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Coaxials - Reality vs. Experience?

Should say "hype vs. reality" in the headline. 

 

Coaxial speaker design has been around in one way or another for a long time. I often think I’ll be absolutely blown away by them, but in practice traditional vertical layout speakers often have sound as good, or have other features that make them sound better.

Thiel, KEF, Monitor Audio, Tekton, Seas are among the many players attempting such designs, but none has, by the coaxial drivers alone, dominated a segment of the market.

What are your listening experiences? Is it 1 coaxial speaker that won you over, or have you always preferred them?

erik_squires
unreceivedogma's avatar
unreceivedogma
916 posts
 

I have been using Altec 604Cs since 1978. 
I have never been unhappy enough to make a switch. 
or rather, I’ve yet to come across something that would incline me to do so, at almost any price point. 
For me, they ain’t broke and I’m not fixin’ ‘em. 

erik_squires OP
15,895 posts
 

@audiotroy 

 

 Not true Vandersteens are exclusively time and phase correct at the listening position for those who can hear it and appreciate how this offers a realism connection to the music , not a priority for everyone.

Again, I was speaking specifically of listening above the tweeter axis, to make a point about how distance changes the time alignment. 

cantorgale's avatar
cantorgale
116 posts
 

@mulveling

I traded Rockport Atria ii’s for Tannoy Kensington GRs. Bought Autograph Minis for my bedroom and was so smitten I searched out the larger Tannoys. Listened to GRFs which were not quite to my taste, and Canterburys which were to big for my room and my wallet. (Previously had Harbeth and Focal - so you see my tastes swing a bit.)

Also swapped D’Agostino Progression integrated for Pathos InPol Heritage integrated Endgame for the present

 

 

 

deep_333
895 posts
 

The only guy i know who has perfected coaxial designs is Andrew Jones. Try one of his higher end coaxial designs  (TAD, Mofi, etc).  Many other coaxial designs i've tried (Tannoy, KEF. etc) sound like sht.

kokakolia's avatar
kokakolia
198 posts
 

I don't know. Maybe the benefits of coaxial speakers are overstated. I liked the KEF LS50 Meta, but I also enjoyed many other 2-way speakers from the likes of Castle or Atohm. I'm talking about the $2k price bracket. I'm saying that if you try a dozen speakers around the same price, then the coaxial speakers won't necessarily stand out. 

I'll just be a weirdo and enjoy my single-driver speakers for now. I think that they sound fantastic.

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