great thread topic.
my last 2 speakers have had considerable adjustability; which as caused me to really learn about exactly what causes a great mid-range.
the Von Schweikert VR9SE has three tweeters, each with an attenuator. it has a 15" digital amp powered sub which has gain, phase adjustment, and 50hz to 100hz crossover (to a pair of woofers that extend down to 50hz). when i measured to get the flatest mid-range i had the crossover 'all' the way down to 50hz. i messed with tweeter adjustments for 6 months but could never get the highs to completely settle down. the mids were very good but not exactly right. then a friend mentioned that 'flat' was not necessarily right and said he preferred a bit of a bump in the mid-bass for naturalness. i stepped the crossover up to about 70hz and 'BAM' the highs cleaned up and smoothed out and the mids became liquid and life-like.....amazing what 'balance' can do. once the highs were right the mids were right. i would never have guessed that a subwoofer adjustment would affect the high frequencies.
i just got the Evolution Accoustics MM3's.....an amazing speaker. from my time with the Kharma Exquistes i have always loved the Accuton ceramic mid-range driver. it has a certain 'clarity' and see-thru transparency that i have not heard in any other mid-range driver. OTOH it can have a bit of a 'ring' and also has limited dynamics compared to some others. the MM3 has 2 of these Accuton ceramic mid-range drivers. they have somehow tamed the ring; and with two of them they are much more dynamic plus more linear to boot. the MM3 also has '2' 15" digital powered subwoofers with even more bass adjustability than the VR9's.
combined with my acoustically designed dedicated room and the darTZeel amp and pre......the MM3 has the most open and transparent mid-range i have yet heard.....by a good margin. i have never heard the detail i hear.
my tastes are for neutrality and touch of sweetness; but i can easily add or subtract warmth as my (or my visitors) tastes require thru (sub)woofer (on the MM3, the 15" driver is actually a 'woofer'....not a subwoofer) and tweeter adjustment. as the MM3 is 93db efficient and a 6 ohm load i could use a 10 to 20 watt SET if i wanted (but i don't).
although the Kharma's were coherency champs back when i first bought them the VR9's were even better and the MM3's better yet in this area.....which is essential for that 'magic' mid-range.
i do also think that for an ideal mid-range full frequency range response is preferred. there is so much mid-range harmonics going on up and down the frequency range that having deep bass and extened highs just completes the picture. the VR9's extend to 15hz (-3db) and the MM3's extend to 10hz (-3db). both extend over 40khz in the treble.
the world's best mid-range right now?......i would say......"the best mid-range i have heard". i'll leave 'world's best' for magazine covers.
my last 2 speakers have had considerable adjustability; which as caused me to really learn about exactly what causes a great mid-range.
the Von Schweikert VR9SE has three tweeters, each with an attenuator. it has a 15" digital amp powered sub which has gain, phase adjustment, and 50hz to 100hz crossover (to a pair of woofers that extend down to 50hz). when i measured to get the flatest mid-range i had the crossover 'all' the way down to 50hz. i messed with tweeter adjustments for 6 months but could never get the highs to completely settle down. the mids were very good but not exactly right. then a friend mentioned that 'flat' was not necessarily right and said he preferred a bit of a bump in the mid-bass for naturalness. i stepped the crossover up to about 70hz and 'BAM' the highs cleaned up and smoothed out and the mids became liquid and life-like.....amazing what 'balance' can do. once the highs were right the mids were right. i would never have guessed that a subwoofer adjustment would affect the high frequencies.
i just got the Evolution Accoustics MM3's.....an amazing speaker. from my time with the Kharma Exquistes i have always loved the Accuton ceramic mid-range driver. it has a certain 'clarity' and see-thru transparency that i have not heard in any other mid-range driver. OTOH it can have a bit of a 'ring' and also has limited dynamics compared to some others. the MM3 has 2 of these Accuton ceramic mid-range drivers. they have somehow tamed the ring; and with two of them they are much more dynamic plus more linear to boot. the MM3 also has '2' 15" digital powered subwoofers with even more bass adjustability than the VR9's.
combined with my acoustically designed dedicated room and the darTZeel amp and pre......the MM3 has the most open and transparent mid-range i have yet heard.....by a good margin. i have never heard the detail i hear.
my tastes are for neutrality and touch of sweetness; but i can easily add or subtract warmth as my (or my visitors) tastes require thru (sub)woofer (on the MM3, the 15" driver is actually a 'woofer'....not a subwoofer) and tweeter adjustment. as the MM3 is 93db efficient and a 6 ohm load i could use a 10 to 20 watt SET if i wanted (but i don't).
although the Kharma's were coherency champs back when i first bought them the VR9's were even better and the MM3's better yet in this area.....which is essential for that 'magic' mid-range.
i do also think that for an ideal mid-range full frequency range response is preferred. there is so much mid-range harmonics going on up and down the frequency range that having deep bass and extened highs just completes the picture. the VR9's extend to 15hz (-3db) and the MM3's extend to 10hz (-3db). both extend over 40khz in the treble.
the world's best mid-range right now?......i would say......"the best mid-range i have heard". i'll leave 'world's best' for magazine covers.