Big speakers, are they really the best way to get great sound?
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to listen to some very large speakers that are considered to be at, or close to, the pinnacle in speaker design and ability. Needless to say, the speakers retail in the mid to high $300k range. These speakers, and I will not be naming them, were sourced by about $800k of upstream gear. Room size was about thirty by twenty, maybe a little larger.
To say the the overall sound was BIG would be accurate, but also I noticed something else, that I typically hear with big speaker systems. Generally, the speakers were right on edge of overloading the room, depending on music, the dreaded bass boom could be heard. But, the whole presentation was greater in impact than most any smaller speaker system, yet it was almost unlistenable for the long term.
The question I asked myself, is do we really want this type of presentation in our home audio systems? The speakers threw a pretty large soundstage, but also made things sound somewhat larger than life. I also thought that this type of speaker is akin to the large box dynamic speakers of yesteryear. For example, a set of large horns from Altec Lansing or similar was reminiscent of this sound. Makes me believe that if one has a big room, a similar sound can be obtained from most any large speaker system and at a fraction of the price.
I listen in a very small room, and by necessity in the near field, yet I think the overall intimacy of this type of listening experience is better for me, your thoughts?
You hit on the main issue all speakers have, and that's integrating with the room. The dragons live in the lowest two octaves and published measurements don't help you at all. So, if investing $100K or more it is worth it to get measurements and professional room treatments, and consider EQ when and where possible. |
With larger speakers, more money is being spent on low frequency extension... extension that interacts with the room... extension you usually cannot adjust for the room / placement. When you think about it, large, floor standing speakers without low end adjustment are a recipe for compromise. So, if indeed you are talking about a $300k Wilson Audio speaker... well, I have no problem telling it like it is. |
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My Wavetouch audio system consists small 2 ways speakers (a 5.25" woofer) with a Velodyne 8" SPL s2 powered sub. Can any system beat my system's sound and musicality? The Time (Pink Floyd) requires a good bass and I think my system is doing better than any system. Alex/Wavetouch Pink Floyd – Time - David Gilmour, Wavetouch audio, Live recording |
