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I'm never going to hear a megaspeaker in a good room am I?

Was thinking about something. There’s a thread about good $40K speakers which made me think that honestly despite hearing a lot of them at shows, I’ve never heard one in a decent environment. Now, perhaps we can argue:

If it doesn’t sound good anywhere, including a hotel room, is it really that good a speaker?


But let’s not go that route. But I am thinking to myself, in well treated rooms the best speakers I’ve heard were merely mid-range Wilsons and Magicos. I say "merely" because they were under $40k, not because of performance. The two best speakers I’ve heard, in medicore rooms were the SF Stradivari and Snell A/III, and top of the line Vandersteen.

All the $40K + speakers I’ve heard have been at shows, and either very badly treated rooms, or in halls so big the first reflection point was like a mountain echo. Am I ever going to get to listen to $40K+ speakers in great rooms anywhere again??

As a result, I’ve developed a severe bias against the performance of mega speakers, because I only ever hear them in terrible rooms and have not heard one I’d spend money for, and honestly that's unfair to them.

erik_squires

Showing 2 responses by mahgister

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,730 posts
 
It was my first listening experience in a well-treated room and it was jaw-dropping. I felt as if I was in a vacuum chamber where there was no echo/reflections whatsoever. The soundstage was so 3-dimensional and lifelike! My point is that it may be better to search for these room more than searching for $100k or whatever mega price speakers that are simply connected.
Thanks for this very interesting experience...

My experience is the same, except that not only acoustic, but mechanical and electrical embeddings controls are the way to go first....

My 500 bucks system gives me this "3-d and lifelike experience, ONLY because of the way i adressed these 3 embeddings controls priorities...

But it is more easy for us sometimes to gives money instead of thinking, or to buy ready made, instead of working it ourself.... But sometimes working is fun when it is possible and stimulate our own creativity.... I bought NOTHING (tweaks or upgrade product) , and create many solutions from homemade simple experience....My post is for those who need to be confirm in their intruition and dont have big money but big wish for audiophile experience..... Contrary to most adivices mine is simple: dont upgrade, embed it rigthtfully and enjoy doing it....

The only problem is it was for me necessary, not to have money, but to have a room for my audio experiments.... It can be done in a living room only if your are not married.... :)

If you are, it will be costly to have beautiful acoustical device controls and adequate controls at the same times.... :)

Mine a cheap,homemade, ugly, (i am not very crafty) but very poweful indeed.... My speakers will astound anyone with their sound for the price paid..... All that comes less from the good speakers choice than the device controls i used to liberate their potential S.Q.

Poor audiophile like me are not necessarily frustrated one....

Even with the money i dont know if i will upgrade, because if you can listen the Great Mass of Bruckner on your speakers without losing details, dynamical intermingling of brass,wood, choir and strings why paying for more?

My dream is comes true.... That is enough....

Audio need less money power than a little creativity.....

My best to all....
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,730 posts
 
I have listened to systems from $100K to $800K in different and well designed rooms. My biggest take away has been, gee they sound really good but to me it’s amazing how little you can spend and get really good, satisfying sound in a well designed system.
It is my experience to the point that upgrading my speakers seems ridiculous and they cost me 50 dollars used....

In my experience, there exist many ways to transform the acoustic of a small room.... I succeed with unorthodox device creation of my own...

Audiophiles really think that UPGRADING is the only way to heaven.... This is totally false.... For sure we must begin with a relatively good pair of speakers....The rest is acoustic treatment but also active control....But dont forget that the mechanical and electrical embeddings are also very important....

All that cost me peanuts....

My post is for those who cannot afford costly gear, dont despair....

Creativity gives to you Hi-Fi, listening experiments is needed but it is not necessary at all to invest big money.... It is a myth linked to the unsufficient controls of the three embeddings in any audio system....

The test is simple, i dont use anymore any of my 7 pair of headphones Stax included because my speakers are now better....

The musical test is this one: can you distinguish in the great mass of Bruckner by Celibidache, all the strings, brass, wood instruments and the choral mass perfectly well in their interaction and dance? If so you have Hi-Fi....If not the speakers are not well chosen but it is probably a defect in the controls of one or 2 or the 3 embeddings...

I apologize for my provocative post but many people dream about Hi-Fi and dont have big money , then i speak for them, keep hope, be creative, dont upgrade before embeddings everything.... And Use your ears because contrary to hall concert the acoustic of a small room must be designed for YOUR ears by your ears.....Ant no 2 ears perceive sounds the same way....

My best to all....
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