2. speakers
  3. 172885-96572

When choosing new Speakers, what matters most to you?

When auditioning new speakers have you ever listened to a pair you thought you really liked only to realize you didn’t like them at all after seeing their measurements/specifications? And I’m not talking about speakers that would be too difficult for your electronics to drive but rather, you just didn’t like their waterfall plot, or their frequency response or some other measurement even though subjectively, you loved the way they sounded? Conversely have you ever listened to a pair of speakers you did not care for only to change your mind after seeing their specs?
 

Assuming speakers can be easily driven by your home electronics, in other words, no compatibility issues related to sensitivity or impedance, what is the single most important thing you look for when finding speakers you’ll enjoy listening to? How do you go about confirming the speakers you buy will be enjoyable to listen to in your home system?

128x128ted_denney

Showing 4 responses by ghasley

ghasley
2,438 posts
 

Yeah, cars were cheap then….and not entirely reliable….nor safe….nor environmentally friendly. I had a 1968 Plymouth GTX with a 440 six pack in high school. It was stupidly fast, got about 7mpg if you kept your foot out of it and those drum brakes were merely suggestive of scrubbing off speed. LOL.

ghasley
2,438 posts
 

ANY speaker review, measurements or not, is just a nudge in the event you are shopping and wish to demo something. Its ok to buy gear without hearing it, however, I believe strongly that the purchaser should never whine about it working or not working out well in their system. Especially if they don't take a system approach and buy the gear to use in the manner that the manufacturer intended. I scroll right on past when someone can't understand why a certain well reviewed 4 ohm/85db rated speaker sounds bad with their 2 wpc tube integrated amplifier.

ghasley
2,438 posts
 

Ok, so if price is the same, I try to balance best sound quality with aesthetics and in a tie, the easiest speaker to position and move will win. We all know though that all things will never be equal. Ugly wont cut it in our home, impossible to move or position wont cut it either.

 

Judging by some of the system photos here on audiogon, its clear that aesthetics arent that importnat to some.

ghasley
2,438 posts
 

@nitrobob 

 

#19 on your list....a Cossie?

More to discover