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What is the best HEAVY METAL speaker?

I know totally blasphemy question here on Audiogon. But you like what you like, right? Anyway, I know most metal music is totally compressed and recorded horrible (aka Metallica) however there is a new age of metal bands out there that are starting to change that (Opeth started with Blackwater Park). So what speakers out there can take the pounding of a double bass drum kit hitting at full throttle and give the roar of metal guitar justice. There has to be a set up that would make Glen Tipton turn his head and say hell ya!
128x128lizzardkingseattle
nrenter's avatar
nrenter
766 posts
 
I'd stay away from horn, electrostats and planners.

IMHO, metal needs critically-damped, very articulate dynamic (cone) speakers driven by solid-state that can really control the speakers. You can lessen the requirements of the amp if you high-pass the speakers and use a set of servo-subs.

A good track to test a "metal-worthy" system is Tool's "The Grudge". Listen to the accelerating kick drums. Each impact should be well defined (and not a muddy mess). Vocals should sound distinctly layered on top of the sonic fury. The engineering / production isn't perfect, but if you can get this song to sound "right" you're moving in the right direction.
lizzardkingseattle's avatar
lizzardkingseattle OP
11 posts
 
Wow thanks for the suggestions, there is a lot of good advice in this posting. My budget is 3000$ and I have already tried the Klipsch rf7, Energy Veritas 2.4i, and grew up with JBLs on a Phase Linear system. Picked up some JBL Studio 530 bookshelf speakers for a seperate system and I am really impressed with horn tweeter in this series of speakers. Really be interested in hearing what the 590 towers would sound like, I know they would be better than the Klipsh. Find myself curious with Dali Evendence 870 with the soft tweeter design and two 8" woofers also. Someone here in Seattle has some for sale for less than a thousand bucks. What about NHT? 3.3 maybe?
kiko65
279 posts
 
Not sure about your budget and room size but for double drum bass and heavy metal guitar riffs you cannot go wrong with the GoldenEar Triton Two tower speakers provided the room is big enough to handle the bass.
kiko65
279 posts
 
For 1/2 the price (or less) you can get the Cerwin Vega cls-215.
mikelavigne
2,200 posts
 
hi Lizzard,

since you are obviously in the Seattle area, I would invite you to hear MY Evolution Acoustics MM7's in North Bend which would be right up there with anything for heavy metal.

-4- 7 foot tall, 750 pound each, towers. -3db @ 7hz, -6db @ 3hz. lots of headroom. basically bass extension and dynamics without limits, and a room large enough for scale and musical energy to do big boy rock music justice.

is there better for heavy metal? who knows?

come on over and listen, then see if you can find better.

i cannot say i have all the 70's and 80's heavy metal music on hand, but i have quite a bit of it.

you can see pics and a gear list by clicking on my 'system' next to my name.
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