I would echo a previous response about adequate break in of the new speakers. I am assuming they’re brand new and have the time. The sound can change significantly after a 100 hours on them.
Just my thoughts which are probably meaningless
Comparing speakers at home questions
When looking for a new/replacement pair of speakers how do you compare them at home?
I have my current speakers and another pair that I purchased to try out at home in my system. So do you think it’s better to A/B them back to back, like play a song and then switch and play the same song again. Or is it better to listen to one pair for a day, or two, or a week and then switch and listen to those for an extended time?
I feel like switching between songs gives you an immediate sense of what’s different because you just heard the same song but will listening for longer periods to each speaker allow your ears to adjust to each and give you a better idea of how they will perform long term? Or should I do some of both techniques, quick switches between and longer periods between switching?
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Relax and take it slow, one set of speakers at a time. Listen for the good and the bad, take notes including what track you are listening to and then after a week or two go to the next pair of speakers. Listen in a relaxed state, take notes again, the good and the bad- and note the track you played. F few back and forths should give you a clear picture of which you like the best. |
+1 @soix . Our long term auditory memory is quite bad, actually. Differences show up much better with quicker A/B testing. Preferences and fatigue, however, can take more time to evaluate. A combination of both short and longer term comparisons works best for me.
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I had thoughts about this. A question came to mind. Is the speaker you will be auditioning, Brand New? Some speakers, especially "high end" speakers suck right out of the box. Needing break-in time. Receive, Unbox, Setup and Listen maybe dreadful. I have a cd compilation of "test" pieces I’ve used for years. Jazz, orchestral, solo vocal, solo piano... I may use vinyl if a thought comes to be, picky. I can’t do quick A/B test listens. I prefer to set the new speakers exactly where my present speakers are. Needing just a bit of toe in/out, forward/backward. Subwoofer comes later. A long listen for me. See how much of that or other "something" bugs me. I would not be looking for another speaker if something is not bugging me about my present speakers or system. Continuing down the audio rabbit hole. |
This is an easy one, in fact. Try to compare tubes when the difference is subtle. I also once had fun comparing RCA cables that sounded very very similar and very close to each other in my system. Both were absolutely excellent, and the price difference used was $1000.00. Good for me that I needed them both. The more expensive one was a little more neutral and balanced, and the less expensive one was a bit more vivid and colorful, but not colored. The less expensive cable was Gabriel Gold Infusion 2. The more expensive one was Wywires Diamond. I compared with analogue source, both phono stage and cassette deck, from the source to preamp. |
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