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When choosing new Speakers, what matters most to you?

When auditioning new speakers have you ever listened to a pair you thought you really liked only to realize you didn’t like them at all after seeing their measurements/specifications? And I’m not talking about speakers that would be too difficult for your electronics to drive but rather, you just didn’t like their waterfall plot, or their frequency response or some other measurement even though subjectively, you loved the way they sounded? Conversely have you ever listened to a pair of speakers you did not care for only to change your mind after seeing their specs?
 

Assuming speakers can be easily driven by your home electronics, in other words, no compatibility issues related to sensitivity or impedance, what is the single most important thing you look for when finding speakers you’ll enjoy listening to? How do you go about confirming the speakers you buy will be enjoyable to listen to in your home system?

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phcollie's avatar
phcollie
342 posts
 

Just  answering the title of the thread.....The Trim & Cover.  Only Magnepan for me, so there aren't a lot of choices beyond the size of the room.  😆   

The real choice is designing a room to build around a set of 20.7

 

christian's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
christian
79 posts
 

How close the speakers are at portraying the live event, whether it be a chamber ensemble, symphony orchestra, intimate jazz performance, or an outdoor rock concert.  No speaker that I've run into can replicate that spectrum perfectly - there are always compromises with any design choice.

Only two speakers I've encountered that got close to ONE of those aforementioned mile markers:

Wilson WATT/Puppy 5s reproducing Horowitz on stage

Dunlavy SC-IV/As playing an acoustic performance of "Hotel California".

That said - the Wilson wasn't able to "do live" as well as the Dunlavy; and that speaker had a hard time not getting "gritty" with solo instrument performances.

arichison's avatar
arichison
81 posts
 

A well known brand for sure. American made is great but not a deal breaker. We make very very good speakers in USA but you all know this. Matching the amp I have to the speakers, synergy is a must. If it is not smooth, efficient, non-distortion at high levels, etc... I move on quickly. The British brands have a few nice products . I wish I could try some quad amps and speakers some day, so good! 

sgreg1
612 posts
 

I bought the speaker that I liked and then built my system around them. I know the sound I like and as soon as I heard Vandersteen’s I stopped looking. I then went on the journey to put the rest of the system in place. We all know the journey never ends and is a wild but fun ride. Never forget to find the time to enjoy the music!

sgreg1
612 posts
 

@cindyment

 

Why did you have to ruin his day by telling him the truth about all the foreign cars he had purchased and drove.
I grew up in a GM town, went to school and am good friends with all the union assemblers and I will tell you that I never have and never will buy a vehicle that they had their hands on.

Even they will tell you that 75% of gm vehicles are now built in mexico and canada in non union plants.

 

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