The idea that a speaker plays jazz and rock well, but not classical is crazy. The requirements for a loudspeaker for all music is the same: "play it as accurately as possible with as little damage as possible for the money".
You may be expecting the classical to sound good, but the dynamic range requires both of the following.
1) Very low noise floor in the room because the quiet parts will be masked and boring.
2) Enough power to play the classical loud enough to lift all of the music out of the noise floor.
This is not as much of a problem with jazz or rock, because the music tends to be played a higher levels without the very quiet passages that are so important with classical. An accurate transducer is required in both cases and will play all types of music equally, IF they have the headroom.
What possible difference would any designer make to a speaker for one music or the other sound 'better or worse' mystifies me to this date, but some folks seem to take this myth for granted and lose out on some great audio because of it.
I have spoken to many top speaker designers about this as it's been perpetuated since the beginning of audio as we know it. |
Thanks Tom. Set up is critical for all speakers, but often times even a dealer isn't set up properly as they move things around so much. Once set, you can forget it and ENJOY great speakers that will play anything well. ;) |
Teh headphone and IEM world is all about getting multiple top can's/CIEM's for different music. I just shake my head. Everyone is so concerned about matching cables to 'tune' their system. Again, just get a great cable that is natural (this is why I love the Audioquest line). If you have the right components you will hear THEM! If you need to tune things, then go get the right components first. Any designer will tell you that, even teh cable guys. Just logic to me. |
No surprise that you liked Maggies and Vandersteen's since both sound like point source speakers and have some other similarities in sound quality. I have many friends who own both, but they are still very different tonality wise I feel. Great advice on using your OWN ears and not a friends, ours or a salesperson.
As for scaling, the Vandy line scales as good as any other speaker line I've heard. I also have a shop owner put their top amps on any speaker I listen to.
I was listening to classical music yesterday and it filled the room. Not once did I feel it wasn't giving me a huge sound stage etc... Tonally, it sounded awesome. Loved what I was hearing, but I should as I purchased it all lol..... |
I have owned the Treo's and now own the Quatro's. I'm VERY familiar with all of his speakers though and have ton's of time with all of them.
I have spent extensive time with the 2's since they were released in 78 I think it was (Bruce's at Stereo Unlimited in SD). When run with the proper electronics and set up properly, I've never heard them to be boxy. Honestly, the design of the 2's was so they wouldn't be boxy. He has the smallest baffles on the mid and tweeter for that very reason. Also, for the price, they are considered highly dynamic as long as the recording is dynamic. Not saying you didn't hear what you said you did, but if a speaker is designed properly, it will play anything the same.
Too many perpetuate the myth that a certain speaker is good for one or two genres only. Just ask any top designer and he or she would tell you the same I promise. |
I'm not Johnny. I owned the best MIT speaker cable and interconnects made with their 350 cable (interconnects) and their 770 speaker cable. I got the AQ adn never looked back. I have had so many name and off name cables in teh system and none have been as neutral as the AQ stuff. If you are going to use a cable/wire to 'tune' your system, I personally feel that you have the wrong gear. Using Nordost to lift the highs of a dull amp, still starts with a DULL AMP, lol. This is just system matching, but for my money nothing touches the AQ cables for sheer neutrality. JMHO |
Makes the most sense to me. I personally upgrade the speakers first. Then the source and then the amps. Cords and cables are always last. That's just me. I purchase the best speakers I can afford. |
Guys, just ask the designers of speakers and they will 100% disagree with you. Music is music. A great speaker needs to be able to reproduce what it's fed. Plain and simple. I really think the problem is that we have all been told that quantity bass is better than quality bass. A boost in the lower or mid treble gives us more sound stage or sparkle.
I've had this conversation with a few of the top speaker designers over the many years I've loved audio and music and each one says what I posted. I'm just parroting, but yes I totally agree. I auditioned so many speakers before getting my Quatro's and the Treo's before that. I noticed that so many makers will use the same cuts to show off their various strengths. Then I listen to my own music and they fell flat on their faces. When I did the same for the Vandy's and a few others, they played all songs very well (to my ears as well as others I"ve auditioned with).
Some speakers are highly dynamic, but lacking in detail and layering. Some speakers don't worry about teh sub bass and the foundation of the music. Manufacturer's have to make compromises, I get that, but if you have a great speaker that is fairly neutral from top to bottom, it should be able to play all music well.
Eric, you won't agree and I get that. This has been deeply ingrained in audiophiles since the beginning of the hobby and it's not going away. It's too bad as you don't need to settle as there are many speakers that can play anything. |
I personally feel that we are TOLD how to listen by so many top manufactures that make speakers that maybe aren't great. You hear the same tracks for audition for so many of the speakers out there. It makes them sound their 'best'. This is why I always take my own music to play.
I always use a variety of music, even country. Folks bag on my all the time for being a Vandy fan, but honestly, it's one of the few I've found in the price ranges I listen to that is tonally outstanding and what you get as you move up teh food chain is better bass and a cleaner presentation.
That to ME is the way it should be. I do want a speaker that does everything, but I also realize that to get great bass, it costs a lot of money. Cabinet size, larger and or more drivers, extra top end x over parts, better speaker cables, better amp and a source that can send it along. Then that bass can't interfere with the rest of the sound...then an open top that isn't fake (tipped up a few DB's at the 10k hz point like so many 'top' named speakers are).
This is where Vandy makes the excellent trade off's in it's price ranges. I'm not the only one since they sell so many speakers. They just don't have the hype machine that Wilson did when they started. Doesn't mean that the one speaking the loudest, is teh best for my ears ;)...
|
