Have you moved away from full range to standmount speakers + subs?


I want to know if you have been on a journey moving from a large full range speaker to a smaller one paired wit subs, maybe even four subs.


Maybe you moved away from the big speakers because you had too much bass or you got a better soundstage from the smaller speakers. Let me know what motivated you and if you think it’s better now.


My motivation for wanting to try smaller speakers.


I have the Tekton DI and until a month ago I was using a LM845P SET amp to drive them.

It only sounded good on simple jazz and vocals but on complex music everything was falling apart.

I am not playing loud but I think it was the low 2 ohm load in the midrange that made the LM break down.


I bought a used PS Audio BHK250 and pre and it was like getting new speakers. Never ever had it occurred to me that speaker and amp matching could have such a profound effect.


So I am enjoying my speakers now and listen to music I have avoided like the plague and enjoying it (:


But all of this got me thinking, what if I paired my LM845P with an easy to drive speaker and paired it with some subs?


Then the LM845 could do what it's best at, playing glorious midrange and the subs could play the bass.

So that's my motivation for trying smaller speakers.


I am also hoping that maybe I could get better and more even bass with 2 or 4 subs. Maybe a better soundstage because the small speakers have a very small baffle.

martin-andersen

Showing 1 response by panzrwagn

Horses for courses. Little monitors in big rooms will likely never sound 'right' with regard to image size. Big JBLs, Vintage Altec 604s, or Klipsch Horns will simply be overbearing in a bedroom. 
The dynamic linearity (ratio of change in input to change in output) of a small speaker will always be limited by the simple physics, but within their capabilities, it's a non-issue. If you listen at 6ft, you need 6dB (4X) less amp than listening at 12 ft. Inverse square law. Conversely, listening at 12 ft you also need a speaker with 6dB more headroom, which the small speaker simply can't deliver.  

The point is speakers are part of a system that includes the room and is guided by physical laws. Discussing a single component out of the context of the entire system is kinda pointless. Stand mounted speakers are generally intended for smaller spaces, large floor-standing speakers for larger spaces. Adding a subwoofer extends LF range and dynamics for the lower couple of octaves, but the capabilities of the stand mount above ~80Hz are pretty much the same.