http://www.audioheritage.org/html/profiles/lmco/shearer.htm
What is the best HEAVY METAL speaker?
I know totally blasphemy question here on Audiogon. But you like what you like, right? Anyway, I know most metal music is totally compressed and recorded horrible (aka Metallica) however there is a new age of metal bands out there that are starting to change that (Opeth started with Blackwater Park). So what speakers out there can take the pounding of a double bass drum kit hitting at full throttle and give the roar of metal guitar justice. There has to be a set up that would make Glen Tipton turn his head and say hell ya!
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In my small room I use Totem Arro's + a Storm Sub. Regardless of which speakers you get, If you don't have bass down to 40Hz, you should get a sub. The Storm has a built in crossover so I can let the Storm handle the really low frequencies and the Arro's handle the rest. The Storm's volume control helps me adjust for some of the worse bass in recordings. As for the quality of recording, I agree. You will have better luck with the early vinyl. The original Vanda/Young AC/DC pressings are good (At least the Canadian and Australian), as well as Iron Maiden up to a point. Judas Priest were always terrible from the get go, even on vinyl. |
If you want to recreate a metal concert in your home, then why not get speakers you would hear at a live show? Pro audio speakers have completely different design goals than home audio, so they're not going to image particularly well, and they won't be pretty. They won't be close to neutral or flat. But, they will really rock. Do be careful because there's a lot more crappy product in pro audio than in home audio, but many good products are within your budget. I'm guessing you don't need a full line array in your living room :), but for your budget, maybe you should head to your local guitar center and ask to listen to some JBLs SRX (passive) that will sound very familiar to what you hear at a live show. They also have smaller boxes that are less expensive that will have essentially the same voice. Some are active. If you really want that experience, JBL's pro-audio line will be more satisfying to you than their home audio line. And, less expensive. There are also many other brands that could also work (QSC, Electro Voice, etc.) If this is just one of the things you want your system to do, then the prior responses might be more on target. Though I have a background in pro-audio gear, I'd personally never want to listen to them at home because I prefer classical and acoustic music. But, if you like the sound of a metal concert, notwithstanding the impact on your hearing and your neighbors, it can easily be recreated at home. |
I have a home speaker that will blow away any JBL... for heavy metal... Dual 15" TAD woofers; it uses a JBL horn, although it is driven by a custom built compression driver with powered by a field coil. No alnico here. Later versions of the same speaker have a machined maple horn that has lower distortion. http://classicaudioloudspeakers.com/cgi-bin/index.pl?fs=2&upper=25&content=26 On and on... |
I have a home speaker that will blow away any JBL... for heavy metal... Those look great. So, what is the price of those babies? |
^^ It depends on what options are installed. I think the base price is around $12,000/pair, with all the options I think they are about $37,000/pair. Options are field coil powered woofers (there is an 18" available now), Mundorf caps in the crossover, and a larger diaphragm on the mid driver, which is beryllium with a Kapton surround and has no breakups in the audio passband. |
So funds have been short this year so I had to scale down the speakers I wanted to try. However, I picked up a pair of Cerwin Vega xls-215 for 800$, brand new, (fell off a truck kind of deal, lol). Have them hooked up to a pair of Bel Canto EVo2 mono blocked and man do they rock. My audio friends and I are really surprised at how well these speakers perform. Even with the huge woofers they are very dynamic and have great soundstage as well. Silk dome tweeters are made for heavy guitar tones and no shrill like you get from Klipsh horns. First pair of non Audiophile speakers and have to say they really compare to much higher end stuff out there. Perfect party speaker and get as loud as you can take it with no complaints. |
That's about the right price for those Cerwins. I wouldn't pay any more for them. Glad you found something you like, you could have done a lot worse. I say the JBL Studio L890s for $800 (at several online dealers) are the better speaker, but the Cerwins are fine for all intense purposes. Either way, Rock on. |
Golden Ear Triton 1 is IMO an excellent metal speaker. Great mid and lower bass. Not fatiguing at all and fast enough to keep up. Robust sounding. Even though fairly efficient you will want an amp with some balls for metal. I played a lot of Opeth, Megadeth, Soilent Green, etc. and even more poorly recorded metal like Pig Destroyer sounded pretty damn good. Unfortunately I need to move in a much smaller room that is not suited to them 9x13 so I sold them. I bought some Merlin TSM Mmm and they are awesome metal speakers as well in the right room from 50 hz up. I have owned some others that while ok with rock did not do metal well. Those being KEF 201/2, Dynaudio Focus 140, paradigm s4 and s2, Usher BE718, and some others I can't remember. |
mofojo Yeah I have looked into Golden Ear's Triton series of speakers too, not bad, but the specs look like they are made for home theater. Better version of Definitive Audio stuff. So I have up graded some of my hardware the last few years and still looking for a speaker that is high quality that is less than $10,000. Upgrades are as follows: Krell 4k UHD Foundation preamp. (Makes CDs sound sooooo much better and my Blu-ray concerts never sounded better). Does a great job with Analog stuff too. Really happy with this preamp, does just about everything really well. Parasound A21 amplifier to deliver some good power Re-caped my Bel Canto Evo2 amps VPI Scout turntable with AT150sa cart However, speakers have been difficult to nail down, been through Klipsch RF-7 II, JBL LSR and studio 590, Energy Veritas 2.4I, and Cerwin Vega XLS-215. Surprisingly the Cerwin Vega XLS-215 have been the winner but like most on here I am always looking to take things to the next level. Might upgrade the crossovers in the Vegas' to see if I can get better sound, they are made of cheap parts. I have been doing a lot of research lately in creating my own speakers with quality parts to meet my musical tastes. Since most speaker manufactures are aimed at customers that want smaller speakers and the look of an art piece, I figured I would have to step up and build them myself. I am very surprised in my research that I haven't found someone else in this pursuit of the perfect heavy metal, classic rock speaker and has created their own. There are a lot of great speakers out there for sale in the $80,000 price level that would be what I am looking for, but unless I win the lotto those prices will be always out of reach for a working class guy like me. So I am off to beg, barrow, and steal a great design to do it myself. |
I'm your huckleberry. I listen to a fair amount of metal and hard rock. I've owned Golden Ears - they are OK. Bass not bad, but I found they lacked that "snap" that a lot of metal fans dig. Without going through everything I've owned/tried... my short list. Ohm Walsh - They can thump, they sound huge, they gobble power. I'm using some ancient SSC's, actually had the tweeters start smoking (pushed an absurd amount of power through them and they are OLD... they still kept ticking). I'm going to be demoing newer ones. I really dig everything about them for the price. But, set-up is different. You want the speaker end to be "live", the back end to be a bit more dead. I'm really looking forward to demoing the newer Ohm's. Klipsch - Older CF3's/4's (but they are hard to find, and hard to get parts for). Conversely the KLF 30's (and lots of fun upgrades out there for them ). I have a pair of these on the way I picked up used. Chorus II's are a damn fine metal speaker. JBL - If you want to drop some cash - the 4367's do a great job, the M2's and the crown amps can be had for the 11-12k range. DAMN good speakers. Tekton - The Double Impacts are pretty darn nice for the cash, dynamic, live sounding. I've heard the SE's, better, but not sure they are worth the upgrade. My fear - all those tweeters. NHT 3.3's - used. Full range, can thump, can be a bit bright and have a funky set-up. But a good speaker. IF you want something more refined. The DynAudio Contour 60's - can thump, and can play loud without an issue. That said, the soundstage isn't quite as big, they also don't sound as "live" as the Ohm's, Klipsch, or JBL You may be tempted with Klipsch to try the Palladiums - I did. I wouldn't get them for metal. Too lean in the bass, to bright up high. I had the P37's. Good speaker, but too lean. Focal - forget it. Too bright, too lean for a given size. Used Wilsons - might do the job nicely depending on model and how you feel about the focal tweeters. The new wilsons with the softdomes are pretty nice. Golden Ear - I have mixed thoughts. They thump, they are not bright, they throw a big soundstage for the most part. But I just didn't love the midrange. Don't get caught up in the price. More expensive doesn't always mean you will like them better, even though they may "measure" better. |
Dep14 thank you very much for the great info. Couple of you guys on here have mention the Tekton speakers. I am digging the design and sound these speakers are trying to make. Seems right up my alley for the sound I am trying to get my hands on. Not too mention they are within reasonable budget limits. I am going to do my research and try to find full break down specs of these speakers. For example, who makes their drivers, see the crossover design, what parts they are using in the crossovers, are the woofers in cast or stamp steel baskets, what material are the woofer cones made out of (looks like paper or some hybrid), how they brace their enclosures, what is the enclosure made out of, ect. For $3000 I am not expecting the very best components out there, but I have seen some designs done really well with budget components if the designer has done his homework. Anyone that owns these speakers break them down yet? |
I have been doing a lot of research lately in creating my own speakers with quality parts to meet my musical tastes. Since most speaker manufactures are aimed at customers that want smaller speakers and the look of an art piece, I figured I would have to step up and build them myself. I am very surprised in my research that I haven't found someone else in this pursuit of the perfect heavy metal, classic rock speaker and has created their own.@lizzardkingseattle The reason is you can't build a speaker that favors any kind of music. The properties that make a speaker good for metal will also make it good for classical or jazz. FWIW I play both on my system. IMO/IME the speaker you would want is one that is fairly efficient- since there is no good reason to make any amplifier work hard, since that just results in more distortion. You don't want distortion even though the guitar amps are making quite a lot- you just want to get the recording to sound the way it was made. I still have the Classic Audio Loudspeakers I mentioned several years ago in this thread and they excel at metal and any other form of music. They are 98 db, 16 ohms (so easy to drive) and go down to 20Hz. The midrange driver has its first breakup at 35KHz, so it sounds very fast, detailed and very smooth. |
Just to be "funny" I'd say look at Magico speakers, they are constructed with metal cabinets and are quite heavy. But seriously, not my cup of tea, but back in the day I used to sell Klipsch speakers, very efficient and very much loved by "rockers". I sold a lot of Cornwalls and would recommend you also consider a pair of Forte III models as well. |
Well, I'll agree and disagree with @atmasphere at the same time. Technically, a good speaker is a good speaker. Should measure well etc. I don't disagree. That said, I do think people who like certain genre's of music look for different properties. I think a speaker like your Classic Audio, is a damn fine speaker and likely does sound good with everything. Much like the JBL M2's that are DSP'd etc. But I've owned some nice speakers that measure great, and on certain types of music, including Rock sound pretty darn good. As they should, they are good speakers. But, typically I find that Rock/Metal guys like myself are looking for a huge soundstage, and that "live" sound. Maybe not the best imaging. But damn, it's like being at a concert. Horns of course, and IMO speakers like the OHM Walsh - they do that. Trade-offs of course, and they also sound pretty good on most genres. But I do think certain genre's of music have trade-offs that certain speakers give. Maybe a little mid-bass hump with a slight roll-off at the time with a big ass soundstage... That's what I'm finding I truly like. |
But, typically I find that Rock/Metal guys like myself are looking for a huge soundstage, and that "live" sound. Maybe not the best imaging. But damn, it's like being at a concert.Huge soundstage is a sign of a good speaker with good resolution. The idea that a speaker can be 'best' for a certain genre of music is one of the older and more established myths in audio. I had one guy ask me what the best speaker was for downtempo 80s music. Sheesh! How in the heck do you make a speaker favor a certain taste in music?? You can't- the speaker might have certain bumps and dips in its response, but what if the dudes on stage play different notes? Even in metal that tends to happen :) |
These are my favorites: https://www.guitarcenter.com/Electro-Voice/ELX200-15P-15-Powered-Loudspeaker.gc |
Indeed...you can buy a new pair of powered Mackie SRM450s for 500 bucks each (I've used both the original version powered and unpowered for live stuff for years), and the 1000 watt internal amps can cleanly destroy your hearing and get you evicted in 5 minutes. Built from what feels like cement, and the new ones are fairly light due to neo magnets and Class D amps for the woofer, A/B amps for tweeters. |
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Kosst, i spent quite a while listening to the Sopra 2 in particular. I found it to be bright, not he brightest I’ve heard but on the bright side. As far as the bass, I feel given it’s size and compared to others in that price range it was on the lean side. its an opinion, that’s all. I think they are good speakers, they look great and are built well to say the least. I think they fall more on the side of the B and W diamond series, and paradigm persona, than they do the (older) Sonus Faber and say golden ear side of the fence. as far as no one else calling them that, I think if you read many of the “ professional” reviews you will hear the same comments echoed, particularly regarding the treble. Bass of course is so affected by the room and set up. |
The Mackies,or other good PA Speaker and Some Powered subs will get you to Metal Heaven.Get a pair that are not carpet covered and they don't look to bad ..unless the carpet covering doesn't bother you.heck,you could probably rent something from Guitar Center and test drive them..you'll have to make/buy the needed adapters to go from your amp to the speakers but then you will know how they work for you in your setup for not to much money. |
Just so we're clear here, the equipment used to **record** a metal band is a lot different than the gear used to **amplify** a metal band on stage. On stage, its not uncommon for the guitarist to have a fairly low powered tube amp and is relying on the house for the volume apropos at a metal concert. A Shure SM58 might be the microphone used to mic the amp. The '58 is a terrible sounding mic. In the studio, the same amp might be recorded using a Neumann mic, that costs about 100x more than the Shure! Think about that- the recording is going to sound better than the live amplified sound. It will sound a lot more like if the band were playing a personal concert for you in your home. Why mess that up with speakers with the limitations common in PA speakers?? You won't get as much of the power of the drums and cymbals, less of the impact of the bass, and so on. I play in one of the louder bands in the Twin Cities, and we've played on a number of metal bills and in metal clubs: I'm not making this stuff up. We're not metal, but we can easily hold our own with our particular brand of heavy prog space rock... Here is our third album (more cuts can be heard on our Bandcamp page): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg0l25nmGuY |
I mixed a show a couple of years ago for Julian Lage with his trio of Kenny Wolleson and Scott Colley, and was blown away by these guys. Since then they've released 2 albums of that trio, and another of a live show in L.A. available as a download. The Recent Nels Kline 4 also features Lage and Colly, and I only mention these things as examples of otherwise jazzy, sophisticated, cerebral and brilliant musicians absolutely kicking the gonzagas out of some real interesting music. This stuff can light up a great system and wake up the subwoofers and your neighbors. |
