edited by SiriuslyCold: Sep 12 2005, 02:36 AM

and spend more $ on the speakers. if you get reasonably sensitive ones (~90dB/w/m or more), even a US$30 T-Amp will sound awesome (and it does). Ask infinity if there are still left over units from his MO

Locally you can look for the Audiotrak drAMP, (at about RM400?) which would probably be comparable to any amp you can get up to maybe RM1.5K

check out this thread - someone over at echoloft is driving his SG$500 Infinity Primus 360 with about 3.5W per channel...

This post has been edited by SiriuslyCold: Sep 13 2005, 01:37 AM

Case, congrats... enjoy your system!

you are comparing a Primare CDP with your Akira DVD player... bit unfair to expect them to be close, no?

what are you using for stands?

I know what u mean - but a solid stand is almost as important to good bookshelf speakers (some lightweight [IKEA] stands suck bass)

lets look at the DAC this way it's job is to separate the transport from the conversion - as long as it's getting a good digital stream with no errors, it should do fine; u need to chat with Yeo specifically about MonicaII but there not that many you can get for that price.

Top-gun,

dun worry about specs - if you like the sound of the speakers just make sure amplifier has enough power to play at the levels you want. e.g. if you get a low powered amp - like the venerable NAD 2020 which is 20W into 8Ω, or the drAMp 7W into 8Ω (this is quite cheap in SG, about SG$250 or less) then you need speakers with sensitivity of 90db/W/m or better.

A Panasonic XR30 might be better value for $ though at only $350 and you get 5.1 channels at 100W per channel and you wont have to worry about speaker sensitivity, and the ability to expand into a full blown HT when you can get more speakers.

PM me if you want a listen to Atoms on a Panasonic XR25

Top Gun, the Primus should do very well with the drAMP you mentioned in the other thread. wanna listen?

do you didn't email me - and i don't have a primus - i have a T-Amp and a drAMp

if you had £3K would you buy the Solo?

Silon, did your dad also advise you to audition a few speakers before deciding?

then I'd say put these on your audition list, and do no have any preconcieved ideas - Wharfedale Diamonds, Paradigms (Monitor series) if you can manage it, Mordaunt Short (Avant premier, MS900 series) Monitor Audio (Bronze series falls within your budget i think)

Silon

there's this guy in US who is driving his B&W 802Ds (diamond tweeters, about what.. RM 60K) with a Panasonic XR55 receiver worth RM1K at the most

I'd suggest you get un-hooked from pricing first and listen, listen, listen. decide ona a preferred sound and then only see if there are any speakers within your price range.

You might want to give the Infinity Primus 360 and audition as well.

What I'm trying to say - I guess, is at this point if you don't have a particular sound you like, then do not dismiss some brands because they are cheaper than others

Not if he threw out 2.5K USD worth of amplifiers in exchange for the XR55. Go read the thread on AVS Forum

was it down or inaccessible? sometimes the AVS Forum db is offline

I am looking @ it now

"I won't go into long drawn out discussions about sonic characteristics of amplifiers. All I can say is that there is no clear audible difference between this $230 unit and my prior $2500 amp+d/a . What is clear is that without a signal this unit is dead quiet as all class D units are. The sound quality is simply excellent and if there were any deficiencies the 802 Diamonds should have made them obvious."

why not now? you can get a pair of Aurum Cantus Leisure IIMk2 speakers
http://www.hifi86.com/index.php?cPath=21

which are rebadged as Rosebud by ML
http://www.redrosemusic.com/reviews/rb2_avguide.pdf

or at Ecoustics where you can find reviews etc

nothing wrong with mp3 player and Altecs, but think of it as meals

mp3 player + altec = mcDonalds
hifi system = fine dinner

mcDonalds - not particularly great or nutritious but fine for filling your stomach on the run; a fine dinner lets you experience the taste of the food, with all the nuances and spices that go into the cooking.

The great thing about the hi-fi system is that its a one time investment. The downside is that unlike a mp3 player, you can't take it with you, and upgraditis is a terminal disease.

*LOL* even a sideways glance at any audio forum you will see this word "upgraditis" - if anyone listened, there'd be no audiophiles. Also boys will always be boys lah, cannot change that - we love to play with our toys