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Speaker recommendations / live concert recordings

I have decided to look for speakers in the $900-$1100 price range. I have an old Akai receiver and an equally old Magnavox cd player, both of which will be upgraded soon after i purchase speakers.
I am looking for some advice on what to look for in speakers to listen to live rock/jazz concert recordings on. Most of the recordings i listen to are done with 2 (sometimes 4) microphones, a mic preamp, a/d converter, and a DAT deck. All components used are usually of the highest quality. The location of the microphones can be anywhere from on the stage lip to 100 feet from the stage. The performances are usually played in large venues such as the Spectrum in Philadelphia, small bars, and anything in between. Please look at this page to get a better idea of the types of recordings i listen to:

http://db.etree.org/kevinkachel

i want to reproduce the sound in the venue as it's heard when you're there as accurately as possible, however, some of the recordings have a lot of low end and can be quite "boomy." I will want to have the ability to remove some of this while listening. what would be the best way to do this? would the bass response knob on the preamp be enough, or would an EQ do a better job?
thanks in advance for you opinions.
kevin
crystalhaze17e0
nickspicks's avatar
nickspicks
48 posts
 
Hi Kevin...

IMO, live reproduction is done nicely with panels.
You have to have the right speaker in the right room w/the right componants driving them, but when it all comes together some maggies or Martin Logans will immerse you in a 3D holographic soundscape that does a live event justice.
you probably know me through etree?
I listen to 90% live music and have been hooked on flat speakers for playback.

As for boomy...
find better tapes.
:)
crystalhaze17e0 OP
2 posts
 
oh yeah, i know you :)
How's it going?

I listened to some paradigm studio 40s today, wich i had been meaning to do. As you advised, I also decided to check out some Martin Logans. I listened to the Mosaics. They did sound great, but are unfortunately out of my price range right now. They did do a better job of reproducing the "live" sound of the various audience recordings I brought with me than the Paradigms. I'll have to locate a Magnepan dealer around here and have a listen, but before I do, do you have any experience on how the Martin Logans compare to the lower priced Maggies, such as the MG12s? I see alot of older Maggies on ebay and audiogon which are substantially cheaper than the Martin Logans I heard today. Any idea how they would compare? I know this is a general question, but that's all I have for now :)
tombowlus
416 posts
 
Older Maggies can be a good thing, especially if you can mate them with a good subwoofer. I prefer the sound of Martin Logans, but I also find the Maggies to be quite pleasing. I would also look into used Thiels. You should definitely be able to pick up a pair of CS3.5's, or maybe CS2.3's in your price range. The Thiels would have better accuracy and midrange detail than the Paradigms (which while I agree are a great speaker at their price point, I don't really think of as being exceptionally accurate).

Tom.
mootsdude
51 posts
 
The Klipsch Heritage series reproduces a live event very well. If you have the space, the LaScalla can be found used in your price range. Two very simple tweaks will bring this speaker to a higher level. 1 - Dynamat on the horn. 2 - Liquid nails on all the seams inside the cabinet. This really tightens up the bass and surprisingly broadens the soundstage. If you want to go with tubed amplification, the Klipsch is a great match. The Lascalla is very sensitive at 104db/watt so any weakness in the system will be easily noticed.
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