Recommendation on speakers for listening to live music


Hello, I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation on speakers for listening to live music. I have a big collection of live Grateful Dead, phish, jazz, etc.. This is music on cd or vinyl that was recorded live. Are there quality speakers that cater to both live and studio recordings. Would be using McIntosh power amps mc252, mc275 etc.. Thank you very much for any advice.

jazzydrummer

Magnepan Speakers are unreal for live music. Live music is what I primarily listen to on my 1.7i’s because the soundstage is so vivid and all the nuances of the vocal inflections and crowd interaction are really brought out and bring to make it an immersive experience. 3.7i's are in your price range and are phenomenal.

Bose 901’s!! All of their marketing was that the reflected stereo everywhere was base on their live music delivery research?😂

wordsmithing aside, i think we know what the op is asking for

leaving aside those designed to produce the sound of a live classical performance, the speakers out there that have that 'live performance' type of feel, sound, with attack and dynamics (if not as much a sense of control and refinement) are

upper jbl

klipsch

tekton

better zu's

atc's (properly driven - no mean feat)

tannoy/fyne

fleetwood/oma

as others have mentioned, subs may well be needed to complete the package for that kind of sound

 

I am a huge jamband fan. My preference for speakers are JBL and Altec. I am currently using Altec A7 as my mains for two channel and JBL 8330 for my surround speakers. Just awesome! The 150" projection screen helps with webcasts.

That's all not for live music. These recommendations above are for RECORDED music. For live music speakers and equipment probably will be way too loud for indoors.

Horn based speakers.

For no fuss/new check out the new Klipsch line (here's a good sound demo of 3 models and I often see B-Stock for sale).

 

DeKay

I have 2 systems

both low power tubes

 

one has Ref 3A de Capos

the other Klipsch Quartets (horns)

 

I like both but the de Capos are much more refined and the Quartets always feel like live music

As non-acoustic music is usually heard though the sound system the live music venue uses---which rarely doesn’t employ horns as it’s midrange and tweeter drivers, the advice to listen through horns at home is not without merit. But be for-warned: if you haven’t heard horns in a home setting, you may be in for a shock. They can be very "forward" sounding, and sometimes "brash".

I tried listened through my band’s Altec Voice-Of-The-Theater PA loudspeakers, and found them way too colored for my taste. But then lifelike vocal and instrumental timbre is exceedingly important to me. Art Dudley didn’t seem to mind a little editorializing in his loudspeakers, and loved his Altec’s. To each his own!

I am a Dead fan myself and used to have Klipsch Heresy’s, the horns work well for live music. You would need to add a subwoofer or two to round out the low end. 

If you want to recreate live music, you will need low end. There's nothing like a great live recording with full range speakers. Think larger, floor standing speakers. The MC275's should do well with reasonably easy to drive speakers. Joseph Audio Pearl, DeVore GibbonX (or 0/96's), etc. just to name a few

 

Wilson Watt Puppy 8 with Gryphon Diablo300 definitely takes me right to the venue.