Big speakers, are they really the best way to get great sound?

@kennymacc  Your room is definitely on the small size, like mine. OTOH, I don't think that your Revel's qualify as large speakers. They are, at least to me, mid size. When I am talking of large speakers, I am thinking of the likes of Wilson Alexx's, Chronosonic's, top Focal's, YG Sonja's with bass cabinets etc., These speakers are much larger and in a room your size would probably not work. 

I recently heard the new Borresen X3's, which I thought to be superb. Problem is that they would never work in my room, simply too large. Yet, for a more typical room, say 15' X 18', they would be ideal. In your room, they would work, BUT you would not be able to hear what they are truly capable of. I suspect your Salon 2's would also work better in a larger space.

phusis   what’s "natural" sounding to some obviously isn’t to others - if only it came down to that.

I don't agree that the natural sound to me is unnatural to some others since we hear natural sounds (voices, winds, dog barking, car tire and engine sounds, water flowing, etc.) everywhere. Alex/Wavetouch

natural sound vs. unnatural sound speakers comparison. 

phusis

Are they among the best I’ve heard? In some areas, yes. The Thunderbolt bass horns, non-truncated (but of course 1/4-wave), are hitting ~40Hz, so close to your 50Hz number mentioned, and yet they’re anything but small to say the least - that’s what 105dB’s sensitivity is about per Hofmann’s Iron Law. In that light a ~5" woofer/midrange + dome tweeter(?) and 8" subs augmented, indeed any such variant, sounds small and utterly malnourished by comparison.

I am curious what do you think is "the best audio sound system in the world" (you heard or believe)? Please list few. Could you let me know videos or articles? Alex/Wavetouch

I dont know milhorn secret sauce for speakers but he is right on this ... Musicality is a natural experience not an artificial or biased taste ...Psycho-acoustics science and experience rules audio not specific relative individual tastes ...

The fact that some human prefer to eat their victim living or /and dead has nothing to do with french or chinese refined culinary chemistry ...And the excellence of french or chinese culinary is grounded in perspectival educated cultural choices in chemistry grounded in the humam metabolism not in ungrounded idyosyncrasique arbitrary tastes ...Only sellers and marketers think that ...

Then "natural" soundfield is not arbitrary but conditioned by acoustics and psycho-acoustics concepts and conditions not by price tags ...

mihorn

351 posts

11-20-2023 at 04:56pm

phusis what’s "natural" sounding to some obviously isn’t to others - if only it came down to that.

I don’t agree that the natural sound to me is unnatural to some others since we hear natural sounds (voices, winds, dog barking, car tire and engine sounds, water flowing, etc.) everywhere. Alex/Wavetouch

natural sound vs. unnatural sound speakers comparison.

mihorn

351 posts

11-20-2023 at 04:56pm

phusis what’s "natural" sounding to some obviously isn’t to others - if only it came down to that.

I don’t agree that the natural sound to me is unnatural to some others since we hear natural sounds (voices, winds, dog barking, car tire and engine sounds, water flowing, etc.) everywhere. Alex/Wavetouch

natural sound vs. unnatural sound speakers comparison.

daveyf: Me personally, I want it all when it comes to being able to experiencing the full frequency range and also the entire musical spectrum in my room-----no matter how small (within reason, of course). Most all speakers, even stand mount speakers benefit from being placed in a large, spacious room (as you see Borresen bookshelf speakers being showcased in huge rooms at the shows). However, so many audiophiles, like us, do not have the luxury of having very large rooms at our disposal in our homes, so we have to make due with what we have. Now, you have to make a personal decision as to what size speakers you want in your small room. You’re correct, my speakers aren’t huge compared to the speakers you described, they’re more midsized as you said (but still large for my room). But the Revel Salon 2 speakers work really well in my small room because they are so adjustable and can be toned down to be sonically feasible in a small room like mine (most speakers can't be adjusted)  So, when it comes to larger speakers in small rooms, it really broils down to two things: speaker selection and your own sonic personal goals that you’re trying to achieve in your small room. My speakers provide me with such an extraordinary high level of sonic bliss in my little room that I feel like I’m listening to something very special ever time I turn up the volume. Lastly, I get incredible, near world class bass response in my little room as well, so I really am getting it all. Take care and happy listening