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Journalism of Courage
A look at the latest products in the high-end audio segment.
Spotlight
Philips HTS6553
These 3D angled speakers give a good surround sound experience and work well for DVDs,VCDs,CDs,USB devices and HDMI.
Bose Wave Music System III
Audio brand Bose recently launched a rather retro music system Wave III. This music system is best suited for the bedside table. It plays music via a CD and radio and doubles up as an alarm clock. In an age driven by digital music,Boses CD player will be a good choice if you have a large CD collection.
This product is the successor to Wave II and takes design cues from it. The system is fairly compact and weighs 3.9 kg. There are no buttons on the system and all controls are through a remote. The Wave IIIs display is pretty simple too. It shows the song title and name of the artist or the name of the FM radio station.
A feature upgrade is the touch-sensitive top of the Wave III. Want to snooze the alarm or switch off the player? Just touch the Wave and your job is done. This may not appear to be much,but its handy if you are really sleepy.
Bose has maintained its high standards as far as sound quality is concerned. The stereo effect on the Wave III is good if you are in front the system,within a 160-degree radius. The sound signature is warm,rich and has a good amount of bass. Most people like this sound signature and it fits the bill for a simplistic music system.
The best quality about this is its simplicity. There is no cable clutter,you only need to plug-in a simple power cord to set it up. For Rs 34,763,the system is expensive and this does not include the cost of accessories such as an iPod dock Rs 8,100,and a Bluetooth adapter Rs 12,263.
Triangle Lyrr
Triangle is a French audiophile-grade speaker company that does not manufacture its products. Parts of each speaker are made separately and then assembled by hand. The companys USP is its unique drive-unit technology.
The Lyrr speaker is from Triangles mid-end Genese range,a rung below the top-end Magellan series. The speakers are floorstanders,almost five feet tall. It has three bass drivers,a mid-range driver and a tweeter for the higher pitches. The weight of the entire unit exceeds 30 kg. The tall unit is made of wood veneer and has a glossy front.
If you want to buy high-end speakers,the Lyrrs Rs 4.12 lakh price tag should not be a hindrance. Its sound quality is fantastic. The bass is slightly recessed but has enough punch to satisfy most listeners. These speakers have a detailed,analytical sound signature,so no instrument or voice drowns the other. Overall,the sound is neutral and the speaker performs well,no matter what kind of music is thrown at it.
The Lyrr certainly sounds better than Triangles Quartet Rs 3 lakh. This does not mean that the Quartet is bad,just that comparatively the Lyrr performs better in almost every department. The sound is not unpleasantly aggressive. This can be heard in songs with sudden changes in pitch. The speakers manage transitions well,without losing the sound signature.
The Lyrr is far from inexpensive,yet it is both good-looking and great-sounding. It has a fine neutral sound,with deep bass. It represents all instruments well and does well with the treble too. Bass heads may not take to the Lyrr,but if you love detail,then this is it.
