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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
amandarae
512 posts
 
I seem to gravitate towards two speaker designs, horn and planar. I loved my Logans and Magnepans, but they lacked punch and dynamics. I loved my Altec 19's, but they were far from being refined. I guess I'm looking for something that might not exist, so I'll have to take some time and determine just what compromises I'm willing to make

Check this out! http://www.linkwitzlab.com/orion_us.htm

I myself is a former Martin Logan and Magnepan owner. The forum is here http://orion.quicksytes.com/index.php?sid=3422d9bb94bbc45cee608cde62d51a19 Raise your question on the board. You will find that many came from the planar magnetic/electrostatic camp like myself.

Disclaimer: I own the Linkwitz Orion.
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,557 posts
 
My only fear is that a "vintage" horn system (even though it's offered as a current model) might not provide sufficient detail
Insufficient detail was never an issue in our system, in which we had modified 1977 La Scalas. Keep in mind that the speakers won't be the only limiting factor if it's detail you're after. Every other component will have a great deal to say about what comes out of the speaker. You can upgrade the La Scala tweeter if necessary, but if you change crossovers and upgrade your source--not to divert the discussion--I doubt you will feel the need to do so. You will want a speedy sub, however.
shadorne's avatar
shadorne
7,491 posts
 
Amandarae,

Good suggestion this design will certainly have a good transient response. I can't help but agree with the quote below from the link you gave (it is kind of obvious that Linkwitz is an engineer and not in marketing).

I have no problem, if people enjoy their music more, because it has passed through a certain interconnect, has been transformer balanced, amplified without feedback, processed through a reissued WW2 transmitter tube and sent to their speakers on litz wires of specific arrangement and purity, except that the money for these suggestions could have been spent on better speakers, for real improvements in accuracy of dynamic range and resolution. After all, the loudspeakers are by far the weakest link in the chain of components that are needed for sound reproduction.
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,557 posts
 
I understand that the Linkwitz Orions are excellent speakers. However, don't they require 6 channels of amplification? And can they be had within his budget?
amandarae
512 posts
 
Six channels will do, but 8 is preferred.

I built my Orions, ASP, cables, and bought an amp for a whooping $3800 plus/minus $100 for the choice of wood finish you want. And that is a conservative figure. Let see, on the top of my head..

Drivers........$1450
Cabinets, Paints, Glue.....$200
Cables and connectors...$150
ASP Xover(includes plans and pcb's, and case) ........$550
Amps...(ATI6012).......$1400
Misc....(saw blades, brush, nails, and shipping expenses etc.)....$100
So that come out to be $3850.

Enjoyment during listening sessions....Pricele$$
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