Big speakers, are they really the best way to get great sound?
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to listen to some very large speakers that are considered to be at, or close to, the pinnacle in speaker design and ability. Needless to say, the speakers retail in the mid to high $300k range. These speakers, and I will not be naming them, were sourced by about $800k of upstream gear. Room size was about thirty by twenty, maybe a little larger.
To say the the overall sound was BIG would be accurate, but also I noticed something else, that I typically hear with big speaker systems. Generally, the speakers were right on edge of overloading the room, depending on music, the dreaded bass boom could be heard. But, the whole presentation was greater in impact than most any smaller speaker system, yet it was almost unlistenable for the long term.
The question I asked myself, is do we really want this type of presentation in our home audio systems? The speakers threw a pretty large soundstage, but also made things sound somewhat larger than life. I also thought that this type of speaker is akin to the large box dynamic speakers of yesteryear. For example, a set of large horns from Altec Lansing or similar was reminiscent of this sound. Makes me believe that if one has a big room, a similar sound can be obtained from most any large speaker system and at a fraction of the price.
I listen in a very small room, and by necessity in the near field, yet I think the overall intimacy of this type of listening experience is better for me, your thoughts?
@ronboco, Hey I think you can safely call that a dedicated room đ Congratulations. I agree with your philosophy of getting the room properly sorted early in the quest. So many ignore or avoid even considering acoustics and end up constantly swapping out components trying to banish brightness, congestion, boom etc. I have 2 such traps in place but measurement shows I need one more, just need to finish up some house repairs first. |
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All your post made sense thanks but for 2 points.... Â It is possible to enjoy an immersive inclusive soundstage engulfing the listener with swmall speakers .. I know it because i enjoy it ... The reason why you did not observe it is because you think that nearfield listening dont need acoustic control of the smaller room as with bigger speakers ion a bigger room ... Sorry but it is not the case ... Even in near listening in a small room the timing of the waves , the pressure zone distribution , the crosstalk control between speakers , any acoustic factor matter as much as with bigger speakers in bigger room ...
There is no fatigue with bigger speakers in a bigger room if all acoustic factors are in control ...
I totally agree with your wise conclusion :
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I agree with him saying âEvery speaker above 50 Hertz is a small speakerâ in below video. It doesnât have to be large speakers for a big room. My system consists 5.24â woofer 2way speakers with 8â powered sub. I am very happy. Alex/Wavetouch |
@mahgister wrote:
@mihorn wrote:
An individual enjoying/being happy about the sound from a small speaker system is all well and important to the one feeling this way about it, but "enjoyment" here is no measure in itself when it comes to assessing the true capabilities against a larger, more physically all-out speakers system and the traits that follow here. And no, no acoustics fiddling or trickery will change that. Different ways to skin your cat, as they say, and priorities I can deal with, but diminishing the importance of physics of speakers (i.e.: size and efficiency) and effectively saying "a small, inefficient speaker package compensated perhaps with more power will do the same (or "enough") as the larger, more efficient combo" is being delusional. Sorry, but thatâs the way it is. In vital, related parameters small, low efficiency speakers wonât do the same, not by a mile or even in a relatively small listening space, and anybody whoâs intricately familiar with a well implemented, large displacement and true full-range speaker system thatâs wholly effortless in its entire frequency range at any desirable SPL - and it neednât be placed in a large environment to properly come together as such (in fact I favor a moderately sized locale) - will know full well itâs an experience unique to this segment of speakers. If one can do without this kind of experience and feels no need to pursue it, perfectly fine, but whatâs enough and enjoyable to some (with small speakers) only tells you about their priorities, perceptions and particular context. Refusing to acknowledge the importance, and to begin with the very existence of parameters like uninhibited dynamics, scaling, ease, true full-range abilities, physicality of presentation and this wash of immersion one simply cannot attain from a smaller speaker package, is not seeing things for what they are and can be. Iâm not trying to impose anything onto others, and each to their own and all that jazz, but letâs not fool ourselves. |
