Warmest sounding Green Mountain speaker?
I finally found my AGON password! Since bombaywall posted link to my comments of 4 years ago, I wanted to state that arrangement of my systems has not changed (except maybe the addition of the Jeff Rowland DAC to the main system). I did look through my files and found the 1/3 octave measurement notes (using Audio Control SA-3051 analyzer) taken at the (single) location recommended by GMA given distance from the speakers. For the main system with the EOS HX/Hammer Lite (in a moderately large non-rectangular soutwest style Great Room, tile floors, wood ceiling) there is a ~160 Hz reinforcing reflection from the ceiling, but other wise flat response (within a dB or two) from 100 Hz up through the mids. In the "computer darkroom" with the Chromo II six feet from measurement point (typical small third bedroom) response is virtually flat (within a dB or two from 100 Hz up through the mids. The measurements correspond with what I hear, and I notice no significant diffence when I rise from the mic position or walk behind the mic. If "lobing" exists I don't notice it when listening to recorded music. Again the GMA speakers present a very realistic image compared to what I hear at the live chamber music events that attend almost every month. Since addressing the many erroneous "technical" statements that have appeared in this thread would take too much time and space, I'll just state, as other GMA owners have, that I have not experienced the effects stated in the original post. |
Anybody who currently owns GMA speakers can vastly improve their performance by the following way. This modification will work very well for Rio, Eos and Europa (and any other speaker). You will get the warmth that is lacking. Buy a pair of these digital plate amplifiers. They require a pc to set the crossover settings. You will then need to unscrew the drivers and then desolder the wires and wire some cables onto the drivers and pass them out of the port (or from the back if you drill a hole in the wood at the back). very easily done. You can choose any crossover slope you like from first order to fourth order and any type from bessel, butterworth to linkwitz riley. You can also equalise the tweeter and woofers response to flatten them. You can also add or take away time delay on the tweeter. You can do all of this in real time and compare the results. Come back and tell us whether you prefer the sound. You cant go wrong with this. Even if you want to stick with first order slopes, it is still vastly better to go active than passive. You cannot lose. Even if you want to replicate the original transfer function of the passive crossover, you can do this AND benefit from the active amplification. You will immediately hear the difference between 1st and 4th order. Once you get these plate amps, you can even upgrade the tweeter (and woofer) on your speakers to higher quality ones. Possibilities are endless. https://www.minidsp.com/products/plate-amplifiers/pwr-ice125 In the highly unlikely event you want to go back to the original speaker, that is easily done since this is a reversible modification. |
