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Shadorne's Responses in Speakers	Posts
The best speaker you ever heard? Tedmbrady, I don't have the bigger 150's but I use 100's and a 0.1/15 sub. I can assure you that you will not be dissappointed when these beasts arrive. After all about half of . . .	1617
Why not horns? The very best horn designs run at about 3% THD when played loud and this will distortion is audible and in treble. Conventional non-horn designs can play loud at 0.3% THD and . . .	892
Tidal Speakers owners Focalfan, It is entirely appropriate and acceptable provided the manufacturer identifies themselves. Sadly many reviewers have monetary interest in equipment (getting a special . . .	852
Speakers to hang on to for LIFE If you can afford it, I suggest you audition ATC 50's or higher. ATC's are typically used in studios where engineers spend long hours criticaly listening to music...many musicians/. . .	720
What does one purchase after owning horns? Large active ATC's or PMC's used will do the trick of integrating bass and sounding dynamic and articulate like horns	375
How do you determine how much to spend on speakers Redwoodgarden, Well said	283
How close to the real thing? That got me thinking as I have been going to the BSO a lot this fall and comparing the sound of my system to live orchestral music. Like so many professionals, who check the . . .	280
Are audiophile speakers turn on for single women? Play some Frank Sinatra or Michael Buble and they might feel more inclined to cuddle but it is the MUSIC which matters. Single woman like male drummers and male lead singers and . . .	215
speakers for classical music I am now totally off B&W speakers, because I kept destroying them! I had the 803D. David, If you like to drive speakers loud and particuarly realistic dynamics/spl then this. . .	192
"Frightening" or "Relaxing" sound quality? Mr Tennis tends to asks many philosophical questions of deep meaning	152
Which cost more: your system or your car? I guess mine is about the same as our Landcruiser but still a lot less than my wife's solitaire diamond ring. Guys - make sure you have your priorities right and look after your . . .	143
Why the obsession with the lowest octave Most people here who are listening to deep bass are actually listening to mostly distortion - although manufacturers won't admit it - sad to say but distortion sells really well	130
WILSON AUDIO/ cost vs. value I am not sure you should expect a private company to publish their books. However, the fact this is being discussed suggests that this add has provoked the desired response...... . .	126
Speaker Technology over the last 10 years Active Speakers have become more popular (this design topology has a lot of advantages in terms of lower distortion, better accuracy and eliminating the interface crap shoot issues. . .	125
The Worst Speaker you have ever heard. i have been listening to quads for so many years that my ears are not receceptive to cones, or horns I know what you mean! The mid range quality on the Quads is tremendous. . .	119
With $20,000 in your hand, what speaker would you I had problems with the ceramic midrange distorting with dynamic vocals That is common enough with consumer designs. Do you like to listen loud in a large space? Do you want . . .	113
Best new loudspeaker the quads unlimited quad 57 are closer to real than anything out there, period. Time for all those speaker manufacturers to close shop and admit defeat....they will never . . .	110
Which speakers will fill 5,000 cubic ft coherently The accuton drivers are not well known for playing loud/dynamically. So it is not surprising that a two way with these drivers might struggle in a large space. To me I don't think . . .	110
Zu Druid questions The problem with the Soundstage measurements was that they hung the speakers in free-air, per standard protocol. They were informed of the speakers' need for floor loading but . . .	107
Best U.S.A. speakers? LOL. Macrojack. The marketing hyperbole is all manufactured in the USA and the assembly of foreign built parts is also done here - that is what counts	106
Most agreed upon best speaker? But, I've never heard a horn sound quite right,(to my ears obviously) in terms of just raw staging. What is it that I'm missing? And which horns can and do stage accurately. . .	106
Time to change. But to what? I still don't know what I was waiting for And my time was running wild A million dead-end tweets Every time I thought I'd got the sound It seemed the taste was not so sweet So. . .	105
Current Trends in multi thousand dollar speakers Agreed - I would add that higher impedance also almost always results in lower distortion in power amps	103
Change to Horns or stay Dynamic After hearing some incredible horn systems What have you heard and can you describe what it is you like about horns viz a viz your current setup? As far as I can see you . . .	98
$40.000 speaker advise. Check out my list Here is a simple rating. These are all excellent speakers - and I have not heard them all. I'd put them in two camps, those with rigid lightweight drivers and those without. . . .	92
Why are hi-end active monitors not more popular? Good question. Pros: better driver integration with active phase control more efficient (no power loss in a crossover) lower IMD distortion Cons: less tweakable less gear to. . .	90
Best speaker in the US $ 30-45.000,00 range I concur with Trelja - the Sashas are a good choice if you like precise sound - an exception in the Wilson line, which is normally colored by a house sound that leans towards . . .	89
Upgrading from Wilson Sophia 2's? See here for plenty of great alternative suggestions with no mention of Wilson Sophia. I like the last suggestion - Active PMC great detail but not fatiguing	88
How many pair of speakers do you own? Counting stuff in storage as well (but not PC or car systems), 13 pairs of speakers. 1 set is Bose and should not really count but the rest are B&W or better	88
Can you get "bookshelf sound" from a floorstander? Two way bookshelves are often best value in the under 5K category. For some reason you need to go quite expensive to get equivalent clarity in a large three way. It may be a . . .	87
Single driver speakers - opinions I suggest you investigate older designs such as Hartley/Lowther etc. - old whizzer cone designs or stuff used in car audio. Don't expect great linearity and bear in mind you will . . .	87
Speakers with imaging "Free of the box" I assume you mean they disappear. A mid and tweeter effect from reducing any edge diffraction that may localize the sound. I find that tall narrow speakers (less than 8 inches), . . .	87
RMAF 2008 - Your impressions,... I have heard one of the UK's most respected hi-fi reviewers personal system on more than one occasion and I must say it brought tears to a glass eye. Gawdbless, Out of . . .	86
Emerald Physics CS-2, Opinions Please Interesting. I have not heard these...so no comments on the sound. The CS2 system is a stereo, bi-amplified design requiring a high and low frequency range amplifier for each . . .	85
History on ohm A's and F's. I would say there is truth and still some beauty as long as you don't open up the "cage". Indeed Mr. Spock displayed much more emotion in "The Cage" . . .	84
what percentage of us really knows sound Juan you are right that there are a few people out there who are broke from spending way too much on the wrong things, however, you cannot generalize. For example, my system cost . . .	83
We have a Winner -- Major "MINI" monitors its better to write an initial review, and a follow up review. this helps others. 'hurray-i love this speaker-only to get something else in a month or two-'thread is way too . . .	83
Cost no Object but Small Room In my opinion a small room calls for speakers with a well-controlled radiation pattern and/or smooth power response, as inevitably the bulk of the reverberant energy will arrive. . .	82
The Harbeth phenomenon It is called mid range. Some people hear it and some don't. Those who love mid range will hold dear the qualities of a speaker like Harbeth. Soundlabs are another example and Quad . . .	81
Best high end monitors? Currently trying JM Focal Electra 1007 BE's. Don't have the sub(s) hooked up yet, but find the tweeter a little forward and the image a little smallish for my taste Try . . .	81
Classical speakers that do violins well?? Telarc use ATC SCM Active 20's - another brit speaker to add to your brit audition list suggested above. You won't get an active version and a massive sub at your price point but. . .	81
The best "imaging" speakers? Since sound from the speaker radiates around the edges of the speaker then you inevitably get edge diffraction which interferes with imaging. There are two ways to deal with this. . .	77
Obscure companies making excellent speakers? fly under the radar because advertisement just too expensive or not viable. I don't think I have ever seen ATC advertise although they are longtime supporters of the Audio . . .	75
Stereophile claims about Magico They use "magic" - that is what is revolutionary. LOL. Stereophile continues to count on the gullability and lack of technical knowledge of people with high disposable . . .	75
Anyone familiar with the Manger driver? Derek, I think they nuked the other recent thread. I expect you intended to post the information on this thread instead. In any case I read about the Manger driver and am curious . . .	75
Speakers in 10-15K price range for Classical music ATC SCM 50 Actives will do the trick - there is a used pair for sale in your price range (Gordon Holt's Estate - he also liked classical and Panels). ATC are close to Quad panel . . .	74
16K to Spend. Help me make the end all Upgrade. Baraeryo, For a modest dual purpose space and given WAF considerations you might do well to consider small high quality two ways and a powered sub. You could wall mount the . . .	73
subwoofers and panels don't mix Just a thought - having never experimented - but could the issue be related to dynamics? A panel is not known for punchy dynamics (typically they compress audio signals and are . . .	72
Best all around speakers I second Fafafion and Bongofury but with a caveat - there really is no "best" - just horses for courses. I'd add a comment that Harbeths are (to my mind) slanted a . . .	72
Do you know of small speakers that sound ''BIG'' ? No, never heard anything small that even remotely sounded big....unless it came with a sub woofer	72
What are the specs of a full range speaker? For me above 15.5 Khz I hear nada....so I would agree that linearity in higher frequency response in a system is not very important to me at least above this level. I respect that. . .	72
The best mini monitors you have heard? You mentioned Magico Mini fatigue from prolonged listening....you also mentioned you liked the Dynaudio C1. I may hazard a guess that you might be finding the ceramic driver . . .	71
Magico Mini 2 vs Kharma Midi Exquisit vs MBL 101s Ceramic drivers do sound dry, and ring a bit at high volumes, esp when partnered with wrong equipment usally SS amps I agree - what you say is "generally" true of . . .	69
HELP B&W 802D or Revel Ultima Salon2 I am not surprised with your findings. And YES - other speakers in that quality range may also shock you compared to your current setup. I would not pull the trigger too quickly. . . .	67
2-way speaker with best bass The problem of bass is that it requires a large driver and a large box. The problem with midrange is that you need a small driver to produce this properly - that is without ". . .	67
Difference between today and yesterday. Some say that speakers peaked in the late 60's to mid 70's and then went down hill after that....... If we stick to sound quality... I'd agree with the above, as the . . .	67
speakers for 24/96 audio And if they do sound so unpleasant, why when I listen to higher res stuff through a Benchmark DAC it doesn't sound noticeably better? You can buy Tom Petty Mojo in CD or in HD. . .	66
the smoothest sounding speaker Low distortion Wide even dispersion Flat frequecy response Well Damped and Excellent transient response ( & no dull compression	65
The focus and air lie Ndeslions, To get that focus and air hifi components cheats, it's all in the meds and high meds, a bit less meds, a bit more high meds and you get the details, the air, the . . .	65
Are horns and hi-eff designs becoming more popular Size maters in loudspeakers. But most cant afford, can not house,wife- SAF wont allow,or audiophile just doesnt want to look at, move install giants....So I dont think large . . .	64
Best Late Night Low Volume Speaker I am extremely impressed with Genelec 8020B - very very small pro speakers - and just under $1000 for a pair. You can sit very close and get a great experience without bothering . . .	63
Why do subs sound bloated or slow? It is much cheaper to make a subwoofer that plays bloated and slow - so that is mostly what you find. It is extremely expensive to make a subwoofer with low distortion, . . .	63
Harshness in tweeters: the price of transparency? This is quite normal. You are hearing either tweeter compression or tweeter ringing or IMD distortion from the amp driving your speakers or compressed pop music. It is all too . . .	63
Crossover-less Speakers Active speakers do not have crossovers in the traditional sense (where up to half the energy is absorbed in a passive filtering circuit and with all kinds of associated phase . . .	63
Can the Harbeth 40.1's boggie ????? Yes it seems that Harbeth designs vary a lot from model to model and the 40.1 is not the star in their line up - I'd say the Compact 7ES-3 is their best at the moment	62
Beolab 5 - Four Questionable Technologies Just be aware that omnidirectionals work best pulled way out into the room (6 to 8 feet from wall/window). The Wilsons will give you more placement options, IMHO. If you place . . .	62
How far apart do you position your speakers ? I find that a listening distance of 1.5 times the spacing between speakers works best. If you listen at 6 feet then speakers spaced 4 feet, at 9 feet spaced 6 feet apart, and at . . .	61
The closest approach...really Interesting discussion. While I can understand the pursuit of best sound reproduction available (within the constraints of your budget if you have one) what I can't understand . . .	61
B&W 801 vs 803s Abbey Road studios uses B&W 801 with Bryston 7B - they need power, power, POWER- he gives a cruel chuckle! B&W are a popular design that fits many people's tastes. Purists can . . .	60
How loud do you like to play your music? A lot depends on the recording quality but I generally listen like you around 90 db average most of the time, however, I will crank it from time to time to around 95 - 100 db SPL. . .	60
Pros and Cons of built-in amps? It would seem to me that running the source through a quality balanced cable directly to the speaker would be the way to go if possible. Yes it is the way to go if you want . . .	60
whats your idea of loud music. Old thread here but I agree with Tvad...105db continuous at the listening position is in the range of live music with peaks an extra 10db above that. Above this level I find my . . .	60
B&W 703 - How to tame the highs? When it comes to using these speakers for HT purposes, I honestly can't find any fault - even if I try. It makes me wonder if designing speakers to reproduce movies and music . . .	59
Bose 901...really Yikes. A highly reverberant room can be very tiresome and fatiguing. I can't even read comfortably while teh kids are playing in most pool environments ( the noise is just too much. . .	59
Owners of speakers by obscure companies chime in So how come Stereophile and Absolute Sound never review these products? I think they tend to give priority of reviews to companies that give them advertizing revenues - after. . .	59
Is harmonic accuracy and timbre important at all? Opalchip, Well said. Stevecham, I don't think it is as grim a picture as you paint. Speaker design is necessarily an exercise in compromise. Phase alignement should be critical . . .	59
How would you run an audio salon? car wash & detail immediately adjacent (and run strickly by great looking and scantily clad gals That will scare all the audiophiles customers away! Are you crazy? You need . . .	58
What is under $5k speaker with best bass slam? Define bass slam? I don't know. Something I can feel with my body. Thump, slam, shockwave, etc If you are looking for high impact shockwave rather than resonant or warm muddy. . .	58
Recommend a forward speaker I agree with Peterb. Actually a forward presentation will tend to be 'brighter' in the upper mid range. It can sound harsh on some recordings but that is what real music sounds . . .	58
Do Audiophiles blow speakers? Bassman99 It sounds like you are a demanding user. Consumer audiophile gear is designed to sound good at reasonable sound levels and not specifically designed to be played at . . .	57
Zu Druid MK IVs vs. Essences Ears trump lab results. However, ears might also need cleaning or some education. In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is King. Just because a few people like something. . .	56
Verity Audio midrange drivers? I agree with Buff. Skaaning are in another league compared to the others. 2 inch voice coils and large magnets with decent Xmax - they should sound very clean with low distortion . . .	56
Size matters...need smaller speakers Notwithstanding the great suggestions above - perhpas you should add ATC active 20's or 50's to your audition list - you will be surprised - lots of big loud transparent clean . . .	56
Most significant upgrade Speakers	55
PMC vs. ATC pmc's are consistantly outstanding throughout the line, though pretty much the 'imf' or 'tdl' of today. I agree PMC's are good. the atc is still a brand searching for a . . .	55
Is the Accuton driver that good? They are an extreme - lightweight and extremely rigid. Unfortunately, this means they are not that good overall. The approach to building a driver is a balance of many conflicting . . .	53
B&W 800d's or MAGICO V3's? Firstly you have great speakers so if you never ever changed I would understand as that would probably be the most sensible thing to do. As others have said you are changing for . . .	53
12" 45 RPM records: What's the story? The main advantage is better signal to noise ratio and secondarily, better frequency response (because the groove wiggles are stretched over a longer length of groove.) I'll . . .	53
Anyone heard te Sony SS-AR1 I'll bet they are extremely good compared to most other speakers, however, remember that Sony Studios use ATC and Sony also selected ATC to demonstrate SACD format when they rolled. . .	52
Best Towers Under $1500 for beginner system Revel F12, Paradigm, PSB all make good towers with plenty of oomph in the bass	52
Stereophile review of Escalante Fremont Seems our international respectable Stereophile magazine has a lot of degradation in their quality If the measurements are completely wrong (incorrectly and incompetently . . .	52
Need Speakers at least 4 feet high Just raise the speakers using Omnimount gear and angle them downwards slightly. 200 lbs is not that heavy. ATC do this all the time for clients. I have used Omnimount brackets on . . .	52
Getting rid of harsh, shrill treble It is your speakers. The highest fundamental note on the violin is like 2000 Hz so most of the problem is likely in the mid range.Two way speakers are awesome but it is still . . .	52
How loud is loud, What DB is actually loud? Rocking out starts at 95 dB SPL IMHO and can go as high as 105 db SPL at the listening position. You need a system that is capable of producing these prodigious volumes cleanly . . .	51
Audiophile speakers that rock well ATC Monitors are popular with studios that produce a lot of rock - try to audition the SCM19 - small but plays surprisingly loud. You will need a beefy amp though	51
Are Harbeths really "all that?" They were principally designed with voice in mind - drama and radio for BBC. They have a great midrange and will help make a bad recording enjoyable. I don't think they are . . .	51
active speakers, Paradise? Trouble in paradise? There are many extremely good manufacturers to choose from ATC PMC Barefoot Adam Meridian Genelec They all vary a little in presntation - the first three are extremely dynamic, . . .	50
Are Harbeth S HL5's As Good As Reviewers Claim? They are good. Warm and delicious sounding - great midrange. I think you would only be disappointed if you expected them too play loudly or that they would give you last word in . . .	50
Merlin VSM-mm's a good value at $3000 used? Most of the speakers in this price range are 3 to 5 ways, so it seems hard to believe that a simple 2-way can reproduce the full-range of the larger speakers. I believe the 6. . .	50
First round of auditions disappointing Seadweller, You weren't satisfied with your previous VR4's, yet, many would consider this speaker as excellent value for money and a great speaker in its own right. I suspect . . .	50
Speakers Like Merlin VSM? This thread reminds me of another heated thread where an owner of an excellent high $$$ speaker insisted that another very similarly designed high $$$ brand of speaker made his &. . .	50
Bloated speakers/weight wise My mains tip the scales at 142 LBS for each speaker. Weight wise this is rather ungainly. Heavy speaker usually equals bigger box, bigger magnets and heavier braced damped cabinets. . .	50
Speakers for Rock Music UREI 813 speakers (A B or C lettered). Big dynamics, time aligned and used on plenty of mixing consoles. Of course they need to be played LOUD to sound best. Not everyone's cup . . .	49
Most high-quality loudspeakers are 4-Ohms 4 ohm nominal designs which often dip down to 1.5 ohms will provide significant challenges for most power amplifiers. They will also cause speaker cables to start to make an . . .	49
Wilson better than Thiels? I have thought about a total change of taste and go for Harbeth but there is no dealer in Sydney Harbeth is an excellent idea - pity you can't hear them locally. Sydney . . .	49
Need your help finding a pair of speakers......... If you are looking for an improvement in sound quality then try an active speaker. You can get top of the line pro gear with your budget. There are many active designs to chose . . .	49
What speakers have best bass for hip hop, and rock 801N is a great choice - way better than the one note bass 802D	48
Accurate vs Musical I'm with Bob P. and Pbb on this one. You could not have said it better. Accurate is supposed to produce what goes in. Garbage in will be garbage out and an accurate speaker will. . .	48
What is your favorite type of tweeter? Domes are extremely good. They are perhaps the best shape for a driver and give the most even dispersion. Small 1 inch domes are very cheap when used as a tweeter (hence extremely . . .	47
most accurate loudspeakers.... A good place to start is to check out what most of the prestigious studios and mastering engineers like to use. Full range accuracy at both low level and realistic live sound . . .	47
Vandersteen 5a or Eggleston Andra II Firstly, as others have mentioned, I would not choose a speaker for the tweeter. Mid range is much more important. Secondly, Bob Ludwig currently uses the Andra II's - do a google . . .	47
Transparency: What speakers have it in spades? Great speakers. Dunno what you mean by transparency but a bigger three way will definitely allow you to hear much more...if that is what you are looking for. The reason are two . . .	47
What matters most in speaker design? I was thinking about speakers that use relativly cheap drivers, but are executed in a genius enclosure with a good (but not exotic) crossover - and they sound absolutely . . .	46
Replacing Thiel 2.2's, Need Monitor Suggestions Do you have $1000 or $1000 + $900 (from old speaker) to spend ....there is a huge difference at this price range, as you probably know	46
First Trip outside of Best Buy, a real newbie. I second Jaybo and Newbee. Don't rush into this. Take your time. I'd suggest auditioning Martin Logans given your taste - they have some convenient sized panels that sound good . . .	46
Speakers with high WAF? Thiel 3.7 to me this has the most WAF friendly shape	46
Midrange Better Than Harbeth or Spendor? I second Lindisfarne, you should definitely audition ATC . Another option might be the classic Quad 989's but you may miss too much of the low end - so I am not sure if everyone. . .	46
$20k top, full range speakers? The offer astonishing dynamic range at low levels, a trait that is inherent with Transmission line loudspeakers. Can you explain why TL designs are so effective at lower . . .	45
Speaker power handling Athough the Dynaudios have some of the best drivers in the industry the Focus 140 is a midget of a speaker. I'd recommend larger speakers if you want to play loud. I'd also . . .	45
My speakers don't "dissapear" Assuming you have not placed them on a table or bookshelf or against a wall or next to a TV (any of which can collapse the sound to the speaker), then you have a problem. Do you . . .	45
Which allround speaker ? I second Jaybo's suggestions - all of those speakers he listed will be better for your needs/requirements than your Thiels	45
"Absolute best" used speaker for $8-10K Very subjective ....do you want great sound or an elegant speaker with a gorgeous wood veneer in a cool shape? There is a mix of suggestions already in both camps	45
Whats more important? Speaker or the Amp Neither is important if you have high $$$ cables between them	45
VSA VR4 SR or JR as a match to my system and room Go for the SR. You won't regret it. A three way system will outperform your Forests significantly and you have the space for the SR. If you prefer an option closer to home, I . . .	45
Totem Owners.... Nothing wrong with Totem's at all - excellent speakers - but for what you describe Harbeth's would better fit the bill	44
How to shop for speakers? Use your own CD's to evaluate and compare each finalist with the same tracks. Use a variety of music. Do not be surprised if some things sound better on one speaker but other . . .	44
Best Inexpensive Subwoofer Maybe it's my imagination, but we seem to be living in the golden age of subwoofers. IMHO, the economics of high end loudspeakers are really being transformed by these . . .	44
Horns vs Ribbons vs Dyanamic Audiotomb made a good start, Horns - tendency to honk/shrillness but sound good with trumpet and are very easy to drive with low power amps. Ribbons - tweeters are often . . .	44
Why are we so passive? There is nothing wrong with passive. You can get very good sound from passive speakers. Although active speakers often sound better where both options are available and direct . . .	44
Upgrade from Merlin VSM-M to What? I guess it depends what you mean by "fuller"....if you mean the sound you hear on the street from a souped up car stereo system then I think the Merlin's will disappoint . . .	44
Mainstream reviews-why so few? Some sell by word of mouth and less through reviews. Do Green Mountain buy lots of advertising space in the audio magazines? If not then they are less likely to be reviewed. Ford. . .	44
Top notch speakers with their own sub Due to room modal issues I think you'll find most SOTA will recommend a separate sub that allows optimal placement. The main advance in the last 10 years has been the wider . . .	43
Widening Soundstage I'd try to get the listening position a bit further away and free from any reflective surfaces. This might require placing your speakers closer to the wall behind them, which may . . .	43
Help me choose speakers rock out now and again (think Mark Knopfler played around ~90 dB rms) A worthy goal	43
Best Cheap Speakers - New or Old Energy Pro 22 - probably available second hand for about $150	43
Flat Anechoic Measured Frequency Response Speakers Duke, The K&H O 500 measurements are absolutely stunning (although the spectral decay plot may be hiding resonances as it cuts off at -25 db) I have read good comments about . . .	43
Warmest speaker? The heat sink fins on my speakers get pretty warm	43
does a subwoofer kill stereo sound? There is no need to spend lots of money on a "state of the art" amp to drive a "state of the art" sub. Disagree. Most subs (I mean 99%) simply distort so . . .	42
The Richard Clark "all amps sounds the same" test I am surprised that this is not generally accepted. My experience is that most good solid state amplifiers which are operated well within their capability (no clipping - i.e. at . . .	42
Bass reinforcement for very large room Hard to say but since you have tried subs before and don't like them - I'd say that the bass is not your problem	42
How important are the Speaker Cabinets? The volume of air inside (and porting) as well as stuffing will create a resonant system with the woofer. Cabinet volume and porting are matched to a particular driver. This is . . .	42
If money is not a problem ATC 150. Will slay everything. David Gilmour would agree. 150 came out tops for his Astoria Studio He modified the cabinets though	42
Laid Back Speakers amps, players etc Laid back generally means a warm resonant bass (typical of small ported designs with underdamped response and big "hump" in the bass) often combined with a "scooped&. . .	42
Subwoofer damping It sure sounds like you were overdriving it from the way you describe the sound	42
MultiChannel too complicated for most... Do 2channel only audiophiles shun multichannel (discrete or DSP based) because they find it too complicated? I'm with Paracrine. Audiophiles are normal people that want . . .	42
Great old speakers that are as good as new ones Energy 22 - it was too cheap for it's quality even in 1982 when it came out. In general the ferro fluid can dry up on tweeters and both woofers and tweeters can be damaged from . . .	41
PMC EB1i v. Thiel CS3.7 v. Pioneer S1-EX v. ??? The EB1i does not appear to have the same high quality dome as in the larger PMC speakers. It looks like the Vifa 3 inch dome which, if true, is nothing to write home about. . . .	41
PMC speakers vs B&W... has anyone compared? PMC make great speakers - I read somewhere that Brian May uses them. However, your comparison may not be fair.....the FB1+ is a two way design and this is not nearly as good as a . . .	41
Can good speakers take edge off digital? Agree with Psacanli - I'd add that jitter is one of the culprits - so clean power helps as does gear that is low jitter	41
Warranty...good,bad and the ugly Perhaps it is because some OEM stuff produced for these companies reaches the market through the back door. While many companies do the industrial design on their products (. . .	41
Best speakers for 3 cord rock and roll I agree with horns....but not horn shoppe....go for classic Tannoys, Altec/JBL's such as the famous "baboons butt" speaker or older concentric designs. You have a large . . .	41
Do you ...Center Channel? I'm with Rives & Sid 100%. Many sound engineers don't like mixing for a center anyway. At the end of the day Phantom works very well provided you are directly in front and not far . . .	41
I love my Vandersteen's but . . . . . . . . Not sure I agree with 02pete about rock music speakers being like a beer mug to beer and jazz speakers being as a crystal wine glass is to fine wine... As far as I am concerned, . . .	41
Do they make Speakers For Rap/Rock I can confirm what others on this thread have said about ATC actives with regard to rock music. David Gilmour, Tom Petty, Lenny Kravitz and many rock artists use these speakers. . . .	41
If $ was no object what speaker would you buy? Actually I would be happy with many speakers above about $1500 and can understand fully why my choice in speakers may differ from others... it all comes down to what it is designed. . .	40
Monitor Audio Made in China? Lots of gear is made in China. Many Hi fi brands are now owned by Chinese entrepreneurs...Wharfedale, AudioLab, Mission and Quad are now manufactured in Shenzhen, China	40
Grilles or No Grilles Interesting thread but let me add a technical explanation. A grill will reduce somewhat the high frequencies (around 0.1 to 0.5 dB max) - not worth worrying about really. Another. . .	40
Wilson MAXX musicallity and sound I am missing the liquid and icy sound of high end audio with the following expensive combination . How can I improve achieve that dream sound? Of course you are. This system . . .	40
What beats the Evolution Acoustics MM3 ?? This leads me back to the opening comment about the MM3s and their ability to let you just enjoy the music. Congrats. I know exactly how you feel. The speakers you . . .	40
Floor standers or Monitors? I feel personally a set of monitors and sub (s), for the same money being spent on a pair of uprights, should surpass the performance of a pair of floor standers, shouldn't they. . .	40
best speakers for vocals? Sounds like you want a good mid-range driver. Try a google search for "renowned soft dome mid-range"	40
Have you seen the VR9SE Review? Jtinn, Thanks for pointing out this article. Mike did a fantastic job of describing a wonderful journey to achieveing what must be absolutely amazing sound. I am in awe. Two-. . .	40
Speakers for Bryston ATC SCM20 and up. ATC's are audiophile speakers that can actually use the full clean power of Bryston 4B without sounding the least bit dull or distorted or congested	39
Can speaker cables be too thick? Chris, Honestly is doesn't really matter but yes thicker is in general is ever so slightly better to avoid power loss and enhance damping. However if you want to delve into . . .	39
3 way vs. 2 way Zar, 3 way is necessary for elevated sound levels. It retains balance, clarity and dynamics over a broader range of volumes. It is however much bigger and more imposing and . . .	39
Why magic at 80 db? If your speakers can deliver clean undistorted sound it will generally get better and better as the SPL inceases, up to a limit of between 95 and 100 db SPL. Generally 105 db SPL . . .	38
Room Treatment for Corners - Recommendations? See above - post by Kal - all are good. GIK tri-traps are great for corners - you need at least two and preferably four to make a noticeable difference, and 8 would be ideal in the. . .	38
What are you 'TRULY' Looking for in Loudspeaker... TRULY? Are you for real? You mean TRULY? Tall, thin, protuberant tweeter, big woofers, tight bass, fishnet grill, spiked feet, leather baffle, three ports, exotic cherry hard wood. . .	37
Old vs. New It just shows how gullible we all are. Only sometimes new is better	37
Speaker Ideas upto $2500 Zu Druids are not a good idea. You can drive something fairly inefficient with that amp. Since you are moving and planning on a sub then get some small monitors that do not try to . . .	37
Speaker Preferences? at the risk of being labelled an elitist, why is speaker selection so critical if recordings feature mainly amplified instruments ? Hang on...acoustic instruments all sound . . .	37
Speaker disappearing act? Most audiophiles mean "speaker disappearing" in a virtual sense, however, as I will explain, there is actually a way to make speakers REALLY disappear. If you are . . .	37
Which $7000 speakers to ask Santa? I'd also look at maybe Dynaudio Confidence C2s and ATCs. Based on Beheme's comments on this thread so far, I'd second the above recommendation	37
Comparison of $11,000 - $15,000 reference speakers I am not at all surprised by your choice (given your shortlist). I think you made the best pick there and one that will give you the most enjoyment	37
From pro to hi-fi and a little confused... Genelec 8040a or ATC SCM 16a are also worth checking out. Both will be a lot more accurate than the 110a which is kind of warm sounding from the low port tuning	36
Any high WAF speaker with ATC sound? Try a pair of Barefoot MM27 - around 8K new. Ultra modern looking. Sell your power amp	36
How many electrons? Zero - that is obvious one	36
Good CD for testing bass response slothman, I luv Dragon Attack - Roger Taylor came up with most of it and played the bass as well as his usual job behind the drum set. My uncle's kids were in the same school as . . .	36
Dynaudio C1, why so expensive? They use their own high quality drivers...not cheap mass produced stuff like most others... The quality of Dynaudio drivers can only be appreciated by listening or by opening the . . .	36
best 4.5" midrange drivers under $1K I am not sure - those are pretty extreme specifications - do you understand what you are asking for	36
Best MONITORS availables Not heard of any pro studios using any of these monitors yet ....but if the sound quality is as impressive as the esthetic design then they must be very good. Good luck	36
Does this speaker exist or am I being ridiculous? Of course this speaker exists...100's of times over. I think you can find any number of tall slim tower designs with several small woofers to fit the bill...obviously it will need . . .	36
Maggies with no Sub: Fantastic surprise A little tip for subs, make sure they are in the same plane as the midrange driver/panel. Front or rear firing subs are ok, but down firing subs are not very tuneful. Agreed . . .	35
Bass rant Indeed it is the first thing people look at on a speaker specification - deeper the better no matter how bad it sounds. Good accurate tight bass response with low distortion is . . .	35
Good speakers at low volume? Harbeths sound great at low volumes - crytsal clear vocals and warmth. They are used in BBC for drama productions etc - great clarity in the midrange without cranking it and enough. . .	35
A question of bass... Several actually. When I asked about bass (speakers having full bass response) the salesman (who owns the shop) said "If you want bass you have to shell out the big bucks." Is that it? . . .	35
Vandersteen 5a vs. B&W 802D vs. Maggie 3.6 vs.? I'm with Jaybo, stick to Vandy - to me you appear to have already become atuned to them given that Thiel's sound like sandpaper	35
Are Wilson Sophia 2's lean in the midbass? Do you mean in comparison to other Wilson's like the Watt Puppy? If so then you can see on Soundstage measurement plots that is has a smoother bass response with less of a . . .	34
Speakers that disappear At this point I prefer soft dome and paper/carbon type drivers and have not been a fan of ceramic drivers, beryllium, diamond or aluminium tweeter Then you should try to . . .	34
Looking for New Speakers - Suggestions Look into PMC and ATC speakers. Both brands are capable of high volume and low distortion, but also sound good at lower volumes. Indeed - if you are looking for dynamics and . . .	34
This funny Radrog, Thats quite normal - it is a perfectly good tweeter (Vifa XT25TG30). Tweeters don't do much - despite all the fuss people tend to make. Hopefully you have good expensive . . .	34
“Real” bass vs. “Boom” — how do you know which? Unless you are trained you probably need a Ratshack meter with some test tones and/or a program like EQ Room Wizard and a microphone + PC. The temptation is always to go for more . . .	34
Rives Audio Consulting - Advice? Yes. Absolutely	34
Help chossing a good speaker. $ 3-5 K Thanks again. I have narrowed my choice to harbeth vs ATC. Either will make a great choice and should make you happy. IMHO, Harbeth's excel at lower volumes with a lovely . . .	34
MBL alternatives Beolab 5 - not my cup of tea but excellent tight bass, lovely wide soundstage and they look awesome	34
Speaker recommendations in the $3,500-$4,000 range I don't think you can come close to the finest PMC studio monitors installed professionally in the US on a $4,000 budget at least not new....but I guess you know this. I agree . . .	34
Are my ears just fooling me? Try the Sheffield Labs drum track recording - close your eyes and listen. If that sounds like somebody playing on a drum set with you in the room then stop worrying. The biggest . . .	33
Bookshelf speakers with the good bass. KRK VXT8 Focal Twin 6 Be Barefoot MM35 (really impressive for its size) Dynaudio BM6a	33
Used speakers for $3k? Oh the confusion ATC SCM 35 and Bryston 4B ST (both second hand of course) will set you back $3K. This will play Pink Floyd quite well and very loud. Alternatively - horns - Klipsch for example - . . .	33
Two Subwoofers... Comb Effect Make sure you use symmetry along the room length I find that if you vary placment too much along the room length then you can indeed run into problems => bass becomes muddy . . .	33
Dynaudio Sapphire vs Revel Studio2 Interesting. Based on your comments - you want the midrange and slam of the Dynaudio but the showy highs and lows or extra sizzle of the Revels is tempting too. The Dynaudio is . . .	33
Do any speakers image/sound-stage close to walls? Great advice here from Duke - I'd also suggest dispersive acoustic panels on side walls at first reflection points if they are bare - you can have some made to suit whatever the . . .	33
Speakers under $750.00...Preposterous Notion? There are many great second hand speakers at this price...you have to go a little old that is all. For example a second hand pair of Energy Pro 22 can probably be found for $200 . . .	33
Question concerning db sensitivity Someone recently told me that in their experience, in general, that the higher the db sensitivity of a given speaker, the more you sacrifice in terms of sound. In other words, . . .	33
What should be the first component when upgrading? IMHO speakers/room setup add the most colouration, distortion and have greatest impact on the sound. One can almost always hear a marked difference between two types of speaker. (. . .	33
HELP...Bubble Wrap Marks in PIANO BLACK Speakers?? The bubble wrap petrochemicals have reacted with the lacquer or the lacquer was not completely cured when it was wrapped (takes several weeks to cure and it must be able to breathe. . .	33
What's next for the ultimate sound quality? Wow - scary website on Zaph Audio . He says, How often has someone said "Forget the measurements and tell me how it sounds." Or "Learn to listen with your ears." Well I hate . . .	32
which is your favorite inexpensive stereo system? I agree with Bob, again. Another example would be a new NHT M-00 and a S-20 and NHT PVC for $900 and then add a CD player - surely your friend has a CD player already? If not . . .	32
Ever discover cheapo speakers actually sound... $240 list price speakers - $30K of gear to feed them and it sounds "decent" compared to your regular main expensive speakers. IMHO, this is highlighting that you might . . .	32
Speakers that disappear Tvad is absolutely right - set them up on your front lawn for a couple of days - they are sure to disappear	32
ProAcs or B&W--Not hifi experienced, but luv music Jane, Take a moment to visit a local Guitar (music) store. Audition some active speakers in their home studio setup and see if you find something you like. A lot of musicians use . . .	32
Build my own speakers? You have just discovered one of the surprises in high end audio. Typical high end $5000+ speakers that use $50 woofers and tweeters. Most of what you pay for is woodwork, exotic . . .	32
Loudspeakers that go LOUD? These are a tough load for a tube amp...change the tube amp for an SS amp with 250+ WPC and your beloved Linbrooks will sing	32
best shippers? Bax just want to make sure that there is someone there when they call to collect or deliver them......businesses are open from 9 to 5 on working days.... Bax do not want pick up . . .	32
help with speakers that rock, pleeze Change your speakers. They are "Norah Jones" style speakers and they are not capable to rock in such a large space. Budget	31
1K used monitor with wide/uniform dispersion B&W N805 has a lovely response . A used one might stretch your budget but it is worth it. ATC's are also very even off axis but you simply don't need that kind of power (overkill . . .	31
Short List of the Best 20K Speakers What is with the 20Hz? If you are serious and want to maintain equal quality with your revels then you need a couple of good subwoofers like a couple of JL112's or 113's or a . . .	31
Speakers to build a $6500 system around Why not look for a pair of used Energy Veritas 1.8	31
Recommend speakers for a restaurant sound system Stick to something like JBL pro series or JBL EON - don't spend a fortune on great sounding speakers that sound great that your staff will all too easily blow up when cleaning up . . .	31
Quad ESL owners question Sound Lab or ATC are other options. Gordon Holt used Sound Lab for years - I believe he now uses ATC. I don't think ATC midrange beats a great electrostatic but it comes close and . . .	31
2-way vs. 3-way Two way is good for nearfield (3 to 6 feet). Generally three way is needed for far field (8 feet +). A two way just cannot do it all (cover the enormous bandwidth with two drivers . . .	31
Speakers that reveal bad recordings? Not for me. Why is it ever desirable to have speakers that simply reflect whatever they are fed, for better or worse? I suspect this is because, for a few folks, that is the idea of . . .	31
Wilson Sophia 2 or Focal Electra 1037 be? The single 10 inch bass might be a much easier load to drive than three 7" drivers - this might be a consideration. Frankly I would not lose sleep over a tweeter; mid range . . .	31
Best bookshelf monitor under $1000 new or used. Check out NHT M-00 and S-00 for $749 new - they come with built-in amplifiers	31
Active Speakers: The usual suspects .... NHT XD Meyer - HD-2's are real nice Nova S applause Adam Blue Sky Quad to name a few more	31
Anyone Totally Content With Their System? Two Channel: Totally content with system. In all honesty, my speakers/sub are more than I have the right to ask for in a roughly 28 foot by 18 (partly 24) foot room, domestic . . .	31
B&w 803s. Vs nautilus 802 Stringreen may not like the midrange. The design is definitely a smile EQ type presentation with recessed upper mids and accentuated bass and tweeter. You can see this from . . .	30
Looking for "Last" 2 channel speaker system. Agreed. ATC 100 or ELP 150 should be on your shortlist for sure	30
Best place to put a single subwoofer? A singles bar	30
Vienna Acoustics sounded terrible at Magnolia Roc_Doc, All I can say is I don't like the measurements on these speakers (those that I have seen published and not just the wild impedance swings). Not to say that they cannot . . .	30
How do you train your ears? For getting started (complete beginner) I'd suggest the basic audio course by Alton Everest: "Critical Listening Skills for Audio Professionals"	30
Tools to measure in room response I'm with Kal - I use Fuzzmeasure and a measurement microphone - examples are on my virtual system. Even with a tool like this it took me several days to make adjustments. A good . . .	30
Can speakers be too large for a room MWilliams, Al has a great point. Another concern might be tweeter compression (this is certainly a problem with the WP 8, as evidenced by Soundstage Measurements - I have no idea . . .	30
Which Sub. Rel B-1 or Fathom F-113 If you check HT Shack Subwoofer test you will see data on the JL F113 - it is pretty impressive (although distortion is a wee bit high - and compression does become an issue - . . .	30
Lack in harmonic richness As far as I can recall I had this problem also with the previous speakers (Dunlavy SC V's) but with the Soundlabs it is aggravated. Welcome to accuracy. Both the speakers you. . .	30
Music to evaluate Speakers and System I disagree that one should use whatever one likes. A system should play everything well unless one is happy to predispose what one can play and enjoy to one genre or another. A . . .	30
musical subwoofer recommendation for 2-ch They have small woofers and so they are fast but do not have sufficient low bass. Large woofers do not have to be slow. It boils down to motor voice coil diameter and magnet. . .	30
What speakers can b considered as world reference? Speakers that are perhaps most Live-like are the type used as studio main monitors to impress clients (musicians). These systems generally have a large sweetspot and have huge . . .	30
What speaker to buy to start over. Staring all over again...huh? You have pre-selected Martin Logan Summits? Didn't you have Martin Logans before? I wouldn't call that a fresh start. I second Bob's comment...at . . .	30
Plastic ring over tweeter opinion My preference is to tend to stick with what the speaker manufacturer intended or recommends. I use the same logic with power cords - what comes with the component is acceptable to . . .	30
What Speakers Do Audio Insiders Own? I know that in the past these individual artists bought/used ATC speakers Barbara Streisland AC/DC Dire Straits Simple Minds Suzanne Vega John Williams Roger Taylor Sting Pink . . .	30
What would happen if Maggie and Wilson Mated? In a nutshell designers have been struggling with this for years. ATC are recognized for combining BOTH dynamic range and high performance. I agree Wilson or Maggies don't do both. . .	29
Subwoofers - Grille off or on? Wrong. It depends on the baffle design. Many speakers will definitely sound better with the grill on. A grill on or off is irrelevant for a subwoofer and makes no difference	29
Omni Speaker Options Beolab 5 sound good and look cool and have impressive dynamic bass (just don't push them too hard in the mid range	29
Loudspeakers with a wide sweet spot Most speakers have a midrange scoop, by this I mean a dip in the off axis response through the midrange. If you want something with a wide sweetspot then you need something with an. . .	29
Best speaker for vocals What are opinions on a speaker that is known for its midrange? Quad esl 57 Harbeth ATC are all well known for midrange quality. I want the most realistic vocals. I . . .	29
recapping crossovers....do or don't? See this mention of MIT multi-caps from DIY'ers. Not recommended. Bear in mind this is a precision audio crowd who like Tannoys and SET amps (precision is desired and smooth is . . .	29
Any new ideas on an old theme? Any vibration from the waffling of the cabinet is unwanted, IMHO, but that reflects a design philosophy where the cabinet is not intended to color the sound. Speakers that are . . .	29
Is there such a speaker...(loud but smooth)? I am wondering...Is there a speaker that will get quite loud (almost concert level volume) but still have soft smooth highs at higher volumes than most home audio speakers? . . .	29
Speaker suggestions for less than ideal accoustics Apart from the windows and the tile floor, which may give you reflections and some harshness in the treble, the fire place, loft and large room size probably make this a great room. . .	29
is it sacrilege? Sure it should be OK...don't worry at all about your wife. It is a social signal. She is just marking her territory with a clear signal to all others. Her mark, the statue, sits . . .	29
No bass in the Proac Response 3 Give it time - better bass is often less resonant and in your face than what you typically get from boom boom tizz speakers	28
wilsom MAXX3 or Evolution Acoustics MMThree ? Bill's advice is very solid. Wilson, like B&W - like 'em or hate 'em - both are a force in the Audiophile Industry and will more likely have service support and better resale value. . .	28
Any High-end speakers "kid-friendly" not fragile? John is right - mount them on the walls high up near the ceiling pointed down and modify the grill (add a wire grill) so they can't be damaged by a basketball. However, why anyone . . .	28
Very small very sensitive floor stander 1000? Totem Mani-2 - probably the deepest bass excursion in a small speaker - good bass too. (I know it is not a floorstander but it will sound like one - on stands of course	28
I've heard the MartinLogan CLX.... WOW $20,000 - I think. BTW - Tom - nice choice of music for your review	28
Floorstanders designed to be against the wall? "large loudspeakers should not be placed free-standing but flush-mounted to perform in the best possible way."	28
speaker recommendation 2500 or less small room Energy Veritas 1.8 used - great value	28
Is break in quicker with Planars and Stats? Perhaps it depends on the design. An Electrostatic with high step up transformers + high voltage capacitors is more likely to change over time than a sealed box speaker with a . . .	28
Looking for $20k system for Mahler No 6 I assume you are looking for dynamic speakers that will not sound congested but will remain effortless on Mahlers 6th, in which case I would suggest a bigger Active ATC. If you . . .	28
Looking for the "better sub" I am not sure that something linear is a good thing with panels. You may struggle with different SPL levels ....a match here but then a mis-match there. A small sub might be the . . .	28
Soundstage...How to determine what's right? Congestion is closely linked to a lack of dynamics. Live music is highly dynamic and there are all kind of peaks that stick out and act as cues to the ears about position and . . .	28
Are modern speakers better than old speakers? Some progress. Active Speakers without passive crossovers are the biggest change since 1980. These existed before 1980 but have become significantly more popular since then - still. . .	28
single versus multiple driver? Consider active speakers. There is no crossover and less IMD from the complex interaction of multiple drivers all connected to one amp. Tannoys have active dual concentric speakers. . .	28
Am I Bad Listener? Does anyone share my experience or is there something this sad, pathetic audiophile is missing? A lot of the gear you describe is intended to sound correct so it should sound. . .	28
Which speaker to replace Dunlavy SC-V? This reference type speaker is often used for monitoring/mastering; IMHO, stick with the Dunlavy V's (provided you like their straight forward accurate qualities). IMHO, some . . .	28
What speakers play the loudest cleanly ? For a non-horn type design, I would say that the larger ATC are the loudest and most dynamic speakers you can find. The ATC 3" midrange has a much bigger magnet than 99% of . . .	27
Distance from the front not the rear wall? You need a minimum of 4 feet and 8 feet is a lot better between the listener and any walls. After about 8 feet it really does not matter that much (diminishing returns). If you . . .	27
What happened to my bass? I can only recommend that you perform some measurements with proper software, sound card and microphone. (Assuming of course that you actually want to understand what is going on. . .	27
Speaker shock absorbers If you have a rigid box speaker it becomes less of an issue but I find blu-tak and rubber pads and thick felt (like for furniture) work very well. If you need to resort to ply and. . .	27
Do I need better center ch speaker-dialog unclear? The dynamic range and ambient sounds on movie soundtracks can be a challenge for voice on most consumer speakers. These soundtracks were originally mixed and mastered for high end. . .	27
Why so few high end line arrays? They work great at concerts and for sports stadiums....definitely a mistake for home audio, IMHO. You are getting serious comb filtering from listening close up to multiple . . .	27
Gallos how good are they? You should resist the "itch", IMHO. If you like the MBL 116 then try Mirage or Ohms as suggested but be wary of the extra ambience that comes with these designs - they . . .	27
Quad ESL or Soundlab? Sound Labs have better all round performance...however Quad's hold the edge for some. It depends on your musical tastes - if you like more dynamics then go Sound Labs	27
Speaker cabinet materials. Cabinets are rarely made of wood....MDF is a good damped cheap material. Contrary to popular belief - good heavy and heavily damped cabinets with bracing add almost no audible . . .	27
Sealed Loudspeakers? I have a pair of Hales Revelation III speakers which I love because of the incredibly tight bass they produce. The speaks are sealed. My Watt Puppy's on the other hand are . . .	27
Speakers placed against back wall The 2.4 have a passive radiator (think port). You need a sealed box with modest or flat bass and a 6 db/octave roll off that takes advantage of the wall without sounding boomy. . . .	27
Is my room too small I would never sit with my head near a wall. It is better to listen nearfield than sit next to a wall. Sitting next to a wall is about the worst thing you can do	26
Smallest speakers that ROCK Barefoot MM27 HxWxD 20.5 x 9.5 x 15.25 inches are small but can definitely rock. Heavy but compact and will really do justice to a drum set	26
Best Used Speaker Under $4,000 w/ Respectable Lows the choices are infinate. I disagree...choices are way beyond infinity	26
Which matters more, DAC or transport? The idea of splurging on a DA then buying a cheap transport, is foolish. Foolish if the DAC is unable to handle incoming jitter (most DAC's unfortunately). Not foolish . . .	26
Scanspeak 10" driver replacement - blown woofer With cheaper drivers you should simply replace them with new drivers. Make sure you get the same model driver. Only high quality drivers ($500+ each) are usually worth re-coning	26
The Room, not us, determines our speaker choices horses for courses...agreed	26
State of the art speakers from yesteryear. Yamaha NS10	26
Maggies and rolled off treble Midrange is the unsung hero of good audio and happy audiophiles. This is why Magneplanars, LS35a's, Quad ESL 57's, Celestion 600's and precious few others are legendary . . .	26
Eggleston Andra 2 owners I think Bob Ludwig uses these - check what he uses to drive them	26
What subwoofers are suited 4 audiophiles I am looking for an accurate sounding subwoofer that will blend gently into my system and not be so noticed Bear in mind that your ears are far more sensitive at 80Hz than . . .	26
Best bargain for speaker that can offer top sound Some top yesteryear speaker models are still made today. If the same speaker has been in production for more than a decade...then go for a second hand model of that (it will be old. . .	26
MiniMonitor 33lbs w/realistic vocals,not bright. Genelec 8020B might be convenient in the corner of a bedroom. If you want more bass then there is a compatible subwoofer from Genelec. Polished polite and detailed is the sound . . .	25
Nearfield listening 6 feet is not near-field and not quite far-field. The main reason to use big speakers is to get accurate bass reproduction and to achieve realistic higher SPL levels and a more . . .	25
Tannoy Speakers Bernie Grundman has used Tannoys for years...very good speakers...much of what you buy will have been mastered on them! Bernie has had close to 40 Grammy Nominations	25
Best speakers for home theater/voice clarity? Yes this is normal for high end audiophile type speakers. These sell because of boom booom tizz. Nearly all manufacturers do this so I am in no way trying to single out Von . . .	25
My Line Arrays and Dynaudio monitor - where to go Dynaudio are one of the very few companies that make their own drivers - you can't go far wrong with good quality Dyn's	25
Speaker recommendation. have $2,500 There is a review of the PSB Imagine T in Stereophile - thanks to Kal for pointing it out - it looks impressive and we are talking excellent value	25
Dunlavy SC IVA X-over resistor values First mark them carefully - so you know exactly where they are mounted. Then take them out (solder gun and sucker tool) and simply measure them with a multimeter. You may need to . . .	25
Nova Utopia Be or Dynaudio Temptation\Wilson Maxx If you like the Sophia then my suggestion would be to stick to simpler three ways rather than Appolito designs (which use two midranges to increase output/avoid compression but all. . .	25
Speakers too wide apart? . I was immediately floored by how much better my system sounded. There was a naturalness that I never heard before. Soundstage depth also increased dramatically (which may not . . .	25
Thoughts on adding a Super tweeter . Most likely the benefits of adding inaudible content are inaudible. It is known that sharp filters to remove out of band noise can effect the "in band" sound, however, . . .	25
Upgrade entire system, speakers first I second Duke. What he says is not nuts at all! You can find many fine integrated amps for $600 that sound very much like many a $6000 amp (only lacking power or some features. . .	25
Low level listening A good speaker should play well at very low and very high levels - so I would agree wth Duke. Although this kind of speaker is very expensive and is typically used in studio . . .	25
25 year old polk 2.3's will I hear an improvement? All speakers radiate bass in all directions..so you will get some reflections and cancellations from the rear wall....the only way to eliminate this is with acoustic treatments,. . .	25
Question on small bass drivers in tower speakers Agree with Johnk - it is entirely WAF cosmetic, cost and footprint driven. There is NOTHING true about the MYTH "can provide very fast and accurate bass response" Most . . .	24
Sealed vs Ported Subwoofers Sealed generally means less resonance and group delay - so more refined bass. Ported means higher output which can be important for HT and will give you more bass for much less . . .	24
How to listen to the good stuff? It is tough. Keep looking and one day you may get it. It hit me in late 1995 - just by hazard I found something that worked. I wasn't even looking but stumbled into a dealer while . . .	24
Hi Wilson W/P8 owners, best amp ever to drive WP8? If is a large room and you play rock then you might be easily overdriving the WP 8's with that amp	24
Tight accurate midfield monitor pair suggestions ATC SCM 20 - based on your description this is exactly what you need - used by Telarc and countless other studios. They have enough SPL to do midfield	24
Hertz Meter Reading Device If I set a sat's level to be 85dB, by SPL meter, at 1K Hz and then set the sub's level to be 85dB at 40 Hz, why don't we attempt to compensate for the loudness curve and set . . .	24
Monitors for Extreme Near-field listening I second Macrojack, these computer speakers will out perform many main systems when coupled with S-20 subwoofer and a good DAC. Chuck Ainlay uses them (ever heard of Dire Straits. . .	24
Where does fatique come from? too many mistresses	24
High End Monitors Teeshot, Active or passive ATC SCM20's will be involving and yet still sound natural and transparent with a tight punchy bass (no one note boominess like you sometimes get in a . . .	24
paranoid listener-damaging speakers? On a small two way when it sounds really "loud" then there is usually distortion either on the system or the recording. It is not well known but undistorted music can be. . .	24
Planar close to a rear wall? Quad for example? If you can completely absorb the backwave, it would probably work. Unfortunately I don't think that's realistically possible. The problem is, the two-foot round-trip path length. . .	24
The Most Realistic Speaker Technology? Realistic sound that makes you feel you are there = dynamic with correct timbre, low distortion and correct balance across the spectrum and even natural dispersion to load your . . .	24
Help: Order of importance: Pre, Amp, DAC, speakers Does the Pre, amp and DAC really shine above a speaker purchase? The system can only shine as much as the speaker will allow but good electronics is a great start. Both . . .	24
2-channel listening with a sub-woofer I get seamless integration, but the sub and speakers are from the same company	24
best or craziest speakers' design.. Jeffrey, Absolutely brilliant. I love those speakers! Who even cares what they sound like - I mean just look at them - such a bold crazy stunning retro art statement! Sometimes . . .	24
Sand and shot? Blu-tack = Audio duct tape	24
TSM-MM not loud enough ... You cannot rightly expect high volume levels from such a small speaker. Certainly the VSM's will go about 6 db louder. Will this be enough for what you desire? Only you can be the . . .	24
Speakers for metal, hard rock ... also SS amp I assume you want something that can play loud. IMHO most two ways will fall apart if you try to achieve rock concert sound levels. Designs with multiple small (6" drivers) . . .	24
Vandersteen 5a battery biased crossovers I am not sure what caps are used but any high voltage signal path application for caps generally requires high quality caps . Most speakers use high quality polypropylene caps . . .	23
Gallo vs. Quads ESL 57 Gioivanni, I suspect you are going to find it tough to retain the exquisite qualities you have fostered but add the authority you crave (you may have to give in the midrange to . . .	23
Any ideas in speaker choices would be great Try second hand Energy Pro 22 or 22.3...this will bring your soundstage more forward (not so recessed in the mid range)....it won't cost you a cent as you can find these second . . .	23
Best rock/jazz speaker under $10k used Dynaudios are a great choice (above). Also look at ATC or PMC - ATC 50's or 100's (if you really want to shake the walls yet still have a great panel like midrange clarity for . . .	23
Gallo 3.1 sounds slow and veiled...why? Or are the Paradigm Active 40's THAT good?!! I think you answered that...at least far better than the Gallos at least for your tastes. If you hear what you see then the . . .	23
question about speaker placement. dead end room? How is that book, I was thinking of getting it? Is it an easy, enjoyable read or is it a more technical reference book? Rich It is an easy read but he tends to ramble on. I. . .	23
ATC SCM 11 Vs SCM 19...Need immediate suggestion If there is some good/significant improvement that can expected after the 19 breaks in then I would consider it and wait to burn it in....and if they still retain this kind of . . .	23
Why buy cheap speakers?? Steven, Of course you are absolutely right given the extreme examples you listed ($300 cables $300 speakers) but some have more money than sense and honestly have the right to . . .	23
Subwoofers - Front Firing vs. Downward Firing Acoustically there is likely to be only a small difference in the bass. The downfiring sub will be close to the floor surface at a high pressure point - so you may get slightly . . .	23
Stereo Subs - Do they need to be identical? As you go towards small ported subs you tend to get more harmonic distortion thermal compression, lower overall SPL output and poor transient response. It is just physics and heavy. . .	23
Next step after B&W 802D Speakers are very personal - you need to give more guidance. Have you considered bass traps and acoustic treatments- this might be be the best improvement you could make - given . . .	23
How important is the speaker/room interface? So, any thoughts as to why the speaker/room interface is not more universally considered the top priority in building a system? Studios spend a fortune in this area with . . .	23
How do I "compromise" speaker placement Rule of thumb - speakers placed well out into the room will excite less room modes. Keep away from side walls (at least three feet). Sit at around 40% or room length (do not sit . . .	23
Top Speakers for Nearfield Listening in Small Room At that price range for a small two way monitor the world is your oyster. What is best will depend on your taste but you can afford something extremely well finished at that price. . .	23
Line Arrays - Competitive with best dynanics, ESL? a well executed esl will probably be less timbrally inaccurate than any line array. Do I sense a little "bomb", Mr T. I don't think I will enter the fray here . . .	23
How to audition used speakers??? IMHO, get something that is currently supported so that you can repair it, if necessary. Speakers are quite easily damaged when overdriven/clipped amp	23
Break in period Break-in implies a significant change in response with time. Is this something desirable in equipment designed with accuracy in mind? Obviously not. I try to avoid equipment that. . .	23
The Shape of the Watt / Puppy and Others Drivers are what actually makes the sound...drivers can be very different in quality and cost. For example, several of the woofers in the speakers you mention cost less than $100. . .	23
Low volume bookshelf spkrs that go from 20 to 20k? I have absolutely no affiliation with this seller (never dealt with him/her...but this is a pretty amazing bookshelf IMHO...including shipping it will be well under your budget . . .	23
Monitors that use the Dynaudio Esotar Tweeter	22
Best nearfield monitor? "true deep bass response" & "dynamic contrast and extreme dynamical outburst" ....if you mean fairly accurate but deep bass rather than copious amounts of room . . .	22
The Great Speaker Quest I got the message you want dynamic (like horns) but do not sound honky like horns and you want small with tight accurate bass (no bloat). You want to be able to move around and . . .	22
Speaker with most dynamic PUNCH? Any ATC. All punch way above their size. As you correctly surmise, it boils down to large magnets with short coil in large gap and larger diameter voice coils that can cool . . .	22
replace a full Cello System? I'd go active ATC SCM 20 and a 0.1/12 sub in an appartment. The Cellos were used in mastering - they have a 3 inch dome midrange - the ATC's 3" dome is probably the highest . . .	22
Subwoofers for Magnepan 20.1s? Yes, I agree go sealed with low group delay and large woofer. It will be expensive as a good tight sub means less SPL output - so you need really big rather than a high output . . .	22
best WOOFER ??? The Volt 15" is nice and so is the ATC SB100-375SC but a pair of either of these woofers will set you back close to $1500, which you can use up to around 500 Hz....so you are . . .	22
Sub users... Bass frequencies are sent to both channels in 99.9% of mixes. Below around 100 Hz you cannot tell where a sub is anyway (if you can it is because leakage of higher frequencies - . . .	22
The latest flavour of the month speaker Fear leads to the dark side of audiophile forces. Fear of cable impurities causing imperfections to the sound, Fear of jitter, Fear of house panel wiring, Fear of interconnects . . .	22
Wilson Audio Watt Puppy 5.1 or.. The Sophias are more "sophisticated" with significantly less bass hump and an overall more refined presentation. If you want exhileraton then go for the WP's. Another way. . .	22
Just how big is that driver? For cone drivers, size may be the outside diameter of the frame, the diameter of the surround, or the diameter of the cone	22
Thinking of upgrading speakers, any suggestions? What I look for is tonal accuracy, open and clear midrange and dynamics, as I feel these are the most important parameters that can give you impression of live sound, in other . . .	22
Spendor S9e or ProAc Response D28 Weird thing is I listen to movie louder than I do music, yet under this activity I don't find them fatiguing Movies are not COMPRESSED like pop & rock music. The reason you . . .	22
Room Treatments and WAF? Long Steve, I don't get it - why would you treat first reflection points on a long wall that is 23 feet? I agree that the rear wall is a problem. However - it depedns onyour listening. . .	22
All about the bass Buy the Sheffield Labs Drum Track XRCD and go out and audition. Track 1 has the tightest bass and is very dynamic. This will seriously separate the men from the boys. If you like. . .	22
Smoother bass by running woofer out of phase? What nags me is whether or not this is the way to solve the problem. I got this idea from owning a Rel sub where they suggest in hooking up the sub out of phase which may reduce. . .	22
Is Quad ESL57 most amazing speaker of all time? Luke, What you report about the Quad mid range sounds accurate to me. I suspect you may tire of the deficiencies in the bass and lack of dynamics eventually, not a one night stand. . .	22
What are the best monitor speakers for classical? If you like Telarc label for classical music then perhaps you might consider to add what they use for loudspeakers to your audition list. Try a google on "telarc . . .	22
Seas Millennium Break-in time 200 hours with drifting response? Is that what Seas claim in their specifications? You may want to reconsider as a lack of stability is not really a good attribute in audio . . .	22
Musical Heaven, NOT Audio or Speaker heaven … IMHO, the speaker is THE most important element of any system. Congratz	22
Need help generating a short list Seadweller, I think a larger model ATC might meet your described needs. realize it would be impossible to find a loudspeaker with the dynamics of a horn, midrange of a . . .	22
Biwired-Dunlavy V- Bass reduced why? Nilthepill, What are you using to drive the Dunlavys? The change from biwiring is equivalent to a few microhenries, a few pico-farads and a few milli-ohms difference compared to. . .	22
Efficient full range floorstanders to match SET Have you considered a tube preamp driving active speakers? I am not sure if the high input impedance of active speakers will prevent your tube amp from being stressed enough to . . .	22
Speaker Distortion or Room Interaction ? What are your speakers and amplifier? From your description, this might be one of two common problems; a speaker thermal compression issue (as coils heat up your speaker response. . .	22
Dynaudio C-4 or Revel Salon 2 Dynaudio C-4 would be my choice. Metal drivers are hard to control (ringing will be evident on any waterfall). Nevertheless the Salon2 is world class	21
Speaker appearance verses musicality. My guess is that, for the most part, appearance is at least 50% of the buyer's decision. This hobby is not purely about sound quality	21
RevelStudio2 really special or I need to hear more Good and really special for sure	21
Active speakers. What to choose? ATC SCM 50 is a classic that has withstood the test of time but it won't win a beauty contest and it is not rare - it will hold it's used value well (assuming you get a good ". . .	21
Kharma ceramic blow up Changster, Just get a pair of ATC 100ASL and you won't be blowing midrange anymore. There is a good reason why large three ways with the accuton mid use TWO midranges	21
Room matters Agreed - the room is the elephant in the room - possibly why many of the regular contributing experts here will not even share a few pix. Nevertheless there are differences in . . .	21
DVD movies must have Master and Commander	21
Need to replace my Totem Acoustic Arros Great choice Harbeth Compact 7. but didn'y you want a floorstander	21
good speaker with Sound stage behind???? Oops you did it again! Duke's advice rings true once again. I would also add that a scooped midrange gives depth or makes the stage/vocalists/lead guitar feel further away and less. . .	21
why are two subs harder to place than full range? I'm getting a second sub for a rather large vaulted room, have an injured back, and would rather minimize what seems like a rather long process, at least for the time being by . . .	21
Best New speaker under $5000 Cool - congrats! Now your brother has to find something better	21
Speakers that do rock justice ... Here are a few rockers that have used the speakers mentioned by Bongofury; Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Robert Plant, Roger Taylor, David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, Lenny Kravitz, . . .	21
Sennheiser HD 650 Headphones Headphones have much lower distortion than speakers, especially at modestly loud levels. You need an extremely good speaker to begin to compete with headphones. However, the sound . . .	21
How Much Is Too Much? I find that the better the speaker and amplficiation the more natural and effortless a good recording will sound; the end result is that the music inevitably gets turned up. I . . .	21
Speaker cone material pro's and con's I second Duke's suggestion! You should definitely get an AES subscription!! (Cone materials are often about balancing of different compromises) Not everything published in AES is . . .	21
Two Subs Vs. One I agree with Eldartford when at very close range and at higher SPL levels. I find I become aware of the general direction of a sub when I am within about four feet of it in 25 . . .	21
Wilson Watt Puppy 7 Blowen tweeters? Your key problem, as I understand it, is that this has happened twice.... It is highly likely that you are overdriving your amplifier and then burning up the voice coil or . . .	21
MBL 101e's vs. Soundlab U-1's ATC's might deliver some of the coherency you like in the SL and still give you the dynamics and loudness that box speakers are known for. (Driver integration is better with active. . .	21
Isolation for speakers on spikes Isolation will help prevent nuisance vibrations or resonances transfering from room to stand to speaker and vice-versa..."rattling" or "boominess" at certain . . .	21
Tannoy Westminster Royal HE IMHO you will gain in dynamics and SPL loudness and slightly more flexibility in placement if that is what you desire then go for it. Dunlavy's are wonderful but they don't play . . .	20
ATC scm 19 vs ATC scm 20SL? I think BongoB and Kinn got most of it covered. The 19 uses the same SL woofer/midrange driver so apart from a slight difference from the better tweeter extension (2.8Khz and up) . . .	20
Best active speaker Can't go wrong with ATC but you know that. Consider also Focal Twin 6 - a real bargain in active designs and obviously a step up from the passive electra 1007 (but you lose all . . .	20
Speakers for live piano performance ATC PA 65's will do the job but you are talking mega-bucks and back breaking work to move them. I would be cautious about using home hi-fi speakers or studio mini-monitors for . . .	20
Sealed Monitor Speakers NHT SOO and MOO is an option but wall mount could look ugly due to power cords	20
Best Used Floorstanders for Rock & HT under $2100? Energy Veritas 1.8 or similar	20
Bass, more or less? "The search for perfect bass is futile, because if you want more you miss it and when you have it it disturbs you". Yes - technically speaking low frequencies will . . .	20
ATC active or Tannoy TD12? Well seeing as I own Active 100's - you already know the answer! More seriously, I have not heard the TD12's - I bet they sound awesome and I am not sure what sort of a level up . . .	20
Speakers & the room Your room is nearly a multiple of 7 to 8 feet in all dimensions. Try a TACT or Rives PARC. Try sitting at 38% or room length. Keep your speakers well out from the rear wall (at 6. . .	20
Efficient speaker, big bad tight bass? If you want "tight" bass then you will need a very large box speaker - a corner horn loaded or something like that. The problem with "tight" bass is that is . . .	20
Speakers that can be placed against the wall? In wall paradigm 40's - if prefer a slick look and great sound. Sealed box satellites with a high end sub would probably be the safest choice though. You should avoid ported . . .	20
Most expensive No such thing - there is always a bigger fool - so today's most expensive speaker on earth will be surpassed. FWIW - room acoustics quickly become the most limiting factor for . . .	20
Easy to drive large speakers for Rock & Roll? I second Dr Joe	20
Quad 57 stacked v Wilson watt puppy 6/7 Quads => Yamaha NS1000M => WP 6/7 arranged in order of increasing loudness/dynamics/reliability. The Yamaha's are awesome - just don't push 'em too hard	20
Headphone Recommendations AKG's are excellent	20
Von Schweikert VR-4sr MKII or Wilson Sophia Both designs use aluminium cones - is that something you desire? Metal drivers have a distinct advantage in stiffness, however, be aware that all drivers ring (like a bell) and . . .	20
Do I want a sub with VR-4jr's? A REL or other high quality dedicated sub will give highly accurate extreme LF bass. This is useful in the 20 to 50 Hz range if you have monitor type speakers (designed for very . . .	20
Speakers with wide listening window As others have suggested get a speaker with good off axis response. Think of speakers as lights. Most designs are like a spot light. A few are designed with wide even dispersion . . .	19
Can you overpower a speaker Yes and quite easily as most consumer speakers use cheap drivers and opt for an expensive finish instead, as this is what matters most to customers	19
Avalon Eidolon Diamond-Worth it? Kurt, Sir Speedy's advice is good. Sealed boxes are usually better in bass transient response ( less bass but generally tighter and more accurate ). If all you are missing is that. . .	19
Please...Advice For The Speakerly Challenged I really can't make the choice for you but based on your comments - you clearly have good ears - so you should be fine	19
PMC and what electronics ?? He is contemplating of getting another two units of 4B-SST since the speakers can be tri-amped. That would be overkill. The Vifa midrange on the EB1i has a very small . . .	19
Suckout at 40 hertz...less pricey solutions? Agree with Ojgalli - your only viable option is to get a subwoofer and position it a little way forward into the room and then EQ it with notch filters so it does not add to the . . .	19
Foam Plugs There are two main factors that when combined as in EBP = Fs/Qes. If you have a low Fs (around 15 to 25) and you have a high Qes (expensive large motor light cone) then you will . . .	19
how far do you sit from your speakers? Yes you need to be sitting well away from any wall - 2 feet is a minimum - 4 feet or more is best	19
Suggestions for 'filling the port' of bass reflex FWIW - are you aware of what you are doing when plugging the port? Depending on the tuning, the port may be beneficial in that it protects the woofer from extreme excursion at . . .	19
Looking for speaker recommendations under $5K No need to spend as much as 5K where you are right now in the journey. I'd recommend Revel Concerta F12	19
Coldplay on Quad 988 Coldplay are compressed. Not as bad as Arctic Monkeys but compressed nevertheless. Look up "Loudness Wars" on google. I like Coldplay but like many fans we have to put up. . .	19
Best Powered Monitors All three of your choices are good. More analytical or clinical is a good description...you will find less flavor from pro gear and generally more dynamics - it just tries to . . .	19
Wilson Alexandria V2 My Maxx's are great speakers but i'm constantly blowing the midrange capacitors. Have you considered trying pro gear? Most consumer designs don't like being driven hard as . . .	19
Subs & Group Delay I'd go group delay first as it is no use having low distortion if there is a whole load of resonance or ringing from your sub - remember your room is going to resonate too! So less. . .	19
dynamic range -the good and bad? Dynamic range is GOOD. The death of dynamic range on modern recordings has made audiophiles an endangered species	19
Buying Bookshelves, I love B&W but.... my experience is that the mids are a bit compressed, less open and detailed. That is pretty standard for most speakers. It is called the BBC dip. Technically the speakers are . . .	19
Confused and unsure about upgrading my speakers. I agree with your analysis - you made a good choice. You will have to spend significantly more in order to get a modest improvement. Principally you can do much better in the bass. . .	19
Wilson Maxx2 or Aerial 20T I second Jaybo ....stick with the 20T's...only if you want something louder and more powerful dynamically would I consider this switch	19
Sealed Subwoofer Recommendation Stereo phile says one of those King Kong subs I have just what the doctor ordered; King Kong Sub	19
I am interested in upgrading my late 80's system? B&W DM110 were less than $200 new in the early 80's - so I dont think you can get much for them. You can certainly do much better than the warm sound of these speakers but you will. . .	19
Why Do Audio Engineers Use Different Speakers? Mix engineers often work at huge consoles, which can be a bad (reflective) listening environment with small near fields (narrow dispersion) placed on the meter bridge. The narrow . . .	19
panel speaker purchase i will be able to get a 45 percent reviewer's accomodation discount if buying the analysis audio speaker but it is an expensive purchase How would you feel about writing a . . .	19
Von Schweikert VR4 SR IV A nice upgrade. However, you might also consider a higher model PMC with a bigger woofer. It really depends on what you dislike about the OB1's? (Value for money the OB1 is quite . . .	19
Speaker cable for Green Mountain Audio Callisto IMHO, I agree with several of the above suggestions to spend much more on the speaker and much less on the cables (10:1 ratio, Speaker to Cable, is probably more than generous . . .	19
The Search It is over for me. Speakers that are good enough for extensive use in many of the world's top recording and mastering studios, are certainly more than good enough for me	19
Calling Harbeths 40.1 owners 40.1 are not the same warm sound so make sure to audition	18
Bring on the criticism... There must be an imaging issue. There is no way that two speakers will sound any good unless you already had a serious imaging problem. Admittedly the baffles, with all those edges. . .	18
Looking for new speakers? Try a sealed box speaker with slow roll-off starting around 60 Hz. Examples: ATC SCM19, Merlin TSM, NHT Classic 3, Lipinski L 707	18
Compact 7ES-3 Yes, IMHO	18
Serious Addiction to Gear Can it make you blind	18
Harbeth 7es-3 Sound Finally got to hear these speakers yesterday. What I heard was excellent driver integration - you don't have the sensation of where/when the tweeter takes over (which is such a . . .	18
Dynaudio sub with C1's That should work fine. Dynaudio make superb speakers. Their waterfalls are superbly clean and free of resonance - you will indeed need a good sub. The C1 midrange is not quite as . . .	18
"Fun" Speaker As An Alternative To Revel Salon I do you have a sub	18
ATC scm 19 upgrade ?? atc don´t sound good at low levels and my home studio is very small. So you like the neutrality, accuracy, dynamics, image and soundstage but something is obviously wrong . . .	18
Harbeth - Audio Research? Harbeth are delicious sounding! You are in for a treat	18
Which speakers have wide dispersion? It sounds more natural - direct and reverbernat energy match. Sound is good in a much larger sweetspot. Sound is easy to listen too and relaxing as opposed to the headphone feeling. . .	18
Efficient floorstndrs. to reach above furniture JBL Performance series with the matching powered subwoofer (PS1400 and PT800)and a Bryston 4B ST and a Bryston BP-25. You will be exchanging good looks and beautfiful cabinetry for. . .	18
Kharma FE 3.2 - be careful, space crucial Do you listen at realistic orchesttral or rock/jazz big band levels - is that the key (many speakers compress and sound dull at higher levels - even fantastic sounding ones may . . .	18
High Efficiency Dynamic Speaker Suggestions Please I agree with Ditusa nothing will compete with horns for efficiecny. ATC, however are very much like horns in terms of "you are there" presentation but they are less . . .	18
Speakers that have wide horizontal dispersion a wide horizontal dispersion so that someone doesn't have to sit in a precise location to hear the best sound. Budget is $1500-2,000. ATC have wide dispersion (Dome Mid) but . . .	18
Need advise regarding small bookshelf monitor If you mount in a bookshelf or entertainment system - do yourself a favor and install with a picture frame around the baffle and integrate into the walls in a flush mount fashion. . . .	18
Down-firing Sub makes floor rattle Newbee has good point. Ultimately everything will rattle. A plywood sheetboard somewhere could use some extra screws perhaps? A lose air duct mounting? A heavier carpet or underlay. . .	18
Used speakers $7,000-$10,000 These were designed for SACD and they are indeed exceptional speakers. Phillips/Sony had a demo booth of SACD multi-channel with these speakers at the 2000 and 2001 AES conventions. . .	18
How far apart are your speakers? Nilthepill, The V's must sound great nevermind the distance	18
Speaker and amp balance question????? I suspect you have an intermittent problem either with your amp or your speaker....most likely one of the tweeters themselves because they are mechanical and can certainly fail for. . .	18
Efficient speakers v. less efficient speakers You cannot compare efficiency alone without considering speaker/cone size and overall design...it is always a compromise. The question: If driven with the appropriate amplifier. . .	18
Esotar T-330D Tweeter $530 used!? Yikes is right. I'd better run over to my volume knob and scale it back some right now. But I swear, they're worth it. The $850 per pair includes mark up of course. . .	17
Subwoofer w/ most SPL's For Music Only System Of the subs you mention, only the Velodyne HGS 15 will be of excellent musical quality (around 1% THD). The other two are more for movies, the Earthquake has a passive radiator and. . .	17
Loudspeakers - how best to prolong their lifetime? Materials do age and heavy use will cause wear and tear also. However, some speaker manufacturers have been supporting their original products for over thirty years. Meanwhile . . .	17
Whos making the best ceramic speakers I'd suggest the old tried and true Accutons. Just be aware that you should really get two in a MTTM type arrangement if you need good SPL's from a floorstander. I'd be wary of . . .	17
Speaker cabinet construction.. Interesting. This is a well known problem. It is why speaker quality can in effect be somewhat correlated to weight and the knuckle rap test. The heavier in general the better. . . .	17
Does impedance matter? Magfan, Excellent point. It begs the question why most speakers and amplifiers are not built as a matched set - what I mean is specifically engineered amplifiers for each driver/. . .	17
Help What's Wrong with my System Abruce, A big room can be disconcerting - for starters you lack the congestion you get in a small room so everything is much cleaner and you can crank it louder and it will not . . .	17
Revel Salon 2 vs. Revel Studio 2 Ryan, These are both very good speakers. My suggestion and it is only a suggestion - would be to go for the studio and add a good quality sub. This will best arm yourself to . . .	17
Harbeth For a bedroom it has to be Harbeth	17
JL Audio f112 blown speaker? This is an amplifier problem or power supply problem in your sub. This is not good - especially if two units have done this. Perhaps JL have developed a QC problem with some parts . . .	17
Forward sounding speakers that Rock The 802D is designed with a hump in the bass and a scooped midrange. It is a great choice for rock. Rush moving pictures is one of their best. Originally mastered on ATC's by Bob. . .	17
Help narrow my speaker search. $2500-$3500 used. I'd go with Dunalvy SC IVa's. What? The less than 44" tall junior version	17
Impdence Question I tend to agree with Duke - the electrical aspect of wiring up two woofers is not such a big deal. To me the issue is the problem of precise driver matching and the backwave . . .	17
Usd 4k speaker recommendation pls There are hundreds of options - what have you used in the past and what are you looking for. If you like vocal then a good midrange is a must. The B&W Nautilus 805 should . . .	17
The space between the speakers All great comments above. Compromises are a fact of life. If you can get the speakers at least 12 inches forward and a couple of feet between the edge of the TV and the side of . . .	17
To bi-wire or not to bi-wire? Biwiring is explained scientifically on the Vandersteen website A theory is proposed...low frequency high power signals induce noise on high frequency low power signals. It . . .	17
Paradigm vs Dali vs PMC Well then the FB1+ will probably knock your socks off withits bass response. For pure accuracy and ease of placement the Paradigm are probably the best choice - they have an . . .	17
I've $4k to spend on used speakers for big room I know - [MBL 101] compltely different speaker and pricepoint, but I liked the midrange and treble on them If you like midrange and treble on MBL's then you like wide . . .	17
Mbl Magic? MBL isn't the only manuracturer who gives these characteristic high priority. Yes this wide even dispersion charateristic was demonstrated by Dr. Floyd Toole in listening . . .	17
Speakers and depth... Anything with a "BBC Dip" and a warmer less defined bass will tend to give you a deeper soundstage. Upper midrange rolls off with distance and bass sounds less tight or . . .	17
Best used floorstanding / full range around $1000 Energy Veritas 2.8 used is up there in terms of good sound and good value	17
speaker recommendations? I second Macrojack good suggestion	17
Anyone try decoupling speakers from the room? If the speaker cabinets waffle (light weight and not heavily braced speakers) then suspension will make a difference to the sound for sure...sound reinforcement speakers like JBL's. . .	17
Looking for speakers with soundstage depth Marty, I agree about mini-monitors playing the disappearing act and great imaging, however, I agree with MrT and others that suggest that dipole designs will consistently throw a. . .	17
crackling noise at high volume For those worried about distortion this is quite normal...the tweeters used in most two ways will compress at high levels. 95 db SPL at the listening position is a bit much for . . .	17
Help- why do my Definitive Tech BP7001's sound Bad Once more I find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with Duke...as usual he has hit the nail on the head. Speakers that radiate in a rearward pattern in the mid and high frequencies . . .	17
Anything better than Magnepan 1.6? No there is nothing better for your taste. This is the best	17
Why do headphones sound so good... Headphones move so little air that they usually outperform most consumer speakers in terms of distortion. They also help cut out or reduce ambient noise. For critical listening or . . .	17
Efficient Dynamic Speaker with low-end punch? You should look at horns. For example Klispch RF-83. Make sure you audtion - horns are not everyone's taste but they will give you efficiency	17
Monitors vs. Floorstanders - What an eye opener Old Energy Pro 22 monitors were really good (1980's). Energy make good speakers IMHO. Power handling was not their forte but they sounded great at low levels	17
PMC IB1 and room size No problem. Great speaker. Great choice. Go for the active though (if you can afford it/get it). You don't need to audition reputable speakers like this anyway (I expect you know . . .	17
Good speakers less efficient? My experience has been that high efficiency speakers are more likely to compress than low efficiency speakers...even at modest SPL levels. A low efficiency speaker often remains . . .	17
Buying decision time, or Time for a sanity check? You missed one category; The Client User List The choice of musicians and audio engineers is generally pretty solid; the likes of Pink Floyd, Telarc, Sting, Tom Petty, Doug Sax, . . .	17
how to side-grade from B&W 805's? I agree with Kal - judging from the Stereophile measurements the PSB Imagine T is an outstanding value speaker reminiscent of Energy's best speakers - a beautifully smooth on and . . .	16
Is JL best sub for the money? It is hard to beat at any price	16
What makes instrument immediacy, -separation & -bo What model Energy speakers did you like? The early models spent a lot of effort on very wide and even dispersion and probably lead to their success as a start up company with . . .	16
Active Speaker Recommendation Lots of good suggestions here. NHT M-OO and S-00 might be good is the speakers are right up against a wall (provided you can move the sub out into the room a little	16
Toe-in or NOT toe-in ?? This is highly speaker dependent - well designed speakers (that do not beam like a flashlight at certain frequencies but flood the room evenly with all frequencies) will not really. . .	16
the grills It depends on the speaker design	16
Used monitor under$600 with good bass low levels It would make much more sense to design from scratch just buy the drivers that Bolzano use and copy the dimensions as closely as possible (drivers are usually around $50 each) - . . .	16
No Sound from Tweeter If it does not make a sound with a 9 volt battery then it is blown. Order a new one if you think it is worth repairing the speakers - however, like origninal car parts - this will . . .	16
Proac or Sonus Faber Monitor Speakers Are you interested in sound quality or high quality cabinet finish? To me SF is far superior in furniture build quality than Proac. I would say if anything that Proac have the edge. . .	16
Next up... new speakers... All you have given is a price range. And that you have a large room to fill. This suggests you should look at larger three ways - however you will find it tough to find something. . .	16
Dynaudio Cont.S5.4, Vienna A.Strauss or La Folia In your list - Dynaudio would be my preference by far. You should also look into PMC speakers - like ATC they are very dynamic but are tonally less forward in the mids and could be. . .	16
One speaker louder Assuming you checked your source/amp then Room Placement can play a small role. If you are listening to CD's then quite often the balance is such that sounds are divided in the . . .	16
Very Compact Subwoofer Are you looking for PC speakers - this is extremely small for a sub? PSB-HD10 (HT sound) Energy ESW-8 (HT Sound) NHT-SOO (more musical - pro sound - less boomy harmonics that most. . .	16
speaker to big? Panu21, You should definitely work on acoustic treatments (broadband traps) for the bass and consider a Parc or Room EQ Wizard. Boomy room modes can really clutter up detail in . . .	16
Quad ESL 57 are there better speakers out there?? People who have lived with quads set up properly with high quality equipment need only respond. Since I don't qualify to comment (not lived with Quads), let me just say that . . .	16
Speaker recomendations please I would hazard that Energy Veritas 2.3 or 2.4 might do the job well...definately weight at the bottom end on those. (Second hand of course...good value IMHO) G'luck	16
using the Radio shack SPL meter 91-92db SPL is the peak level you listened to unless you had the meter set to "average" in which case this was the average peak level (and actual peaks may have been . . .	16
Best speaker that you dont need a sub under 1.5k Philefreak, I have to agree! Nothing below $10 K that I can think of that does this with a modest degree of accuracy at decent SPL levels. It depends what you want....many $1.5 K . . .	16
Best speakers for off-axis listening Wide dispersion speakers will have a wider sweetspot	16
Speakers That Will Party Hard You friend can't have his cake and eat it. He will not achieve anything even remotely approaching a party hard sound level with satellite speakers.... Small satellite speakers . . .	16
harbeth p3esr or usher be 718 Harbeth - no contest. I heard the Compact versus a top of the line Verity. I admit my tastes are not exactly mainstream - a great midrange being of primary importance - but the . . .	15
Best MUSICAL subwoofer for Maxx 2's quality sound? I agree with Cytocycle - it is best to stick to the same manufacturer for sub and main speakers - that is what I have done and no regrets	15
Flawed? Wilson's Aspherical Propagation Delay If the dispersion of the drivers is uneven (as they are in many audiophile designs) then adjusting the tilt and toe in of individual drivers can certainly be used to accommodate . . .	15
Active Vs. Passive This has been discussed before. They are better because you remove the passive crossover. They are better because each amplifier drives one speaker driver over a narrow bandwidth (. . .	15
longevity of good speakers The fluid in tweeters may dry out after about 15-20 years. Woofers can last longer - 30 years or so. It all depends on the quality. Of course one hour of serious abuse can ruin a . . .	15
Is active speaker the future? I agree with Kal. Part of this hobby is "cooking" - making your own sound and individually unique system - for many people that is where the fun and pride is generated. . . .	15
Woofing "Q" If the Q of your sub is a lot higher than your speakers then you will lose detail in the bass and lower mids and the sound will not be as clean and tight. Sealed subs are really . . .	15
Gallo Reference III midrange COOKED The speakers are rated a 350 watts; but my PS Audio 250 watt amp cooked the midrange drivers in both speakers. Go figure... I don't think these speakers are designed to play . . .	15
Bi Amp B&W 803s with 9BSST and 4BST The 4B-ST should go to the bass and the 9B-SST to the mid and tweeter. This should help reduce IMD distortion from the hard driving bass from reaching your midrange	15
My system is getting worse - now what? ADS L810's are a classic. The soft dome midrange made them popular. I believe Telarc used ADS in their studio before they switched to ATC - although I don't recall the model. An . . .	15
High End system sounding Terrible???? Onemug, Good one - that was my thought immediately. Nothing below 80 HZ would sound as was described - it is an easy mistake to make	15
And the "Best" Dynaudio monitor is...? Of the mini monitors the C1 is without a doubt the best. The S1.4 and Special 25 have the classic small speaker big box sound and have a resonance hump in the bass response (. . .	15
Where's the bass? To pass bean counters small cab, easy to build and ship,small drivers again saves cost, for WAF small and a nice finish. So many audiophiles buy the costly wee loudspeakers . . .	15
Best Speakers under USD 2,000 Second Hand Price Horns. Preferably something BIG	15
Minimalist PMC AML:1 based setup - opinions needed For the money, if it is pure "technical" quality you are after then Benchmark DAC1 is hard to beat and has gained wide respect as an excellent DAC (jitter immune), a . . .	15
Emerald Physics: Same as the Quads in the fifties? Do you think the analogy is appropriate? Only time will tell whether this is a flash in the pan. There are very few products that stand the test of time. Since you . . .	15
Can't Stop Grinning... Good for you and well done getting it all second hand - very savvy. Now lets see some pics and a virtual system... you know pay it forward - try yourself to help someone the way A'. . .	15
proac sound vs coincident sound Is ProAc cold and analytical? Does it require tubes to be listenable? Kind of. Definitely tilted that way, of course, it is all a matter of taste. Jack Sprat could eat no fat. . .	15
Speaker Dimple Used and not so sticky Scotch tape - try something not sticky at all first and gradually work at it using scotch that is newer or stickier until you can just get enough stick to . . .	15
Buying a 10 years old loudspeaker Clavil, Many speakers can be easily damaged by being overdriven - and it does not always result in catastrophic failure but could mean you have a tweeter that sounds like there is. . .	15
How To Add A Sub To B&W N802's JL F113 or SVS PB13 Ultra are worth checking out	15
sub distortion? Distortion is very important because it is often harmonic and you hearing is WAY more sensitive at 80 Hz then at 20 Hz! A mere once percent harmonic distortion at 80 Hz from a . . .	15
Spikes between speakers & stands, up or down? If you have thin wall speakers like Harbeth's then this can obviously make a big difference. If you have very heavy braced speakers with thick walls and a highly damped cabinet . . .	15
EFFICIENCY How important is this difference in the final sound quality? Not as important as how they sound to you. Get the one which sounds better. The impedance of 2.3 Ohms is a wee . . .	15
why do my polk sda 1 monitors subdue male vocals? Four mid range drivers. The lower mid is confused by comb filtering. Male vocals are around 300 Hz. But vocals consist of lots of partial harmonics at 600, 900 and 1200 Hz etc. At . . .	15
what do you put under your sub? Jaff2290 You won't need spikes....I doubt the concrete will interact much with your sub except to reflect energy...carpet and under carpet will provide damping to reduce any . . .	15
Questions Re: Time & Phase Alignment Ears are roughly 6 inches apart....a lot of phase correction is done when the brain combines both signals....so don't get too hung up on this issue alone, especially above 2Khz . . .	15
Experience Loading Speakers w/ sand or shot I would be concerned about putting this in a speaker as you have just created an internal acoustically reflective interface in the speaker box and changed the compressability by . . .	15
Tweeter quest This is only a suggestion. If you make a non-factory mod to the baffle on your PMC's then they will be much harder to move on the resale market. Seeing you are unhappy with the . . .	15
using hokey pucks for isolating speakers from the Hockey pucks are better than bowling or soccer balls! Believe me - they are more stable. Squash balls however can give pucks a run for their money...anyone have experience with . . .	15
My experience with ATC SCM 12 Overall ATC sound is too polite and mellow. They are that. Flattish midrange with rolled off treble and bass is not everyone's cup of tea. Tonality/timbre is more ATC's . . .	14
Active monitors, 3k used, great nearfield sound Try also Genelec 8040A (warmer than ATC but clinical). Focal Twin 6 Be (splashy and fun). JBL, KRK, Dynaudio and Adam also make good actives in this price range - so try to hear a . . .	14
System versus live With the right recording completely live. Tower of Power Soul Vaccination Live "Diggin' on James Brown" is a good example of a really live feel - simply crank it - -. . .	14
why aren't ribbon tweeters more popular? Agree with Ojgalli statement of "Downsides — delicate, easily overdriven, higher distortion, beaming dispersion pattern." These are well known and accepted drawbacks to . . .	14
Non-ported sealed cabinet speakers ATC SCM 20	14
JBL K2 5500 anyone? I don't think the 35 Hz will be a brick wall. There is sure to be plenty of energy below 35 Hz. I do not think it is wise to dismiss a world class speaker on this measure alone, . . .	14
Cremona M worth it? I second Ryder and Hulskof - good description of the Sonus Faber sound	14
B&W 803d, Martin Logan Spire, Klipsch P-37F? I do like the tone of the mids on B&W speakers. They have a very sweat sound that is very special on female vocals. I do how ever find the mids a little unnatural. I have had . . .	14
Frequency Range - Bookshelf Speakers Agree with Bob, again	14
Newbie needs advice for upgrade. Here is a thought - try to find used Energy Veritas 1.8 (or others but the 1.8's were very good) and then get something like a Bryston 4B ST used to drive them. But watch out the . . .	14
Need advice on which speakers I should audition? Good selection. F12 deserves its place at the top of your list	14
10k system for ultimate image density at 70-75db? I agree with those who have suggested electrostatics. Martin Logans are worth auditioning. Quite solid sounding and not all airy like you seem to think. They seem to have done a . . .	14
Good budget sub for music? DIY is your best option. I'd suggest one of these 308SWR51XXLS or 268SWR5XXLS woofers from Peerless and a heavily braced sealed birch wood box - appropriately sized of course - for. . .	14
Stuck on cabinet color Light colors on floorstanders make them conspicuous - not a good idea. Dark colours are much more popular if you ever need to sell it. Dark colors will match more things that light. . .	14
Are planar speakers less prone to room interaction Room interaction is much greater for panels due to the forward and rear radiation. They are also more challenged to create the higher SPL's needed in large spaces.. Your best bet . . .	14
Building a system and need some imput on speakers Want a system to sound natural like real music should.Sorry, dont know all the buzz words but I want it to present it self as musical as possible Everybody wants or already . . .	14
Professional Monitors Gb_ksu, They do look like a bargain. However, this reflex port design in a very small box speaker (6.5" woofer) will be unlikely to give you accurate bass. (i.e. you can't . . .	14
Are Monitor/Subs More Room Flexible? Yes, I would definitely agree with your generalization. Of course there are always exceptions	14
Mid sized room -Full range vs Monitor The fact that your rear wall ( behind the listening position ) is not concrete is a fantastic bonus....concrete is very reflective and will not leak out energy and consequently you. . .	14
Speaker Positioning Try the mirage speakers owners forum http://www.miragespeakers.com/v2/forum.php I would keep bipolars away from walls and especially the rear wall....so as to delay the . . .	14
Speaker recommendations please If you like the Gallo's I think they use Dynaudio drivers. You could always try a high end Dynaudio speaker if you are seeking improvements. Frankly I can't see how any driver . . .	14
BEST monitor speaker with a 90db senitivity rating Check out what the Pros use. "Monitors" are used professionally for mixing/mastering music. If you want the BEST for "monitoring" then I suggest you look in . . .	14
Barefoot MM27 Active Speakers for Home Audio Hey Dr-joe - please let us know your thoughts when you get them. I suspect the negative responses here are merely due to differences in tastes. Being a pro speaker these will sound. . .	13
classical label monitors Sony, Warner, Polygram, Naxos, Telarc, EMI, Colombia, Decca Paramount, Nimbus, Sain, Sentinel, ECM, Virgin, Hyperion etc. use ATC - you can find a partial list here here - it is . . .	13
open/energetic but not harsh? what am i describing Try to audition PSB Imagine T	13
Dynaudio breakin period They won't change much but perhaps your hearing will adjust. Sonic memory takes a while for you to adjust to how your favorites (well known tracks) now sound	13
NHT Returns to a New Marketplace? So, all you need is good writeups in the audio 'rags' and the orders will be coming in, they think. My quess is no. What do you think. Good writeups are worthless primarily . . .	13
Watt Puppy that much of an improvement? I agree with Jaybo, I can't see any upgrade in what you propose unless you prefer the "look" of the WP's	13
Anybody prefer JL Audio or Velodyne subs for rock? Frankly any one of the SVS PB13Ultra, JL F113 or the Velodyne DD18 are going to be excellent in either mono or stereo (it doesn't matter much but you may get a more even in room . . .	13
Please recommend a top-notch bookshlef speaker Be careful placing things on shelves in cabinets - it will collapse soundstage unless it is done very carefully and quite deliberately (a construction project	13
musical small sub for B&W 805s's The problem with larger woofers is that they are slower than smaller ones. I am not sure where this concept started but there are many who share this view. IMHO, the . . .	13
Subwoofer Frequency Response question It could simply be room modal - this will not go away no matter where you place the sub. Your only hope would be to add plenty of bass traps and EQ down the peaks to make the . . .	13
How loud can I 'safely' play my Dynaudio Focus 140 Are there any tell tale signs to look out for in order to avoid frying a tweeter or blowing a woofer out aside from obvious sonic distortions? You can also see if the woofers . . .	13
Heres my plan, input please. Sounds like a great plan. I'd say you really are on the right track. It is wise to think HT from the get go when starting out today. Secondly, using the same speaker manufacturer . . .	13
Bass, Frequency response, Etc...Noob Question an honest manufacturer may have worst real world specs. That was a gem and it is certainly true of some of the few honest high quality manufacturers... speaker specs are a . . .	13
your opinion on subwoofers in two channel Depends on your two channel audio objectives, for each objective my suggestions are; Balance of esthetics, quailty & function: get small moderately priced speakers (6" . . .	13
Monitor SPL vs. Full-Range SPL The main problem with high SPL level is that it requires costly drivers that do not compress or exceed Xmax easily....this is expecially true in the bass and cost goes up almost . . .	13
Making High End Clones at Home for Fun and Savings Given the fairly easy availability of good drivers, can we also buy high quality, simple crossovers? Amplifier kits? Of course. For example; Solen in Canada, Wilmslow in the. . .	13
How close can Merlin TSM-MX's go? The Allison Ones will have an extremely odd radiation pattern...might give you a nice atmospheric sound but I can't begin to imagine how all those early edge diffractions will . . .	13
New Amp Dictates New Speaker Placement? At the risk of being offensive (and I'm always ready to risk that :-)) I bet you are too influenced by your friends observation and have become obsessive, but have fun, thats . . .	13
Are there speakers like this? ATC speakers fit your bill exactly - second hand you may find a 50 or 100 close to your price. Much more dispersive than most other speakers (soft dome tweeter, 3" soft dome . . .	13
Upgrade Von Schweikert VR-4 to Dunlavy SC-IV? Go for it - the SC-IV is a classic in a league of its own, although your VR4's are an excellent speaker too	13
Did I really need a sub woffer in the first place? This speaker is not designed to work with a sub woofer. The 5 way Veritas 2.4 dual ported design is known for an impressive and weighty base. Energy do not state their THD figures. . .	13
sealed 3-ways One man one goal one mission. One heart one soul just one solution. One real decision: find the right speaker! Since ATC is on your list, you might want to check out PMC IB1. PMC . . .	13
Best Pre for ATC 100's Of course, much modern music is highly compressed and unfortunately you will hear that compression as harshness - more so with ATC's than most speakers, which tend to have a more . . .	12
Wilson MAXX It may be too hard to beat what has become a classic - the Watt Puppy - even for the manufacturer	12
jm lab grand utopia be--- any thoughts ? Ozy, I am not familiar with the Nova but I have listened extensively to a well setup Alto - let me say these are indeed awesome speakers. However, if I am nit picky then I share . . .	12
ATC Speakers...Do you use them with Grill On/Off In theory they won't sound very different at all because these have rounded edges on the baffle - so the grill plays no role in helping to reduce edge diffraction - so the imaging/. . .	12
ATC SCM7 vs. Proac Studio 110 ATC will prefer more power and will have a more articulate tight and punchy bass (no port) but it won't have as much bass extension as the Proac (reflex ported). The ATC midrange. . .	12
Forward Monitor with Detail Speed and liquid Highs ATC SCM 19 may work for you. Front row presentation sealed box with little bass extension compared to most other monitors (which will be ported). Critically damped design. . . .	12
Speaker upgrade help? I occasionally indulge in loud sessions and it doesn't sound like clipping when the image starts to flatten out This a common complaint with nearly all speakers targetted at . . .	12
Replacing speakers in Lat-1's There are a few manufacturers that allow upgrades in consumer audio - although it is not al that common in speakers. Merlin speakers comes to mind. ATC also, if you bought an ATC . . .	12
high end jbl or horns or emerald physics c1 I'd check out Westlake BBSM 12 - these will have you smiling and rocking out - used around $3K	12
Gallos ohms mirages or deuvels Gallos will be really difficult to suspend with bungee cord - not recommended! The ore boxy ohms are a better choice	12
Your opinions on what speakers to go with? You need to think about pro speakers - your current speakers are already quite powerful but you are having the typical compression and "ringing" issues from consumer . . .	12
gallo 3.1 repair Get them fixed by Gallo. FWIW - that driver is well known to be delicate - if you like to listen loud at realistic levels then it might be wise to fix it and get another speaker . . .	12
Revel Salon2 vs. B & W 802D vs. Wilson W.P.7? I believe they tried to correct the ringing on the WP 8 - something to do with damping the back wave. However what is disconcerting is that the tweeter clearly shows significant . . .	12
fine tuning speaker placement After a month, I finally got it to +/- 5db 20Hz to 16KHz. I also got a basic package from GIK. It had the most to do with where I was sitting. Many thanks for the help. . . .	12
KEF 103/4 loudspeakers; any comments You can't go wrong with a classic provided you can refurb it for little cost	12
Studio monitors as Audiophile speakers ATC, PMC Most of the small boxy studio monitors are intended as nearfields and will often have a narrow or controlled dispersion. ATC, PMC and Genelec (newer models like 8050) tend to be . . .	12
Damaged Dome Mid-Range This 2 inch dome is crossed over at 550 Hz. I would suggest you are playing it too loudly (this is not a speaker that can play extremely loud). When you biamp you can send a lot . . .	12
Ribbons caught my att.- should I buy or build? I am not sure I would start DIY with a Ribbon. They are typically more challenging than conventional drivers. I'd start a DIY project with paper or poly cones first	12
Best Speaker for Wall Placement? Have you considered in-walls	12
A Bass Question I agree with those that say for music the Low E on the guitar is generally enough. If it rolls off after that then I would not worry about it at all. In fact, unless you have a . . .	12
paradigm studio 20 as center channel speaker No problems. As long as it does not interfere with the screen viewing	12
Speaker Tilt Back benefits? What sounds better will largely depend on your room acoustics, listening position and the vertical dispersion pattern of the speaker. There is no "rule of thumb" for this. . .	12
b&w 802 n to what speaker What do you mean by better bass and better high? You'll need to be more descriptive of what you don't like about the 802N otherwise it is kinda like shooting in the dark. What . . .	11
Energy RC or Veritas Veritas 1.8 - what excellent value for a good soundingspeaker	11
PSB Synchrony One or Vienna Acoustic Baby Grands? PSB 1 for sure	11
Christmas Tree Echo Control Exactly - you will be even more amazed at the benefit you may be able to get from moving your listening chair and head away from the windows & wall. Try to keep you listening . . .	11
Newbie Q: How do small woofer speakers reach 32Hz? Unless it says free standing then the specs are not that meaningful as a wall will give a 6 db boost and a corner can give a 12 db boost...manufacturers make this stuff up in a . . .	11
Harbeth HLP3ESR They are good. I have compared Harbeth's to speakers FIVE times the price - the Harbeth midrange was better	11
Help in upgrading monitors. Have you considered Focal Twin 6 actives - they are probably Focal's best selling speaker....at least in the pro world	11
Driver matching vs break in period That is odd. Normally a 2 or 3 db shift should not move the image. Are you sure it is exactly the same driver - something else may be wrong. The image is based on the time arrival. . .	11
active speaker system, ideally child friendly From your perspective, is the KRK/SVS/NHT system worth double the NHT only system? Yes. You could also get some omnimounts for the speakers and connect them to the wall and . . .	11
Wilson Benesch A,C.T. & Wilson Audio Watt Puppy8 I do not have direct experience but the audio compression evident on the tweeter (Soundstage Review of the WP8 see measurements) would really concern me if dynamics were important . . .	11
I moved now Kef sound bad Assuming you like your speakers, then for a large room consider a subwoofer - a JL F113 should do the trick	11
Underestimating the influence of studio monitors? It would be interesting to compare recording engineer's monitors with mastering studio's monitors. Stan, You make an excellent point. I know of only one speaker . . .	11
Speaker recommendations Energy Pro 22 used	11
AudioKinesis Auditorium Beta - First Impressions Interesting. Thanks and yes can we have some pics	11
Brass screw tweak, seen in Virtual Dynamics video. I wonder how fantastic your system has to be for you to notice the difference using this tweak. Definitely important on mounting air core inductors where screws are close to . . .	11
2 subs? That is odd. Try adjusting the placement - you must have a nasty room modal suckout. How about PHASE - do you have left right or subwoofer out of PHASE!!!! Those speaker drivers . . .	11
Kef 104/2 Replacements Agree with above ATC, Harbeth, ProAc, Spendor - british sound. I would say Harbeth's would be the best fit. Definitely audition the new Harbeth Compact 7. ATC SCM 19's would make . . .	11
Help me in the right direction, new speakers Harbeth should be up your street. They are voiced in a way that emotion comes out. Great with vocalists. Not the last word in dynamics and may not start fires with "The . . .	11
New B&W B&W make speakers with a style/flare for everyone - each model sounds slightly different - although I'd agree they all tend slightly toward having a polite scooped mid and a . . .	11
sub+satellite or full range? A Sat+sub is a great WAF friendly option. If you wall mount the small satellite speakers the wife may be even happier. They can sound very good but integration can be a challenge/. . .	11
I need some speaker help I'm willing to spend the money for the right set of speakers that will hold up to Joe Bonamassa crankin'. You need clean amplification and spreakers with pro drivers (not . . .	11
Golden Ear award for $55 speaker tweak This is from the website Sound waveforms from your tweeters are shorter in length than the width of your speaker cabinets. A 2000Hz waveform is 18cm or 7" in length, for. . .	11
Bass issues,,,,will new speaker help? Corner bass tri-traps or superchunks will help. if you can fill every corner with them top to bottom then I am fairly certain you would get a modest improvement -and not just in . . .	11
white noise from tweeters No this is absolutely not normal for high end gear - typically at one foot you shouldn't be able to hear any hiss at all even with it cranked. Of course, at the start of a track . . .	11
Preference for large drivers? Dr joe, Well said - you put it very well. Designers who want uncompromising sound with low distortion at realistic (loud) SPL levels will invariably ALL use larger woofer drivers. . .	11
What is a live speaker? Live sound = ATC. Try Sheffield Labs Drum tracks to test for a speaker that can sound like live music - percussion is the hardest to achieve because of the transients. Vocals is . . .	11
What's that buzz, tell me what's a happening... Perhaps you are simply over driving it...this is after all a small woofer and low frequencies take huge amounts of excursion on a small woofer? It may also be a lose dust cap or . . .	11
Infinite bafflement? In acoustic suspension the box volume modifies Q (damping). In a pure infinite baffle only the driver's Q plays a role. Normally the box volume and woofer are selected to match in . . .	11
Are dome midrange better than cone designs? As far as I know, the principle advantage is excellent dispersion. This produces a very even sound field in the room and will result in a more natural and balanced mid range . . .	11
Queen song question? I have a modest Queen collection. I have no problem at all. I use ATC SCM 100A and an SCM active 0.1/15 sub. These speakers can practically make you deaf if you so desire. Very few. . .	11
PMC IB1's close to rear wall, is this O.K.? I don't have either of these speakers. However, assuming that by "Proac rear porting issues" you mean too much bass boost between 80 and 100 Hz then this will be an . . .	11
Subwoofer suggestion to Integrate w/ Meyer HD-1's Stearnsn, My two cents.... X-800. You are best to stick with the same manufacurer. Meyer make studio quality gear. This is very different from audiophile speakers and I doubt . . .	11
On-board subwoofer amps - limited shelf life ? My speakers have active amplification and are 12 years old. My subwoofer has active amplification (1000 watts) and is 9 years old. Both work perfectly with never a problem. On the. . .	11
1 or 2 subwoofer for small room & placement IMHO, it depends...two low quality subs might cost the same as a single high quality sub but may not sound better. Obviously two identical subs should play louder and more . . .	11
Crossover ? Passive Vs. Active I'm with Undertow and Tim196. Active is definitely better from a technical perspective but less flexible than passive for tailoring the sound to individual taste (particularly if . . .	11
Can I repair speaker foam? It depends on the quality of the speaker - check with polk. I went through my manufacturer and have had drivers re-coned a couple of times (simple procedure common in high end gear. . .	11
Speaker 101 - tweeter and cone materials Jtgofish, Good point about thick surrounds and long cone excursion....there is a lot of non linear distortion that occurs at the cone to surround interface as the rubber roll . . .	11
Wilson W/P 5.1 vs B&W N802 I find Wilson more harmonic sounding in the bass than B&W. I would call the B&W more accurate but many prefer the warmer sound of Wilson (as many prefer a tube amp)......so it . . .	11
Help Needed: Is my system balanced? 600/2900 = 21 percent of your system cost was on speakers. Just my two cents: this is too low to be balanced. Speakers are were the rubber hits the road. Turning electrical . . .	11
the right speakers Cart before the horse.....The right speakers are what meets your SPL levels/room requirements and is pleasing to your ears and music tastes. Don't force your speaker choice to . . .	11
Has anyone auditioned the BeoLab 5 speakers? They appear to use the Vifa 3 inch dome midrange (D75MX-31-08). This is the same as is used on some PMC's. It is a good sounding midrange but it cannot play very loud without . . .	10
What monitors sound OK on a bookshelf? Try Genelec 8040, 8050 or Focal Twin 6 Be - all are designed to sit on a studio meter bridge and should sound great on a book shelf. I have the Genelec 8020b as office desktop . . .	10
Choosing between ATC or Emerald Physics The amp was selected thinking as able to fight with any difficult load, it has 570 watts in 8 Ohms, more than enough to drive the ATC's SCM-19. That is more than enough power. . .	10
Speakers for Dance music and other Party speakers for dance music need to be robust. I'd recommend you go for something with pro drivers rather than a Watt Puppy. If you also want fidelity then look into used . . .	10
Avalon ,discoloration of ceramic tweeter Light weight small diameter underhung voice coils are more easily overdriven. 1/2" is roughly the voice coil diameter (yep it is tiny - considering most tweeters VC are 1 . . .	10
Spendor ST vs. B&W 803d vs. PMC PB1i ??? Just a word of caution - you are looking at a fairly big investment in the PMC PB1i - I would check carefully the mid range driver. Just what is it??? If it is VIFA D75MX-41-08 3. . .	10
Soffit construction, worthwhile? If you look at my virtual system then it may give you some ideas. Soffit mount is what professionals and acoustic engineers prefer to use for high fidelity setups in studios. . . .	10
ATC SCM 40 vs. ATC SCM 50 If you go ATC then you really should consider their active speakers. The difference between passive and active crossover will make an audible difference in clarity and effortless . . .	10
Loose driver mounting screws on Velodyne HGS-18 It happens - the wood dries out (wood breathes) especially after a year or so and then the screws become slightly loose and vibration does the rest. You probably will not have to . . .	10
Totem Model One: Woofer buzzing, help please? Would a solution be as simple as getting a replacement pair of woofers and hooking them up? Yes - provided you find the correct replacement woofer from Dynaudio. It is very . . .	10
Vocalist Height system dependent? My guess is that given the rack in front of your left speaker that you are disrupting the primary imaging. This means the most coherent sound you get is from the reflection . . .	10
Subs for coners or built-in sub inside speakers You'll need something that has low Q (overdamped) and rolls off gently in the bass so that you don't get too much boosted response from the corner placement - something like a . . .	10
Breaking In New Speakers... It will take a while to get accustomed to the new sound but they should break in relatively quickly - a few minutes of hard driving music will generally do it for the suspension (. . .	10
Can you adjust the phase between subs and mains? Ken, Well that explains EVERYTHING !!!! When I looked at your system I simply couldn't figure out why the roof of your house was still there. I mean why doesn't it simply blow . . .	10
Remarkable systems on a budget Pedrillo, Unfortunately you misspelled the last word in the subject of your thread. It's spelled B-U-N-G-E-E not B-U-D-G-E-T ;-) Anyway here is my favorite remarkable system. . .	10
What is with B&W these days? soundbars, ipod doc.. B&W marketing has been their primary forte from day one. This looks like a clever move to me	10
Assessing room response I you have a PC try Room EQ Wizard with your Rat Shack meter	10
Klipschorn speaker set-up They are designed to go in the corner for the bass. You need false corners otherwise you will lose the bass response. See this for an example	10
Balanced Interconnect Cable for ATC Active Monitor Telarc have been long used Monster Cable M1500, M1.5, Series I & III Prolink, Pro-1000 and Music Interface Technologies Proline Balanced IC's. Typical gear used: Mix: Sonoma 24 . . .	10
need help -- budget system for a friend.... Start with speakers and work back. For new it is hard to beat NHT S-00 and M-00 new for around $750. If your friend has a wireless PC for a source then you may need only an Apple . . .	10
Audiophile systems of awe. When if ever did you hear a setup that defied the laws of physics in sound reproduction. Me never but others do - all the time	10
Bookshelf speakers and amp recommendations I fully agree with Bob, The NHT M-00 and S-00 can be found for $749 - great bargain and will compete with most hi-fi's	10
Thiel CS7.2 vs Aerial 20T I suspect that pointing out obvious differences between these two speakers will result in upsetting either Aerial 20T owners or Thiel owners.... These are both excellent choices . . .	10
Harbeth SHL5 compared to Merlin VSM ? If you want purity in midrange and tight bass then add ATC to your audition list. Your choices above seem good - Harbeth's are warm and the bass response leans to the loose side. . .	10
Need New Speakers I'm with Jaybo - get the 8's	10
Should 'a' been a contender Tannoy's famous SGM10 with Mastering Lab cabinets - Doug Sax bought up the entire lot of the last production drivers. I think the high cost of Alnico is what made Tannoy stop . . .	10
How can I improve my system I suspect that the biggest difference in what you heard at the showroom was the speakers and room. I am not sure if that helps	10
Speakers in the 1000 dollar range.... ATC SCM20 Passive - look for a second hand older model pair (pre SL are cheaper) - be patient. Based on your requirement; voice, piano and violins and ....good . . .	10
Wilson Sophia 2: grills on or off ? Sharp edged baffles are best listened to with the grills on...there will be less edge diffraction. If you like it with grills off then add some quarter round wood so as to make . . .	10
when is a speaker considered full range? Full range means down to about 30 Hz. There is nothing really from a musical instrument below that - even if we can hear to 20 Hz. Like others have pointed out - full range is WAY. . .	10
Satellites or full range? It depends on so much, however, since very large speakers are designed to play loud then you have a better chance of success with a large box full range speaker. Generally you are . . .	10
bookshelf in a bookshelf? The issue is edge diffraction => claustrophobic sound. You must stay away from any sharp edges close to the edge of the speaker baffle. Ideally you should build them into the . . .	10
Audio Physic speakers: where on the value scale? Very WAF friendly designs. Exceptional nice sound on acoustical music/female vocals. Some ringing with the ceramic drivers but exceptional imaging from the slim baffle. Great value. . .	10
Anyone ever hear Meyer Sound X-10 speakers? Meyer are experts at sound reinforcement (i.e. very very loud). I have never heard these but Angel Studios has a 5.1 set installed in one of their three studios...I'd bet they . . .	10
Maybe MartinLogan not best for AC/DC at 96 db..?? Try a pro audio pair of any of the larger models (audition to your tastes) of JBL, Meyer, PMC, ATC, Genelec, Westlake, Tannoy, Dynaudio....active designs will be more dynamic and . . .	10
Damaged B&W Nautilus 803... Check with a B&W dealer for repair cost - you can normally order a repair kit or a replacement tweeter. Add the repair cost to see if it is still a bargain	10
Can room treatment improve bass accuracy? I'll just add this note I made on another thread before you think a TACT can do everything for you (in reality you need a TACT or PEQ as well as acoustic treatment) You will find . . .	10
Speaker suggestions Sounds like you would be best served by near field monitors - move your listening position away from the back wall if you can. Bass is generally boomy if you sit close to the rear . . .	10
Snake oil, subs and alcohol LOL. I have had the same thing happen in reverse. I was testing the Direct Analog sound versus the A/D and back to D/A circuit in my DSP preamp. I wanted to check there was no . . .	10
Ruining music with a cheap sub Unfortunately it is expensive to produce ultra low frequencies with minimal distortion, an order of magnitude more costly than for bass/mid frequencies and two orders of magnitude . . .	10
Bispeakering...am I the only one? Surely speaker placement, driver phase alignment, and matching dynamic response at various sound levels would all be very hard to achieve with two separate and differently . . .	10
Rear Ported Speakers, Backs to Wall? Speaker placement will be all the more important with tuned port speakers, which have their own non-linear resonances. You would probably be better off with a sealed box: a design . . .	10
B&W Matrix 802 series 2 vs series 3 vs ATC SCM40 Series 2 more bass. Series 3 more refined bass better attack. ATC SCM40 least bass of the three but most attack or in your face. They are all good choices	9
Subwoofer...one more sale? Your speakers are TL design. If you want ultimate bass then you should avoid a small woofer with a TL. I'd suggest to get a sealed high end sub like a JL Fathom 113 and use a . . .	9
Piega P10s.....are they still contenders? I have owned the P10s for about 10 months now, which is nearing a record for me. Then you haven't found what you are looking for... Perhaps audio bliss will not be found . . .	9
How much "more" for how much more $ ? 9K in a speaker may get you drivers costing several hundred dollars each as opposed to the prototypical $50 woofers. Although sometimes it just gets you a high quality veneer	9
Am I overpowering my drivers when they I'm also using an Onkyo 7-band EQ and usually have the loudness activated on the Carver. This may be your main problem - the loudness. Also I suspect the speakers you mention . . .	9
Normal Practice To Use 6 1/2" Sub With 8" Speaker? Large drivers do not dictate the quality of bass you hear in either 2 channel or home theatre Perhaps not but they sure determine the quantity of good quality bass. Only . . .	9
Merlin VSM compared to ATC 100ASL active They are both excellent speakers. I don't think the comparison is fair though - rather different animals. Merlin is two way and ATC is three way. You would be better to compare the. . .	9
LS3/5A owners - what sub do you use with them Try this site . I would not push these speakers in a big room. Naturally they will distort at modest levels	9
How large of a speaker do I need I second Jaybo - good advice	9
Bass: Dynaudio Confidence C2 vs Contour S5.4 IMHO, you want the 5.4's if you are a closet basshead	9
Despise conventional dome tweeters A lot has to do with driver integration. Tweeters are really very simple and very easy and cheap to make and they perform better than every other driver. If you notice the . . .	9
Vienna Acoustics or Proac Have you considered Revel Concerta F12? (Better value IMHO given what you are looking for	9
Best Monitor Speaker? Energy make great value products often sounding well above their price point peers. I second the above RC-10 suggestion. If you look very carefully you might find a pair of old B&. . .	9
Another Speaker Selection Thread... Pink Floyd/Gilmour and Robert Plant use ATC but your amp would barely be enough for SCM 19's/20's. They can fill a large room (with more power) and the sealed box makes them . . .	9
Which speaker for my system? I've not heard your Audes...so take this with a pinch of salt. If you like the Audes design (which looks like a very sensible use of the drivers - although the midrange might be . . .	9
If I like Dynaudio monitors, I would LOVE????? That is easy ... I'll give you three good choices 1. Dynaudio Temptations 2. Dynaudio Confidence C4 3. Dynaudio Contour S5.4 Depending on your budget	9
why not use biamped studio monitors? The main negative is you get what is on the source - that is the main goal of monitors - mistakes in recordings and mixing are more obvious as that it what these speakers are . . .	9
Recommend me a bright musical Bookshelf speaker. When piano sounds like a piano and strings sound like actual strings and not like a fishing line strung over a plastic bucket. I know exactly what you mean in your . . .	9
Room size for B&W 802D??? Bass may not be a problem for you - but it may be an issue for neighbors, as deep bass travels far	9
Sub vs. three way No not all the same. Essentially a three way speaker will not use the same design compromises as a small two way. A dedicated midrange should allow much lower distortion at higher . . .	9
Speakers secured with bungee cord Sure it will work provided the stand is anchored to the floor. If not then the speaker may get injured when bungee jumping. Also if you treasure your speakers- don't let the wife. . .	9
Anything under 3 years is just flirting.... No flirt here....1995 ATC SCM 20 passive since 1995. SCM 0.1/15 Sub since 1999. SCM 100A since 2005. Before that I used to change speakers every year or so and never spent more . . .	9
A question about front-ported speakers Paradigm make some good in walls too - so consider these	9
Von Schweikert VR4-JR Any chance you are over-driving your amp into clipping	9
Room size for Cornwalls? I tend to prefer a near field position with the speakers brought well out into the room in this smaller room situation. Smallish monitors on stands seem to work well. This way you . . .	9
Rear Ported versus Non Rear Ported floor standing You should stay away from ported speakers. Unless you like an overly heavy bass. A speaker with a leaner precise bass response ( non-ported ) will give you far better transient . . .	9
bass affected by stand filler level? A heavy braced speaker cabinet will mean it matters least. Dynaudio are pretty good. The box should not flap around as it has a fair weight for its size. So it is probably damped. . .	9
New Speaker Purchase There are many excellent speakers out there. Given your description I would stay away from ported speakers (although some are very good) - it is safer to go for a sealed box; this . . .	9
anyone care to comment re: WP-8? Great speakers as everyone surely already knows. The consistent narrow bass bump from 80 to 100 Hz (and very sharp roll off) in the WP series is my only concern but then again &. . .	9
B&W 805 to 804 The upgrade will be well worth it. Contrary to popular belief, well designed large speakers do not need to be played loud in order to sound good. It is actually the other way round. . .	9
Can we fit Dunlavy SC-VI in a samller room? I second Rives comments	9
Genelec Speakers opinions If clarity, accuracy, dynamics and ability to play loud with correct timbre is your thing... then either is a great choice. Bass will be lean and tight...the 1037C can be soffit . . .	9
Best subwoofer to complement my system. I'd have to agree with Earflappin. Sub integration for music is not that easy...and very room/speaker placement dependent. Why?...because of all those reflected and standing LF . . .	9
Best Isolation for stand mount speakers Blue Tak. This is one product that has withstood the test of time! Blue Tak is critically damped (it doesn't resonate at all) and it sticks to all kinds of surfaces, often . . .	9
Speakers that sound like Grado headphones? ATC speakers like the SCM19 will be similar in sound. They evenly excite the room (uniform wide dispersion across all frequencies) so you tend to get a very similar sound to high . . .	9
Help My Nautilus B&W 804's 'pop' at loud volumes. Clipping or speaker damage...all speakers get very hot inside the voice coil and then sound dull - you may want to look at pro speakers if you want to retain dynamics at high SPL	8
can the VA Beethoven Baby Grands ROCK? "sounded fantastic" - they are probably the right choice for you. The laid back sound will be suitable to rock	8
down firing or front firing sub? Downfiring gets the maximum room loading/efficiency and minimizes the audibility of higher harmonics (due to distortion	8
Active speakers with 15" woofers, need a list Westlake, Meyer, Genelec, PMC, ATC... Many of the designs in the top studios around the world use pro speakers that are active and with 15" woofer(s) for the bass. It is . . .	8
Quad Active Speakers 11l and 12l history/future Nice post. I think audiophiles are beginning to accept the benefits of Active designs - it is a slow process though -as pure performance is only a very small factor in most audio . . .	8
Speaker Hum on my Quad 12L Active's It sounds like you have a ground loop because it happens when you connect the RCA cables. One of the speakers may not be grounded properly at your power bar - when you connect the. . .	8
SF Guarneri with ARC Reference 110-CD7-3 ? Any company that offers a transferable warranty requires proof of original purchase Perhaps Raquel refers to "out of warrenty" service - it is a fair point if you . . .	8
High end Subwoofer question Since you can do this with Room EQ Wizard or another software I'd say it is more important to choose a high quality sub than to go for features. Many subwoofers are nothing more . . .	8
Subwoofer Crossover Setting/Directional Bass Freq. Nice post Bob! I agree completely	8
Subwoofer beginner question? Yes but makes sure it is low Q. Since most manufacturers do not publish this then simply go large sub sealed box - since ports resonate you should advoid them as it will add volume. . .	8
Optimal speaker size for given room, or drivers? The most precise soundstage is achieved with a point source. This means one midrange and one tweeter. Multiple drivers are only acceptable in the bass, where wavelengths of the . . .	8
REL subwoofer cable I have found the technical reasoning is thrown out the window in this hobby. I am an IEEE and there is no reason for why pc's ic's and speaker cables sound so different (better . . .	8
Excessive Midrange Energy? This is the design. A 16 inch driver will start to beam at 1 Khz. This will reduce the lower mid energy. Then as the horn takes over at 1500 Hz you will get some strong upper . . .	8
N805's vs N802's N805 are like the Silver Signature (a friend of mine has these) - awesome and very even dispersion - great speaker. N802's are more like the regular house B&W's sound - a small . . .	8
active vs passive speakers Nothing much to add to the excellent comments above. It is really such a no-brainer from a technical perspective (cheaper and better) that the only drawback is less flexibility to . . .	8
inwall speakers Paradigm make good in walls everything from cheap to pretty good quality with the SA-35 (around $1500 a pair	8
B&W Nautilus 804s and clipping Everyone has their trick - firstly you need to be intimately familiar with the sound of a particular recording - I like well recorded piano and percussion as the best indicator of . . .	8
PMC MB2 vs Revel Salon 2 vs Dynaudio Sapphires These are all great speakers. I'd suggest you give more details to help people give suggestions - for example have you heard each of these speakers and what were your initial . . .	8
BookShelf Speakers Sound Muddy HELP Perhaps you expect too much from small speakers - I mean the bass and midrange come from the same small woofer. The idea of litlle speakers like this with gorgeous finish is mainly. . .	8
New System Recommendation? Mike, Try to visit this dealer for suditions if you are serious. Hiwaylaser The speakers on the right of the home page are used by the Sultan of Brunei	8
2 10" subs equals 1 12" or 15" sub? Each sub will add around 6 db SPL. All things equal, which is rarely the case (same excursion, box size, placement, amp power etc). A 12" sub is around 40% more surface area . . .	8
Did Kharma make their 3.2 FE too short? This is concerning. If it changes the presentation so much that you would question the speaker design then how can you be confident about the driver alignment, Xover (lobbing . . .	8
Vandersteen 3a sig vs. Paradigm studio 100 Step forwards but a small step	8
Seeking opinions on PMC IB2 Congrats those IB2's are great speakers. I would go 20" stands and a good powerful SS amp. Good luck	8
Recommended in-wall Speakers? Check my virtual system. I have in wall mounted speakers in almost every room. All B&W	8
Burning in period Nautilus 800? B&W Drivers should need only a few minutes or maximum of a few hours. If it still sounds different after a week then your old drivers may have been damaged/over driven or something. . .	8
Hearing above 15kHz Correct. There seems to be little evidence that tweeters that go accurately up to 30 KHz and more are actually necessary. In the end all you gain are bragging rights. However, a . . .	8
High power amp for monitors? IMHO, I'd upgrade the speakers before getting a 200 WPC amp. I think you will get more of an improvement that way	8
What is very good imaging and soundstage exactly. Any place between the speakers depending on the recording. Depth of the sound varies from a few feet in front of speakers to much further away (generally room ambience from the . . .	8
High power rating=better speakers? My experience is that this is all very deceptive. I have found 85 db sensitivity speakers that played much louder than 91 db sensitivity speakers. How is this possible? Very . . .	8
Which is the best speaker to buy ? Totem Forests are pretty good as far as two ways go...although I don't like two ways as they get bigger...(Mid range suffers a little when coming from 6" or 7" cones, . . .	8
Room EQ to eliminate the BBC dip? It is not that simple. Your speakers are fairly flat on axis. The BBC dip occurs off axis - with greater dip at greater angles. It comes from using a woofer that is too large for . . .	7
Paradigm Studio 100 v1 Tweeter Swap Success I used a Scanspeak D2905/9500 1" textile dome tweeters. That is indeed a nice tweeter. The Vifa DG25AG35 is a not good tweeter particularly when driven hard. It has . . .	7
Can Frequency Sweeps Damage Speakers? Provided you do not exceed 100 db SPL at 1 meter you should be ok for most well built full size speakers. Remember that the majority of expensive speakers actually use extremely . . .	7
Phase rings on tweeters--better "highs" without? It will change the response by changing the dispersion. If you remove the phase ring then you will likely end up with too strong a signal directly on axis and an even weaker . . .	7
ATC owners present and former I suspect that people either love ATC or hate them although most people have probably not heard them (it is extremely rare to walk into a hi-end store and see a pair of SCM100's (. . .	7
Sub Recommendation to handle both music and movies I agree - SVS	7
ATC SCM's with Spectral Components I'd tend to go for the SCM19. ATC's all sound similar - but there is more transparency, SPL and bass extension as you go up the line. The 19 has the same mid bass driver as the pro. . .	7
I can dream, can't I? Vandersteen Model 7 I second Viridian - I'd try to catch the market a bit lower if you can. I smell another buying opportunity (although we may still get a double dip recession - so be prepared to . . .	7
Subs: DIY Kit vs. Martin Logan Copper flux modulation shorting rings This is typically used in speaker drivers that have long coil in short magnetic gap - these type drivers may have high amounts of non-. . .	7
Modern twist on 70's speaker design? These still exist but mostly in the realms of the pro world. The wives of most consumers want lifestyle products not ugly boxes Here are a few models to check out: Tannoy JBL . . .	7
B&W 802d Room Placement I agree with Kal. Since the 802 is not that smooth in off axis versus on axis response through the midrange then the room + toe in will make quite a difference and it could be a . . .	7
Living Voice vs PMC? The PMC OB1+ does not use the same high quality midrange as in the bigger PMC's - it uses the Vifa D75MX (which is cheap and compresses quite easily). IMHO, better to get a ". . .	7
Speaker to be used with PC I second Bob's suggestions, however, you are talking high quality with NHT and sound that is on par with most people's main systems. The Paradigm Active 20's are also a great . . .	7
small ish floor standers WAF 5-8K If you liked the Totem speakers sound then try to audition Dynaudio. I suspect that Totem Forest may use a copy of one of Dynaudio's drivers. Remember imitation is the sincerest . . .	7
MBL 101E vs SF Stradivari vs Dynaudio Temptation? Dynaudio Temptation	7
ATC SCM100 Anniversary? I don't have the Anniversary but I have the SCM100's (older non SL version). I have heard the SCM100ASL towers and several others in the ATC line. I am not familiar with your gear . . .	7
does temperature affect speaker performance? Dynamic driver speakers run pretty hot after just a few seconds play - so I doubt if external weather would make much of a difference	7
Bookshelf speakers and complex/orchestra For clarity on large orchestral stuff with aplomb try to look for a bigger speaker - something that has large dynamic range and with a critically damped response (a lean tight bass. . .	7
Crossovers High order is needed when drivers are used to the extremes of their operating range. Often high order notch filters are used with modern light weight metal or ceramic drivers - . . .	7
Most subs seem too powerful Subwoofer frequencies travel far and are difficult to absorb - sorry but you can't change physics	7
b&w805s vs ATC scm19 Based on your preference ATC is the far better choice. However many people prefer the BBC dip in the B&W midrange and the bass extension. The B&W is a more typical impressive . . .	7
Help Design & Build a Cabinet - KNOW ANYONE? Indeed Energy (Audio Products International) are underrated - although they have such a broad offering these days that it is rather diluted by mediocre stuff - I still have the . . .	7
upgrade from Audio Physic Spark The three speakers you mention are very different but they share in common being nice WAF friendly furniture...is that what you are looking for...something aesthetic	7
Line Array Speakers info please I am not sure that a line array is your best solution but Infinity IRS V is worth checking out (second hand of course) and Duntech Sovereigns (not a line array but possibly a . . .	7
What Subwoofer is the best bang for the buck? JL F113 and SVS Sounds PB13 Ultra are the best value in output and reasonably low distortion. You can do better than these but nothing else beats them in terms of "bang for . . .	7
Gallo Ref 3.1 or PMC GB1/FR1 3.1 no contest. PMC make some nice speakers but the GB1 is not as good (have you seen the measurements on the GB1 - worth a visit to soundstage} The tweeter on the PMC is probably . . .	7
Center channel help Either you are over driving the amp or the center channel speaker. I have all three LOTR and they were mastered very carefully on ATC speakers. It shoudl not sound harsh as there . . .	7
Klipsch Chorus I's tweeters are not working Probably overdriven and fried tweeter voice coils. Those are great party speakers	7
What do I expect in a horn speaker system? Resonance and resonant peaks are often an issue with horns but they have advantages. Since solid state electronics provided high amounts of clean power horns went out of fashion . . .	7
In-wall speaker recommendations Yeah I have B&W's installed throughout house (bedrooms, bathrooms etc.) and outside in the garden on two levels too. My mains (not B&W) are in wall mounted also. Go for it	7
SPL meter subwoofer tuning There are MP3 pure test tones (from 10Hz to 300 Hz in 1 Hz increments) that can be downloaded from RealTraps website and which you can burn to make a test CD. The digital Ratshack . . .	7
Speakers that sound good in tight spots? Most speakers do not like to be placed up against a rear wall. Bass radiates in all directions (front port, rear port or no port still radiate in all directions). These setups give. . .	7
Anyone tried the "book" speaker from Parts Express Yes. They are very professional...a pleasure to deal with	7
Speakers made for close placement to front walls I agree with Linkster - sealed box is probably safer. These are my comments from another post: Speaker placement will be all the more important with tuned port speakers, which. . .	7
Success w. large speakers & moderately sized rooms I think they will work well if you can get them far out into the room (away from walls and corners). These speakers have a huge bass hump (resonance) not unlike the Wilson WP . . .	6
What do they mean for "long throw driver"?? Don't expect too much from a $20 woofer - definitely be careful not to over drive them	6
Energy Veritas 2.1 Yes they are good. They punch way above their weight. Way above	6
Harbeth Compact 7-ES3 Speakers I like my music moderate-to-loud FWIW - Harbeth are great but the Compact 7-ES3 is not the kind of speaker for loud dynamic sound	6
Deuvel or MBL That is a poor idea for a tiny room - omni speakers need breathing space behind them and to each side	6
totem arro drivers It uses an MB Quart woofer and should be a good deal cheaper than Dynaudios pro type drivers	6
height to hand absorption foam panels I agree with your plan provided you sit with ears at tweeter height. I would caution about over doing mid range absorption - a lively sound is not necessarily bad if you can keep . . .	6
Wide dispersion tweeters It helps if it can play loud but clean A lot will depend on your crossover - the higher it is the louder your tweeter can go. If you aim two tweeters upwards then there . . .	6
MBL 101E placement in room Does the quality of sound really degrade that much if I place the speakers at the minimum 2.6ft from the back wall? YES. Here's a random idea, can I place the speakers in. . .	6
Used Dunlavy V's - what if they 'break' I have no plans to ever replace these speakers. Good for you! Great speakers - glad to see you have found bliss	6
Mission speakers I am not familiar with their latest but the 770 were pretty good sounding...a classic. One of the first of many to use polypropylene cones	6
Want to accept the Harbeth 7's, but... If you play loud or at close to realistic levels then I doubt the compact speaker can keep up with the Meadowlark's. Nothing wrong with the Harbeth's but basically most good . . .	6
B&W speakers and SF lower end I agree with Ryder - good advice	6
speaker or amp distorting Probably amp but your speakers can't take a lot more than 100 watts anyway. A small two way is not ideal for big band. For example yours has only a 1.5" voice coil for the . . .	6
Audioengine A5 vs Quad Actives 11L I agree pretty good value when you consider the 50 watt amps built in. They appear to lack the full clarity and openess that I tend to associate with active speakers (they are . . .	6
Room size for large speakers? My experience is that there is a dranatic improvement between "bedroom" sized rooms (12 by 14 feet) and rooms in the 20 foot range. After about 30 foot size you still get. . .	6
Room Issues Fstein, I had an ATC 0.1/15 sub and SCM 20's in a space like that - no problem with sound levels or bass response. Without the sub it was definitely anemic sounding. I used an EQ . . .	6
GMT Europa vs. Quad 12 L2 vs. Totem Rainmaker I think this will make a great combo HT system	6
Speakers and what's between them You should keep sharp edges about 3 feet from speakers... a speaker placed a couple of inches from a TV screen with a 1 inch gap between the two will suffer edge diffraction and . . .	6
Decoupling monitors from a dresser? You can buy movers pads (plastic tray with a quarter inch rubber pad). Basically any soft rubber material will help....provided that the monitors are heavy and well braced. Light . . .	6
More speaker or more power I'm with Jaybo and Duke....speakers. If you go pro speakers they won't sound so dull or lifeless at higher volumes. (thermal compression and as the cones exceed Xmax) (BTW: Due to. . .	6
Bookshelf Speakers on Bookshelves? Assuming you can get the right height/position; Isolate the speakers from the shelves with blu-tak and pack them with books on all sides so that you absorb the rearward LF . . .	6
Frequency range vs frequency response The best is to see a plot of anechoic frequency response in a reputable lab like Canada NRC. Speaker Measurments Most of manufacturers cheat on frequency range specifications (. . .	6
Do your speakers have the clap? The best recorded hand clapping I've heard is on a Dave Grusin album called "Migration". I concur - Dave Grusin stuff is just awesome in terms of fidelity (not his. . .	6
Energy Veritas 2.3i or Rc-50 I'd go for the 2.3i without question. Energy sound is excellent. They make their own drivers and the stuff is tested in Canadian acoustic labs. The mid range and greater dynamics . . .	6
Are the Audio Physic Virgo II's ageing well? I know a friend who has a third hand pair of Virgo IIs - very happy with them. Great image. Don't push them too hard - thats all	6
Corner speaker placement You will excite all room axial modes in the extreme LF bass. In the 125 to 350 Hz range you may get some suckout or cancellations from rear wall relfections. You will also get . . .	6
Tweeter characteristics The tweeter is the least expensive driver in most speakers. If it is too apparent, strident or dominant then the mid range may be lacking in the speaker design/driver quality. I . . .	6
what is a big speaker? It is almost impossible to generalise in this way. ...other than physical size, what makes a speaker too large for any room..? LF bass response, accuracy, SPL level and . . .	6
Gallo Nucleus reference II tweeter not working There was another post about this same issue last week from someone else. Perhaps, you could get together and call the manufacturer of the speaker. A good manufacturer should . . .	6
Speaker Life I don't think you can generalize....a lot depends on the speaker manufacturer and their design philosophy. It can probably vary from as little as 5 years to much longer. At one . . .	6
Klein & Hummel I am using active ATC 100's - K&H are the same design philosophy (active speaker with high accuracy, good transient response + wide even dispersion) they even use ATC's midrange. . . .	5
How to test used / ex-demo speakers? What speakers are they? Is this a model that has been around for five years? Do they provide customer support? If so then you can always repair/maintain them. Not many . . .	5
Best way to get accurate rake angle on speakers If you have good speakers then the dispersion should be such that the presentation is not overly sensitive to rake. I'd suggest to have the tweeters a little above ear level (about. . .	5
Help me replace my b&w 802d's 9 feet is ok for these speakers. You may need room treatment. The only minor issue with the 802d is the scoop/dip in the midrange. This may mean that dialog is hard to hear on some. . .	5
Any cheap powered speakers with digital coax input AVI 9.1 takes Toslink Optical but you can order them with Coax input (optional	5
Symptoms of damaged drivers / crossovers? Buzzing or distortion is often audible when a driver fails. Swap L & R channels to test speaker versus amp/source	5
Do aftermerket crossovers improve sound? Northcreek claim that B&W use a ferrite core inductor in the crossover. B&W have indeed been cutting corners in order to keep costs down. Most manufacturers will cut cost on . . .	5
Any problems with MBL101E speakers Thanks - I have also wondered how they manage to dampen these lamellas sufficiently. I'd love to see a waterfall plot	5
Totem model 1: woofer rubber stiff -- Slight buzz Rubbing voice coil is your problem. They were probably over-driven. All you can do is re-cone (if there is a kit available) or replace the drivers. $500 for two drivers is cheap - . . .	5
Distorted sound on speakers It does sound like you fried a tweeter - this is common. Either your amp clipped and you damaged it or you speakers are not powerful enough to handle the listening levels you like	5
bi-amping and effect on cross over They might be using a series crossover design. This woudl explain why they don't allow biamping	5
Forced mod of Engergy V2.3 - suggestions? Try ABI Tech Services - they might be able to help. I know they repair Energy 22. ABI Tech Services	5
Housing Floorstanders in Cabinets As Marty says you need to make a seal and a smooth transition between the front baffle and the edge of the cabinet and you need to ensure the cabinet is as flat or as wall like as . . .	5
Does anyone own a pair of audioengine a2's ? Compared to run-of-the-mill PC speakers - Good Compared to NHT M-00 and S-20 they don't hold a candle	5
Scaled back to my computer need speakers NHT M00 and S20 would be a good choice	5
Focal and Dr Who? Have you seen the Beolab 5	5
Stacked Bookshelf Speakers -- Perplexing Nirvana? By combining, I can dial-in the sound perspective and degree of involvement, but usually keep the two sources balanced. Perhaps you have two poor speakers (bowl and dome) that. . .	5
Subwoofer for ATC scm ?? I'd suggest an SVS PB13Ultra with all the ports sealed might be your best bet (based on what I have seen of its performance measurements - so be warned I haven't experimented with. . .	5
May go back to Tannoys, which Monitor Gold for Me? I'm wondering if I would be disappointed with anything less than a 12" speaker. Yes, at least from my perspective, I would. I'd suggest a DD - 18 or a JL F113 and keep . . .	5
woofer combo & alignments: on large vs few small What is the trade off in having one large woofer vs several small woofers? A single large woofer is an easier load and can be put in a single box. Generally you get the most . . .	5
Anyone had experience with PMC big guns? If you are not happy with low end then it might be a placement or room issue. Assuming this is not the problem, then I am not sure the low end performance will be that different - . . .	5
Bassheads-DSP important????????Velodyne SMS?? Chazz, Musical subs are are about two things. Low Q (look for low group delay) and low distortion. Then it is only about power output - what do you need - decent LF power is very . . .	5
truth about subs? Subs are easy. Very easy. Easiest thing to make. Just very expensive if you want to build a good one	5
Tannoy, PMC or Monitor Audio, And i really lika a punchy sound. PMC seems a good choice. A TL design gives you bass extension and PMC tend to go for low system Q so you still have "punch" or . . .	5
Could anyone or Tyler Acoustics describe D line? Sorry no iDea. More seriously, I have a good feel for the "D" line but I can't explain it right now, as I got my hands full	5
How to Position Speakers in a Square-ish Room Diagonal across one corner will work best in this case	5
X-over question Marty, Your in the wrong forum for all the pratical answers on this. Try this DIY forum . FWIW - to briefly answer your question - with an active analog filter you can control . . .	5
MBL WITH SUB?? Those lamellas look pretty hard to drive - and I imagine they have to be heavily damped somehow to prevent internal vibrations (a lamella is like a guitar string just much thicker . . .	5
Nearfield speakers for rock/amplified music? NHT S-00 and NHT M-00 - you can find these new for $750 and you can adjust the presentation for your listening setup (being in a corner you may want to move the sub out a bit). The. . .	5
What crossover for stereo subwoofer? I'd recommend this Behringer DCQ2496 ...it will let you experiment to get the optimal bass management you need	5
ATC active speakers, owners please give input I have owned active ATC's for 8 years - never a problem so far. They run Class A until 2/3 power. If you are not familiar with actives be prepared for a level of detail that some . . .	5
Angling speakers up instead of high stands Why not simply try it and see. Of course too much up angle is going to cause increased ceiling reflections but every room/speaker/listening position is different. In general . . .	5
SubWoofer Help Down firing will reduce the audibility of harmonic distortion. It generally makes placement easier and will increase the sub efficiency (like a horn - the coupling to the air will . . .	5
How to hookup two REL subs to a single 4bsst? Does the REL have a line level input - you could simply feed it a signal from your pre-amp? You should be able to feed the two subs the same signal with a Y connector. This will . . .	5
OK to use spades in bare wire terminal? Not as good as bare wire if the spade is not making good contact over a large surface.If you squash the spade it should be ok	5
Ceramic Coated Woofers Could someone have cleaned them with a cleaning product? A wood polish? Mr Clean	5
What difference between.......... Dipole surrounds work well in theatres with a wide seating area. In fact they also use arrays to maintain a balanced sound (difficult to keep balance in a huge hall). At home for . . .	5
Down firing vs. normal subwoofer None. Down firing runs less risk of getting damaged by something...vacuum cleaner, knocked over chair etc	5
JM Focal 1037 BE speaker placement I'd go 3 feet from side walls and then optimize distance to rear wall according to bass response. The most accurate sound (flattest frequency response) will usually come with . . .	5
Sonus Faber , Should the Tweeter be in or out ? The offset is usually for edge diffraction effects of the baffle. Basically a centered tweeter will see edge diffraction at the same time from each side...this can cause a drop in . . .	5
Upgrading / tweaks - crossover, wiring, support You have done the major upgrade (triamping). Your DM6's must be dancing like "Happy Feet". I am not sure if it is worth going any further than the caps (unless you enjoy. . .	5
MTM vs TM ... advantages/disadvantages ? Two mids driving the same frequencies will have an interference pattern. The response will be greatest when the ear is at the horizontal level of the tweeter (mid point). The off . . .	5
Review for Dynaudio BM5A powered pro speakers You had a big adjustment to make judging from your initial disappointment in the first 20 hours. Do you think the change from harmonicly rich tube sound to SS has much to do with . . .	5
Speaker upgrade I am listening to alot of different music, but mostly Heavy-metal, so the bass need to be Thight but with impact and noot boomy. Have you considered professional active . . .	5
My Martin Logan SL3's are warped,what should I do? The curved shape is supposed to help cope with the beaming issues that you always get from large flat panel speakers; the curved shape will help produce a more natural (dispersed) . . .	5
English Speakers ATC SCM 20SL or SCM 10-2's are similar to Rogers LS 7. If yo do a google on Mark Hennessy Rogers ATC you'll find someone who likes 'em both and owns several models of Roger's fine. . .	5
Any comments on the MBL 121 Compacts I assume you know the drivers in even an expensive speaker (costing $10K or more) only cost a couple of hundred dollars Quite often true, but MBL is not the only manufacturer. . .	5
Subwoofer Question on Placement. I find that the right or left wall - slightly in front of the left or right speaker works well in most cases. This way your sub is at the same distance to your listening position . . .	5
Speaker Height? Sure does... too low and you risk to knock over the beer can or wine glass... an essential part of the experience	5
Tyler Acoustics PD-80's arrived Any pics of your system	5
Bookshelves & Rooms The best place to start is the rear wall behind your listening position (diffusion and bass absorption). Sharp cabinet edges should be avoided within about 3 feet from the front . . .	5
speaker break in volume level Break in means that the response drifts over time. Any cone material or surround material that is unstable over time, in a manner enough to effect audible sound, is probably not . . .	5
Dunlavy SC-IV Help That is about right for DC. (Remember the impedance is a function of frequency and you are only seeing the DC behaviour when using a multimeter) See this plot	4
Room and Placement for Revel Studios You might be better to sit in the wide open part of the room. If you sit at the low ceiling end then you will get reflections from the change in ceiling height and room width (an . . .	4
Actively bi-amping B&W Matrix 800's I read somewhere that B&W allows you to Bi-Amp but you still go through one half of a passive Xover...at least you reduce IMD distortion that way but you don't make it a whole lot . . .	4
Sub Cable Effect Technically, how is this possible when the only change is the sub cable? Sorry but there is no plausible technical explanation other than perhaps you reversed the phase or . . .	4
ATC scm 7,11,19 best position? Since the woofer/mid runs up to around 3 KHz on the 19 I'd suggest keeping this driver at ear level and away from reflective surfaces if you can (they work best on a stand	4
Why choose studio speakers over full range? I have a large (25'x30') listening area and would like to feel percussion from moderate level listening (Rock, Motown, jazz/blues) The monitors seen in most of the photos of . . .	4
center speaker need help asap I'd suggest going phantom center until you can find a proper matching center (this is because matching tonality is so important with voices). I have ATC 100's and I don't really . . .	4
Fireplace and room acoustic My virtual system has an RPG fireplace which doubles as an acoustic treatment	4
Harbeth HL-5 or Dynaudio special 25 Take a look at this thread As far as I am concerned these are both great speakers. The bass on the special 25 is a bit "one-note" to my mind but I imagine most people . . .	4
Great Sub for NHT Classic Threes? Good suggestion the NHT S-20 might be a good choice	4
what speakers to purchase In a near perfect cube and with plenty of reflective surfaces I'd be inclined to go for stand mount two ways and a sub (or two) - this may give you the most flexibility for . . .	4
Using a 15 inch woofer to do mid range 15 inch won't go more than about 500 Hz before beaming, however, horns are narrow directivity anyway. Done correctly, they will try to match the beaming from the 15" driver . . .	4
2nd powered subwoofer Ideally yes. Ideally the sub should match the speakers - not only should it be designed with same Q or damped response to preserve timbre but also to get better phase accuracy . . .	4
Spooky speakers, buga buga You are on the right track but you will still get answers all over the map	4
grills on or off on evolution acoustic speakers? Either way is fine - as far as I can tell from photos it will not matter - whatever looks nicest	4
Room Question Thick carpet with thick underlay is absolutely the best! The shortest dimension is usually the height. A carpet is absolutely the most important thing in any room.If you can't do . . .	4
Look what's coming from SVS Interesting. Thanks for sharing this news	4
possible upgrade to biwire speakers If you biamp then you can make a modest improvement but I don't think this warrents being your main consideration in up-grading your speakers	4
JM labs Utopia vs JM labs Nova? I agree with Bar81 - simply too much bass	4
JM Labs Altos Yes they tend to be on the "bright" side of neutral just as silk domes tend to be more laid back	4
two way or three way speakers SF, Franco Serblin says the center speaker only complicates things and he prefers the simple two channel speaker. would the same theory apply to two and three way speakers? I'. . .	4
More Questions For The Speaker Experts... You have to go for the 4425 - I mean this classic is a serious conversation piece - is it a butt or cleavage - get yourself a pink triangle turntable and you are in business. More. . .	4
Bookshelf Speakers in Ceiling Corners? I'd go Bose acoustimass in this situation....the satellites have almost nothing below 120 Hz so not much modal issues right in the corner. Bose are a good design for a half decent . . .	4
center channel I'd recommend phantom in your case	4
Speaker Placement I don't think the Totem Model One would be overkill for this setup - it would still sound so much better than what you find at Best Buy... Since there are so small - why not mount. . .	4
Presenting some Harbeth SHL5 in room measurements It all depends on what SPL levels you desire. Remember that at 20 Hz a signal at 75 db SPL is just at the threshold of audibility...you need copious energy to even hear clean ultra. . .	4
In Wall Subwoofers in 2-Channel room ? In theory - yes. Worth worrying about - NO	4
Woofer on top? This was always Missionaries position but it works quite well either way	4
Modern "vintage style" monitors out there? They still make these kind of speakers for pro audio markets. Big Boxy and not at all aesthetic; Adam, Meyer, ATC, Genelec etc...consumers will often not consider them no matter . . .	4
Quad 2905 midrange balance question I have not made a direct comparison. Dynamic speakers tend to present an impressive often boosted bass and boosted treble. This clearly sells in competitive demos with most folks (. . .	4
monitors/speakers? Monitors are used in the music industry both in live events and also in studios (recording/mixing/mastering). In general, this equipment must handle large dynamic range with a high. . .	4
Best outdoor speaker I have been happy with my two sets of outdoor B&W's - for details see my virtual systems. I would never claim that these are the "best" but they do the job and they do it. . .	4
Eidolon or Eclipse Classic Certainly a three way will be better and worth 4K (provided you like the lightweight Accuton C79 Ceramic mid and you have a medium to large room	4
Rear Speaker Advice needed I second Jameswei ....you should stick with the same manufacturer - your best match is actually the Studio 110...as it has matching drive units! 1SC's would probably be the next . . .	4
Upgrade speakers or front end?? Speakers	4
What surround speakers should I get? Get a matched set from the same manufacturer. You should expect the center, L and R surround channels combined to cost roughly what your R and L mains cost you. The sub will be . . .	4
Best placement of Speakers A good start will be on the short wall - the front of the speakers 3 feet out into the room and 5 feet apart (4 feet from side walls). Listening position should be 5 feet from the . . .	4
auralex subdude...can i use this with Rel Storm3? I agree with Sean, generally the corner is the worst placement for a sub as it fully excites three room modes (often the most lumpy response you can get)...it is the best placement. . .	4
How important is power response? Ojgalli, Billy Woodman believes it is very important. It is one of the main benefits of a dome mid range. The absence of an even power response in the mid range in most designs . . .	4
Looking for exceptional monitors for $2000 max Check out Genelec 8050A Active speakers....they are good enough for George Massenburg! You would need to find a pair of second hand ones to suit your price range...but you did ask . . .	4
Speaker replacement advice SC-V's were a popular mastering monitor. You might want to check out this review >http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_highend_studio_monitor/index.html To summarize, the review . . .	4
Sub size for 2 channel music in large room My experience is that LF in small drivers (usually boxed in thin, tall elegant floorstanders) sound boomy and distorted at the low end of the bass response when compared to a very . . .	4
ATC C6 Sub- How Good is it?? I have had the ATC C6 for 7 years. No problems so far. Mine makes an audible click when you turn it on or off, and always has done - so I think this is quite normal. It has a built. . .	4
Dual or single subwoofers? You may be able to do it...although it is not recommended. Corners have advantages in that they will increase your bass by about 6 db....so put the subs very close indeed. Corner. . .	4
ATC Passive Speakers & McIntosh The general advice for SCM20 would be at least 100 watts into 8 ohms. You are wise to be concerned and if you like to listen at realistic levels then you will probably be . . .	3
Regarding ATC SCM19 speakers... They do 60 Hz to 12Khz really well - especially reknown for the midrange clarity and tight precise bass (sealed box design). So if you like precision... However, you can get a lot. . .	3
Upgrade fuses in Active ATC SCM 50 speakers? I have not tried. Given the mains fuse is before the power supply and not in the signal path I doubt that under normal conditions one adequate fuse versus another would be audible. . .	3
Over Excursion or Clipping... It sounds loud even if it really isn't - because of all the distortion	3
B&W Rohacell vs woven Kevlar The material is important as you want the cone to be fairly stiff but also to be internally damped. Stiff and light is good but you don't want the thing to ring like a bell. So a . . .	3
Active speakers to replace GMA Europas I been hearing a lot of the Audioengine 5 and NHT M00 but cannot see them being in the same league as the Europas? Of course not. If you can find NHT M-00 and S-00 then you . . .	3
Room treatment requirement differences Unless you can get the MG's well out into the room then you might need some absorption/diffusion behind them (for the rear reflection). Otherwise treatments will probably be . . .	3
dali vrs. harbeth Where's the beef? I suspect you'll find Harbeth have a gorgeous midrange. I suspect you'll find Ikon's bass light and overly bright. Harbeth has the beef! Just two cents. (I am not. . .	3
Tweeter Differences Ribbon has a distinct radiation pattern. It suffers from distortion at lower frequencies. Berylium is good but may suffer from undamped ringing in the audible band ( as does most . . .	3
ATC Anniv. vs. REG.Active - How big a difference? Big Difference does not exist at ATC. This may come as a big surprise as most manufacturers offer an array of wildly different sounding speakers to suit a variety of tastes. As. . .	3
Celestion for 2008? I agree with Jaybo - I would add that latest Martin Logans are pretty good in this department - low level play with nice mids - they seem to have integrated the conventional woofer. . .	3
I believe I spotted in These are an active design. They have appeared in several movies including Blue Monday	3
Speaker measurements differences These are different speakers. The port tuning looks different to me - you can see this in the impedance/phase plot. Wilson makes a variety of different sounding speakers and this . . .	3
Kharma's 3.2FE or Reference 3A Grand Veena's Forget the specs - they both look stunning	3
PMC AML1 Seriously good speaker - big sound in a small package and very accurate. They play very loud cleanly. Will beat most anything of similar size. You will want to crank it	3
In-ceiling speakers I have B&W in ceilings, in walls and for outside too. You can see on my virtual systems....ok sound for background music. No comparison to dedicated systems. Great to hear you are . . .	3
velodyne dd12 or jl audio fathom? Yes the JL has impressive performance data - not perfect - some compression at 20 Hz but overall great value for money. Check out the HT Shack Subwoofer tests results I don't . . .	3
Monitors similar like Lipinski 505 ?? I have not come across the Lewinski Monitor but Bill has	3
Setting up speakers 45 degrees from sidewalls No reason why it should not work fine - you may find you get less but more even bass with this configuration. Try to stay away from the exact middle of a square room (37% of a . . .	3
Surround speaker placement height I prefer surrounds higher (6 feet up) but it is largely preference - it makes concerts sound very real as that is usually where rear sounds come from (above you, from the side and . . .	3
proac and atc compared to Harbeth monitor 30's I'd tee up ATC SCM 19 against the larger Harbeth 30. The SCM 19 is smaller but will still play louder cleanly due to the heavy duty driver (with appropriate amplification of course. . .	3
Sony SCD-C2000ES vs.222ES, 333ES and 555ES Transnova, I use several of the cheapo Sony 200 to 300 disc CD changers (one bit type DAC's). Although I feed the optical into an AKM DAC in the DSP. I made the switch to mega . . .	3
Looks like M&K has give it up...Closed Sad news indeed. Building speakers is a tricky business to defend, as the volumes are small. Apart from the design, marketing, distribution and assembly, the major components are . . .	3
Changing speaker cloth Just a word of caution. The grill that holds the cloth may be necessary to reduce edge diffration. You can order speaker cloth from a variety of suppliers. I have never . . .	3
earthquake subs Assuming there is no room acoustics problems then perhaps the Totem Ones, although great speakers, are just too small and not dynamic enough...I suspect they are in compression . . .	3
Paradigm Ref Studio 80's - Minimum Tube Power? I second Duke....no more to add or say	3
Anyon know of wallmounts for B&W 805's Check out Omnimount, they are bound to have something. They handle everything even studio grade stuff (very heavy). Their website has only their basic lines. A google search for . . .	3
Gallo Reference tweeters, fixable? If you are having problems you should contact the manufacturer directly. I have repaired speakers three times very easily and at very little cost. When a dealer gives me the run . . .	3
Anyone heard PMC's IB1? If you have not experienced a dome mid range then be prepared for a surprise. These can go very loud without mid range compression. Effortless sounding and very articulate. . . .	3
Speaker Channel Burn-In Offset tweeter and mid is mainly to reduce edge diffraction so that power distribution remains even. Most manufacturers do not specify a left or right (even when tweeter or mid is . . .	3
looking for new speaker suggestions and advice If you can get something that won't disturb your view out the windows (low and boxey or satellites + sub) then I'd place the speakers about 7 feet apart 4 feet off the West wall . . .	3
Paradigm Studio 20 v5 vs Vienna Haydn Grand Not sure I like either but if I has to choose - I'd go for the Paradigm	2
Quad 989 or active ATC? I have not compared. FWIW ATC midrange was designed by Woodman to compete with the best panel midrange sound quality (which panels excel at) yet play loud and dynamically like the . . .	2
ATC Speaker Upgrades - Amp & Gloss Black Finish Why go to all that trouble - there is a set of 150 available in Atlanta Craigslist /disclaimer - I don't know this person and you had better double check that this is not a scam. . .	2
fostex vs accuton - same speed & accuracy ? You could get something like a Zu Druid - you know a simple designed based upon a base guitar woofer with a whizzer cone to get you the highs. Simple but effective up to about 12 . . .	2
passive crossover expert for ATC mids First step is to find the right woofer. You might benefit from the flexibility of a Behringer DCX2496 and play around until you get the sound you want. See this thread . . . .	2
Active Speaker Question I have active speakers plugged into a conditioner as a precaution but I heard absolutely no difference. Make sure you use a conditioner designed for power amplifiers (high current. . .	2
upgrade from 803N's Hopefully Kal will chime in here. My first thought is to stick to B&W so you maintain the same midrange tonality throughout	2
Line level vs speaker inputs Probably not that much different on a powered sub as long as your power amp is not clipping. If your power amp begins to clip becuase of the difficult load of your main speakers . . .	2
ATC 100 vs.150 Just the woofer/bigger box, Bill, - that is all. The 100's and up all have the same bigger version of the midrange driver and are already a ton weight. So all you are really . . .	2
PMC TLE1 vs Velodyne DD-15 vs JL Audio f113 I agree with Ryder - if you have PMC then you need to consider that it is TL design in the bass (not sure what that does to phase - so it makes sense to go with PMC designed . . .	2
Anyone using the Dynaudio BM6 ? I second the Genelec's - the 8050A is absolutely awesome. As CDC says it is a "pipe and slippers" sound in the sense that they are rather honest or completely neutral - . . .	2
Anyone familiar with the Dynaudio BM6 Great monitors, however, since you are using a sub then I'd open up your investigation other designs without such a deep extension. (deep bass extension from minature ported . . .	2
Any Magnepan users in Calgary??? Try contacting Gajgmusic - he is a local Calgarian who is one of the organizers of a Hi-Fi club	2
Paradigm Studio The best option is the same speaker all around - if the 20 is good enough for you as mains then go for it	2
Center & Rears To Match Avalon Indra? Indras would match and just use phantom for center if the speaker gets in the way of the screen	2
In-ceiling Speakers whole house system going in Your choices look good - the larger Paradigm in walls can rock. The standard in walls are necessarily very shallow speakers and not that good (I have B&W's everywhere and they are . . .	2
Quad 12L active vs Wharfedale Precision 8D Active Oncable, I don't know the two you mention and I am sure they are good but to add to your list I suggest you check out NHT SOO/MOO, which is a popular active option for a desktop . . .	2
What to use with Dynaudio Contour T2.5 Suggest you should stick with Dynaudio, the Contour S1.4, Special 25 for surrounds? Tonal balance will be better preserved if you stick with matched speakers by sasme manufacturer. . .	2
Focal CMS 40 studio monitors - Anyone heard them? Great sound but the tweeter is all too easy to break on a desktop. I'd recommend Genelec 8020a	1
ATC's - 10's vs 20's I have not compared directly but ATC design speakers according to a strict engineering philosophy. This means that differences across the entire product range are much smaller than. . .	1
thank you shadorne 801 is a classic. I'd say that this speaker, more than any other, is what established B&W	1
Tannoy 12" Reds vs Golds http://www.hilberink.nl/codehans/tannoy63.htm http://www.hilberink.nl/codehans/tannoy40.htm http://www.hilberink.nl/codehans/tannoy52.htm	1
Proac Studio 3 any info ? 20+ years old, use ATC SM75-150 3" mid driver and an ATC SB75-234SC 9" woofer but I am not sure of the tweeter. These would probably be similar to an older (non SL . . .	1
If You Had a Choice Subs Bob Katz is happier then the proverbial.... ...with his two JF F112's	1
ATC 20SL speakers with Pass Labs XA100 Never tried them with such a prestigious Class A amp. FWIW: I'd say 100 watts is fine but I would certainly not go any lower. I typically drove these little speakers with 200+ . . .	1
On the hunt for speakers Other than being active I struggle to see the connection between these three speakers. IMHO - if you go ATC then the passive SCM20's or SCM19's are the way to go in the mid . . .	1
why my speaker can not play louder Unless there is a thermal protection circuit for the tweeter then you must be cooking them too much. Basically speaker voice coils get VERY VERY hot - 200 deg Celius!! ( sorry ..... . .	1
Side laying Monitors Meyer HD 1 (good active side mount speakers	1
Any experience with the JBL 4430 Pro Monitors? The baboons butt is a classic. These are usually soffit mounted and you may suffer slightly from edge diffraction issues if you decide not to instal them in a wall. Mounted in a . . .	1
Comparing Revel Studios with VonSchweikert 4SRII Also there is occasional irritating glare. Could be the tube and metal midrange combination I think the VS 4SR11 uses composite pulp mid range, this will be better damped and. . .	1
acoustic treatment? You may be experiencing quarter wave cancellations off the rear wall (= comb filter at listening position) and room modes. Quarter wave cancellatons (troughs and bumps) can be . . .	1
Audio Physic Virgo III break in time? There might be material applied to the inside of the mid range cones in order to dampen them. Hard material cones (ceramic and metallic) have a greater tendency to ring like a . . .	1