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You pay for it and you get it...

When it comes to large speakers, IME what you get far more than any other attribute, is the sense of scale...which is what seems to delineate the best large speakers from the best small speakers. As an example, yesterday I had the pleasure of listening to the new Wilson Sabrina X’s and the new Wilson Alexx V’s. While both speakers are from the same manufacturer, and both employ what looks like some of the same drivers, this is basically where the similarity ends. The big Wilson is about seven times the price of the small model! So, besides a much larger cabinet and a few extra drivers what do you get for your money...the answer is SCALE!! This is something that unless heard, is a little hard to fathom. The small Sabrina X’s do most things well..and I was very impressed by them, far superior across the board to the original model Sabrina. The Alexx V’s in a very large room ( which is also a MAJOR requirement for them to work their magic, and if one does not have this I believe then this is the wrong speaker for you) are able to throw a sense of scale that has to be heard to be believed. This is what you pay for with these large speakers, and in the Alexx V’s case, what you get. The frequency response of the larger model is not that different in the highs..and in some extent I think the midrange resolution was similar, but the bass is where it’s at...and this is where I think the sense of scale and enormity comes from. On paper, the smaller model can drop down to within probably ten Hz’s of the larger model, yet in a room of commensurate size, the little Sabrina X’s will never be able to portray the scale of the Alexx V’s. This aspect seems to apply to all large speakers in large room vs small/middle size speakers in large rooms.
Question is is it even possible to get scale with a smaller speaker in any size room, so far I have not heard this...anyone else?
daveyf

Showing 2 responses by douglas_schroeder

douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Scale and dynamic impact. I have been discussing the importance of the sense of scale (as in large scale) as a parameter of performance for some time now. It is not typically discussed, only terms such as "large soundstage, etc. Not the same, as any one who did comparisons as you have can tell. 

No, smallish speakers with subs do not come close to the big guns. Consider that the crossovers, drivers, configuration, elevation, etc. is all different - all of these fundamentally superior in a more dominant speaker (for illustrative purposes, we would be supposing models from the same manufacturer, but in general still holds true). I have used several sub/monitor systems to assess that very thing, and I have turned away from every one of them back to larger floor standing speakers because the sub-monitor can't get it done the same way. Unless the driver configuration, crossover, height, etc. are identical, you're losing by going with sub/monitor. Those are just the hard facts, not a judgment of one's choice. 

In fact, in my experience the sense of scale can trump even the genre of speakers! I would rather listen to a fine speaker of a different genre than my ideal, than to suffer the shortcomings of a smallish speaker of a more preferred genre. Then again, I have grown to appreciate the idiosyncrasies of many genres of speakers. I have worked with large OB, Panel, Hybrid dynamic, array, etc. speakers and they all carry a grandeur that simply cannot be replicated in smaller speakers. For good reason companies build monstrous sized transducers!  :) 

I am working on a big floor standing speaker review currently, and the experience is fundamentally different than a speaker of smallish stature. FAR more opportunities to impress with a big speaker. 
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Back in 2010 I did a review for Dagogo.com on the Wharfedale Opus 2-3 Speaker and the Opus 2-M2 Bookshelf Speaker along with the SW380 Subwoofer; it can be found at Dagogo.com

Over the years I have several times tried to create monitor/bookshelf/sub systems in a bid to gain similar characteristics of larger speaker systems. This review was an intentional effort to use one brand and a close resemblance of build and drivers, crossover, etc. to see just how close one can come to accomplishing it. I think you will find the review enlightening. 

I caution you; if you think that putting any given bookshelf with any given sub is going to get anywhere close to any given larger floor standing speaker, you are sadly mistaken. People who operate from specifications in such decisions are ignorant of real world HiFi system building. 

ONLY if you have the same brand, the same driver, crossover, etc. THEN you may come very close to accomplishing your goal. I very nearly bought the Opus bookshelf speakers, and several times have pined for them. But, long term, it was probably the best decision to stay with all larger floor standing speakers. I probably would not have used the bookshelf sub combo much. Just the differences in nuances of bass due to the different cabinet volume is for me a strong enough reason to go the direction of a floor standing speaker. 

Note well; if you elect to put together an ad hoc configuration, neither you, nor anyone here can tell you what the result will be, and whether you would enjoy it as much as a floor standing speaker. Only comparison would tell. All the rest of the discussion here is guessing. 

Frankly, now I am moving away from dynamic speakers for the most part. I am increasingly being drawn to Open Baffle, Dipole and hybrid array type speakers. There is one hybrid dynamic that I just bought, and the community will get to see it soon as the article is published. But, for the most part, I'm doing open speakers, a bit of Omni, too. Well, there is some Horn action as well... Too many genres to settle on one!  :) 

contuzzi thinks his question is rhetorical; actually it is not, but it is an important part of differentiating between the sound of a smallish speaker and a larger speaker.   
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