Listening to what we Like Instead of what we have to
Trying to find my way back to enjoying/feeling music and moving away from analyzing fine details, critical listening etc...
My pinnacle of enjoyment was probably with inexpensive JM Lab bookshelfs, an old Velodyne ULD-12 Sub, and an Audio Research D-60 amp with CD straight in, no pre amp. Currently I am selling my Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grands they never really made me happy. The mids lose it with complicated transitions and they are a touch dry and bright to me. Current amp is an Audio by Van Alstine 60 w SET control amplifier. It runs approximately 90 watts into 4 ohms. Source is a Bluesound Node. Cables are MIT Term. 2 interconnects, and Kimber 8 TC speaker. I listen at low to moderate levels. The room is wider than deep. 12 deep and 18 wide. I can sit about 9 feet away from the fronts of speakers with them about 30 inches out from the walls. I do listen to music a lot when I’m up and about though, I'd like/prefer it to sound good then as well.
I often have to listen to only the most well produced and best recordings of genres I only kind of like, to enjoy the music. I’m really sick of that.
My music of choice is mostly 80s pop/rock/some country and glam rock. With a bit of 70s and 90s mixed in.
I enjoy finding new current music too. Usually pop and rock as well.
Steve Winwood, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, Eddie Money, Neil Diamond, Kiss, Madonna, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, AC/DC, Eric Clapton, Eric Carmen, 80s Billboard, Johnny Cash, Baltimora, etc...you get the point.
Detail is a good thing, like when you can hear Madonna say God echoing many times at the beginning of the long version of "Like A Prayer" or nice cymbal splash. Not too forward, or bright though. I have a decent REL sub so smaller speakers can work. I like a big soundstage and hearing things in recordings going on up, out and away from the speakers. Overly veiled is not preferable.
I could really use speaker advice or recommendations for under 3k. I’ll move backwards from new speakers through the rest of the system to make improvements if/when needed/ and can be afforded. Does any of this make sense? Thanks.
It’s the audiophile’s dilemma. You’re not alone. Most of the music I’m most emotionally invested in sounds terrible. So I’ve developed an appreciation for well recorded jazz/blues. It sucks but it’s hard to listen to bad recordings now and 90% of the music I grew up with and love is really poorly recorded. Luckily most Pink Floyd isn’t too bad. :) The upside is, I’ve come to genuinely like jazz. Some of it I can’t listen to, the crazy, phrenetic Freeform type makes zero sense to me and I won’t listen to it no matter how well it’s recorded. :)
But there’s definitely something appealing about listening to great recordings that are minimally processed, and showcase very pure sounding acoustic instruments. Love hearing the texture, timbre, and realism of the various instruments.
In the $3000 range i’d be looking at Dynaudio special 40, or Q acoustics. Maybe some 705 S3’s or used 805 d3’s.
I no longer waste too much energy analyzing too deeply what my motives are in developing an appreciation of well recorded acoustic jazz or blues, no reason to beat myself up. To thine own self be true. If it makes you happy, to quote Sheryl Crow, it can’t be that bad. 👍🏼
But there’s definitely something appealing about listening to great recordings that are minimally processed, and showcase very pure sounding acoustic instruments.
@sirmelvin27We have similar taste in music. Pat Benatar-Shadows of the Night is a good example of what a bad recording sound like even the remastered version but that is not going to stop me from listening to her music which I like. The Paradigm mini monitors I have made matter worse with music compressed recording. For that kind of music I prefer soft dome tweeters and not metallic material. For Jazz and instrumental that might be fine.
I find loads of great new musicians on Youtube. I find it's far better than the discovery algorithm on Qobuz. When I find something I like, I can go put it on my favorites list to play at higher resolution on Qobuz.
BTW... the music I find on Youtube is not bad at all. In fact, it's quite enjoyable to watch the performance and sound quality quite acceptable. I run a fiber cable from TV ( PCM ) through my DAC on to my main system. I know it's not as high rez as my Qobuz but it's highly entertaining.
When I demo my system for newbies I put on a live performance on the TV instead of staring at a blank wall. Way more FUN.
I often have to listen to only the most well produced and best recordings
Why? Is someone forcing you to do that? Of course not! It's something you choose to do. You have other choices. It's not about the equipment or even the setup, it's about you and your relationship to music. As those great musical philosophers so aptly put it way back in 1972 -- Whoa, listen to the music all the time.
If interested in a pair of stand mounts You might enjoy a pair pf Fritz Carbon 7s SEs. They are easy to drive. Known to mate well with your amp (from thread here on AG). Check out the website. The owner offers free shipping and a generous return policy.
Unless my system gives me the bait - a wow moment - each time I listen, I am not convinced it’s right for me. And I’m getting the bait from both systems, after many years of mix and match. I agree this is essential for emotional and intellectual engagement with the music. Loving it and hope you find yours.
This can be a problem. I realized my system had become a sound analysis devise highlighting the venue and details and not the music. I moved from dominantly solid state to tube equipment and Sonus Faber speakers. You can see my systems under my user ID.
You need not go as far as I have gone, but the choice of electronics is really important… and also the speakers. As an experiment, see if you can find a place to listen to an Audio Research I-50 integrated amp. Every time I hear one, I instantly forget about the system and fall into the music… like my current system.
You may not be able to do it in one step, but it is assembling a system around a completely different idea. A natural tube amp and musical speakers are a minimum requirement… but you can’t have a highly detailed lean unmusical preamp and DAC either.
@megabyyte totally agree with the jazz stuff. The freeform jazz annoys me to death. LOL! We have very similar tastes in music though. As for speakers, I would also try the Revival Atalante 3s---they're about $2700. With stands around $3100. They are amazing speakers---I recently sold my Dynaudio Special 40s for the Atalante 3s. They have a bigger sound than the S40s IMO. Much more musical, less analytical. Keep us posted!
There are so many choices in that price range. I agree with the others that suggested some travel to hear a variety of speakers. I think you will know them when you hear them.
Many of you if your music is not sounding great ,or at least good your sourse and digital chain is the weak link i hav3 solved this a few years back by other members in part of the multi state Audio groups I go to ,many times just contacts for other Audio people having shoot outs or tips on their digital success. Which I hav3 learned a lot from , starting with your router- streamer combo. No one in this day and age should Ever have a separate modem ,router isf so much more added noise get rid of it . Any,all wall warts get them the heck out . Digital is not grounded
from house to house wall warts create noise $3 piece of junk, I put in a LPS power supply from Linear Tube Audio ,$50 off for $700 on Audiogon. Best LPS under $1200 then judt put a ok power cord like a Pangea sig mk2 for 2 a major upgrade in fidelity ,I use hardwire,but even mu Roku stream more stable .
then your Ethernet cables at minimum from router $200 bare minimum ,end point much more important for a Better Ethernet cable . Then Ethernet hub
I have a ok one not great a good one $3k I paid $600 with decent ocxo clock,LPS power supply and regulators . LHY SW-8 also Pangea power cord not too much $$
but excellen5 value ,no power cords ever with Brass , it oxydizes black on to your AC gold over copper . Putin quality AC outlets again pangea $99 high purity copper ,gold plated 3x better conductor = 3 x less resistance - noise ,Better then bright Brass . Then your system will sound much better.
I also have 20 amp dedicated 4 wire 2 grounds 1 a common ground , the other a
dedicated isolated ground to its own isolated buzz bar to ground outside
a Big difference , if you are in a condo or apt just follow above at end point JCat ref Ethernet cable Excellent !
I purchased NX-Oticas from GR Research. They come in a kit and you have to assemble them. But, the sound quality is Outstanding! I also purchased Double Trouble subs from Danny at GR. The entire ensemble was under $3k. Imaging, bass, clarity and just over-all sound quality is great! I power the Otica's with my McIntosh MA 12000 and the subs use their own plate amps.
My room is roughly 15x 30 feet. The speakers are all open baffle. The music fills the room and can be loud or soft as you desire and because it is an open baffle system, it doesn't pressurize the room like conventional systems. This means you feel the bass but it somehow doesn't carry through the walls like normal subwoofers.
I actually ran into a guy at the stereo store and to my surprise, he had the same speakers as I did. We both compared ours to some $50 k Sonus Fabers and both came to the conclusion that ours are equal to or a touch better. $$$ was of little concern to the other gentleman. I got to listen to his in his 2.5 million dollar house.
So! Check out GR Research for speakers. Best bang for the buck out there!
Start with the speakers that are right for your room. That is a good space. You just need a speaker that doesn't need immense distance from the back wall. I would also look for something with a better impedance than those Vienna Acoustics. That was a hard speaker to drive.
I would probably look at Harbeth or Spendor. Both will tonally be what you are looking for and are designed to work better near a wall. Anything rear ported might cause you issues and get boomy.
Full disclosure, I am a dealer but have no relationship with wither Harbeth or Spendor.
Don't have any particular advice, but having the right combo of equipment can allow you to have a high resolution/transparent system that's emotionally involving playing a wide variety of music. I play virtually every genre from every era, including the music you listen to, the unfortunate thing is most of these recordings overly compressed such that they suck the life out the performance. No system can add life to wasn't existent on the recording.
Some years ago I acquired a pair of Vienna Acoustics Liszt's and was crestfallen from my first listen. They were supposed to be an upgrade from a pair of PSB Stratus Gold...the PSB sang circles around the VA's.
The line falls under the radar of many of our audiophile peer, but for your budget, you would be wise to consider their reference bookshelf or the Passif 50.
Steve Winwood, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, Eddie Money, Neil Diamond, Kiss, Madonna, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, AC/DC, Eric Clapton, Eric Carmen, 80s Billboard, Johnny Cash, Baltimora, etc...you get the point.
Go to some dealer and throw away all his audiobool recordings.
Play this track on repeat and bust a jungle move. Whichever speaker makes you feel less like a big cat in a small cage is the right speaker for you.
Check out Legacy. They seem to work well on the music genres you mention. I'm a fan of prog and metal and punk and Legacy is the brand that works for me.
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