Wow, Alex, blowing your own horn is a specialty. Look, leave it to others to do that. Self-reporting is notoriously unreliable. And very, very unflattering.
Your favorite musical non fatiguing speakers?
I've been auditioning speakers in the $5k to $8k range. I liked some of the Dynaudio, Sonus Faber, and even B&Ws in that range. Maybe it was the setup but in the back of my mind thought all of these could sound exciting but also fatiguing long term. And I'd hate to spend that kind of doe with that being the case.
I'm looking to use a solid state Cary amp and the tubed Cary SLP 05 pre for electronics FWIW.
From other threads I'm hearing Proacs Joseph Audio Aerials Harbeth and others may fit the bill. What are your favorite speakers for musicality and lack of listening fatigue? I'll be traveling to the next state to audition more next week.
I'm looking to use a solid state Cary amp and the tubed Cary SLP 05 pre for electronics FWIW.
From other threads I'm hearing Proacs Joseph Audio Aerials Harbeth and others may fit the bill. What are your favorite speakers for musicality and lack of listening fatigue? I'll be traveling to the next state to audition more next week.
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Wavetouch speaker has considerably less (if not zero) listener fatigue than conventional speakers. If speakers mentioned in this thread have no or less listener fatigue, relatively speaking, WT speaker has no listener fatigue Ive arrived at my conclusion after Ive been using Wavetouch horns many years and thinking why WT speaker has no listener fatigue. More studies are needed from smarter people with more knowledge and experience. They may find better explanation. I am a pioneer in this new field/technology. is what people told me after they heard WT speakers. I am still learning and want to know more. I hope someone find the better explanation that will convince everyone to agree. Alex Wavetouch Audio |
Wavetouch, what a load of horse _ _ _ _ you are spinning. This includes the "almost all listener fatigue comes from your room acoustics". Most listener fatigue comes distortion in the chain including speakers. That you have supposedly produced a speaker that has "no listener fatigue" is a claim so huge as well as dogmatic as to lose any credibility you were looking for. |
Almost "Listener Fatigue" comes from your room acoustics. Sound travels approximately 1000 feet per second. The length of your room is 15ft~30ft. Sound waves from speakers bounce off walls 15~20 times before waves lose their acoustic energy. The listener hears 15-20 times more reflected sounds from walls and ceiling than direct sounds from speakers. Our brain and ears have to process 15-20 times more information than it needs to. Our brain becomes tired very quickly with so much acoustic information. Continuous echo sounds hurt your ears too. Another reason for the listener fatigue is the speaker cabinet. Rigid speaker cabinet reduces unnecessary sound with music. Too rigid cabinet is not always good because the sound becomes analytic and not musical. A good speaker has internal speaker bracing strategically to make musical sound. The speaker designer has to refine the speaker with the trial and error process. It take years to make great speakers. Is well designed speaker good in your home? Do you believe the speaker company is designing their speakers in your home environment? The best way to control room acoustic is stop the sound before it reaches walls and ceiling. Or minimize it. Control the sound at the core of the sound source. The soundwave guide right in front of a speaker driver is a good way to control the room acoustic. That is a horn! Many people hate the sound of horn. There is a horn without the horn sound. If the sound from a speaker is reached a wall and bounced back. The direction of sound is inward to listener. The sound is confined, muddy, and colored. If the sound doesn't reach to a wall, the direction of sound is outward which is open, clear, transparent, and uncolored. Not many speaker (if none at all) gives us a correct and clear feedback for our acoustic experiences. If we have the clear feedback, we can improve the sound of speaker and sound system very quickly. Wavetouch speaker has no listener fatigue. Wavetouch speaker gives you a clearest and correct feedback. Even a person with zero experience of hi-end audio can hear the difference. Wavetouch speaker is a horn speaker without the horn sound. Wavetouch speaker is developed, tested, and inspected in small (15'x22' x 8'), medium (17'x 30' x 12'), and big room (36' x 44' x 14'). Alex Wavetouch Audio |
Everest 67000 yes, Tara no. There are smoother cables that deliver just as much detail as those. Yes also on Verity. Yes also on Tannoy as long as it is the "pepperpot" waveguide. No on the Magico Q. It's all relative. Magico Q are non-fatiguing compared to an ice pick in the ear, but not compared to something like a Tannoy as long as it is a "pepperpot" Tannoy. |
Musical = Live music. To me, the most musical are those which reproduce the sound of live music. Pretty subjective, I guess. I don't worry too much about listener fatigue because (again for me) there are lots of supposedly high end speakers which "mute" the sound (especially on the higher frequencies) and no longer retain the characteristics of live music. Guess there's a happy medium. Cheers.... |
Human voice is excellent test material for good sound in that we are inherently best equipped by nature to be able to recognize the sound of teh human voice more so than most anything else, plus the human voice can cover a broader range of frequencies more completely than most any other (man made) instrument. |
Tip, Listen to the human voice talking,not singing, on a speaker. On a good one the human voice will not have the hard edge we are so used to on speakers. It will sound soft, almost muted which is how it sounds in real life. Then listen to a SOLO violin to make sure that sounds real. Silverlines do this to a T . Ohms may well do this as well, but so long since I heard one I don't trust my memory. |
In my personal experience: 1. Quad ESL 57 Listening to a refurbished pair now, and they are the most non fatiguing I have ever heard. 2. Proac Response 2.5 Very close second. Might be up for sale though! 3. Dynaudio C1 Signature Not quite as non fatiguing as the others, but delivers incredible dynamics, and soundstage. |
What are the folks at Cary listening to? http://www.tnt-audio.com/tours/cary_e.html Unless you're thinking of near field studio monitors musicality in speakers is very subjective and of personal taste. Compatibility with the room may be a deciding factor. Fatigue generally comes from the ability of the electronics and their interaction with the speakers. Electronics designers usually conceder their gear will mate with most speakers. Knowing what they used to listen to in their design process can be a huge advantage or at least a starting point. |
I love Verity. I've cycled through many of the above and they sound the best to me. Even up against the marketing machine companies like Wilson or Magico I think Verity shines. If I had real money I would probably own Rockports. I'm curious to learn about your process and final decision. Please keep posting. |
Totem is more like Dynaudio to me. Fatigue is possible with some combos, even certain pricey ones. I am a big Totem Mani I fan but like Dynaudio gotta feed them properly. Same with newer element line models I have heard. McIntosh amplification for example was not a slam dunk in terms of having no edge when I auditioned. |
Ohm Walsh huh? I'll look into them. Revel and Golden Ear seem like good candidates too from what I've heard. Agreed about B&W's, I've owned them in the past and should know better. I liked the Totem Forest signatures but thought they were overpriced at $6K. I'd like to hear the VA's but don't think anyone has them nearby. If they weren't such an eyesore (or I was single), I'd buy the Maggie 1.7's or 3.7's in a heartbeat. Love the sound especially with the tube Cary preamp I'll be scoring with the insurance settlement. Sadly beauty just in the ear of the beholder isn't enough for the married man. |
I am also an Ohm Walsh owner, (2000) and fully agree with Mapman. I also think the Golden Ear Triton, although below your price range, punches above its price, and meets your requirements. I have yet to hear a speaker from Silverline Audio that I found harsh or fatiguing, although auditioning them can be difficult logistically. My brief auditions of Joseph Audio indicate that they are potentially candidates for you, but Jeff Joseph tends to push the SPLs way too high for me to have made a conclusive judgement. Another brand to audition would be Vienna Acoustics, which I have found pretty musical and smooth up top. |
Daedalus Audio speakers should definitely be considered IMO, although most of their models would only fit within your price range if bought used (and they appear for sale only occasionally). Regards, -- Al |
