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Most accurate speaker

Currently using the YG Anat Rerence II Studio and found it to be very dynamic, detailed and accurate. When I say accurate, I mean a Steinway must sound like one and not a Yamaha, a Fender must not sound like a Gibson and most of all, the vocal must sound close to the one I've heard life in concert. Eg. Linda Ronstadt I heard in her concert should sound the same in my living room. When I play Fleetwood Mac's Tusk (as high as 100db), I want to hear the USC Marching Band walking across my living room and Stevie Nick's voice should be same, just like I've seen them performed in LA. Also when Roger Taylor hit the bass drum in We Will Rock You, I want to feel the impact hitting my chest, just like when I am standing in front of a drummer in a rock concert. The Rebecca Pigeon's Spanish Harlem in Stereophile Test Disc on depth says the drum should be about 10ft behind, I want to get the same kind of imaging and depth too. My Anat can produce that by the way. Maybe not 10ft but more like 6 ft.as my speaker is place only 4ft away from the wall.

Most reviewers of Hifi speaker will rate system on whether it is musical, can the music move you, the layering of notes, etc. To me, I don't care for any of that, I care more for the pure hifi part, that is, soundstaging, depth, accuracy of instruments and vocal and the details. I'm the type who also looks for minor details like a singer taking a breath, or audience coughing like the Harry Belafonte Live in Carnigie Hall album. I should also be able to hear clearly the background news report in Simon & Garfunkel's Wednesday Morning 3am. Another good example is Eagle's Hell Freezes Over XRCD. I've seen the DVD and live performance and that is a very good indication on whether the speaker can reproduce the same result in my living room. So basically, it's like bringing the concert all/stadium/lounge into my living room. My listening is more like Hifi 80% and Music 20%.

I'm sure there are many people listening to their system the same way as I do and would like to know if they have encountered a speaker that can produce that kind of sound/environment in their home. The YA Anat is pretty close but there may be one even better. Perhaps the latest YG Sonja may be closer to what I want.
mikesystem
bhobba's avatar
bhobba
303 posts
 
Loftarasa wrote 'At this level of absolute naturalism, isn't one's room acoustic more a limiting factor than the speakers?'

Not really - regardless of room acoustics you can hear the increase in dynamics reducing resonances brings.

It's not generally preferred however. I have sat with people in front of two sets of speakers where pretty much the only difference is one pair is lined with steel to combat resonances. The steel lined pair sounded much more dynamic and alive, revealing greater detail. But guess what - some prefer the other pair describing it as too in your face. Every measurement will show the steel lined pair is better - but that does not necessarily equate to sounding better to a given listener.

Check out the following review:
http://www.stereomojo.com/LENEHAN%20ML1%20REFERENCE%20SPEAKER%20REVIEW/LenehandML1ReferenceSpeaker.htm

To one person - ho hum - to another - WOW. They measure superbly - on any objective measure an exceptional speaker - but one person didn't like them.

Its got to do with what tricks your brain into saying this is real- that varies from person to person.

Thanks
Bill
omsed
145 posts
 
When looking for accuracy, I really am looking for a speaker that does not repeatedly make the same sort of "telltale" speaker (as opposed to musical) sounds with different albums and instruments. I'm looking for a lack of character, seeking to hear no cues as to what brand, model, or type of loudspeaker I'm listening to. And most importantly, I'm looking for the one that makes me get that involuntary jab of shock you get when you hear instrumental sounds that bring you back, deja-vu-like, to a concert you have been to.

Some of those that do this to me the most:

Vandersteen Model 7 is one. Certainly less of its own "character" than the YG, lower distortion. Before being suspected of of bias, I don't own them.

ATC 150s. There is a reason studios use ATCs but not any of of the similarly priced high end audio models. It's not price. Audiophiles tend to think that studios must not know what they are doing because they don't have the "audiophile approved" brands and models. No, it's instead a matter of studios and musicians hearing the real thing and then hearing it on monitors immediately later. The vast majority of audiophile speakers are too colored and too lacking in dynamics to pass that test.

Everest DD67000: they are why I don't own either of the above. They are very colorless. Extremely pure. Powerful. Detailed. Gentle. They take on many different faces depending on the source material.

Big Tannoys: I love them. They so often remind me of real music. However, even though they jolt my senses with memories and feelings of real music, they have more colorations than the 3 mentioned above, so this is a "qualified" suggestion.

The biggest TADS (my list is of only currently available speakers) would make my list but they have an upper mid-range bite in virtually every system I heard. The editors of the 2 big magazines tap-danced around this, very lightly pointing it out. It is there.

As far as room, sure it is very important. But that is no reason not to get the most real sounding speaker and then work the room to minimize problems.
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
I agree. 50% of the sound you hear from your system, regardless of the speakers, is the room.
jburidan
803 posts
 
I like the big Tannoys, such as 215 DMT II used in many recording studios for final playback of the engineered master. The point is that a recording is engineered on a mixing board. The final result is intended to sound good.
vicdamone
850 posts
 
While the scale you're seeking may be more a product of the speaker system and the room, accuracy is more an issue of the recording IMO.

I'm a sixty-four old musician and my hi fidelity experience hearing is far from golden but I can easily hear many instrument differences on my car radio.

I have master tapes and files of recordings I've made before post production. I have little doubt these recordings played on your system would provide stunning reproduction.

I strongly suggest finding a decent live recording of a recent acoustical event you've attended and reevaluate your setup. I've had much better results using more reflective room tuning verses absorptive.
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