ISO - grit, texture, decay, life from snares and bass drums


Hi all,

Interested to hear some theories on what I'm looking for in a speaker (or new amp).  My system features the Rega Aethos driving a pair of Wharfedale EVO 4.4 (bi-wired).  

Don't get me wrong - it sounds great. Clear, precise, involving.  Great tone, imaging, and separation.

But I'm missing a little bit of grit and texture.  Sometimes I wish these speakers partied better.  Snares don't *snap* crackle pop.

Off axis listening - especially standing in the room, rather than sitting - changes tonality significantly.

What am I looking for?  More bass? More musicality? More Life?  I don't want bright or fatigue.

 

Some speakers I'm considering in no particular order based on descriptions/reviews:

- Sourcepoint 8

- Revival Audio Atalante 3

- PMC prodigy5

 

Thanks!

leemaze

@tunefuldude , Beryllium tweeters are good, as long as that’s the sound you’re going for. Very crisp and precise. The OP mentioned snare and cymbal pop. Can't really get better than Be for that, imo.

 

Thanks for all the thoughtful responses.

Horns sound great to me for a bit, but they get tiresome - fatiguing.  Additionally i don't love their directionality.

I'll look into ATC - any particular models as a good value.

Also considering Omega Alnico Monitors - anyone with experience on their sound signature?

Or the KEF R3 Meta?

I'm wondering also if my current speakers are too big for my room (11.5' D x 12.5 W x 10.5' H, with open spaces on both sides of the width.  Couch at the back wall.  Tweeters are approx 2ft from the front wall)

 

 

 

 

I’ll look into ATC - any particular models as a good value.

As you seem to be looking at speakers in the $3k range I’d recommend the SCM19 v2. Music Direct offers a return policy so I’ll include their link here…

https://www.musicdirect.com/equipment/speakers/atc-scm19-v2-bookshelf-speakers/

I happen to think the SCM40 offers a lot of value as you get a floorstander that incorporates their separate dome midrange driver, but that’s $6k so may be over your budget although there is a used pair available for a bit less…

https://tmraudio.com/speakers/floorstanding-speakers/atc-scm-40-gen-2-floorstanding-speaker-scm40-v2-black-ash-pair/

Hi all,

happy thanksgiving. By way of an update, I moved my Loki EQ to my main system, did an initial tuning with Pink Noise, and then tweaked back with listening. For those unfamiliar it’s a pretty simple EQ with only 4 knobs and here’s where I ended up:

Bands:

  • 20Hz -boost
  • 400Hz -cut
  • 2kHz -boost
  • 8kHz -boost

wow - the result is great. It’s like a veil was lifted and the mix is much cleaner-less muddy. And I thought it was clear before! Snares and the drum set as a whole pops more. Newer rock music, which can be somewhat harsh, is less fatiguing and more involving. Speakers disappear more.

Much better. But I still think the system is a little polite. I ordered DynaTens from Omega Speakers last week - these are 90db 10” full range driver speakers with a tweeter in a big beautiful box. Excited to see what they can do.