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Speaker shootout update; aggressive treble eliminating some (fairly?)

I've been trying out speakers in a complicated shoot out, both bookshelves and towers — all in my home with my gear. I'm looking for speakers obtainable up to about $4k but could go up (or down) a bit if the right thing came along.

Basic facts: All speakers were run in at least 100 hours. Room is 27 x 14 x 6.5 ceilings. Powering with all QS tubes, 60w, NOS, tube R2R dac, and decent cables. No terrible reflection points; room not overly live or dampened. REL R 328 sub available but I did most listening without it.

Recent auditions, type:

Klipsch RP 600-M (budget singleton of the group)
Fritz Rev Carbon 7 mk II (bookshelf, 2 way, soft dome)
Focal 936 (tower, 3 way, inverted metal)
Martin Logan Motion 60s XTi (tower, 3 way, AMT)

Coming soon:

Salk SS 6M (bookshelf, 2 way, beryllium)
Dynaudio Evoke 30's (tower, 3 way, soft dome)

Let me speak just to the problems, rather than what was good about the speakers. So far, I've found the Klipsch, Focal, and especially the Martin Logans were all too bright — forward, aggressive, "turn it down" treble.

The ML's were the most impossible to tame and hardest to listen to on more tracks. (I did a lot of hanging of towels and other dampeners and other soft things to try to see if I could bring them to heel. I varied the recordings used. Changed cables/wires. No luck.)

The Focals were occasionally too bright; their bigger problem was a bit too much energy in my small listening space. They were better when I plugged their ports with socks.

I'm looking forward to how the next two speakers sound. The Dynaudio towers, I notice, are 10 inches shorter and half the weight of the other towers; not sure what that might mean, but it could just be right size for my space. I'm looking forward to seeing if the Salks bring more detail to the treble without also being too rolled off or harsh.

Hearing is very personal for physiological and taste reasons. However, if anyone has any thoughts about why I might be experiencing some of the phenomena I am (harsh treble, especially) based on my room or gear, etc., that might help me understand factors I'm not fully appreciating. Thanks.


hilde45

Showing 3 responses by mahgister

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,707 posts
 
You’re spot on with your post about millercarbon.....if his new speakers as he says perfect he wouldn’t have grand plans to modify them in three phases.
EMBEDDING speakers rightfully, mechanically, electrically, and acoustically is not the same than UPGRADING some of their parts( legitimate for those who want to improve the speakers)...

All speakers NEED to be embed in these three dimensions....

We must then distinguish between modyfying, upgrading parts, and embedding them....

Decreasing vibrations from a crossover for example is a modification that is welcome in ALL speakers....

Using a device like my "golden plate" or a Emat to lower the electrical noise floor is welcome on any speakers even one million dollars one...

No piece of gear, be it speakers, dac, amplifier, is at his true potential right out of the box without means implemented to embed them in these 3 dimensions...Thinkin that any piece of gear is what it can be right out of the box, without any work at all to embed them in the room, in the house, and with all the other gear, it is ignorance pure and simple....

Some knows that, most dont even understand what i speak about.....

It seems to me millercarbon understand something.... That’s all....

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,707 posts
 
how do you choose a speaker if the room isn’t tweaked vs. how do you tweak a room if you don’t have the speaker you’re tweaking it for?
Choose any good speakers you like and after that tweak the room and you will fall in love with your speakers of choice....

Better to have a good room or know how to adapt it to any speakers than to have the best speakers of the world in a bad room...

A room non treated can be good for sure.... But Normal room are not design to be like acoustical monastery or theater marvel.... Then we must do something to go in this direction.... This is not necessarily costly to have results....

We all think that our room are good before changing them....:)

My best regards to you and my apology for my rant..... :)
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,707 posts
 
My Mission cyrus 781 were supposedly the best speakers Mission created...

Before my room passive treatment and active controls they were good but i was not in love... But now they are superlatively good compare to 2 years ago before i implemented the rightful acoustical embeddings...I am in love...

We can put many good speakers in a bad room and we will never fall in love with any them...

We can put many less good speakers in a good room and we will fall in love with each of them...

Speakers+ controlled room + ears = ONE blissful state

The room is the speaker :)
I will gladly stole your words.... :)



I will add that almost all non treated and non controlled acoustical room are bad unbeknownst to us sometimes because we think so much strongly that hi-fi is linked to improved electronical engineering mainly....
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