Attn audiophiles & home theatre buffs: Piyanas in PTY

[JSixpack]

Stopped by the new Piyanas outlet today. Really nice stuff!

It's located on the left of Pattaya Klang going towards Suk, about halfway between 3rd Rd and Foodland, before the Bank Of Ayudhya on the right. In the Pattaya Language and Computer School strip, 194 Pattaya Klang.

Check out the website (Pattaya location not yet listed):

http://www.piyanas.com/en/

[moonseeker]

Great! Thanks for the info. MS>

[raro]

Been there a couple of weeks ago. They had this tiny speaker system for a huge price that completely blew me away.

Will be back with my vinyls to check whether it's worth investing in a new turntable or just keep the old records for sentimental reasons...

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[jbrain]

Been there a couple of weeks ago. They had this tiny speaker system for a huge price that completely blew me away.

Will be back with my vinyls to check whether it's worth investing in a new turntable or just keep the old records for sentimental reasons...

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

i'm not an audiophile, that mean that I can't hear the difference between a 10$ speaker cable and a 100$ one, but I've been a music lover all my life and have loads of old vinyl's, an original Technics turntable, Celestion studio monitor speakers and a Marantz 7.1 amplifier and I consider those records for sentimental reasons only

Edited October 4, 2013 by jbrain

[JSixpack]

Been there a couple of weeks ago. They had this tiny speaker system for a huge price that completely blew me away.

Will be back with my vinyls to check whether it's worth investing in a new turntable or just keep the old records for sentimental reasons...

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Must admit I drooled over the turntables (should be wiped up by now). The Thorens--magic name from days of yore.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Do you guys still buy paper books and magazines too? I've got an old 8-trac player somewhere I can dig up and sell you.

[VBF]

Been there a couple of weeks ago. They had this tiny speaker system for a huge price that completely blew me away.

Will be back with my vinyls to check whether it's worth investing in a new turntable or just keep the old records for sentimental reasons...

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Must admit I drooled over the turntables (should be wiped up by now). The Thorens--magic name from days of yore.

Still got my Fons CQ30 with SME arm and Stanton cartridge which I bought in the 80s to replace a venerable Thorens TD150. Not got much vinyl left having remastered most of it but one never knows......

[VBF]

Do you guys still buy paper books and magazines too? I've got an old 8-trac player somewhere I can dig up and sell you.

Sometimes..... And sometimes I use Kindle on a tablet. I've still got 2 Denon cassette decks too - alongside the Netbook that plays my MP3s

[guzzi850m2]

I dragged 2 boxes of vinyl LP's with me to Thailand when I moved here permanently.

Now they are collecting dust in the stores room under the staircase in the house.

Also still got my old B&O record player in my office, think the pick-up is fxxxxx.

Shit man, I am getting old , when the CD's came out I refused to change but eventually did.

Will check the shop out when coming back from work end of Nov month.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Precious audiophile equipment in Thailand is like having an elephant ballerina... completely ridiculous, what with the constant power line surges and unsteady line voltage.

I bit the bullet long ago and went completely digital, first with CDs, later with CD rips, and now streaming and downloading. You can't beat the convenience and with a decent pair of head/earphones, 320 bitrate mp3 or flac lossless rips/downloads/streams, and if you want, a headphone amp, and you're at 95% of the sound quality of any "audiophile" systems.

Edited October 5, 2013 by OMGImInPattaya

[Bcgardener]

Just bought a new cartridge and preamp for my Rega Planer 3 turntable into a newish Marantz amp and Mordant Short speakers. Vinyl will never die. Go to any good music shop in the west now and you will find a great collection of new and old vinyl. Even the quality music shop in Central Pattaya Beach has a selection.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[JSixpack]

Precious audiophile equipment in Thailand is like having an elephant ballerina... completely ridiculous, what with the constant power line surges and unsteady line voltage.

Oh, but that can be dealt with. Take Electronics 101.

http://www.siliconthai.com/

I bit the bullet long ago and went completely digital, first with CDs, later with CD rips, and now streaming and downloading. You can't beat the convenience and with a decent pair of head/earphones, 320 bitrate mp3 or flac lossless rips/downloads/streams, and if you want, a headphone amp, and you're at 95% of the sound quality of any "audiophile" systems.

Not really. And how would you know unless you listened to an audiophile system and compared. The new shop has a listening room, BTW. You can bring along your Ipod and headphones and compare them there. If your old ears are too shot to tell any difference, then you can pat yourself on the back some more.

We all know about CDs and MP3s. Duh.

It's about more than vinyl and turntables, e.g., the high-end speakers, receivers, pre-amps, amps, beautiful design, etc. It's unquestionably a lot better soundwise--if you've got the dosh. Nobody would spend so much unless it is. Go read and hangout at http://www.head-fi.org/. Lot of experts there and some really smart people.

Nobody's making any sort of convenience argument here, so you're just throwing out a red herring for the sake of blowing hot air. OK, you don't like high-end audio equipment. We got it already, you made your point, this thread is irrelevant for you--don't stop in at Piyanas--so time to buzz off.

Edited October 5, 2013 by JSixpack

[anon8]

Been there a couple of weeks ago. They had this tiny speaker system for a huge price that completely blew me away.

Those were most likely mini monitors by Proac or Dynaudio.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Precious audiophile equipment in Thailand is like having an elephant ballerina... completely ridiculous, what with the constant power line surges and unsteady line voltage.

Oh, but that can be dealt with. Take Electronics 101.

http://www.siliconthai.com/

I bit the bullet long ago and went completely digital, first with CDs, later with CD rips, and now streaming and downloading. You can't beat the convenience and with a decent pair of head/earphones, 320 bitrate mp3 or flac lossless rips/downloads/streams, and if you want, a headphone amp, and you're at 95% of the sound quality of any "audiophile" systems.

Not really. And how would you know unless you listened to an audiophile system and compared. The new shop has a listening room, BTW. You can bring along your Ipod and headphones and compare them there. If your old ears are too shot to tell any difference, then you can pat yourself on the back some more.

We all know about CDs and MP3s. Duh.

It's about more than vinyl and turntables, e.g., the high-end speakers, receivers, pre-amps, amps, beautiful design, etc. It's unquestionably a lot better soundwise--if you've got the dosh. Nobody would spend so much unless it is. Go read and hangout at http://www.head-fi.org/. Lot of experts there and some really smart people.

Nobody's making any sort of convenience argument here, so you're just throwing out a red herring for the sake of blowing hot air. OK, you don't like high-end audio equipment. We got it already, you made your point, this thread is irrelevant for you--don't stop in at Piyanas--so time to buzz off.

Stateside, I never went nuts but did have a somewhat mid-range system (maranze CD player, acurus amp, and good speakers who's name eludes me). It sounded nice but it was not a 5-10k system my any means. I also used to religiously read Stereofile magazine and wonder what those 5000-10,000 amps, turntables, and speakers could sound like.

When I came to Thailand I checked, I checked out allot of the high end audio shops (Phloenchit Center used to have allot and that building opposite World Trade Center) and even found a place in Sri Racha when I moved to Pattaya. Sure, that high-end can sound nice...mainly I like the incredible sound stage one can achieve...but I guess I just could never justify the prices.

Maybe I'm like that famous Stereofile reviewer who a few years back came to a similar conclusion that one can get good enough sound with high end digital playback on decent gear that the high-end of the market may be doomed.

However, if these toys float one's boat, I'm glad you all now have a place for n Pattaya to indulge you. Like I always say, Pattaya grows up more everyday...and I wish I did buy that Golden Tube Audio amp that day 20 years ago

[VBF]

Precious audiophile equipment in Thailand is like having an elephant ballerina... completely ridiculous, what with the constant power line surges and unsteady line voltage.

Oh, but that can be dealt with. Take Electronics 101.

http://www.siliconthai.com/

I bit the bullet long ago and went completely digital, first with CDs, later with CD rips, and now streaming and downloading. You can't beat the convenience and with a decent pair of head/earphones, 320 bitrate mp3 or flac lossless rips/downloads/streams, and if you want, a headphone amp, and you're at 95% of the sound quality of any "audiophile" systems.

Not really. And how would you know unless you listened to an audiophile system and compared. The new shop has a listening room, BTW. You can bring along your Ipod and headphones and compare them there. If your old ears are too shot to tell any difference, then you can pat yourself on the back some more.

We all know about CDs and MP3s. Duh.

It's about more than vinyl and turntables, e.g., the high-end speakers, receivers, pre-amps, amps, beautiful design, etc. It's unquestionably a lot better soundwise--if you've got the dosh. Nobody would spend so much unless it is. Go read and hangout at http://www.head-fi.org/. Lot of experts there and some really smart people.

Nobody's making any sort of convenience argument here, so you're just throwing out a red herring for the sake of blowing hot air. OK, you don't like high-end audio equipment. We got it already, you made your point, this thread is irrelevant for you--don't stop in at Piyanas--so time to buzz off.

Stateside, I never went nuts but did have a somewhat mid-range system (maranze CD player, acurus amp, and good speakers who's name eludes me). It sounded nice but it was not a 5-10k system my any means. I also used to religiously read Stereofile magazine and wonder what those 5000-10,000 amps, turntables, and speakers could sound like.

When I came to Thailand I checked, I checked out allot of the high end audio shops (Phloenchit Center used to have allot and that building opposite World Trade Center) and even found a place in Sri Racha when I moved to Pattaya. Sure, that high-end can sound nice...mainly I like the incredible sound stage one can achieve...but I guess I just could never justify the prices.

Maybe I'm like that famous Stereofile reviewer who a few years back came to a similar conclusion that one can get good enough sound with high end digital playback on decent gear that the high-end of the market may be doomed.

However, if these toys float one's boat, I'm glad you all now have a place for n Pattaya to indulge you. Like I always say, Pattaya grows up more everyday...and I wish I did buy that Golden Tube Audio amp that day 20 years ago

Much of it is subjective. Never forget that the ears are yours and what you hear is all important. The room is a major factor too - think of it as part of the sound system especially when it comes to comparing speakers. The "analogue vs digital" argument has been raging for years - people have their opinions but as I say, it's very subjective and I don't intend to provoke another debate on THAT subject. Just beware of some "experts" with biased opinions - the "King's New Clothes" syndrome comes to mind.

Edited October 7, 2013 by VBF

[anon8]

Much of it is subjective. Never forget that the ears are yours and what you hear is all important. The room is a major factor too - think of it as part of the sound system especially when it comes to comparing speakers.

Yup, good acoustics in listening room is probably the most effective way to improve sound. Doesn't have to be Live end/Dead end, but early reflections in room make the most expensive system sound lousy, and good room makes not even super expensive system sound good. Often the good sound at hi end dealer is not just good equipment, but also good room, there are always absorbers and diffusers to deal with reflections and to make the frequency response even.

I also used to read Stereophile religiously, gave up after the hyping of cables, became ridiculous. You could somehow justify $7000 Mark Levinson amp (thick Al face plates etc), but there is no excuse for $500 power supply cords. In many ways hi end audio industry can blame itself in its decline. Still nice hobby tho

[anon8]

Maybe I'm like that famous Stereofile reviewer who a few years back came to a similar conclusion that one can get good enough sound with high end digital playback on decent gear that the high-end of the market may be doomed.

Corey Greenberg? He was such great reviewer, flipping back issues so much fun to read

Edited October 7, 2013 by valgehiir

[UncleJ]

Some take it to extremes.

I know a guy who gets off listening to his power cords, interconnects and even his cryogenically treated, hospital grade wall plugs.

Then spends hours trying to impress others on the audio forums on what fuse sounds better with his amp......

[OMGImInPattaya]

Some take it to extremes.

I know a guy who gets off listening to his power cords, interconnects and even his cryogenically treated, hospital grade wall plugs.

Then spends hours trying to impress others on the audio forums on what fuse sounds better with his amp......

Sounds like the next Adam Lanza...I hope he doesn't live in Pattaya!

[VBF]

Some take it to extremes.

I know a guy who gets off listening to his power cords, interconnects and even his cryogenically treated, hospital grade wall plugs.

Then spends hours trying to impress others on the audio forums on what fuse sounds better with his amp......

Quite right Uncle J.

Personally I prefer listening to my MUSIC As QUAD (The Acoustical Manufacturing Company in UK) used to say in their advertising, one should strive for "The Closest Approach to the Original Sound"

Furthermore as for the incessant nonsense batted out about cables (size, composition and direction) and much of the other superannuated twaddle one hears...PLEASE!!!! An elementary grasp of Physics tells one that, at Audio frequencies and domestic levels of power, one would be hard put to discern any difference. If the speaker cables are heavy enough for (example) 1KW of domestic power they are MORE than adequate. Therefore I use 13A flexible power cables, soldered to the binding plugs. Once a year (or when I remember!) I unplug everything and plug it all back in. This cleans the connectors - job done - music time. Out of interest, look at the cables used in the recording of live music and, considering that's the "original sound" draw your own conclusions.

[UncleJ]

The Van Den Hul Royal Jade speaker cables have arrows printed on the insulation so you get the electrons flowing in the correct direction.

A guy told me with a straight face, they sound better in reverse!

A respected engineer at Mcintosh explains speaker cables here:

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire.htm

[VBF]

The Van Den Hul Royal Jade speaker cables have arrows printed on the insulation so you get the electrons flowing in the correct direction.

A guy told me with a straight face, they sound better in reverse!

A respected engineer at Mcintosh explains speaker cables here:

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire.htm

Very interesting article - especially:

"The contact resistance of clean connectors and the internal impedance of good quality amplifiers is normally small. The controlling factors that remain are the speaker system impedance and the speaker wire resistance. "

"It can be solid, stranded, copper, oxygen free copper, silver, etc.--or even "magic" wire--as long as the resistance is kept to be less than 5% of the speaker impedance. There is no listening difference as long as the wire is of adequate size."

"I credit the success of the speaker wire industry to their expert sales and marketing ability. However, it is my experience that ordinary copper wire, as long as it's heavy enough, is just as good as name brands."

"There are a lot of myths about speaker wires, but in the end it's thickness that counts, and 12 gauge should be heavy enough for any reasonable domestic application."

Notice Roger Russell's comment about CLEAN connectors (my emphasis) and see my post (#20) above.

Edited October 8, 2013 by VBF

[UncleJ]

Agreed.

Connections need some maintenance. Does the connection lube do anything I wonder?

AC Polarity.

One valuable tweak that is usually overlooked is the AC polarity.

Simple to check and easy to fix with a cheap volt meter.

www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/acpolarity.html

[VBF]

Agreed.

Connections need some maintenance. Does the connection lube do anything I wonder?

AC Polarity.

One valuable tweak that is usually overlooked is the AC polarity.

Simple to check and easy to fix with a cheap volt meter.

www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/acpolarity.html

I agree about AC polarity - if you use power cable as I suggested above, the wires will be different colours - simples! Incorrect polarity is usually indicated by lack of bass and stereo image - that is, you can't place where the sound stage is.

Generally, the act of removing the plug and replacing (2 or 3 times) it will suffice for cleaning, however if you think the connections are particularly tarnished then:

Switch off all power (should be obvious, but there are those!)

Unplug connectors

Take a clean LINT FREE cloth (a handkerchief will do) and soak it in Isopropyl Alcohol. See note below

Clean the connectors.

Wait about 1 minute for the Isopropyl Alcohol to dry.

Replace connectors

Switch on, pour drink, relax and enjoy music

Note PLEASE do NOT use commercial cleaners or connection lube that merely contain Isopropyl Alcohol as they also contain oils and grease that remain as deposits on the connectors, thereby defeating the object of cleaning. If you cannot get Isopropyl Alcohol (or Denatured Alcohol), Vodka works almost as well and provides some "post cleaning relaxation" into the bargain!

Note also that Isopropyl Alcohol is VERY volatile and flammable - this one for the smokers!

Edited October 8, 2013 by VBF

[MrWorldwide]

Guys, I came to this insane hobby late in life - I've been active on one forum for about 5 years and another for 3, I own some mid-fi gear and a few headphones and I dont like the term 'audiophile' because it denotes the image of a sad, strange little man hunched over a pair of speakers in a basement in New Jersey. The parallels with TV are astounding - both hobbies are dominated by middle-aged men who are absolutely convinced that their view of the world is the only sane view that anyone could take, and what the hell is wrong with anyone who sees it differently ?

Although I keep all my music on a hard drive (ripped CDs and downloads), there is something to be said for the cult of the turntable - it takes most of us back to a simpler time and the excitement of buying new vinyl back in the day. I'm hoping I can recapture some of that excitement *if* DSD takes off, but even 16/44.1 'cd quality' can be superb if properly recorded and mastered, and for mine that is the single biggest issue with modern music. Nothing I buy can ever fix a poor recording - at best, it can apply a little body filler but that's just not going to be enough when the engineer compressed everything to within an inch of it's life during the worst of the loudness wars.

One of the things I look forward to next year is being able to visit high end stores in Singapore, Tokyo, HK, Seoul and Bangkok - I also want to attend a decent classical performance and as many rock gigs as I can get to. It's so easy to become caught up in the obsession with gear and forget what it is we are trying to recreate in the first place. I'll definitely include Piyanas in those visits - kudos to the guys for finally getting this store up and running after years of forum queries asking about a Pattaya store.

[MrWorldwide]

Some take it to extremes.

I know a guy who gets off listening to his power cords, interconnects and even his cryogenically treated, hospital grade wall plugs.

Then spends hours trying to impress others on the audio forums on what fuse sounds better with his amp......

Thousands just like him, but the cable companies should be studied at Harvard Business School, IMO. They will put out a flagship power cord or interconnect at, say, 15K USD - everyone, including many in the audio press, will start banging on about the insanity of a cable costing that much money (less so now that there are so many hideously expensive cables out there) but it gets them the publicity spike. Having established that these guys are serious about their cables, they will release cheaper cables - still 2-3K USD, but a fraction of the price of the flagship, and the same reviewers will herald the 'midrange' cables as a high-end bargain. The other strategy is as old as the Model T - 'dont scrimp on cables if you are going to buy quality electronics+speakers'. It all feeds into audiophilia nervosa, but it's effective - anytime I see 'high-end' and 'bargain' in the same sentence, I steel myself for the price tag

I'm not going to say 'cables dont make a difference' until I can hear a few of the more expensive models side-by-side with their cheaper cousins, but 12K worth of difference ? One reason why some companies deliberately position themselves at the 'if you have to ask the price, you cant afford it !' end of the market.

http://www.nordost.com/

Compare that site to their 'working class man' competition at BJC.

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/

[MrWorldwide]

Just wondering if anyone else has ventured into the new shop to check it out since this thread kicked off ? The Piyanas website has an absolutely huge range - I imagine that each branch can only stock a fraction of what's on the site - anyone ? I'm keen to hear a lot of different gear, but this is probably at the top of my list right now:

http://piyanas.com/shopping/productdetail.php?cat=108.587&id=3667〈=th

Not cheap, but compared to streamers from Naim and Linn, its a relative bargain. Most *sane* people on TV would look at that sticker, roll their eyes and tell me I'm insane - I feel much the same way when I see what some are willing to pay for camera gear. I rationalise it by telling myself that every hour I spend at home listening to music (or watching movies on a decent HT rig) is an hour that I'm not paying to be entertained somewhere else.

[PoetDrunkInTheBoat]

Guys, I came to this insane hobby late in life - I've been active on one forum for about 5 years and another for 3, I own some mid-fi gear and a few headphones and I dont like the term 'audiophile' because it denotes the image of a sad, strange little man hunched over a pair of speakers in a basement in New Jersey. The parallels with TV are astounding - both hobbies are dominated by middle-aged men who are absolutely convinced that their view of the world is the only sane view that anyone could take, and what the hell is wrong with anyone who sees it differently ?

Although I keep all my music on a hard drive (ripped CDs and downloads), there is something to be said for the cult of the turntable - it takes most of us back to a simpler time and the excitement of buying new vinyl back in the day. I'm hoping I can recapture some of that excitement *if* DSD takes off, but even 16/44.1 'cd quality' can be superb if properly recorded and mastered, and for mine that is the single biggest issue with modern music. Nothing I buy can ever fix a poor recording - at best, it can apply a little body filler but that's just not going to be enough when the engineer compressed everything to within an inch of it's life during the worst of the loudness wars.

One of the things I look forward to next year is being able to visit high end stores in Singapore, Tokyo, HK, Seoul and Bangkok - I also want to attend a decent classical performance and as many rock gigs as I can get to. It's so easy to become caught up in the obsession with gear and forget what it is we are trying to recreate in the first place. I'll definitely include Piyanas in those visits - kudos to the guys for finally getting this store up and running after years of forum queries asking about a Pattaya store.

To me, the term dredges up that super great film with g hackman, you know the one if you are interested in audio equipment.

But my problem is I do not have proper funding to get decent sound.

Where can I get two decent speakers in CM, and an amp.

For next to nothing,

Used.

If this were the USA there are many places which are just about giving it away.

I don't need high volume I only inhabit one single big room.

But there is no substitute fir POWER even though you might only use 4 percent volume of what the amp could provide.

Any thoughts? tks.

(I only listen to chamber music, and Brubeck)

Edited November 25, 2013 by PoetDrunkInTheBoat

[MrWorldwide]

Yep - I dont know of too many Goodwill stores in Chiang-Mai, and if there were I'd imagine they would be pretty well picked over by now !

I know you'll laugh at the prospect of an 'ipod dock', but if you have a Bluetooth-capable phone, check out the youtube vids on the peachtree audio deepblue. By the time you buy a source, two speakers and an amp, you are unlikely to have change from 400USD anyway, given that you are unlikely to get what you want used. Compared to Bose and their ilk, I was surprised - even given the usual YT tinny sound - by just how 'chunky' the deepblue sounds (not sure if you can audition it anywhere in LOS though).

http://audio-head.com/what-was-the-most-amazing-thing-i-saw-at-axpona-2013/

Edit: found the Thai distributor for peachtree, and in classic TiT fashion their site remains 'under construction'. Probably nothing more than a warehouse in Lad Phrao anyway

http://www.deco.co.th/

Edited November 25, 2013 by MrWorldwide

[PoetDrunkInTheBoat]

Yep - I dont know of too many Goodwill stores in Chiang-Mai, and if there were I'd imagine they would be pretty well picked over by now !

I know you'll laugh at the prospect of an 'ipod dock', but if you have a Bluetooth-capable phone, check out the youtube vids on the peachtree audio deepblue. By the time you buy a source, two speakers and an amp, you are unlikely to have change from 400USD anyway, given that you are unlikely to get what you want used. Compared to Bose and their ilk, I was surprised - even given the usual YT tinny sound - by just how 'chunky' the deepblue sounds (not sure if you can audition it anywhere in LOS though).

http://audio-head.com/what-was-the-most-amazing-thing-i-saw-at-axpona-2013/

Edit: found the Thai distributor for peachtree, and in classic TiT fashion their site remains 'under construction'. Probably nothing more than a warehouse in Lad Phrao anyway

http://www.deco.co.th/

The peachtree audio sounds really interesting.

Also, peachtree reminds me of Atlanta, where almost every street is named peachtree or peachsomething.

Not having a decent speaker amp for the signal from my computer to play my Bach is a hardship.