Quality Hi-fi Thailand

[neverdie]

I have noticed that there is no forum on Thai Visa for those that are interested in Hi-Fi equipment. Is anyone out there interested in Quality Hi-Fi, if so what components are you running in Thailand?

If theres enough interest, maybe we can have a sub forum.

I'm not really interested in Surround Sound junk with multiple speakers, bells, lights and whistles. I am more the purist interested in turn tables, pre & power amps, a pair of speakers and cd player.

[Dakhar]

I am interested, and for those that care about fine home audio:

http://www.norh.com/Welcome/Home.html

[rgs2001uk]

I have noticed that there is no forum on Thai Visa for those that are interested in Hi-Fi equipment. Is anyone out there interested in Quality Hi-Fi, if so what components are you running in Thailand?

If theres enough interest, maybe we can have a sub forum.

I'm not really interested in Surround Sound junk with multiple speakers, bells, lights and whistles. I am more the purist interested in turn tables, pre & power amps, a pair of speakers and cd player.

Aint that the truth, someone I can relate to, a fellow audiophile.

Dont even get me started on mp3 or i-pod junk, the sad fact is for many, they think thats what music actually sounds like.

You wont find anything as vulgar as a graphic equalisier in my house.

Enjoy your listening.

[Nordlys]

I don't have a turn table but I'm also into pure, 2 channel audio.

My system consits of Ayre K-5Xe + V-5Xe amplifiers and Marantz SA-7S1 SACD player driving Aerial Acoustics Model 7B speakers. Also spent some 200K baht on cables, power line conditioners and other accessories. All of them purchased in Thailand. My next upgrade would be speaker cables and a new line conditioner (Richard Gray's Power Company).

[CarlBkk]

I'm into high end hi-fi and a member of several independant forums. In Thailand I don't run any equipment although I've built up a Wadia 8 transport, Wadia 15 DAC, Krell KSA-300s power amp to run direct and Squeezebox - ready to run once the exchange rate betters to indulge in some nice cabling and speakers. In the UK still have my first system of John Shearne amp, TEAC VRDS-10 and Tannoy 611 speakers.

Definitely enjoy regular browsers in the Aladdin's caves of Fortune, Pantip (5th floor) and the hi-fi centre in Singapore. The hi-fi centre next to BigC Rajadamri is also cool.

[neverdie]

Aint that the truth, someone I can relate to, a fellow audiophile.

Dont even get me started on mp3 or i-pod junk, the sad fact is for many, they think thats what music actually sounds like.

You wont find anything as vulgar as a graphic equalisier in my house.

Enjoy your listening.

Wow, I was hoping there would be some other audiophile nutcases out there. Funny you say that, I have tried time and time again to explain to people about how real hi-fi really works and back home in Australia I had a (low) medium end set up of NAD and KEF equipment. I borrowed some pristine vinyl (ANALOG recorded) from a mate & his $10,000 turntable. We set up at my place and had both the Analog Vinyl and a CD of the same albulm (Fleetwood Mac). Anyway, a number of people viewed the set up and I flicked between the CD and vinyl a number of times at the amp and EVERYTIME people always picked the best sound which they thought was the CD but infact EVERYTIME was the vinyl.

I've been crusing some of the shops in Siam Paragon & have just realised how much I miss my gear back in oz.

[neverdie]

I am interested, and for those that care about fine home audio:

http://www.norh.com/Welcome/Home.html

Thankyou Dakhar, I havent viewed that stuff before, very interesting and reasonably priced too.

[neverdie]

I don't have a turn table but I'm also into pure, 2 channel audio.

My system consits of Ayre K-5Xe + V-5Xe amplifiers and Marantz SA-7S1 SACD player driving Aerial Acoustics Model 7B speakers. Also spent some 200K baht on cables, power line conditioners and other accessories. All of them purchased in Thailand. My next upgrade would be speaker cables and a new line conditioner (Richard Gray's Power Company).

Holy dooley, N I C E, I would be keen to listen to that setup oneday, however I must admit Im not that keen on Marantz. (but the proof is in the sound & the match).

[neverdie]

I'm into high end hi-fi and a member of several independant forums. In Thailand I don't run any equipment although I've built up a Wadia 8 transport, Wadia 15 DAC, Krell KSA-300s power amp to run direct and Squeezebox - ready to run once the exchange rate betters to indulge in some nice cabling and speakers. In the UK still have my first system of John Shearne amp, TEAC VRDS-10 and Tannoy 611 speakers.

Definitely enjoy regular browsers in the Aladdin's caves of Fortune, Pantip (5th floor) and the hi-fi centre in Singapore. The hi-fi centre next to BigC Rajadamri is also cool.

Carl, I have heard good things about John Shearne amplifiers. Im not familiar with all the equipment you are talking about but would be interested in looking at your other forums. Are they on your profile page here at TV?

Europeans are so lucky, there is some truely amazing stuff in that part of the world. Back in Australia we have to part with a leg and an arm for some of that stuff.

I wonder how many people we need for a sub-forum & perhaps we could get a mod & pin some of the links and stuff.

Im really keen to check out some more of what Thailand has to offer, espeically considering I have no equipment here

[neverdie]

Some interesting stuff to read on Analog recorded music, as I mentioned earlier. Check out this link.

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/question487.htm

[Nordlys]

however I must admit Im not that keen on Marantz. (but the proof is in the sound & the match).

I've heard many audiophiles say that, but SA-7S1 might change your perception of Marantz. I've auditioned the same set up with Ayre C-5Xe SACD player, another highly rated player of its class, at the distributor auditioning room with better room acoustics than my condo living. SA-7S1 in my room sounded better than C-5Xe in auditioning room. And my SA-7S1 is probably not even fully broken-in yet (purchased in Feb this year).

I just wish I have a bigger room so I don't have to set up the speakers so close to the wall.

Edited July 26, 2009 by Nordlys

[Benjie]

Some of the SACD albums sound fantastic on a decent home theatre setup, I haven't had a chance to listen to a decent DVD Audio setup yet but I've heard very promising things.

I'd be interested in an Audio/Home Theatre sub forum.

[Dakhar]

If any of you folks are interested in Hi Fi portable sound, or at least as Hi Fi as portable can get, just PM me

Edited July 26, 2009 by Dakhar

[Dakhar]

It is just my opinion, but I think the folks at Norh fit the "hard core" enthusiasts, none of that 5ch, 6ch ect ect going on.

I have talked to Mark Barnes at length, he seems like a nice guy. I am sure they would appreciate the business.

[neverdie]

however I must admit Im not that keen on Marantz. (but the proof is in the sound & the match).

I've heard many audiophiles say that, but SA-7S1 might change your perception of Marantz. I've auditioned the same set up with Ayre C-5Xe SACD player, another highly rated player of its class, at the distributor auditioning room with better room acoustics than my condo living. SA-7S1 in my room sounded better than C-5Xe in auditioning room. And my SA-7S1 is probably not even fully broken-in yet (purchased in Feb this year).

I just wish I have a bigger room so I don't have to set up the speakers so close to the wall.

Sorry, I didnt mean to offend re: the marantz & of course the proof is in the sound...which is one of the things I hate about just talking about the gear. Its so important to get a good match & I recall a friend having a high end Marantz CD player some years ago, but I can t recall anything about it.

Talking about rooms, I had a friend in Australia who spent about $60,000 AUD putting an extension onto his house for an Audio room. He had about $250,000 AUD of gear including a set of electrostatic speakers, which were very different again.

http://www.au.martinlogan.com/applications...ign_series.html

[MarkBKK]

I hate this thread. It's making me miss my Townshend Rock/Excalibur/Merlin/AT-OC9 vdH. Sob.

[goldfish]

Had a friend bring over a cyrus amp and cd player. Bought some Dali speakers in malaysia (hadn't heard them before but impressed with the sound). Made some speaker stands out of 60cm floor tiles (inexpertly cut with an angle grinder, glued and filled with a large amount of sand), and a hi-fi rack made again from floor tiles supported by whisky bottles filled with coloured sand (just like you'd find in a tacky shop at the beach. Any thai girls who ask get told to dig for the different colours). All perched on 'triangular feet'. Needs must. Works pretty good

[Hssl]

I'll try and dig out the 'hi fi' blind test on speaker cable, coat hanger Vs some crazy priced hi fi stuff. Nobody could tell the difference!

[neverdie]

I've been told to create a poll here, to see if we have the numbers for a sub forum.

I will get to that in the morning, its bedtime now.

[Gippy]

I'd join in on a sub forum.

I run a Linn LP12, Audible Illusions Modulus 3A preamp and a couple of SE40 tube power amps. Great sound but those tube amps kick out a lot of heat and are not the most practical equipment in a room without air-con!

[mca]

Used to have a Linn Sondek Valhalla with Koetsu Black cartridge back in the UK until my house was burgled and the scum made off with them. I was so "red mist descending" furious if the cops had caught them and brought them to me I'd most probably being doing time for murder now.

[Gary A]

Congratulations to all of you who have ears sharp enough to appreciate good equipment. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, I can't tell the difference between a 200,000 baht system and a 20,000 baht system. Some people judge their equipment solely on the basis of how loud they can play it.

[chrgrims]

i am a musician and used to have some nice systems back home. i did bring my denon receiver though, with a denon cd player. I hooked it up with some yamaha speakers i bought here. thats in my bedroom. in my living room i have a cheap 5.1 system for the new thai family to enjoy, soken. its actually pretty good for the price. my tv is a gorgeous samsung 42" plasma. if anyone know a good online store for cds and dvds in thailand, please post it here. the malls in my area have a terrible selection.

[maccaroni man]

however I must admit Im not that keen on Marantz. (but the proof is in the sound & the match).

I've heard many audiophiles say that, but SA-7S1 might change your perception of Marantz. I've auditioned the same set up with Ayre C-5Xe SACD player, another highly rated player of its class, at the distributor auditioning room with better room acoustics than my condo living. SA-7S1 in my room sounded better than C-5Xe in auditioning room. And my SA-7S1 is probably not even fully broken-in yet (purchased in Feb this year).

I just wish I have a bigger room so I don't have to set up the speakers so close to the wall.

Sorry, I didnt mean to offend re: the marantz & of course the proof is in the sound...which is one of the things I hate about just talking about the gear. Its so important to get a good match & I recall a friend having a high end Marantz CD player some years ago, but I can t recall anything about it.

Talking about rooms, I had a friend in Australia who spent about $60,000 AUD putting an extension onto his house for an Audio room. He had about $250,000 AUD of gear including a set of electrostatic speakers, which were very different again.

http://www.au.martinlogan.com/applications...ign_series.html

in the old days going back to the 70's i had a sansui 771 it was running about 45 wats per chnl at rms and could drive my boe 901 speakrs with ease, the i moved up to a dennon pre amp with a macintosh tunner. Today the only component that still has quality production in terms of purist sound would be the Mac with vacum tubes; dennon and sansui have both gone the way of marantz and nay others i.e. polk speakers(one time great quality) Bose still makes a good speaker imho but there are much better. BTW i priced a mac system in paragon i.e. amp, pre amp, CD player, speakers a whopping 50k us dollars final note, the last wife (american got the stereo along with the house, we haggled more about the stereo than the house

[bonobo]

I have noticed that there is no forum on Thai Visa for those that are interested in Hi-Fi equipment. Is anyone out there interested in Quality Hi-Fi, if so what components are you running in Thailand?

If theres enough interest, maybe we can have a sub forum.

I'm not really interested in Surround Sound junk with multiple speakers, bells, lights and whistles. I am more the purist interested in turn tables, pre & power amps, a pair of speakers and cd player.

Aint that the truth, someone I can relate to, a fellow audiophile.

Dont even get me started on mp3 or i-pod junk, the sad fact is for many, they think thats what music actually sounds like.

You wont find anything as vulgar as a graphic equalisier in my house.

Enjoy your listening.

I am an audiophile, and my equipment back in the US is reallly, really (Infinity, Mac, Denon) high-end equipment.  However, just because we like high-quality sound, we should not snub our nose at modern technology.  Some of the pre-packaged systems-in-a-box actually provide better sound than some hi-fi of a decade or two ago.  And to degrade I-pods and the like is really pretty silly.  If you use good inputs (cd's or I-tunes dowloads), the music source for your system is quite a bit better than, let's say, records.  It is what you do with that source which matters.  The nice thing about an I-pod or MP3 player is that you generally don't need as many intermediate components before the speakers. Get high-end speakers, your decetn quality components, and an I-Pod as a source, and you can have great sound.

And I , for one, do appreciate having my I-pod as a source for my car sound, and I appreciate having my I-pod on a plane and such (I have much higher-quality earphones, though, than the Appel earbuds.)

Edited July 27, 2009 by bonobo

[neverdie]

I'd join in on a sub forum.

I run a Linn LP12, Audible Illusions Modulus 3A preamp and a couple of SE40 tube power amps. Great sound but those tube amps kick out a lot of heat and are not the most practical equipment in a room without air-con!

Well YOU are like a GOD to me then. Love Linn products.

Anyone that truely knows anything about hi-fi, its that the source is the most important aspect & in my opinion the linn brand of turntable seems to be able to extract the very best out of quality recorded analog vinyl.

Some people don't get it, theres absolutely No point getting a crap recording (especially stuff that goes from analog to digital then to another digital source and so on) then extract the sound via a cheap lets say cd player, then through a massive amp with lights sirens and whistles slammed into a $500,000 USD pair of speakers....YOU are going to end up with crap sound. Your much better off going from something decent down into cheap end speakers through a minimalist amp. Anyway, its horses for courses I guess.

[Nordlys]

Your much better off going from something decent down into cheap end speakers through a minimalist amp. Anyway, its horses for courses I guess.

No question quality of the source eqipment matters a lot (why I bought a flagship player from Marantz), but if it matters more than the amp or speakers is debatable.

I've seen that LINN LP 12 player at the outlet shop (read second hand from trade-in) of the LINN distributor in Thailand DECO 2000 in Amarin Plaza. Believe the new one costs around 200K baht in LOS without a cartridge.

[neverdie]

I am an audiophile, and my equipment back in the US is reallly, really (Infinity, Mac, Denon) high-end equipment. However, just because we like high-quality sound, we should not snub our nose at modern technology. Some of the pre-packaged systems-in-a-box actually provide better sound than some hi-fi of a decade or two ago. And to degrade I-pods and the like is really pretty silly. If you use good inputs (cd's or I-tunes dowloads), the music source for your system is quite a bit better than, let's say, records. It is what you do with that source which matters. The nice thing about an I-pod or MP3 player is that you generally don't need as many intermediate components before the speakers. Get high-end speakers, your decetn quality components, and an I-Pod as a source, and you can have great sound.

And I , for one, do appreciate having my I-pod as a source for my car sound, and I appreciate having my I-pod on a plane and such (I have much higher-quality earphones, though, than the Appel earbuds.)

I agree with most of what you have said & your comment about the source being the most important part of hi-fi, is 100% correct in my opinion. Thats where the problem lays with ipods. They are great for conviencance and a jem inside the motor car, however its how you get your music onto the ipod and its source that will dictate the sound. If your into digital music, fine, but I am yet to see any such ipod or mp3 player item give a performance as warm & rich as what can be extracted through a high quality turntable, pure amp & matching speakers.

You state that the music source will dictate the sound, thats so true, but I can't understand you idea that good imputs via cd's or i-tunes is quite a bit better than records. I thought similar to that until I was shown differently. I guess it all comes down to the type of music you are into & what you are chasing. If equalisers, big bass & the addition of colour and theme to your music is what you are chasing, then you can go that way. For me, the sound I am chasing is that of what the original artist recorded, pure and simple.

If you read that article I provided a link to earlier, it will give you a basic outline of why digital recordings will NEVER be able to cut it compared to Analog recorded vinyl. Theres heaps of other information on this topic available also, its not just my twisted opinion.

Here, pop down to the local audio shop and buy:

This turntable:

$300,000USD

This amp:

$600,000USD

and these speakers;

$2,000,000 USD

Get some quality connectors.........

and you will see what I mean. Ohh, I will lend you one of my Cat Stevens analog recorded vinyl albums for free - please don't scratch it.

I do agree with what you are saying thought that there is certainly a place for MP3, ipods and the like and naturally I have some of these, its when it comes down to the pure sound issue, unless your talking digital, I'm always going the basic gear.

[neverdie]

Your much better off going from something decent down into cheap end speakers through a minimalist amp. Anyway, its horses for courses I guess.

No question quality of the source eqipment matters a lot (why I bought a flagship player from Marantz), but if it matters more than the amp or speakers is debatable.

I've seen that LINN LP 12 player at the outlet shop (read second hand from trade-in) of the LINN distributor in Thailand DECO 2000 in Amarin Plaza. Believe the new one costs around 200K baht in LOS without a cartridge.

Yes, it is debatable, like all of this and personal taste comes into it naturally (what you don't like seafood?)

My point was simply that you cant start with shit and end up with quality....IMPOSSIBLE. I have always though matching your equipment was important. Also I like amps that don't add flavour to the music, just do their job ....AMPLIFY.

[Nordlys]

My point was simply that you cant start with shit and end up with quality....IMPOSSIBLE. I have always though matching your equipment was important. Also I like amps that don't add flavour to the music, just do their job ....AMPLIFY.

Again, no question with the above statement. However, "matching" is the choice of word of many Thai high-end distributor's sales clerks. And quite a few of them seems to think simply combining equipment from the same brand (often including cables) achieves that. The word you're looking for, is probably "synergy".