Check out the thread " What would your perfect speakers sound like ".
ELEMENTS THAT AUDIOPHILE SPEAKERS REQUIRE
I was thinking about the key elements that make a great speaker, and came up with this short list;
1, Tonality - a speaker needs to be able to reproduce instruments accurately. A harp needs to sound like a harp. The strings need to sound as if they are plucked.
2. Accuracy - the speakers must be flat across their stated bandwidth...+/- 3 DB 1
3. Dynamics (Attack and Decay) - to effectively portrait the music, the crescendos and Diminuendos must be accurately represented. This keeps one interested and involved in the music.
4. Imaging - to some folk, this is not essential. Certainly it is not as essential as the previous three requirements, but I appreciate a proper stage image.
5 Resolution - the ability to resolve and portray inner detail and nuance of the music.
6. Matched - electronics must match the speakers impedance, sensitivity and overall sound.
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I am going to throw this into the mix. Car insurance companies ALWAYS advertise that they have the cheapest rates. Many times..that is what the consumer focuses on. But what happens when you need to make a claim? What is the customer service ACTUALLY like? A speaker can sound tremendous. It can cost a gazillion dollars. But what about the customer service??? I heard a story about Magico. If the tweeter goes bad, it’s like $13k for Magico to replace it...and you must send the speaker back to Magico (shipping a 175lbs spreaker crated). When Magico is done fixing your uber expensive speaker ...they send a message which dock to arrange for YOU the owner to pick up your speaker. They don’t ship it back??? My point is this. I personally don't just think about the sound. I think about what my money pays for. Sound is a large part of the decision, but so are other factors, like resale cost, customer service, reputation of the company, resources they have....etc, etc. I get the characteristics of the sound part, I do. But that gets beat to death in this forums. What about the company? |
2psyop - Could not agree more.As a general rule, longevity without the need for service, is my number #1 concern. Most things are at best an inconvenience to a real hassle to return and get repaired. And I get that things break, I just don't want to deal with it. It is perhaps the main reason why I stay away from buying used. As for the original post, my room set-up, along with how much real estate I can devote to the speakers, dictates what speakers I can get. Apartment living with a spouse and 2 cats rules out a lot. My speakers will sit on the top of bookcases, so most of the audio niceties are not coming into play. Rich
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What you described pertain to the relation System/ speakers/room more than to the speakers alone... Even with the best specs there is , in a bad room, forget them any speakers will work way sub-optimally .... And speakers designers use the box dimension they had in some way that is not always optimal but esthetical and accepted by consumers...😁 In m y case few inches rectangular 2-way box with a porthole, they sound OK out of the box, Lack bass extension , but they look good...😁 But acoustics of speakers box ask sometimes for something else especially because minimal if not optimal bass levels and extension must be there ...And high frequencies must be focussed and optimally directed in near field listening... And the tweeter must not interfere with the bass driver... I modified my small box acoustically , it is not esthetical, but my God! the result is ANOTHER speakers completely with another better response... If i describe what i had done immature ignorant will call me "tin foil hat" , they just dont understand acoustics basic...😊 They belive only "price tag"... The better speakers had no particular brand name but exist ONLY in a SPECFIFIED room designed for it with sometimes an improved box ...😊 |
@mahgister 1+ You can not consider the sound quality of a speaker without taking the room into account. They are two parts of the same transducer. It is relatively easy to assess build quality. Certainly, the amp and speakers have to be matched. If all those qualities are essential to you then I suggest you get a digital preamp/processor and you can make any speaker/room sound almost like anything you want. Some room treatment is always necessary. |
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