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ISO - grit, texture, decay, life from snares and bass drums

Hi all,

Interested to hear some theories on what I'm looking for in a speaker (or new amp).  My system features the Rega Aethos driving a pair of Wharfedale EVO 4.4 (bi-wired).  

Don't get me wrong - it sounds great. Clear, precise, involving.  Great tone, imaging, and separation.

But I'm missing a little bit of grit and texture.  Sometimes I wish these speakers partied better.  Snares don't *snap* crackle pop.

Off axis listening - especially standing in the room, rather than sitting - changes tonality significantly.

What am I looking for?  More bass? More musicality? More Life?  I don't want bright or fatigue.

 

Some speakers I'm considering in no particular order based on descriptions/reviews:

- Sourcepoint 8

- Revival Audio Atalante 3

- PMC prodigy5

 

Thanks!

leemaze
tunefuldude's avatar
tunefuldude
208 posts
 

@coralkong +1 

leemaze OP
341 posts
 

Thanks for all the thoughtful responses.

Horns sound great to me for a bit, but they get tiresome - fatiguing.  Additionally i don't love their directionality.

I'll look into ATC - any particular models as a good value.

Also considering Omega Alnico Monitors - anyone with experience on their sound signature?

Or the KEF R3 Meta?

I'm wondering also if my current speakers are too big for my room (11.5' D x 12.5 W x 10.5' H, with open spaces on both sides of the width.  Couch at the back wall.  Tweeters are approx 2ft from the front wall)

 

soix
11,259 posts
 

 

 

 

I’ll look into ATC - any particular models as a good value.

As you seem to be looking at speakers in the $3k range I’d recommend the SCM19 v2. Music Direct offers a return policy so I’ll include their link here…

https://www.musicdirect.com/equipment/speakers/atc-scm19-v2-bookshelf-speakers/

I happen to think the SCM40 offers a lot of value as you get a floorstander that incorporates their separate dome midrange driver, but that’s $6k so may be over your budget although there is a used pair available for a bit less…

https://tmraudio.com/speakers/floorstanding-speakers/atc-scm-40-gen-2-floorstanding-speaker-scm40-v2-black-ash-pair/

leemaze OP
341 posts
 

Hi all,

happy thanksgiving. By way of an update, I moved my Loki EQ to my main system, did an initial tuning with Pink Noise, and then tweaked back with listening. For those unfamiliar it’s a pretty simple EQ with only 4 knobs and here’s where I ended up:

Bands:

  • 20Hz -boost
  • 400Hz -cut
  • 2kHz -boost
  • 8kHz -boost

wow - the result is great. It’s like a veil was lifted and the mix is much cleaner-less muddy. And I thought it was clear before! Snares and the drum set as a whole pops more. Newer rock music, which can be somewhat harsh, is less fatiguing and more involving. Speakers disappear more.

Much better. But I still think the system is a little polite. I ordered DynaTens from Omega Speakers last week - these are 90db 10” full range driver speakers with a tweeter in a big beautiful box. Excited to see what they can do.

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