You have to listen ,but you have to considerate only 3 way
design. Two way falls to reproduce midrange to
compare 3 way.period
design. Two way falls to reproduce midrange to
compare 3 way.period
best speakers for vocals?
Hi, I was wondering what people's thoughts are on speakers that are best for vocal centric music? I am looking for speakers that are best at reproducing vocals, especially female in the most lifelike, 3-dimensional, airy, emotional manner. I am trying to recreate a lifelike, live show, front row sound. To this end, I prefer a speaker that can create a holographic soundstage with a palpable vocal sound with some weight.
I listen mainly to jazz, pop, adult contemporary, down tempo.
My budget is < $15,000.
I listen mainly to jazz, pop, adult contemporary, down tempo.
My budget is < $15,000.
59 responses Add your response
Clearwave Duet 6 monitors. There's a demo pair from the maker here on A'gon for less than what I paid. :-( Since they're already broken in, you can readily decide if they're what you want within the 15 day trial period, which still applies. Vocals, piano, percussion or anything acoustic comes across very convincingly, not to mention everything else. These speakers do it all. I've gotten the best results placing them directly on solid maple stands, using 18ga Mapleshade Double Helix speaker cables, a match made in heaven. All the best, Nonoise |
This speaker comparison video, 1st speaker is clearly better. |
Chiming in 9 years since the original post, I must put in a vote for Harbeth. A couple of weeks ago, I went over to a distant relative's house, who was clearly not an audiophile, but just as clearly had money and was advised by someone who knew their stuff. I don't know which model, as I'm not a Harbeth kind of guy. They were a large stand mounted model, maybe HL5 or 30.1? Front end looked like Musical Fidelity all the way. The music itself was some female vocal work that I neither knew nor cared about. Nonetheless, I was stopped in my tracks. I'd never heard such eerie, downright spooky vocals. Confession: I'm an entry-level kind of guy, but I've had some decent gear through the years (the usual suspects - ProAc, Thiel, Snell, Ref3A, SF, etc.). These Harbeths made me wonder how I could have been so far away from lifelike vocals. I guess it's because I always wanted a slew of specs before I gave a speaker a listen. Harbeths don't look good on paper, because of their price to performance. Not good value. But these sounded beyond anything I've heard. I'd love to hear about any "poor man's Harbeth's" if anyone out there has any. |
I still believe electrostats are (or a qualified "can be") the most accurate sound reproducer -- with some of the best horns, domes, and air-motion devices coming very close. The 'qualification' with respect to 'stats', is they MUST be driven with a tube amplifier in order for them to deliver a 'complete' signal. One whose weak and tiny (but very necessary) nuances have not been lost in the "cracks" of a typical (solid state) push-pull amplification circuit. Electrostatics are SO articulate/accurate/analytical/revealing (or whatever adjective you want to use) that when driven by (except the very best) solid state amps, they render EXACTLY what they receive from a solid state gain stage: an audio signal with a few "missing parts", including much of the low-level 'micro detail' which is responsible for harmonics, timbre, and overtones -- the stuff that makes reproduced sound believable to our brains; and which combine as sound waves in air to help create the audio 'hologram' we call 'soundstage'. Even though it's a little off-topic here, I feel I should explain WHY (very genrally speaking ;~) tubes seem to be better than transistors at 'preserving' an audio signal: it is in fact because of a tube's SHORTCOMING as an 'electrical valve' - it is slow to turn on and off (like a light bulb.) And so there is some 'overlap' as one tube (of a pair) hands the signal off to the other tube. Transistors by contrast, are extremely high-speed devices which turn on and off instantaneously -- and if a pair of gain stage transistors are not PERFECTLY (and laboriously) matched, there will be a little time 'gap' as one hands off the signal to the other, where some subtle parts of the signal will be lost. Unfortunately, many audiophiles believe that electrostatic speakers require gobs of current (NOT) and so drive them with huge solid state amplifiers. Thus missing out on the enormous pleasure their electrostatic speakers could provide! They need only stop and remember that the amazing Quad 57 was, from the very beginning, driven with a low-powered tube amps. Later on, no solid state amp has ever been able to improve their amazing ability to reproduce the human voice. Thanks for your kind indulgence ;~) . |
Hey great to see this topic pop back up! Yogiboy, I am indeed back in the market for speakers. Admittingly I am a Sonus Faber fanboy, having lived with the Cremona Auditors for a while. I still very much love these speakers but I will be moving these to my bedroom so I want to upgrade for my main system. Right now I am leaning towards Sonus Faber Memento. I hear SF is moving away from their traditional house sound and towards a more detailed presentation. I need to verify this with a listening session of the Evolution. I have also auditioned the Raidho C1 which is a fine, clear speaker but I feel like it was missing that midrange magic. The search continues. |
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Old thread, good topic! I find often when vocals are clear and easy to understand, the rest is pretty good as well. Vocals are a great test in that one knows when the words can be understood or not, since people themselves and not some foreign device designed by people are the instruments. Plus the human voice is a fairly broad range instrument compared to most others I believe. Its much more cut and dry than assessing most other attributes of good sound. Good clear vocals are a very good omen for good sound overall I think. I have heard a lot of variation in ability to deliver vocals clearly using different gear in my system. Best speakers for vocals of the ones I own and use often: 1) OHM walsh 2) Triangle Titus 3) Dynaudio Contour 1.3mkII All are pretty good but some better than others. I find I like speakers that crossover at higher frequencies in general best for coherent and understandable vocals. OHM and Triangle do this. REf3A is another I can think of that I recall takes that approach as well. Most good quality single full range drivers should do an excellent job as well but overall frequency bandwidth would likely be more limited. Others may do well also but there is a lot that can go wrong when crossovers come into play in the primary frequency range of the human voice. |
Sorry, I didn't read all answers, so my apologize if I repeat some. May be the speaker is not the only thing to consider. Interest of some speakers comes from the amplifier that you can use, as SET ones. If you want something "plug and play" and compact, you can consider a full audio note system. If you have more space dedicated to the hifi usage and if you are able to put the hands in the machine, you can have a look on old Klipschorn or Altec speakers. I still have in mind a wonderful session, 50s jazz, all mono, with SET amps and voice of theater. It was just great. But the amp is a big part of the sound! Enjoy Ugo |
Long time reader, never posted. Have had a variety of high end low end systems, TL's, electrostatics, several variants of the LS3/5A and clones (KEF CS2, KEF CS2A), the LS5/12A, several different Monitor Audio (Studio 2, Studio 20, Studio 12). My wife has a hearing issue and as such has difficulty with listening to the news on a radio and TV. Last year I build some "Metronome's" (DIYaudio.com) first with the Fostex FF125Wk and later with the FF105WK. Now no other speaker will do. Imaging is superb. Drawback is that complex orchestra's and high sound levels are not its strength. I much prefer the FF105WK version (the FF125WK was just put together as a test box but my wife does not let me make them in a more final version - afraid I'll spoil the "magic" for her). If we had the space them I would make a larger one with the Fostex FF165WK. |
I'll chime in to support those who have suggested Spendor and Harbeth speakers. Both are well known for their ability to bring life to female vocal recordings. That is one of the things that I love about my Spendors. I have listened to electrostats and I never really liked them, although perhaps my opinion would change were I to live with a pair for a while. I am not bashing 'stats by any means, it's just that (to my ears) they are missing some sort of warmth that dynamic speakers possess. |
Thanks everyone...great speakers and many I have never even heard of. I am looking forward to hopefully auditioning all of these. Unfortunately, some like the Wilson Benesch are not readily avaiable in my area...I have heard the Sonus Faber and they do sound very nice, warm and relaxed. Based on all of the responses here, I will give the electrostats especially the ML Summits another thorough listening. Thanks again. Keep the recommendations coming. |
Semi,What you say about dome mids is true tonally.Unfortunately this does not translate to really good imaging though.I have used many domes and none of them have well focussed imaging.Cones and stats are much better in this regard.The Edgar Mid horn uses a Dynaudio D54 and this changes dispersion patterns[not to mention sensitivity],which improves imaging.These have negligable"horn" colourations if the horn is sand damped. JT |
As a former owner of SF Extrema/Guarneri, B&W 802N, Merlin VSM, Dynaudio Confidence 5, Wilson Watt/Puppy (and many others), current owner of SF Amati & Cremona, my personal favorite for vocal is.... Dynaudio Consequence & Confidence 5. Like electrostatis, secret lies in crossover, or lack of. Most 2 or 3 way speakers cross at vocal range and we all know what crossover can do to sound. Both speakers use midrange dome which covers vocal range without nasty crossover, the whole range is covered by one driver. Both speakers deliver real world bass unlike electrostatic. But penalty of either speaker is efficiency, <85db due to isobaric woofer design. |
If high volume levels are not required, try the Merlins (mine are VSM SE) with a 300b set amp. I used the Cary monoblocks. This is the best vocal reproduction I've ever acheived and I've owned (or still own) a bunch of the speakers listed on this thread (including the Verity, Maggies (3.5) and Silverline Sonatina). While I'd still choose the Parsifal Encore overall, the Merlins are hard to beat for vocals, IMHO. Another interesting way to go is to choose one speaker for overall performance and add a second, limited bandwith pair for vocals. Some of the single driver or minimalist crossover designs (e.g. deCapo MM) acheive excellent mid band performance at modest cost by trading away performance at the edges. On the theory that no single design does all things best, your budget would put ca. $2500 toward these and would still leave app. $12,500 for a pair of very dynamic full range speakers of your choosing. |
If size is an issue, then the Merlin VSM-MXs already recommended are definitely ones I would recommend you look at as well (very nice all-around speaker at $10K/pr., IMO). I also liked the GMA speakers a lot (I heard the Callistos) and can recommend them as well, but I preferred the Merlins (which cost considerably more). If size is not as much an issue as I think it is, then there are some others that I can easily recommend along with the previously mentioned speakers above... The Tyler Acoustics Woodmeres at $12K/pr. would be a good choice... They are large, but do not take up a huge amount of floor space (more tall than deep) and sound very good all-around, particularly on female vocals. Finally, my personal favorites are just outside your price range new (18.2K/pr.), but easily within it used... They are the McIntosh XRT-28s. Like the Woodmeres, they are tall and a tad wide, but not particularly deep floorstanders that play female vocals *very* well. Allison Krauss sounds phenominal on them, BTW. ---Dave |
Tboooe, There is at least one electrostat that goes pretty deep in the bass. I have several customers who have measured their SoundLab A-1 or M-1 speakers as having an in-room -3 dB point somewhere in the lower 20's (lower than the factory claims), and I've witnessed similar measurements. I would say their tonal balance is on the warmish side - their frequency response is gently downward-sloping rather than being "flat". But, they are quite large - no getting around that one. When I wrote to you I didn't realize size was an issue. Best of luck with your quest, Duke |
YOu would love horn speakers. Aside from the modern horn speakers, Highly recommend the vintage Jensen G and CX and EV TRXB coaxial speakers from the late 50s to early 60s. Very sweet highs and good bass too. The only thing you should keep in mind is build your own or finding the cabinet for these timeless drivers. |
