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Let go of the music

When auditioning box speakers I find myself paying attention to how the speakers release the music. Every cabinet has a point where the music flows. The point right before that is sometimes vibration, as in a box, like a guitar, or my favorite lately flow from a very inert cabinet, like a solid monitor. I’m enjoying the imaging and presentation of this inert approach in pinpoint imaging, but have come to appreciate them all.Can anyone expand this position on cabinet design that in essence forms the image, or wall of sound? I know the room and electronics cables etc play a role but the speaker is the strongest factor in sound reproduction. I don’t care if you think one is right or wrong so no need to take over my living room. Boxless crowd welcome. 
bjesien
bjesien OP
1,306 posts
 
@phusis Are you saying that the enclosure has less to do with the dispersion pattern?  I hesitate to name a few speakers because people get all fired up, but an example of a very inert speaker that images really well would be a Wilson, or a Vandersteen 5A. The presentation of this speaker is very different from a Harbeth.  Again, not saying one is better or worse, just different design intentions and end products. 
james633
1,036 posts
 
I think the wall of sound has a lot to do with room reflections sometimes. It would be interesting to see if you get the same wall of sound if the speakers we setup outside vs inside. I just a guess.

 This would also make it volume dependent as the secondary reflections gain amplitude or it could just be the threshold of human hearing and perceived loudness but I have experience the same thing as speakers get louder the wall of sound increases. 
I don’t get it with headphone really ever. 
I am very sensitive to noisy boxes. Some people hate bright tweeters or boom bass. Noisy boxes are my pet peeve. I feel like it really messes up the sound.  

 
sounds_real_audio
1,013 posts
 
bjesien

You might think that more stiffening is the reason for quick release of the notes..I am not so sure.  you would probably agree that electrostatic speakers let the music go quickly. Smaller speakers also do that. They seem to be more spacious and you might have difficulty determining where in location the speakers are...a nice attribute for sure. 
sounds_real_audio
1,013 posts
 
" Releasing " the music is a factor of the speaker design. Two properties come to mind. The easy one in my mind is " a large and complex crossover " in a speaker eliminate that possibility. Crossovers do not add music they subtract. 
bjesien OP
1,306 posts
 
@sounds_real_audio I think we are on the same page.  I must say the word "releasing" might not be the best term, but it is what happens directly before the image is created. Broadcasting can be another word, but in my mind would include the box resonance in this case. I realize this might be getting caught up in semantics, and all boxes have resonance, but for me it can hold value in determining the presentation of different kinds of speakers.  

  
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