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Are your speakers designed for your listening taste and hearing ability?

It occurs to me that speaker manufacturer’s and designers in many cases design their speaker ( and its subsequent sound) to the expected ’typical’ buyer. IME, a lot of high end speakers are designed to appeal to the consumer who has a certain amount of ’hearing loss’ due to age! This might sound odd, but I think that there are a lot of a’philes who have reached a certain age and have now two things going for them..1) A large enough wallet that the expense of the speaker isn’t really the issue and 2) a certain amount of high frequency hearing loss. This circumstance leads to designers and manufacturer’s bringing out speakers that are a) bright, b) inaccurate in their high frequency reproduction and c) not accurate in their reproduction across the frequency spectrum ( some may be tipped up in the highs, as an example). My impression is that a certain technology catches on--like the metal dome ( beryllium or titanium, as an example) and the manufacturer sees a certain public acceptance of this technology from the --shall we say-- less abled in the high frequency hearing dept, and the rest is as they say...history. Your thoughts?
daveyf
verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,522 posts
 
I have found there are a lot of “screaming tweeters” on the market.  One writer and photographer from a publication literally said they were relieved when they walked in my room at AXPONA.  

I am am not sure that it is hearing loss that leads manufacturers tube speakers so forward.  The reality is, to get more perceived detail in the sound profile manufacturers turn the volume on the tweeter up a bit.  It is less the type of tweeter and more the tubes profile.  I have heard smooth and amazing beryllium tweeters and others that make me want to take an ice pick to my ears.  Same with silk domes.  

You can deliver some amazing “wow” moments that will sound detailed and jaw dropping with the right tracks and hide the brutal forwardness that may be exposed with the wrong.  It is critical that whenever you evaluate a speaker you hear your music on it.  
erik_squires
16,644 posts
 
I have found there are a lot of “screaming tweeters” on the market.

@verdantaudio Oh yeah there are.

The reality is, to get more perceived detail in the sound profile manufacturers turn the volume on the tweeter up a bit.


From some careful examination, this is definitely one way speaker makers stand out. The other way is to make the mid-treble ragged, accentuating narrow bands. When you go from other speakers to the ragged, you go "Oh wow, I’m hearing things I never heard before!" even with the overall balance not as bright. The B&W and Golden Ear comparison in my blog post is a great illustrator of this phenomenon.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,320 posts
 
No difference from the way in big box stores they turn the Brightness, Sharpness, etc. controls on TVs up to MAX.
The problem is, with 95% of the speakers, you can’t turn them down again (at least not directly on the speaker).
kenjit
1,771 posts
 
The B&W and Golden Ear comparison in my blog post is a great illustrator of this phenomenon.
Thats what nigel thinks but the other possibility is that the measurements are all wrong and so is his interpretation of them. 

erik_squires
16,644 posts
 
Thats what nigel thinks but the other possibility is that the measurements are all wrong and so is his interpretation of them.


Please tell us everything you know about interpreting data badly, Kenjit. What you fail to understand is that my standard for bad data interpretation is very low, and you are among the best there is.  Not only do you interpret data badly, but just when the world thinks you might be onto something you contradict something you said five minutes before. I mean, wow. The ability you have to be in my grill while constantly changing your point of view is a feat of shameless mental aerobics that is a site to behold.
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