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which speaker is better suited for Rock and Roll

I started a blog a while back on speakers suited for rock and roll and the responses were great.  Just to refresh, Listen to Rock only, 85 db to 90 or so. Somewhat small room 13x13' with doors at either end. (square room more or less) Amp that will be used Pass X250.8, good meitner DAC, Bricasti streamer, SVS SB 3000 sub, Benchmark LA-4 pre amp. Stream Qobuz through Audirvana.  Current System with FRITZ carbon 7 SE Mk2  are Very Good. Keeping them regardless. Would like to see if I could jump up several rungs on the ladder (bigger sound stage, more clarity, more dynamic, etc)  better MIDS and highs. Speakers that have been heard are Sonus Faber Guarneri (EXCELLENT, but EXPENSIVE) vs (haven't heard) Joseph AUDIO Graphene Pulsar, and Acora MRB (bookshelf)  Marten Parker DUO, (haven't heard) but, most likely out of my price range unless used somewhere.  The two top contenders are the Joseph audio pulsar vs The Sonus Faber Guarneri.   If anyone has either or both or has heard them , would love to hear your opinions or suggestions, probably last speaker for my lifetime here. Thanks Robert TN

robshaw
parkergetdean
1,032 posts
 

1. you liked them

2. you bought them

3. you own them

4,. you still like them (partly because of 2 and 3 but who cares)

5. enjoy!

lonemountain
509 posts
 

I get to visit studios that record rock and roll in both LA and Nashville.  Most of the comments in this thread about "sound quality or character" - as though this drove the speaker decision making for studios - is not the way it was or is.  Studios need reliability above ALL else.   They are renting rooms to people every day by the hour and a failure means no rent, no income and no clients.  It could take days to get replacement parts and that means a very big loss indeed. 

JBL became what it was largely though the amazing voice coil tech they implemented before anyone else: dense, square wire voice coils that could handle enormous power and get rid of heat (that causes the driver to fail).  No one else had this tech back in the 60s, 70s except JBL so they won a lot of work.  Today JBL is long out of the studio business, its way to small and niche for them.  Way more live sound business, commercial sound reinforcement and home audio.  

The top studio speakers you see used in studios in LA and Nashville are ATC, Focal, Neumann and an assortment of other very small company brands.  Reliability is a top value but so is low distortion- so you can hear errors and details that otherwise are covered up with higher distortion speakers.  Places like Blackbird, East West, Abbey Road, Electric Lady all have both large and small ATC in most if not all their rooms.  Many mastering houses are ATC based like Sterling Mastering.  ATC has tech that makes their voice coils super reliable, so they get a lot of the work now.  

So if you want to use what is used to record rock and roll, ATC, Focal, Neumann.  

 

Brad

erik_squires
17,538 posts
 

@lonemountain - 

You bring up an interesting point.  I forget that Focal makes an entirely different set of powered speakers for the pro world that are pretty reasonably priced.  Anyone who likes Focal and is active-curious should check out their pro line. 

I've not heard them, by the way, but if memory serves they were about 10x cheaper than Focal's current home powered line. 

steve59's avatar
steve59
1,979 posts
 

Congrats, Sonus Faber does require us to take a deep breath and just do it! Maybe, hopefully one day I’ll work up the courage to buy a pair. That the room, components and speakers are all playing well together is great. Enjoy

robshaw OP
345 posts
 

Steve,thanks much. Every time I use the Guarneri's  G5 I am so impressed. How, for their size they can do what they do. Just doesn't seem possible.  Just had my 73rd and stated to myself (to justify cost) you can't take it with you. 

     When was the last time you saw a u haul following a funeral procession?

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