Rap music on high-end speakers

It reminds me of a funny but typical situation I encountered several years ago.I was at a used hi-end audio store,and the owner used to come across some really exotic audio gear.Any way he also sold used CDs and i stumbled on to a LIAS LISa and the CULT GANG.I really wanted to hear this one cut titled Lost in Emotion,and the owner looked at me like i was nuts.I did remind him that I was a customer who had bought a pre amp from him,anyway he put the cut on i listen to it and it was a full tube setup,AUDIO RESEARCH,sounded real tight,he was going nuts but then he cut it off when the cut was done and put on classical and said this is what high end is for.I then told him that he was an idiot,because not all audiofiles listen to only classical and to me it's boring.We had a exchange of words and I pretty much told him that I will never patronize his establishment again.Well eventually he went out of business because he was trying to get over on everybody and pretty much everybody got hip to his B.S.TRU I wish you well on your continued search and my stepson is a fan of your music.Even my wife likes your stuff too.I hope that you read my speaker choices for you too.Happy Holidays.Cheers

some of these comments are making me sick. to generalize *any* kind of music is wrong, and i don't necessarily mean in an ethical sense either. i mean that if you make a statement about any genre of music, your statement has to be incorrect. styles of music vary within one genre so much that one statement CANNOT apply to the whole thing.

now, if you ask anybody who knows me, they will tell you that i am a seriously bad music snob. i'm not afraid to tell people why i think an artist is bad, but i will not trash an entire musical style.

there is indeed some rap/hip-hop that is overly manufactured andjust has high highs and lousy, boomy lows. but i don't understand how somebody could listen to an artist like tricky (especially 'maxinquaye') and make the same statement about it. it is extremely layered, well-engineered, crosses the full bandwidth spectrum, and is mostly mid-to-highs with a few very low baselines here and there.

anyway, that being said let me give my opinion on the original question.

in order for rap to sound good on a high end system, you are going to want a speaker with a very high quality woofer that will not color the sound and that will return to a resting position very quickly; quickly enough so that it has made a full movement cycle before it is activated again. of course all the normal speaker-qualities that are usually sought after should apply, but for r&b and hip hop, which does tend (not always) to have more low-end, it becomes very important for the proper reproduction of it. i've read some people
s recommendations and agree with gregm's recommendation of a pair of active ATC's. i recommend scm 50's or higher, as i believe them to have the best mid range and woofer drivers in the world. if you can find a dealer nearby, take a listen, i think they'll really help you enjoy the music.

and make sure you bring your own cd's and lp's when looking for speakers. and immediately leave any place that won't let you play what you want to when auditioning. you're the one buying the speakers. you're the one who will live with them, and you're the one paying their paycheck if you decide to buy. don't ever waste your time with snobby audio dealers. i changed hifi shops because of them.

anyhoo, just my opinion. hope it helps and good luck.

I agree with Nilthepill. The Dunlavy V's will blow your windows out with rap music. Even though it's not my favorite listening music it sure gets a party going. Ever try to get crazy with Dave Brubeck or in this case Lawrence Welk.

I'm not in your boat yet with regards to gear...bryston b-60 & B&W cdm1nt's and to be completely honest, although I dont listen to alot of rap music, I am a bug Beastie Boy fan and am amazed at the multiple layers of music and sampling in some of their songs that I had never heard before getting at least marginally decent stuff. Kid Rock sounds alot better too...it's not just the volume that matters. I think that it is pretty sad that many audiophiles were never able to broaden their musical horizons and stuck solely with classical and opera. I have a broad taste in music that I had gathered before i ever had a worthy system and can see the merits in any musical form. There is good rap and there is bad rap just as there is good opera and bad opera. I would go see Bizet's 'Pearl Fishers' 10 times in a row before I sit through Madam Butterfly again. Once again, that is my personal preference. Thank God we can have those. This thread also reminds me of something my Grandmother used to say..."If you dont have anything nice to say...." you know the rest.

I second the WITT recommendation. They will work very well with hip-hop as well as any other music. They have sold on audiogon for around the same price as the cubs and IMO will outperform them overall especially with hip hop.