@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.
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.
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.
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- 21 posts total
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. |
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 |
De gustibus no est... etc. etc. Not saying audio speakers can't be used for home theatre, many very successfully. And some audio speakers are similarly voiced in that "technicolor" way: e.g. the Sonus Faber Venere's, which sounded very impressive for the first three minutes or so, but then just started to overdo things. Mutatis mutandis, listening to B&W CM10's right after some GE Tritons, there was no contest in capturing the full, rounded, and specific timbre of acoustic orchestral instruments; timbres were smushed by comparison in the Tritons. As always, YMMV. |
@blindjim ... This applies to my own setup and use rather fittingly; I’ve used my 2-channel system as an HT ditto for some years now (with a 127" fixed frame screen and projector), and these last 2 years have used highly sensitive all-horn main speakers + a sealed 16" sub (for the last 7 months). For the record I’ve never used surround sound, and by all accounts I’m never going to. So, my system is a music ditto first and foremost, but as it turns out this makes it an excellent fit as an HT setup as well, the only differentiating factor being running the sub 5 dB’s hotter in "HT-mode." Some may conclude then that my music reproduction taste caters to the "technicolor" imprinting mentioned earlier, signifying a perhaps tasteful(?) coloration that lends itself less successfully - in the ears of some, at least - to music, and more to the advantage of movies and their more, say, "spicy" sound. I’d rather invert it, and claim the suitable HT-sound (of my liking) to emulate more closely a monitor sound of sorts, whereas the hifi-ideal is a typically more laid-back and character-laden presentation. Controversial, perhaps? If anything I find the visual term to articulate HT-sound (and hence my music-sound ideal) more aptly is CinemaScope (or better yet, as a concept: IMAX), as in a more enveloping and encompassing experience, and hereby not least more visceral, tactile and emotional. As such I can only agree with the sentiments described by others in this thread on the HT-traits - i.e.: the need for high sensitivity, ease of reproduction, controlled dispersion, timbral accuracy, low distortion etc. - but to me these aspects translates fittingly and equally well into music reproduction. The use of a sub is sometimes a controversial matter as well as it relates to music(al) reproduction (i.e.: the problem with proper integration), and not least when the sub used has any inkling towards HT-use, oftentimes simply by virtue of being a large and powerful sub - a tendency I believe to rest more heavily in how these subs are dialed-in in many "cinephile" milieus than their less hot, more versatile qualities. And let’s face it; for some audiophiles whatever approaches live levels both in volume and air-displacement impact is either "crazy" or something better suited for PA use or similarly. Ultimately I also find a sub indispensable in a HT setup, but dialed-in suitably is equally important reproducing music. |
- 21 posts total