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First round of auditions disappointing

Well, I finally got out and did some actual listening over the weekend, and I can see that I have quite an adventure ahead of me.

I listened to the Focal Profile 928, Polk LSi15 and a couple of Martin Logan's (Vista and Vantage). The Focal was by far the worst of the bunch; as a matter of fact, it was downright awful, and at a price of $5K for the pair?????????? Good grief...

The Polk LSi15 was better, but far and away from what I expected, given the good press. I use to own Martin Logan Sequel II's, and liked them for their midrange qualities. The newer Logan's were pretty nice, but far too dead in the dynamics department. Very nice rendition of vocals though, and great soundstage presentation.

The more I listened to the typical box speaker, the more I believe that design won't satisfy me. My wife, who is really not "in" to music, commented to me that the Focal sounded "like a box," so there you have it.

I'll probably have to wait until CES, because there is little in the way of "high end" in my area.
seadweller
newbee
4,811 posts
 
Tvad and others,

Tvad, I noticed the Shahinians - a big caveat, note that they use a driver which may not be obtainable to a user if one (or more) needed to be replaced. :-(

Re comments of Seadweller's wife that the speaker sounded boxy. Am I the only one who finds this term too ambiguious to be useful. Are we talking about a coloration in tone due to resonances in the wood and construction used in the box. If that is all we are talking about then wouldn't the set up of panels/electro's/dipoles be just as likely to introduce tonal variations due to set up issues which many folks cannot overcome?

I've been able to set up box speakers with minimal resonance issues more easily and as successfully as any panels or electrostat's in my home(s). I'm not suggesting that one sounds better than another, its horses for courses as always.

BTW, Tvad I bet you don't hear any boxiness in your set up! :-)
seadweller OP
56 posts
 
I agree that the only way to best determine whether a speaker will work for an individual, is for that individual to get the speaker in their own environment. Unfortunately, it's not very practical.

At this point, I'm trying to determine the general characteristics of a particular brand. To complicate things, I'm sure that model ranges within a brand may or may not sound different!

I guess the only way to really get a picture of what's out there is to put this endeavor to rest until I head out to the CES show. Although side-by-side and/or equipment matched comparisons will be nearly impossible, it will certainly help narrow the playing field.

I haven't given up on boxes completely, but the few I listened to recently sounded hollow for some reason. Cabinet resonances? Poor placement? Voicing? Driver selection? Who knows......
jdombrow
371 posts
 
If you have a chance, listen to the various speakers by Green Mountain Audio.
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
10+ threads into this, I for one am unclear as to what you want. A Klipsch? A Merlin? A giant killer from Asia? A full-range speaker? Planar, box, horn???? CES will help narrow the field, but it does so under conditions that do not mirror those that exist in your home. And if vintage is on your list of considerations, you won't find it there. If you could answer a few questions, it would really help narrow your list now, prior to wandering through the proverbial audio meat market in hopes that the same speaker that wows you in a 10-minute audition will also be a long-term keeper once settled into your home.

Room size? (14' x 30' is it?)
What amp will you use? 10W, 100W, 1000W?
Music mainstays? (Jazz, jazz vocals, etc.)
What do you want that you're not getting from your VR4s?
Speaker size restrictions, if any?
What source will you use?
Budget ($5K, is that correct?)

Again, if you stated in what region you live, there also may be A'goners willing to host an audition.
mdhoover
695 posts
 
Seadweller,
I remember occasionally being irked and not finding the holy grail (for me only, others may disagree) for a long time. The old, three box version of the Audio Physic Caldera sounded phenomenal, and retailed for 20K. I couldn't afford them at the time even at the discounted price of 10 K. The culmination of my approximately 15 year (intermittent) search was the Intuitive Design Summit, which I love. Perhaps worth a listen.
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