What is a live speaker?


I am entry level and certainly not in the race for having a lot of money in a system. Not that I wouldn't like to, my day will come. Anyways I attend live performances and the sound is beautiful, open, flowing, smooth and alive. The violins flow, the cello's have life the piano is extended and alive. How to get that. Here is what I have found. It seems to be system/room interface. I have had Sequerra's very accurate point source, no live sound. Some triangles, sharp crisp sound nothing alive. Some Maggies which where open and musical but not alive. Some Cain&Cains vocals, Diana sounds like she is in your room but the instruments are not right in my room, there is a peak at 100 and goes down till the mids then nice and flat so makes sense. For my room some old Heybrooks have been the best for live sound. They are open and smooth and alive, vocals sound good not right there in the room good but good. The violins are there, cello's there and smooth and open alive. There is air around them. I have heard not in my room but auditioned numerous systems that cost 1,000's more then the Heybrook, NAD, 555es system I have and not even hinted to live. They might be sharper, louder, more dynamic, and extended but not live. The salesman try to imply but. So has anyone else heard this live sound. It seems very fragile, if I spike the stands this live sound goes away. If I change cables, or interconnects the live sound goes away. I am interested in upgrading my system and if the Heybrooks seem to be the direction that works. I am looking for more of it. Would this mean Spendors, Proacs? I thought I would find out but a deal on some Proacs fell through so my looking is on again. Thank you for your thoughts.
johnbonn
Live sound = ATC. Try Sheffield Labs Drum tracks to test for a speaker that can sound like live music - percussion is the hardest to achieve because of the transients. Vocals is all too easy for most speakers - not a lot of huge dynamic transients in vocals. (Note that live sound does not equal stupendous bass - it means fast and detailed)
I second mrtennis's selection for electrostatic speakers; this is my second year with soundlab m2's and they are everything I researched before buying them.
I think you owe it to yourself to hear a electrostatic speaker,especially the soundlab line,awesome.
The only negative I can think of is they don't play loud like a dynamic speaker does;I guess the definition of loud is a personal choice but to me they don't play loud; however extremely accurate with proper timbre,imaging and soundstage;I will take that over loud in my book.
I'm a performing musician, recording studio owner, and audio listener. Zu Druids are easily the most natural sounding speaker I have owned or used. Their reproduction matches remarkably well to the live sources in the studio.

I have quite a bit of experience with normal studio reference monitors and hi-fi speakers. While many can of course sound excellent, none I have used have approached the Zu for dynamic realism. I now use them for pleasure listening in the living room, and another pair (with upgraded high pass capacitor) for mixing and mastering in the studio. Very forgiving of placement in my rooms, and work well with a variety of sources.

I have even plugged mics and instruments through a mixer and directly to the Druids and used them for live PA speakers in small venues that do not need highest SPL. They are excellent for this. Of course, they can play at monstrous levels with standard audio recordings.

Steve
Live sound = ATC.

Shadorne,

What model do you think would work well in a 18' x 33' room with 9' ceilings? I am considering upgrading my studio monitors, but if I do so I want the monitors to work in my listening room as well for entertainment purposes...