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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?

128x128daveyf
mihorn
535 posts
 
toddalin

mihorn, To me played back on my monitor your recordings sound "cupped" with a "deadness" in the midrange and less open and airy.

I am surprised you point that out. You have great ears. I agree on mid cupped or deadness in sounds. Yes. It makes my forehead hard, heavy, and dead-end (not open sound) feeling. But I am hearing that same sound from the original music too.

I am aware that your system sounds open (not airy tho) on mid-range unlike the original music. To my ears your audio system sound everything opposite to the original music. Where the original music push forward, your system sounds open and backed off, and vice versa.

I know partially why your system sounds like that. Almost all audio systems in the world sound like that. I found a solution of that and apply it to my system. Therefore, my system sounds close to the original music. Alex/WT

toddalin's avatar
toddalin
307 posts
 

I don’t agree. I think that mine sounds more like the original BUT with the acoustics of the room added to it. I use no room treatment and the room is very large (~5,000 cu ft) open at the rear left to both the entry hall and dining room. Just try to fill that to concert/symphony levels with small speakers!  Also, I’ve spent years voicing these speakers to my taste. I did develop them in the room for the room.

They had more air than I cared for so I took some out (as in the video) but have since put a bit back also adding a bit to the upper midrange.  I have special modifications for the Heil AMTs that add a whole world of detail and imaging.

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,209 posts
 

Almost all audio systems in the world sound like that.

Amazing...

Which so much variable factors at play  how is it possible to make this impossible deduction ?

By the way my system dont sound as any of yours ...

It is normal, i adressed the room acoustic , the electrical noise floor level and the EMI interference and the mechanical vibrations/resonance problem ...

I am very happy ...

 

 

mihorn
535 posts
 
@ toddalin   I respect your opinion on the sound and skill with speaker making. I am listening. Your system sounds really good and better than many much more expensive systems I've heard. 

Could we compare sounds with different music such as below? And am I hi-jacking a thread right now? I think I should stop here.  Alex/WT

daveyf's avatar
daveyf OP
2,963 posts
 

@mihorn   You would not be hijacking my thread if your speakers are to be compared to much larger speakers. I do think videos on Youtube tells us next to nothing about the SQ of a system, although many folk seem to believe the opposite. 

 

 

 

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