TEAC S-300
Bright enough, but not overdone. They are small, yet mighty. I know what you mean...some speakers sound too dark.
Bright enough, but not overdone. They are small, yet mighty. I know what you mean...some speakers sound too dark.
Bookshelf speakers that project voices well
Need suggestions for bookshelf size speakers that will help my 92 year old mother, with hearing impairment, hear movie and TV dialog better. Started with a pair of Focal Chorus 706 speakers. Good on music but too dark and recessed for dialog. Next tried a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze center channels. These actually sound better on music than on dialog but, aren't that great. I think that they are a poor match with the amp.
I think that articulation is a big concern here. Also, any voice that is well projected, she can hear ok. She hears most male voices well but, many female voices, especially those that are from people that don't project well is the main problem.
We need to keep this simple. Adding any complication such as hearing aids that can tie to the TV sound are not desirable just due to the additional complication.
Even though I'm not a fan of horn speakers myself, might that be a good direction to go?
The integrated amp is an Arcam FMJ-A19. The desirable features of the Arcam are having a display and having direct access of the inputs as opposed to having a sequential input selector. She can't keep track of what input the unit is on with a sequential selector. Trying a different amp might be possible but, it needs to have the same features as the ones that I have mentioned.
Thanks in advance to all responders.
I think that articulation is a big concern here. Also, any voice that is well projected, she can hear ok. She hears most male voices well but, many female voices, especially those that are from people that don't project well is the main problem.
We need to keep this simple. Adding any complication such as hearing aids that can tie to the TV sound are not desirable just due to the additional complication.
Even though I'm not a fan of horn speakers myself, might that be a good direction to go?
The integrated amp is an Arcam FMJ-A19. The desirable features of the Arcam are having a display and having direct access of the inputs as opposed to having a sequential input selector. She can't keep track of what input the unit is on with a sequential selector. Trying a different amp might be possible but, it needs to have the same features as the ones that I have mentioned.
Thanks in advance to all responders.
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Ever thought about something like a soundbar specifically for voice? https://zvox.com/collections/accuvoice/products/accuvoice-av157-tv-speaker-with-twelve-levels-of-voi... |
Any of the current contemporary licensed versions of the legendary BBC monitors would be Harbeth, Graham, Rogers, Falcon and Spendor The LS3/5A (each element pronounced separately, without the stroke) is a small studio monitor-loudspeaker originated by the BBC for use by outside broadcast vans to ensure quality of their broadcasts. The speaker concept set out transparent and natural sound as the goal, and the achievement of the end result is widely acknowledged. The BBC granted licences to a small number of British firms, who first manufactured the product in 1975. The product underwent a change in 1987 due to consistency issues in manufacturing, and again in around 2003 when original parts from KEF ran out. Upwards of 60,000 pairs of the speaker have been sold. Reviewers have recognised its enormous importance as a bookshelf design. Those obsessed , fanatical and genius BBC engineers seeking s[eaker perfection as their Holy Grail , was to get the human voice as natural and clear as possible ....it was the national broadcaster. Then came the refinements to get the rest of the midrange “right” (that’s where 90+% of the listener sounds reside), and the rest of the speaker development spectrum followed. History The LS3/5A is a commercially produced loudspeaker driven by the need of the BBC to monitor and assess broadcast programme quality. It was derived from the LS3/5, which was conceived and developed by the BBC Engineering Department in the early 1970s, when it was under the stewardship of Dudley Harwood. (NOTE: he founded HARBETH) Having found no commercially produced small loudspeaker that met the requirement for naturalness and sonic neutrality, the BBC specifically set out to design a speaker to achieve natural overall sound quality and good dynamic range for monitoring broadcasts in tightly confined spaces. As the BBC broadcasting unit was about to order another batch of the monitor, it was found that the supplier had modified the drive units, meaning the LS3/5 design had to be fundamentally revised.[The BBC’s Designs Department was called upon to adapt the product in light of the supply changes. Modifications were made to adapt to the new drive units and deal with the altered resonance pattern, and the LS3/5 became the LS3/5A. The BBC then licensed the product to a small number of private sector companies. Production began in 1975. In 1987, as a result of reassessment of the product due to consistency issues in the manufacture of the mid–bass driver, the drivers were modified and the crossover changed. The overall impedance of the crossover fell to 11 ohms from the original 15 ohms. The various official versions of the LS3/5A from various licensees sold in significant numbers in its life of over a quarter of a century. Sales estimates range from 60,000[3] to 100,000 pairs. In the tail end of the 1990s, due to the parts being discontinued, the 3/5 had technically reached the end of the road. Some licensees continued to make small numbers of speakers, for a while, using re-manufactured parts. However, Stirling Broadcast, one of the last batch of licensees, completely redesigned the product based on the audio signature of the original, and launched the LS3/5A v2 with the full endorsement of the broadcaster in early 2006. In 2014, production of the 15 ohm version of the LS3/5a with a full BBC Licence was re-commenced by Falcon Acoustics using re-engineered versions of the original drive units and the original design BBC crossover all produced in-house. Best of the contemporaries: Harbeth released the P3ESR. https://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/harbeth_p3esr_loudspeaker/index.html https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/harbeth (Imperfectly perfect -.... my last speaker) https://liquidsound.ca/product/harbeth-p3esr/ https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/harbeth-p3esr-vs-the-new-xd https://www.the-ear.net/review-hardware/harbeth-p3esr-40th-anniversary-standmount-loudspeaker |
Easy to try ZVOX, you can return them. I got them a few years ago for my mother, helps her quite a bit, and avoids the volume jump of commercials, that is a big problem for the elderly, if the volume is already up so they can hear the program. This is the basic models page (the less options for the elderly the better). https://zvox.com/collections/accuvoice |
I was also thinking of the LS3 5A but now that I think of it a horn speaker might project to your mother better and also prevent many of the reflections in the room that might confuse her. You can get a pair of Klipsch Heresy's and remove the little base that comes with them. They are bookshelf sized. |
Have a friend that had a similar predicament and he bought his 90+ year old mother a pair of "hunter ears". Apparently it's made a huge improvement not only with her all around hearing but also her desire to communicate with others. Enhances the surrounding sound, blocks out loud noise and way cheaper and less complex than hearing aids. May be worth a try? |
Stirling Broadcast LS3/6 https://www.thesoundadvocate.com/2021/04/stirling-broadcast-bbc-ls3-6-loudspeakers-extensive-review/\ |
JR 149 might be worth adding to your list, https://www.hifinews.com/content/jim-rogers-jr149-vintage |