Rock and roll speakers?

"If the speaker is good for one genre, its good for another, plain and simple"

I agree with that. I think the questions come more from teh perspective of finding speakers on a limited budget that will tend to have more performance limitations. In that case, some speakers may well be found to do better in one genre than another.

Inexpensive speakers of good quality are usually more limited in overall magnitude of output and dynamics. Or some may go louder and clearer but be less refined otherwise. In any case, there is a significant compromise somewhere.

Some will provide more potential for dynamics and output levels that benefit some forms of music, like large scale classical works, rock, metal, big band, etc.

The best strategy on a limited budget is to forgo the lowest octaves, which requires the most to do well. Lots of ways to skin the cat once the power demands of the lowest frequencies are out of the picture. For a lot of rock/pop music in particular, it may not matter much if not much occurs below 50hz or so but the rest is good. Hence a good rock/pop speaker.

Ralph,

I agree with your comments. I have been a Maggie owner since 1983 and have used them for everything from jazz, folk and rock. When feed a proper diet and not pushed beyond their capabilities they have been thoroughly enjoyable regardless of genre.

The better question asked by a poster would be, "what speakers can I push really hard without fear of failure". At least that is often the way I read question like, "What is a good rock and roll speaker"?

Thus my usual reply, Klipsch, which play loud and hard and not easily damaged. Add a sub and you have a great head banging system. Their accuracy to the source is another story.

Ray I see you have Magnepan and Klipsch. That would seem to have all the bases covered pretty well. I had Maggies for years and listened to everything on them. I would not call them "rock and roll" speakers though. I just heard the latest and greatest Maggies again this past weekend and though impressive with most everything. I'm still not sure I would call them that. Reason being that to me at least you have to be able to feel rock and roll speakers on occasion as well as hear them. With most any speakers using non dynamic drivers, its usually all hear and little or no feel in most cases. Its a subtle distinction but an important one for a rock and roller though I think.

I don't know.....my modded IIIa's and dual subs really do a great job playing all music....but rock and roll to me means grateful dead, pink floyd, talking heads and the like. There's not much black sabath or van halen going on I'm my listen room. So, for that matter, my system is very satisfying. IMO, because the Maggies are more accurate and extended it plays rock better that the Klipsch with subs. But the Maggies are not as durable...fussy with set up and is more picky about amplification. So for head bangers I alway recommend Klipsch.

BTW...sometime I run the Klipsch as a center fill like system in tandem with the Maggies. A bit low in level but just enough to fill in the mids a provide a little more slam. Believe it or not it works really well.

Also, my system page needs to be updated. I'm running rogue M120's, Audible illusions m3a, thorens td 850/mitchell techno/origin live ultra motor/Benz glider. The heresy's are powered by a GTA SE40 (soniccaps plus upgrade) melos sha1.

I'll get around to updating my page.