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Must speakers have certain volume to sound convincing ?

Panels have no volume, yet some like them a lot. Horns are, well, horns. Small dynamic speakers never impress me, that's for sure. 
What do you think?
inna
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,197 posts
 
All else held constant, in order to be able to produce flat response down to lower frequencies, you need larger drivers in larger rooms. In the case of "box" speakers you also need larger boxes ie more internal volume. I think its that simple.
inna OP
7,296 posts
 
Right, size does matter.
bombaywalla's avatar
bombaywalla
1,958 posts
 
Panels sound nothing like real music, as beautiful as they can do. They are for dreamers not for those who want to hear it as it is.
totally weird statement Inna. Sorry to read that your panel speaker experience has come up really short...
larryi
3,982 posts
 

I particularly like horns because they can sound dynamic, lively, and satisfying at quite low volume levels.  It is just a guess, but, I bet that is part of the reason they are so popular in Japan where everyone lives close together and no one wants to offend or inconvenience their neighbors. 

I think there are quite a few panel speakers that sound VERY realistic and are capable of playing at respectably high volume levels.  I would never categorically exclude them from ANY list for any particular performance parameter, except perhaps, compatibility with very low-powered tube amps (Quad 54 fans might disagree on this exception).  Can soundlab U-1s rock, or Sanders Sound Model 10 or almost any Maggie? You bet they can.

martykl
3,578 posts
 
I guess everyone hears things differently, but one of the greatest impressions a speaker has ever left on me was Stan Getz's sax and Astrud Gilberto's voice on Girl from Ipanema as reproduced by large SoundLab panels.  I'm not sure what Inna considers "sounding like real music", but that sure convinced me.

FWIW, I spend a few hours a day with an acoustic guitar in hand or (less commonly) seated at a piano.  I do have the reference at hand on a daily basis.
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