2. speakers
  3. 124787-79517

Music Lovers Speaker vs. Audiophile Speaker

In my quest for a new set of speakers to replace the Paradigm 5se I've had for 25+ years I've come across a couple of terms I'd like clarified: the musical speaker and the audiophile speaker.

What's the difference? 

I can think of two analogies, both of which may be way off mark.

One is the "mp3" analogy. mp3's dumb down the music, but capture what a music lover may consider to be the important stuff. The audiophile version is the CD.

So in this case, the musical speaker doesn't perform as well as the audiophile speaker, but it is at the right price point or has other features (particularly finish) that the listener desires.

The other analogy is the "radio station" analogy. The station doesn't dumb down the music, but it does intentionally change the sound to suit the audience. Classic rock is bass heavy, and dynamic range may be compressed to raise the overall level. An easy-listening station will have a lighter sound with different frequencies emphasized.

Comments ...
128x128jimspov

Showing 1 response by jimspov

jimspov's avatar
jimspov OP
60 posts
 
I definitely fall in the "music lover" camp, but my trap is that I can't buy speakers simply buy listening to them. I suppose you could say I don't fully trust my ears, or maybe it is because the listening environment at the store can never match mine, or because it takes quite a while to really get to know a speaker.

I also need to know "audiophile" details - type of crossover, manufacturers say, what the reviews & forums say, build quality to make a buying decision.

I recently purchased a set of Vandersteen 1ci's. I'm very happy with them. But at the dealers I did notice that "dark" sound that so many comment on. I don't find that at home.
More to discover