@helomech "Many speakers are voiced to impress during a quick audition, often with a "smiley" EQ.I'm convinced there are also brands/models for which the target market is older audiophiles who may need speakers with boosted highs in order to hear a balanced response. I've noticed many speaker response graphs where the highs at ~10kHz^ are boosted as much as 6db".That may be. I don't claim to be an expert on hearing loss. I've just noticed patterns among my local audiophile friends and the speaker types they gravitate towards. Maybe it's just that they can't hear the offending frequency peaks at all.
I would agree with you but I don't believe hearing works like that as you age. You either hear the high frequency or you don't.
I have had several hearing tests over the years working for a federal laboratory and after a certain frequency it drops like a rock.
my most recent test showed excellent hearing up to 15KHz which is excellent for my age (50's). Boosting above that frequency will not help any aging audiophile achieve a balanced sound.
I think the real reason for boosted high frequencies (B&W for example) is to attempt to enhance resolution and also make for sizzling temporarily impressive demos as you also mentioned.
Holy Brightness Batman!
I recently bought some Energy Veritas 2.2i stand mount speakers, with matching stands, and I was really impressed with them until today. All of a sudden, they seem overly bright. I find it interesting, that at first I loved all the detail and clarity and how open they sound, but after a two weeks they are just too much now.
I also found it interesting, that even though I loved the way they sounded during the honeymoon period, I wasn’t listening to music very much. The first day that I got my Dynaudio Xeo 6’s, I listened to them for 12 hours straight. I’ve listened to my Tyler Acoustics for long periods of time as well. The Veritas though, 15-30 minutes into a listening session, I’d be falling asleep, even at 3 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon. I wondered if it was because my brain was processing more information because the Veritas were revealing so much more information to me. Anyhow, this is / was not a good thing.
So, I’m wondering if any of you have had similar experiences with “overly” detailed speakers, or speakers that are borderline too bright. I feel like if I were demo’ing these speakers next to my Tylers, I’d pick the Veritas for sure, but I’d be wrong. I’ve always been a fan of detailed, slightly bright, speakers, but now I wonder if I would have been better off with more musical, laid back speakers that draw me into the sound and keep my attention until late into the night.
So take note, when you are trying to make a decision on which speakers to purchase, the ones that grab your attention first may not be the best choice.
I also found it interesting, that even though I loved the way they sounded during the honeymoon period, I wasn’t listening to music very much. The first day that I got my Dynaudio Xeo 6’s, I listened to them for 12 hours straight. I’ve listened to my Tyler Acoustics for long periods of time as well. The Veritas though, 15-30 minutes into a listening session, I’d be falling asleep, even at 3 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon. I wondered if it was because my brain was processing more information because the Veritas were revealing so much more information to me. Anyhow, this is / was not a good thing.
So, I’m wondering if any of you have had similar experiences with “overly” detailed speakers, or speakers that are borderline too bright. I feel like if I were demo’ing these speakers next to my Tylers, I’d pick the Veritas for sure, but I’d be wrong. I’ve always been a fan of detailed, slightly bright, speakers, but now I wonder if I would have been better off with more musical, laid back speakers that draw me into the sound and keep my attention until late into the night.
So take note, when you are trying to make a decision on which speakers to purchase, the ones that grab your attention first may not be the best choice.
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- 37 posts total
- 37 posts total