When choosing new Speakers, what matters most to you?

I find that listening to a full range of well recorded human voice (spoken word) is very revealing of colorations and crossover issues. If a speaker passes the test: you can make yourself believe you are listening to a live voice, it’s going to do well on all kinds of music.

For most speakers, I find, you know within 10 seconds you are listening to the kind kind of electronically reproduced voice that you could never confuse with a live person’s.

Also listening to the treble/soprano sections of naturally recorded choral music -- (Faure’s Requiem [Kings College Choir] I use often), or Paul Desmond’s sax on Time Out tracks, is very revealing of upper range crossover smoothness, and colorations.

Good speakers are revealing of less than perfect recordings. Music that can sound lively and sweet on cheaper speakers can sound un-engaging on really good speakers. But then listen to, say, Diana Krall’s "Walflower" and then you hear what you are paying for.

I had pair of ProAc EBS studios for about 30 years. Just sold those and now have an ATC set up. Very happy.

1. Flat frequency response on axis, and (as much as possible) off axis.
2. Reproduces the full range of audible frequencies.
3. Cardioid dispersion pattern to minimize rear and side reflections.
4. Holographic - speakers should 'dissapear' so with closed eyes you can't pinpoint (by ear) from where the sound is coming.
5. Aesthetics/placement/approval factor

For me, these should be the philosophical pillars of every speaker maker.

Crystal clean high frequency tweeters. I like domes as they are not as placement finicky. Good linear bass response that you can feel when you add volume. I also am a fan of front ports to enable the speakers to be placed close to the wall. I also like the "live sound" that speakers like JBL provide. Just makes the music seem more real. Good for toe tapping. I like speakers that make me move.

Accuracy.  Do the speakers reproduce EXACTLY what you feed them?

With Magnepan products, the answer is YES.

With other products, the answer is NO.

cindyment

"Used to drive a Toyota Camry. It had more American content than any other car manufactured at the time."

You must have missed that part about UNION made. That was a two-part requirement of mine for Automobiles, not one. And every dime of that Camerys profit goes back to Japan. I don’t send that country a dime if don’t have to, especially when it not necessary.