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.

128x128paul_lindemann

First would be smell. Second would be how they sound in my listening room. Third would be smell again.

I try not to dissect the sound. The closer to reality the better.. Room of course is always important, and the louder you play the more important.

Here are some factors that I failed to consider in my analysis of purchasing a speaker.

1.  Customer Service /Longevity - Over the course of 40 years an audiophile, I have had one tweeter go bad on me.  So that is 1/50 pairs of speakers in 40 years.  Unless a manufacturer is notorious for having very poor service, this is a non issue for me and not a top concern.

2.  Smell - Someone trying to be funny...I am sure that some sites out there appreciate dumb comments, just not here.

The accuracy of frequency response is critical to me - though not to all apparently.  To each their own.

Lots of great recommendations also that I agree with and consider!

As a Dealer, I have access to great business partners, like Audience and LTA/Berning - and hundreds of thousands of dollars of sound testing gear.  It was hard (really, impossible) for me to develop great sounding speakers, so I can imagine the difficulty of others - even if he is a top notch electrical engineer, Physicist,  Sound expert etc. would have in building their own speakers.

LOL!!! How they Look is high on my list.  If she looks pretty, I will overlook her misgivings.

If you want all these attributes be prepared to spend $20k on up 

and as I have stated many times ,having owned a Audio store for a decade

only 25% of the cost or less goes into the speakers ,the rest R&D overhead and markup.  l  have  seen first hand the 🧠 or ♥️ of Every Loudspeaker is the Xover design, components,  most even at $20k. Are truly not that much better 

then average pick Any speaker I can pick out the flaws . On my mint 3.4 Dynaudio contours. I rewired them ,and totally upgraded the Xover ,all to often they may use Good Jantzen inductors to dissipate heat ,but the resistors are $2 ceramic types the$30 Mundorf Ultra ,or Path Audio for example are much better sounding and capacitors, many are still using Solen , or the cheaper Mundorf Evo white caps , that are ok.There are many good brands ,foils cap type are better then the standard Sprayed on particle conductors. That being said there are several that are good such as Mundorf Supreme, Clarity caps upper line, Audyn ,Aura cap XO, and VH Audio Odam to name a few . For a great balanced foil cap the Jantzen Alumen Z are very good for a bit extra monies .I spend $1600 upgrading the speaker just in parts , it sounds much more balanced and detailed then their new model 30 at $8k+,and their new drivers are supposed to be a bit better ,the Xover being That much better transformed a already very respectable speaker ,that’s why modding in both Loudspeakers and Electronics is such a good value ,buy a higher quality used product and put monies into modding it and it will sound. Much better still and less$$then new , you usually get what you pay for , some sadly charge much more just for their name. Being into Audio for decades ,it’s just my observation.