The two most common mistakes are bass and treble


OK, so I know many of you will have a knee jerk reaction to that with something like "well you've just covered most of the spectrum!" but I mean to say more than what I can fit in a headline.

When first purchasing speakers the biggest regrets, or sometimes bad choices without regret, is looking for a speaker that is too detailed. In the store over 10 minutes it mesmerizes you with the resolution of frequencies you thought you would never hear again.  You take the speakers home and after a month you realize they are ear drills.  High pitched, shrill sounding harpies you can't believe you listened to long enough to make a choice.

The other mistake, which audiophiles life with far too long is buying too big a speaker for the room.  The specmanship of getting 8 more Hertz in the -3dB cutoff is a huge factor in speaker purchases.

What do you think the biggest mistakes are when buying speakers?
erik_squires

Showing 6 responses by erik_squires

When we talk about speaker distortion and thermal compression I’m not sure it’s fair to lump systems without voice coils like Magnepans with normal to low efficiency cone speakers though I know it keeps happening. The physics of the heat and distortion are entirely different as far as I know.
The point of using mid to low power amplifiers with high efficiency, easy to drive speakers is not wrong, btw. I don’t disagree with it but it is kind of it’s own sub-genre of audiphilia.

I kind of would really like to hear @atmasphere and Fritz in a room together sometime. I think that would potentially be a phenomenal match up, given Fritz has ruler flat impedance above the bass.
@bjesien

That’s probably the most rational view of audiophile spending as a hobby I’ve ever heard. To set a budget for the amount of money you are willing to go out and play with.

That’s a different take than those trying to get to their final system. My budget there is all tied up in new GIK hardware though, and maybe a new DAC. I have to keep reminding myself that upgrading the room acoustics often makes upgrading the hardware unnecessary.

Of course, one of the most cost effective ways to experiment and learn in this hobby is to make your own from kits. :)
I apologize if I sound like this- I’m coming from the perspective of engineering and as an amplifier manufacturer of the last 45 years.

No problem at all but I wonder how much will change when you are making high power solid state amps instead of mid-power tubes? :-)

All I really asked for was a couple of numbers.
While I understand some of the arguments around high impedance and high efficiency speakers I also have to ask how often does this happen?  How often does a buyer mismatch his speakers and amps? 

Or is the argument if you aren't buying 16 Ohm/110 dB speakers you made a mistake?
Hey @atmasphere 

Not saying you are incorrect, but give me an idea of a couple of common inefficient speakers, and a couple you think do a great job.

What is your cut-off for efficiency and impedance, more or less?  What is good, and what is bad?

Best,
Erik