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Why so few high end line arrays?

To me the intrinsic "wall of sound" of this design are compelling. I recently tried a very nice 3 way w/ stereo subs in my system after 2 years of line array-only listening and the lost impact and scale of eight midbasses/ribbons per side was profound. I was immediately aware of the music emerging from boxes, despite very nice imaging. And it's not that the arrays exaggerate the size of voices and instruments. Does the materials cost dissuade manufacturers? Is it the size? Seems like relatively unexplored territory in high end home audio.
jb0194

Showing 1 response by richards

richards
145 posts
 
Like you, Jb, I have a pair of Selah Audio line arrays. They're very impressive and really envelope you in sound. But yes, they're big and dominate a room, invoking the WAF factor (it did in my case). And yes, the cost of 16 quality drivers per side ups the ante in terms of cost (though Selah's designs are a real bargain).
Also, the sound isn't for everybody. It's very dynamic and 'throws' the sound forward. Some like a mellower sound that draws you in. But the life-size soundstage and realistic dynamics make for a lively sound that's hard to resist, IMO.
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