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Are HT speakers best for primary audio listening or not?

Hello sports fans!

Regarding my picks for music listening, I’ve got a short list of loudspeakers which seems to evolve and diminish and then grow again. Although it sits with five or less models on it usually.

The one I feel is at the top of the list is as yet, an unknown entity. I ain’t heared it yet. If and when I do, it likely isn’t gonna be heard with the electronics I would use to support it. So, it will be as with so many at best ‘guess speculation’ if purchased.

Here’s the Dilly Dilly….

In one quite well written account by a popular long time reviewer, he states among other sterling attributes, this would make for an excellent hi end home theater loud speaker.

QUESTION:

What is the argument for or against HT speakers as primary 2 ch audio listening speakers.

Is there a decided separation in speaker land lately between HT speakers and stereo or primary music only speakers??

I’ve always sought music first speakers even if HT would or could be an added task for the main speakers later on, and simply accepted the results.

Not entirely positive this go ‘round, but most likely, whatever music first speaker I choose will NOT see any HT duty.

Thanks for your related experience.

blindjim
blindjim OP
3,092 posts
 

@shadorne
Thanks man. Your input is always well received … thanks.

Granted sound is sound.

I’ve got a sincere bias here apparently, as I’m feeling HT speakers deliver ‘sound’ differently than dedicated music only loudspeakers should as I’ve said above.

EX. A warm, slightly romantic sounding loudspeaker would and does work in a lot of musical genres. In HT scenarios? Not quite so well. Same thing can be said for limited range speakers. For music, likely quite acceptable. HT? this just won’t do. Additional support for the bottom octaves MUST be added if the film’s audio is to be experienced as much as its video involvement.

In fact, or IME, subs are a MUST for HT. not an optional accessory.

IMHO BW makes a very lengthy array of HT qualified speakers. Indeed, pretty much all of them can do double duty with video and audio which adds to their popularity perhaps. BTW I loved the look of the previous Nautilus series 802, 801s, and a bit of the 800s. it just wasn’t to be.


.
@mikhaelkuz
Thanks man.
I’m almost positive what you are experiencing with a covey of tritons is entertaining.

I’m simply shooting at birds a bit higher on the tree in my next system..

If I were to arrange an HT deal in addition to purely audio, I’d take a good look at Tritons.


mikhaelkuz
56 posts
 
@blindjim I totaly get it.
" I’m simply shooting at birds a bit higher on the tree in my next system.." I wish I can say the same, but upcoming retirement and money flow issues clipped my wings.
Good luck and let audiophile gods be with you!
blindjim OP
3,092 posts
 

@Mikhaelkuz> Good luck and let audiophile gods be with you!

  Blindjim > thanks. Hopefully a greater power than all combined will be with me. And, us all. In fact, I’m fairly sure that’s going on already.


twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 

Short answer: no.

Speakers that have been designed with a view to their being used primarily in a HT system, will, typically, have been voiced differently.  In my experience they often have a "technicolor" quality that makes soundtracks sound very impressive...

But... if you play some honestly recorded acoustic music over them, that too will acquire some of that technicolor quality, rather than having the purity that we really want from our speakers.

audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,764 posts
 
Twoleftears, 

Wrong completely wrong, I am a trainded Theater Designer and there is no special voicing for a Home Theater speaker, they are not brighter or duller than a Music Speaker.

As Shadorne said ATC make excellent Home Theater Speakers so do KEF it comes down to these factors:

1: Power Handling and efficiency.  A good Theater speaker has the ability to play loud so efficiency and power handling are inportant. 

2: Controlled Dispersion, you want to have a wide Horizontal dispersion and Limited Vertical dispersion so not to bounce sound off of the ceiling, the D'Appolito configuration was designed to do just this.

3: Timberally accurate a good Theater speaker will sound as accurate as possible with an even frequency response.

4: Dynamic capabilities: A good Theater speaker can track highly dynamic passages without distortion.

One of the biggest difference is the concept of imaging which is not really important in a Theater design but very important in a Music System. 

So when you place speakers against a wall you are not going to get the kind of depth of field in image that will happen when you  do so, so in reality that is one of the biggest differences between the world of Theater and Music systems.

Also a Theater room is going to have much greater damping to control reflections then a pure two channel Music Room.

Check out our Theater we built for DIY Network Rev Run's Rennovation

https://www.flickr.com/photos/58319891@N08/albums/72157650239108910

https://www.flickr.com/photos/58319891@N08/albums/72157650233548529

You will notice that we use KEF THX speakers which hit all the criteria required for a good Theater, high power handling, wide dispersion, low distortion, tonally accurate,wide dynamic range.

Dave owner chief designer
Audio Doctor NJ

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