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Should a reference speaker be neutral, or just great sounding?

I was thinking about something as I was typing about how I've observed a magazine behave, and it occurred to me that I have a personal bias not everyone may agree to.  Here's what I think:
"To call a speaker a reference product it should at the very least be objectively neutral."

However, as that magazine points out, many great speakers are idiosyncratic ideas about what music should sound like in the home, regardless of being tonally neutral.

Do you agree?  If a speaker is a "reference" product, do you expect it to be neutral, or do you think it has to perform exceptionally well, but not necessarily this way?
erik_squires
audioquest4life
778 posts
 
@erik_squires 

The last part of your sentence “close to the best of brand can deliver.” But, individually, everyone will have differing thoughts on this. 
tim_p's avatar
tim_p
361 posts
 
As soon as I read the thread title, to me "reference line" is the Companies to end product and as such, should blow me away...literally.....imo.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,879 posts
 
The biggest mistake people can make with hifi is spending money while having no reference to determine what it is they are trying to accomplish sound wise.

The second biggest mistake is thinking all recordings should sound a particular way. That will never happen. All recordings are different.

The third biggest mistake is not considering how well specific components will integrate as a system, including the room. That is what specifications are for. To provide a guide for making decisions based on more than just opinions, speculation or hype.
audioquest4life
778 posts
 
@tim_p,

Ditto!
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
Erik, "reference" is just a marketing term. Marketing should mean absolutely nothing to everyone. 
With enough experience and technical information, along with knowing what one likes to listen to, you can evaluate a speaker based on it's design and specification. If it rings all the right bells then a good listen is in order. There is no place in this country I would not fly to to hear a speaker I was going to pay more than 20 grand for, less if the dealer was say within a 250 mile range.
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