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Is it really possible to compare A/B speakers??

This post is directed to the more technical members of A'gon.

I've been reading numerous posts and audio reviews which compared various brands and models of speakers against each other. For example, in one thread a member said he was sure speaker A sounded all-around better then speaker B because when the two speakers were compared at a dealer's shop, they were in the same sound room, driven by the same equipment, same source material, and so forth. For discusion purposes, let's just accept that all relevant conditions were the same.

Here's my question. Even if all relevant variable factors were controlled and the same, can one still fairly say they "A/B'ed" two speakers??

And here's the basis for my question. As I have been reading and trying to understand the science and technology behind what drives input signal to speaker output, I have come to appreciate that there are many other variables that can affect what comes out as sound.

For example, every speaker on the market has it's own electronic fingerprint so to speak that can affect how it interacts with the amp being used, e.g., efficiency, impedance, phase angle, and so forth -- all of which changes over the frequency range. I'm not even touching on home room acoustics.

Another case in point, one member (M-1) commented that a certain speaker (A) he listened to at a dealer sounded hot and caused hearing fatigue as compared to another speaker (B). He fairly concluded that speaker B was the better sounding speaker.

Interestingly, another member (M-2) questioned how M-1 could come to such a conclusion. His experience was totally opposite.

I don't recall that either member mentioned the type of equipment that was being used. However, M-1 was certain that the dealer listening conditions were identical.

Many of the more technical A'gon members have posted numerous threads about the synergy or lack thereof between tube amps and solid state amps with varioius types of speakers that present certain loads to the amp.

If such is the case, then I'm back to my origianl Q. Is it really possible to compare (A/B) speakers even if conditions and variables are identical??

If the answer (or consensus) is "NO," then how can one in the market for new speakers make an intelligent and informed decision?
bifwynne
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Excellent question, Bruce. And, yes, if the amplifier being used in the comparison is a significantly poorer match for one speaker than the other, the results of the comparison can be very misleading.

But IMO it is not necessary for the amp to be an ideal choice for both speakers, it is just necessary that it not be a poor matchup with either one. How to assure that? By doing one's homework, i.e., research. Seeing what kinds of amps experienced users of each speaker have settled on; reading Atmasphere's paper on "Paradigms In Amplifier Design"; and examining and analyzing impedance curves and other technical data for the speakers, if available (most notably, as provided by John Atkinson in Stereophile's reviews). How to learn to interpret and utilize those curves, and the other data that is presented? JA's comments are often helpful, as is research of past threads here at A'gon. And perhaps also via a Google search of the name of the speaker + the term "impedance curve."

Best regards,
-- Al
newbee
4,767 posts
 
First, I concur with Almarg's observations.

Re your last sentence, I don't believe you can make an 'intelligent and informed' (as I interpert that phrase) decision based on the best A/B demo set up in a store. You can only do this in the room you are going to use the speakers. Speakers interact in a serious way with their environment.

An in-home A/B listening would be done with long sessions with each speaker, not by just quick switching (a process which I believe masks more problems than it will ever reveal) using reference materiel and hardware with which you are very familar.

But that doesn't mean that store A/B comparisons are without value. IMHO, you can do A/B comparisons of speakers with less than perfectly 'matched' ancillaries but you will only be able to draw gross conclusions as to the absolute value of either speaker. Apart from obvious tonal differences, which are easily observable, a lot of the ultimately critical subtlies involved in speaker performance can easily be overlooked. They more often than not can only be discerned in long term listening sessions in a familar environment with familar equipment.

So if you conclude the store A/B demo's are really only very general guidelines as to speakers potential, as I do, and as I think the merchants intend, then I think they are of some, if limited value.
polk432
1,142 posts
 
Speaker A on the left speaker B on the right. Then try to compare both sets.
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