Being someone who is classically trained, I know nothing in my home or any demonstration would come close to "live" music. I want something that just comes close with a full range. Chasing the "holy grail" of audio is endless and very costly. I settled on my current system and have had it for a very long time.
My system sounds good to me in the room I have it in. It's old. I've heard nothing new that will get me to spend more money for a marginal improvement in sound. Marsh P2000T pre amp, Parasound HCA 2200 MkII power amp, Von Schweikert VR 4 speakers, ART DI/O DAC, Pioneer transport. Cables? Lots to choose from. Audio Quest, MIT, Morrow, custom made with Belden coax..... I listen to a variety of music. Some sounds great and amazing. Some doesn't. I had to downsize moving to Europe from NY. Sold my VPI with Premiere MMT, Koestu Black Goldine and Grado Platinum cartrige. That hurt, but no place for it or the albums.
"Chasing the dragon", especially with cables. The process never ends with some neurotic types. They spend themselves into oblivion, often to learn that higher cost does not necessarily mean better sound, it means different sound. I jumped off that merry go round more than a decade ago. I read audio forums long enough to see one of thier senior members spend at least 1/4 million in 12 years just to come full circle to his original setup. The saddest part was with each new system change, he touted it, rationalizing it was money well spent and "The sound" until he changed it again in a few months.
@@scottlowell493 That sounds like me. I searched for the timbre I had in my mind memorized when I was in my 20ties - all time target was to gain bigger power and full stereo. I've won a lot of victories and pronouncing of results better than then, happy moments Lucky me. Last time I had a chance to buy exactly the same type of speaker sets. So I decided to play game - "how it was then" and purchased that vintage. Brought to order connections and phases which were mixed. It shown very promising from first tests . In 70ties I modified seriously original construction by doubling crossovers for doubled speakers so I followed to do the same modification today. Right. Then I tried to make the same modification as before to masking frames by changing textiles on low and tweeters separately. Amplifier (UHER CV140 from 1970) stands exactly in shoes of my tube mono from 1958 with 10x power and of course stereo, not mono . After testing I admitted (had to) that never even succeed to emulate that with any used modern or vintage speakers nor any combination. Got my target at last only with original speakers - circle turned . How it works - hard of course to say but I feel like every sound surprises me with timbre and location. Sometime first think when facing all modern progress seems not convincing but watch out.
The only way to do it is to record the music in a soundproof room and record each instrument as a separate channel. Four instruments means four channels and ten instruments requires ten channels. Then you need a speaker for each instrument and then set the speakers up in the same position as the instruments were. Use good speakers of course and it would be really close done that way. But just two speakers isn't going to do it even though stereo does help, but it's only an illusion and therefore only partially there. If you have a lot of money, you could do it I reckon, but if you don't do it that way it simply won't happen.
Sound that makes me say WOW without being fatigued after an hour - this sense of hyper musicality can serve double duty as part of my home theater system
My journey started back in the early 70's, when as a single digit lad I would scavenge whatever speaker drivers I could and cobble together the best sound I could get from them with whatever source I could use, generally someone's discarded FM Clock radio. A good extension speaker was the objective, to get the most out of that little circuit and those cast-offs. One year I asked for a pair of Radio Shack 4" 10 watt full range drivers. I built boxes for them while away at the hunting cabin (I didn't hunt, I was too wrapped up in my hobbies) and used them into my mid teens with a hand me down stereo replete with built in turntable. What joy that was, and those little 4" speakers rocked. The drum hits would whack you in the chest. From there I worked my way up the chain via yard sales, etc., until I was working steadily enough to buy new, in my area you either went to a department store or Radio Shack. It so happens that I had a friend who worked there (RS) and he let me know when things were on their way out of the lineup and a lot of stuff I bought on "Spiff" -basically the lowest reduced price before it got thrown out. After going through a number of their lower end stuff, I ended up getting better names like, Sansui, Technics, JVC, and Pioneer. Those names are still with me today. The surprising part? The Radio Shack / Realistic bits that are still here 25-35+ years on. The EQ, the re-built Optimus 30's and the MC1800's and the turntable. Would I love to have really expensive, super hi - end stuff? Yeah, if I could afford it and had a place to put it, but of all the places I've gone and auditioned other full systems, I couldn't justify spending all that money to have what I already have. Besides, my setup allows not only the oldies, the classic hits, the grunge, the adult contemporary, the prog, the other worldly celtic harp and even the spacey music fom Baltimore Aquarium to come through and transport you to another place. AND, I have 3 stereo sweet spots as you go between the 2 open rooms (L,R (open archway) L,R). Is it perfect? Not by a long shot. Would I trade it in? Maybe the Sansui reciever. Something with a better FM front end and a little more grunt. Still, though, you'd be surprised how much you can get out of 20 watts when set up properly.
Every listening day is different and I try to enjoy music and sound everyday. It makes me feel good and I know it will be different tomorrow. I'm chasing that flow, just to have that musical moment every single day, if possible. I feels fresh, even though the music is old. Every day is a new day in life. Cheers!
It's so funny, I watch these videos about audiophile sound reproduction and then go strait over to guitar amp videos and all we talk about is the AWESOME distortion of this or that amp, lol.
ditto - the audiophiles get into it a little, though - they like perfectly level response but then go over and talk about the warmth of a driven stereo amp. The good audio amps are like a fender twin - the twin has a lot of moderate distortion on its clean side, but tons of headroom. People used to talk about how great the cleans are until analysis found out that marshall cleans are cleaner -nobody likes them. If I were an audiophile (instead of someone just trying to find something that sounds good rather than perfectly transparent), I'd want one of each for systems - smooth even but sterile response in one, and another low wattage stereo tube amp. As far as clear amps - I've got a buddy who is a very accomplished guitar builder and all he wants is a standel amp or a JC120, and he wants pickups that are thin and level distortion. Only person I ever met who likes P100s over P90s, but it's what he likes and he doesn't read the internet to find out what other people think he should like (he reads the internet, but he knows what he likes)
So I like my hi-fi gear to be able to miraculously reproduce the ragged distortion that the guitars you speak of produce, AND pleasantly reproduce a lovely singer and guitar, for example. That's a lot to ask of a home music system.
Speaker distortion is different from distortion already in a recording. The distortion in the recording becomes part of the stereo field whereas the distortion from a speaker clogs up the imaging and makes it mushy because it's not "mixed" properly with the sound like distortion in a produced recording (or guitar sound)
I want my speakers to be fun and resolving. Accuracy is overrated. the most important thing about music is fun, emotions, the right bass. smoothness. When i want to go further i use headphones.
I’m a relative noobie to this hobby - 4 months and counting. But I can tell you that you don’t know what you are chasing until you hear it! For example I have been listening to box speakers for 40 years and just recently I heard my first open baffle speaker and it blew my mind! Suddenly I can’t listen to another box speaker without hearing the box! The second mind blowing experience for me was getting an NAD amp and hearing OLED TV black levels - actual black spaces between instruments and notes. I have never heard that before and my brain almost exploded when I first heard it. Now would I have known before hand that this was possible? heck no! It was a total surprise, but that’s what made it such an incredible experience. If you know before hand exactly what you are missing, then you aren’t really missing it. :)
Thank you audiophiliac for answering my questions as to what constitutes good sound: It's so simple: Good is what feels good to you! In a roundabout way I felt you said something like that. I already saw myself laying at the feet of the priests of audio as they purport to establish and define the high magic of sound. You have saved me from countless years of search and saved me at least $500,000.00. I have further understood, at least as deeply as I can right now, that there is a quality of audio that may superseed all other qualities: You have to like it!! Going a little deeper, the audio I like REVERBERATES with me. It makes me stronger. It amplifies whatever I am. It inspires me. It leads me through doors I have not knocked on before. The list goes on, you get the point. As you said yourself, you could chase the impossible dream. Therefore, as long as I can relate to it, sound itself becomes my amplifier, my comrade and my savior. I sincerely apreciate your video. It DID help me, Thanks, Bernd Licht
4:00 I'm blown away every time I listen to my speakers, like it's the first time I have heard them. My speakers are amazing. I'm glad you made that point cos mine make me SMILE always.
I was always chasing crystal clear highs that sound real. Life like. Many years ago I visited a friend at his home. His brother was playing the B52s on LP on a Pioneer system. Didn’t think much of it until the music started playing. I have heard that recording so many times before but this time, I really heard it. The cymbals were relight there and directional. I was blown away. I thought it was the record but in my “el cheapo” system, it wasn’t the same. I searched for the answer and found out what tweeters are. I have heard and felt bass but the treble was what made the music come alive. Now I have a great system in my opinion. So I’m searching for great music. I already have collected the music I wanted.
If you want a great "live" cymbal sound try glueing a tiny stick to your tweeters. Use PVA that you can remove if you want and not fuck your speakers. The tiny sticks are only (2-3 mm tall) and then glue a tiny bit of tin foil to the end of the stick (like 6x4mm) and in a teardrop shape. It's really tedious and tricky to do but really cheap. Get the foil from a coffee can seal. And enjoy, you will be blown away by the amazing "live" and strong cymbal sound. I do it to the tiny 2" bluetooth full range drivers, and the bluetooth speakers also have that mad cymbal sound (instead of muffly). With any speaker or tweeter it transforms your system and the cymbals have that penetration over the strongest bass, just like real cymbals (and it does it when the cymbals aren't even loud). It's the sound quality of the upper treble that penetrates the bass, not necessarily the intensity. It's easier to just glue the foil directly to the driver but don't do it. It's NOT the same and you won't get that "live" effect. The stick is essential (although very tricky to do). lol
Best question you've asked (that I've heard/seen)!! For me: tonality and dynamics. I'v chased spatiousness, and airiness, and depth.. all HiFi parameters; give m impact and an accurate tonality and I'm happy! Having been in live (classical) music all my life, dynamics is what I miss in most HiFi.
I enjoy the tactile as well as the sonic experience. Feeling a smooth bass line with my feet on the floor or the tight punch of a snare drum on my torso. Getting the room to move around you is the nirvana for myself.
Nice topic , very good idea to actually get people to ask themselves what is making them tick in audio terms. 2 sets of speakers is also a great way to cover various bases like you mentioned. There are good amp/pre combinations that can deliver the goods with warmth , dynamic range ect , the speakers are the wild cards more so.
Still remember my first experience with imaging. Solo classical guitar album (can't recall who). Just bought my NAD and ran my technics linear tone-arm close-n-play turntable through it to my basic can't remember speakers and suddenly the guitarist was sitting RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! I swear I could see his fingers move on the fingerboard! Been chasing that experience ever since. Became a regular at Stereo Exchange on Broadway for used gear and believe I bought my new Rega Planar III from Sound by Singer, if you were there in the late 80s I probably bought it from you!
When I was a teenager in the early 90s I got a pair of Realistic Mach Ones off a friend of mine. The woofers had been replaced with some Radio Shack 15"s, I dont know the model. I had an old silver reciever, either a Technics or a Teac my Dad handed down when we got our first color TV. Man I loved that setup. I found a pair at a yard sale a couple years back with the original woofers still in them. I have them hooked up in my garage to a pioneer reciever I got for like 20 or 30 bucks at a thrift store and they still sound awesome. Nowadays I have a mancave/theater thing in my basement with Elac B5 surrounds, an Elac C5 center, and a Dayton Ultimax 18" sub and it sounds pretty damn incredible as far as my ear is concerned. I have to say I agree with what you brought up about different setups for different types of recordings. I never thought of it like that. Some stuff just sounds better on those old Radio Shack speakers. With certain types of songs the drums are just alive on those Mach Ones. Overall I like my more modern setup better but Its been really cool listening to music as an adult on the same set of speakers I had as a kid. Awesome video as always Steve.
I look for a rich, transparent, dense, dynamic sound field that reproduces the impact of drums and reproduces the proper timbre of each instrument. A speaker that sounds believable with all types of music. This quest is much easier when you know exactly what each instrument should sound like. Attending live shows and/or being a musician helps in that regard quite immensely.
@Akeno AkitaInu I pretty much agree although live music played through horns seem to sound more real to me - not necessarily better - just more real. Different speakers reproduce wildly different sound fields, especially in the area of density of the soundstage. I admit, I many time prefer the refined, dense reproduction of some speakers. Manufacturers such as Totem Acoustic for example. Their speakers, people say, are colored sounding. That said, I love the Totem sound. The Totem Acoustic Hawk is one superb speaker, even if only a small, two way design.
This is outstanding advice here that their is no perfect system and what sounds good with one genre of music won’t sound good with another. Horn speakers are outstanding choices, the Heresy and in particular the lescala and the lips corn for rock. I use to have two amps, one for summer, solid state and a tube amp for the fall and winter months. Different sounds and done mostly to preserve tube life and keep the heat down in the summer. I also had two different types of speakers for different types of sounds. I think that chase for the Absolute Sound is what keeps most Audiophiles going and the fact that deep down within they know they won’t get it.
Great post and brings attention to a subject often skipped over. This is why you can prefer an Audio 80 rated speaker over an Audio 90 rated speaker, if the 80 suits your musical tastes more. As for myself, I tend to follow brand sounds. I like Marantz amps and I really like Dynaudio speakers.
I am a person with two sets of speakers in my room. The chair is in the middle of the room, and all I have to do is spin around depending on which system I want to hear. On one end is my pair of Sound Labs A2 electrostatics, which I bought used back in 1984. They have been sent back to the factory once for new mylar, and are now probably one of a kind. On the other end is a pair of home made speakers which are the culmination of the last tectonic shift in my understanding of audio, 20 years ago, when I built a single ended triode amplifier. This amp is only 2 watts, but it changed my understanding as to what audio should sound like. Before I go on, the speakers: Standing up in my unfinished basement listening room (I know, but trust me it works), and kept vertical by the joists in the ceiling, are a pair of 4X8 sheets of plywood into each of which I have installed an Altec 515b 15" alnico woofer, an Altec 755a 8" alnico midrange and a RAAL dipole ribbon tweeter. There is no back so, like my electrostatics, these are dipoles. There are three amps, all different but based on the same circuit fed from an active three way crossover. So, what do they sound like? Fresh hot fudge oozing over homemade ice cream, waterfalls of silk, fields of butterflies. Sorry, I tend to "see" things when I listen, especially a new component. I couldn't get the visions of waterfalls of cream out of my mind when I first got my Musical Fidelity NuVista preamp. I like to hear the body of the drum resonate when it is struck. I like to be able to close my eyes and easily imagine Caro Emerald is singing just to me. I like to be able to enjoy the music I want to hear and not just the music that sounds good on my system. I'm not sure how you would define what gives you that. Both of my systems, the Sound Labs have a 300 watt hybrid amp and they share a source, can play from Led Zeppelin to John Williams (both of them) without any problem. While there are speakers that don't have the range and dynamics to play loud rock or classical music, just because a system can do that doesn't mean it can't play something soft. The Sound Labs (line source) have better imaging than the Altec/RAALs (standard three way), while the Altecs are more organic and have a fuller bottom end. I like them both, the Altecs get more playing time. As an aside, I was on the list for the First Watt SIT 3 amplifier (it ,too, is single ended) but when it was my turn to buy, Mark at Reno HiFi convinced me it wouldn't be a good match with my Sound Labs. He is probably right since, while they are not badly insensitive at 89db, the impedance swings from over 20 to below 4 ohms and they need a lot of current. I will probably always wonder "what if...."
The most important thing to me is to achieve a wide and deep soundstage with precise and stable 3D imaging. IMO, when you achieve that goal, you know that everything else is right.
I've had my home for over 20 years now single family house four separate systems and a very understanding wife! I consider myself a lucky guy great video Steve!
I can say that I've tried various things... Designing systems with 140dB peak capability, extension to 8hz, trying all sorts of different speakers, rooms, amps, remastering my own tracks, etc. I found that once you reach a certain point... Speakers are low distortion, flat power response, room is treated, etc... The same "next big obstacle" I run into over and over again is not a matter of degree, but a matter of kind: 2-channel speakers produce the exact same sound image with every single source. Phantom center vocals always come from the same spot. Out of phase information always presents itself the same way spatially depending on the specific speakers. That's the frontier Atmos is trying to cross. The best results I've achieved have come from building a custom speaker system and remastering tracks to play well on my custom speakers.
For me, music is about the artists evoking emotion (and I don't mean anger from spending too much on an unsatisfying system). Concepts like dynamics, imaging, transparency, coloration all serve that goal. Right now, I am really enjoying a used tube/SS integrated. For me, it provides a great balance -- a touch of sweetness, and really good power. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about the system unless something sounds wrong.
Good points Steve i agree 100 percent you need at least 2 systems to enjoy most music types i have a Soundlab AP1X electrostats with Joule Electra grand Marquis 160 watt OTL mono Bloc amps a Canadian made Tube pre amp with tube regulation and Tube rectification also use a old REL Britannia sub Bat tube high end cd player VPI turntable Koetsu rosewood cart this system is good for 80 percent of the music i like while i do need a system for high dynamic hard rock and metal which i listen to rarely.
I‘m chasing after the sound of my childhood. I went throu all the formats until I arived at Hi-Res. I like it. But now I went back to compact tapes and MD just for fun. I love to listen to tapes on the go. Lot‘s of 80s and 90s Pop and New Wave and classical Soudtracks. At home I have my monoblocks and NAD (Pre)Amp combined with big Fisher speakers. And a quite good turntable from Pro-Ject. I love the Sound but I‘m always switching it up a bit. When I get used to something I change it a bit. Sometimes the headphones and sometimes the Source or a Tapedeck. This way I hear different aspects of the music I listen to. I like that. So I guess there is no real goal for me;-) Just looking for the feels I got when my Dad turned up the volume. Sometimes I find it and sometimes I find something new. Both are fun.
I prefer listening at sound levels that that would be equal to what it was in the recording studio or a live at the club. Anything else is like a scotch and soda without the scotch.
I agree with you too. Sound has more data inside then linear or non linear distortion which we wish to be zero. There is also distance distortion with which deals Loudness Correction.
Great video! Interesting thing you mentioned on fantasy "if i were rich, I would have many systems for different types of music.." That is exactly how I feel on systems... You just can't have one system that does everything great, and I believe that forgetting that fact it is the main reason for misunderstandings when audiophiles get in warmed up debates on what is BEST :)
Right on regarding the Heresy IIIs. I own a pair. You can't beat em for fun factor. They just boogie in ways that some $50,000 speakers can't match. Pair them with tubes and they'll also kick @$$ at late night volumes.
A this time I am not chasing after anything. Some are happy with what they have at a modest price. Since I got a good setup now just using the 'puter and focal alpha 50 on the desktop connected to a good external soundcard, I sit in the sweet stop and I am in heaven, it has been like that for a few years now having owned a fair number of HIFIs moons ago, I have never yearned for more ever since. I also have more than a few headphones mind you I enjoy. What I have now is good enough for me to enjoy music, there comes a point where it is the music that counts, not the sound system anymore, but to each, their own.
I always have known that I cannot reproduce the LIVE "original" event. For any type of music, I want to be enveloped with a magical power that moves me out of the day to day stresses and requirements to live and be delivered to another place. I know now that it can be achieved with some effort and expense. It can be measured by me as a place from which I cannot mentally escape. If I can concentrate on something else, it ain't right.
Mine is dynamic range and good "untangling" of the recording. I have a 45RPM pressing of Nirvana and it is so interesting to hear it with such dynamic range and clarity vs the loud grungy mosh pit sound I grew up with. I think dynamic range and that "untangling" brings me closer to the artists talent and what they intended to convey in the music. Emotion and clarity might be a better description if that makes sense.
I want a holographic warm relaxing sound something I can really sink into relax close my eyes and imagine the space and can sound just as good at low volumes as it does at high volumes im on the spectrum so like reverberations and echos make me super anxious and sick and stuff
I spent so much money over the years on B&W 801s, Krell monoblocks and Audio Research CD player.... now all I have is a pair of Beoplay H9i. I download all the music on 24 bit files and the H9i are the only headphones I know that accept a digital signal via a type-c cable. And I am perfectly happy. I can recommend them to anyone who is looking for a nice simple setup. P.S. I used to live in UK and now living in Hong Kong. #SmallFlat
The irony of having your music tastes change through time on top of it all...still like a good blend, but with more dynamic than flat for sure. The fun system hopefully will win out most days Steve.
I'm chasing great music, well recorded. If I want accuracy and punch, I have studio monitors on my desk. If I want something a bit lush, I have Martin Logans in the other room. Easy!
My main goal is to feel engaged with the music. It doesn’t have to be the most detail or highly transparent, but I want to feel connected to the energy of the music - be that rocking out to Daft Punk or relaxing to acoustic. Instead of two sets of speakers (I have Zu Omens), I have two amps - a Rogue Pharaoh Class D/Tube hybrid with 185wpc, and a Decware SE34I.5 with 6wpc.
Great questions to ask Steve. My goal is to have the music sound transparent or real aka you believe that you're listening to real instruments or someone's real voice. I'm also a low to medium volume listener so getting the bass right is tricky. Because of room modes and no two recording have the same bass levels, dual adjustable subs seemed to be the best solution.
Kids growing up today who want good audio are so lucky. Back in the day when I started into audio it was all about being loud. My parents bought me a Sony bookshelf system that had removable grills (a big deal to me at the time) to show off the 6" cardboard woofer and a 3/4" cardboard with plasticky bubbled tweeter that had 2 obvious screws on either side holding it in the box. I loved that system but hearing it 20 years later I don't know how I ever listened to it. This was apparently back before they had bass below 90hz coming from anything less than a 12" woofer in a huge rectangle box or it seemed that way. I know rap had a little bit of thump coming from some nether-region the speaker mustered up, back then the bass seemed loud and big but by today's standards it was cringe-worthy. The bass in the 100hz range was extraordinarily bad. I had mounted my speakers up high on the side walls to get more bass because I noticed when I stood on my bed I could hear a lot of bass in the corners of the wall - wasn't that smart of me? I totally rearranged my bedroom to comply with my demands for these speakers to be my most prized possession. I remember having my gigantic 2-foot-cubed head unit that gave the illusion of being 3 separate components underneath my homework table so I could easily adjust volume and change radio stations. I felt like a kingpin. What is interesting is how that system never bit the dust. I think the cd player stopped working but I ended up chunking it while it still played just fine. My mom had used it for about 10 years after I moved out. But then I gave her a much smaller boombox so she could clean out some space. That system sold for like $300 back in 1994 (cd were a big new thing back then and my system had the much coveted cd player with it's multi-colored tampo cd emblem). Today, probably a $65 set of Edifier powered monitors would crush that system in every way. My how times change. I know for certain my $170 Fluance ai40 is crazy good relatively (they are good for youngsters first system) and a thousand times better sounding, 4 times more compact with 100 times more bass, bass clarity infinite more clear.
Today, I design and build all of my (analog) signal procesing audio equipment. Therefore, most audio salesmen "hate me". So I have an "eclectic" collection of home audio gear. I'm currently re-designing and re-building sections of a 30+ year old SONY TA-2000F pre-amp. I used to be be a hardcore audiophile when I was young (with a lot less theoretical knowledge of electronics) and felt I had to spend a ton of money to get "good sound". Once I was able to look inside some of my vintage gear and obtain schematics I came to two conclusions. (1) The internal circuit design did NOT live up to the marketing hype. (2) Many of the parts used used were of mediocre quality. (3) The replacement cost of all the electronics parts amounted to about 20% of the cost of the gear. (power amp cases excluded) So now, after many years of "tinkering" I have what I call my "HackIntosh" system. All solid state. (No tubes). Lots of op-amps and discrete transistors and high quality parts. The only components I purchase "turnkey" today are speakers. If I had had the room I would design and build those too. Today, just about every basic component (except custom chassis) can be purchased online. I love Rainbow Bridge...got it many years ago on LP.
You can't have too much fun just sitting there and listening idly - without having a couple of drinks. You won't believe how well your system will sound then.
I had to laugh, but agree that having several complete set ups in different rooms, each specializing in a certain musical genre would be cool. Next of kin to that would be a decent size room, with a wall long enough to accommodate 3 or 4 different stereo pairs of speakers that you could switch between. You could choose the speaker best suited for the type of music you want to hear. big horn loaded ones for that "live" loud rock concert, or say, your magnapans for gentle but complicated acoustic instruments to pull out their subtle timbre, transients and imaging . Something like that would be neat. Like a biker may have both a nice luxury road bike and a rough and tumble dirt bike.
The Grado sound. Its impact is as close as it gets to watching a rock band live. And I've seen a few. My favorite being Journey since they're my favorite international band. I'm yet to see U2 but I hope to, one day. The thing is, live rock performances are INHERENTLY loud, forward, and aggressive. It's alive, it's engaging, just like the Grado sound. If I'm looking to relax and mellow out, then I put on my trusty $40- JVC HA-RX700. That constantly "melodic but not boring" sound that seems to be good with anything is something special about those cheap gems. So there you go, the "sounds" that I'm chasing at opposite ends of the spectrum - from aggressive to melodic.
My chase is over! Just picked up some Sonus Faber Toy Towers and am currently in Audio Nirvana, why not. The depth and richness of each instrument is first rate and they're condo-friendly. Ahhhhhhhhh.............
Room Full of Mirrors?, excellent song in my humble opinion .It has great lyrics and Jimi infuses a melancholic bluesy feel to his guitar, perhaps giving us some insight into Jimi' s mood at the time . Cheers everyone!
I find myself liking my sound to have the imaging and the space and pace of how I think the original recording may have sounded. It involves some dynamics but low level detail is also important for me. I’ve gravitated to more efficient speakers and lower powered amps because this combination seems to allow the music to flow rather than being pushed or forced. My two cents.
Pali Gap from Rainbow Bridge is uniquely Hendrix and a work of genius. Agree w/ your comments regarding The House of the New Rising Sun/Hey Baby. I really dig Roomful of Mirrors too, (no accounting for taste i guess).
If you ask yourself a question, "what you're chasing", you already know the answer. I don't need any "-phile" status to define who I am. I simply love to explore. I had been using Skullcandy mixmaster HPs for a long time until the headband split in two. I bought Bose QC 35 until I decided to try ATH M50x. But before that my girlfriend gifted me DT990s. My music taste had already gone immense transformation by that time, but till today, these are my best cans and my music never sounded so good to ears before. I also own DT770 as my on-the-go cans. I know the mids are recessed in Beyers, but that's OK with me because I'm expecting my cans to play every genre the same way they play my best music. This year, my girlfriend gifted me HD650s, but I'm yet to try them. So, the bottom line is that no, I'm not chasing anything, but I DO love to explore different gears that make me happy and satisfied. That's it.
I'm searching for the amazing sound I experienced when I was around 17 years old (~1991) and listening to my father's ESS AMT-1 speakers with the Heil tweeters, while high on cannabis. I'm mildly synesthetic but the combination of cannabis and these amazing drivers had me seeing amazing structures and colors with my eyes closed. I'm 44 now and can't afford high-end audio and obviously cannot use cannabis, and the small AMT tweeters on my Emotiva Stealth 8 speakers don't really do the job.
Steve, what is your goto genre for your Maggie .7s? I've always been agnostic about planar magnetic speakers because I feel that physics dictates that they shouldn't be able to faithfully reproduce extreme lows nor highs. I know how big a fan of them you are and for their price point I might be willing to give them a whirl.
Modest goals: Transparency at low volumes, modest bass extension (don't care about organ music or sonic gut punches), and a sense of unflappability when confronted with a complex mix. So it will probably be small, high quality speakers on stands, paired with an amp with sufficient headroom to be unflappable as mentioned before, and the best DAC I can afford.
If a med or FR driver sounds harsh (maybe cos it's cheap) you can soften the cone by rubbing it with a stick and it improves the med a lot! Not as many wild peaks.
I’ve been chasing the clarity in mids & highs. I’ve finally achieved hearing what I’ve been missing with my purchase of my dream speakers. It’s now so much fun listening to my music.
Accurate sound. I love 70's rock. On the whole there was never any other time that merged classical, progressive, rock, acid rock, anything that requires a good flat response that's accurate, not colored like classical music demands. Not bass heavy like Metal or Rap or Hip Hop demands. I want something that sound like you're sitting there in the same room with the guys laying down the tracks we love! I want something that brings music alive. Heck, if Klipsch Heresys do that, bring them on. And so you don't think I'm a punk rock idiot, I love Bach, as does Tom Scholz, and man does that show!!! You just have to listen for it. I want something with great range, and flat response, so that I can EQ everything out to my tastes. I built a pair of those, but time took its toll on the paper con woofers that sat in the desert sun in Phoenix. Now I'm struggling to get back to that point when I could listen to Dark Side of The Moon and have people scratching their heads looking for all the alarm clocks. Then, they come sit next to me and ask me to play it again so they can figure out what just happened. (Rock Noobs!) and that has happened.
I watch too much documentaries and youtube. Back in the day I bought a kenwood that had big subwoofers. I am happy with my Kenwood ES speakers connected to a decent kenwood amp. Since the speakers are on my desk behind the monitor they are not in a ideal spot but they are good enough.
When I play a classical recording, I want it as musical and tight as possible and that, all in accordance with personal preferences. I play a Karayan or Heifetz CD, DVD or Tape, or a preferred radio Station on the Tuner, I position all settings that affect tones "flat" to start with. When I feel differently, I will correct the track with the parametric equalizer or I will insert an effect or two with the Sony TA-E1000ESD via the remote control. If I watch a Live performance, play a tape, a CD or a DVD, then I use the digital processing capability of the Sony preamplifier which is a Digital Processing Control Amplifier that can define the stage where the band plugs in and rocks the house and also set my seating position, from which row and which seat I am watching the artist or band play. The classic music is reproduced with Celestion Ditton 66 Series II in front and Technics SP-L100 in the back. The effects can simulate a different environment, such as a resizable Room, a famous Concert Hall, a magnificent Cathedral or a Cold Stadium, I press a few buttons on the wireless remote control and close my eyes to enjoy the music permeating a different world on short notice. When all that does not sound right, I press the "Speakers B" switch "on" and switch "off" "Speakers A" on the Kenwood Basic M2*, then a pair of Altec Lansing Model 14 takes over. Unfortunately using all four front speakers is not a good option because the Celestion speakers have an SPL (Sound Pressure Level) of 82 db measured at 1 meter and the Model 14 speakers hit 92 db of SPL so the Altec are way more efficient and they overpower the Celestion. All my gears were bought new in 1984-85 and they are still going except the CD player, a JVC XL-V2B that don't like the CDs made after 1990. I like the album Rainbow Bridge but prefer Are you Experience and Electric Ladyland. * The Kenwood Basic M2 is a solid state stereo power amplifier pushing 220W per channel at 8 Ohm and 400W per channel at 4 Ohm. The Technics SP-L100 are driven by a Kenwood Basic M1 that pushes 105W per channel at 8 Ohm. The speaker switches on the M1 are for independent (not simultaneous) operation of two sets of speakers.
I totally agree with this suggestion. I have 3 pair of speakers ( wife not happy) to cover my range of music and mood. Odyssey Lorelei's (wife happy), Magnepan MMG's (w/sub usually) and KEF Q100's (also w/sub sometimes). Different amps, preamps and cd players but hey, once around, yeah?
2:35 Use my speakers for all types of music. Great reggae sound, great voice sound, amazing strings sound amazing jazz sound and amazing house music sound. I don't know how I did it but I did. I reckon it's treble that makes the texture and it's the texture that affects the sound quality of different instruments. The tone is also important especially for a good voice sound. Voice is hardest I reckon cos that's what we are used to the most and we hear the difference much more (unlike a guitar sound, for instance). If you can get crazy good texture and tone your speakers should be able to handle all types.
Hi Steve. What studio monitors on a budget would you recommend? I’m recording on an ADAT on tape with an analog mixer. I’m looking for flat monitors (I mean, those that output exactly what’s on the recording without coloring the sound either on the bass or on the highs). Any recommendations are truly appreciated. By the way, I’m on a budget because I’m just getting started :-) Thank you in advance.
As someone who was in concert and marching band in high school for years, I've more or less memorized the way instruments should sound. I judge speakers by choosing a reference level soundtrack that I have cross checked the accuracy of on many ultra high end systems, and then us that same track to judge all other systems. The similarities that I hear between the 'best of the best' are the aspects I look for, not, of course, the variations between them. Frankly, one of my best sound checks are my Empire Cerberus 3 IEM's running on a FiiO Kunlun DAC. Very few systems under $20,000 can compare to that sound, and I cannot afford a $20,000 system, so it acts as a great reference. That aside, my most important requirement are 'precision/speed', bass response and tremble extension. If people think classic music does not need bass, you are wrong! My favorite classical instrument, the pipe organ, is known to reach down to 10hz. Hearing one in person, at places like the Los Angeles Disney Hall, will blow you away with the depth and clarity of the low frequencies. It will shake the very fiber of your being. It is like you BECOME a resonator in the pipe organ. For a sound system to do that, extremely well done woofers/sub woofers are required, reaching at least to an F3 of 20hz. This, unfortunately, is uncommon in tower speakers, even most very expensive ones I have heard. As for precision, most speakers, particularly ones with paper cones sound 'lazy' to me. Yes, the frequency response chart for the speaker may be flat, but it can still be flat while missing half of the information that was recorded! Very small details in the recording will simply be lost in lesser systems, particularly with heavy, high material damping, low force factor speakers. Light cones, with high rigidity, non-intrinic damping, and high GEOMETRIC damping of cone resonances with a high BL of near or above 10 Tm will have the 'speed' to reproduce those details before the cone changes direction and phase cancels them. I can hear a huge fraction of the recording simply missing on lesser audio systems. Certain instruments even are not even present on them! So, information, in my opinion, is key. Retaining information from the recording through the speakers and into your ears.
I like to close my eyes & be immersed in the performance with a holographic soundfield… I like to pinpoint individual instruments... I like to hear the feedback... and a smooth top end that isn't harsh or strident... mostly jazz. I'm less critical when it comes to classic rock. For techno/trance, I like it full-bodied, & typically bottom-heavy. I've assembled multiple systems in the living room, den, bedroom, and office. It all comes down to the room interactions in most cases... with equipment running a close second. Some of my speakers need more room to breathe (electrostatic dipoles). It's a hobby... I enjoy the chase of the "right" sound.
Linearity in the time and frequency domain across as wide a range as possible, and ultra low distortion including both harmonic and IM and any other kind. And cool new technology.
I was big on buying good speakers and amps. I've moved to headphones. I don't have to worry about placement, the room and annoying other people. I'm an introvert when it comes to my own time. I prefer my own company which is funny being a man with a wife and two kids. My sound system is a marantz 7.1 receiver and JBL HLS speakers. All the tweeters have been replaced for good ones. It is predominantly used for movies and it does it very well. I listen to music on headphones and I am spoiled for choice when it comes to sound signatures. I have many over ear headphones but I am now starting to discover cheap and fantastic Chinese IEM's. With a good portable DAC I can take my system anywhere I want which is a bonus. If I want to listen to a song with more sound stage, mids, bass etc it is only a headphone away not an entire sound system.
thanks steve i checked out on you tube found that it led 2 some educational experieces ,, didnt sound 2 bad with the after 8pm set up im sure if the jpw rubbies were plugged in it would be nice ,, alcmina 6,s with heybrook hb 2 ,, sub can get to much but hey ive all three in the set love changing speakers around and listening for changes, " its forever eternal , "
One can only know by listening to what is out there. I came to realize I'd prefer a more open (warm tuby) sound over analytical (no or less colouring). Good stereo imaging is imho always desired.
Hello Steve, I am definitely a late night listener, so I need a speaker to play music at low an medium levels (It is important because I live in an apartment and I do not want to border my neighbors). My preference is to hear very well with a great presence the signer voice (200 to 6000 hertz ). One way speaker can do it very well but all the quality speakers that I listen (tow and three way) have a crossover who cut the medium frequency at 2500 or 3000. The fervency above that go in the twitter, but for me for me the medium speaker is the best to have a good voice presence. I also like progressive rock. Do you have a suggestion ?
Listened to your if i had money id have many rooms with different gear, exactly what i would do. We are on the same wave length i think. I would have liked to party with you back in the day. Anyway my main goal would be sound staging. I had polk sda 2bs a yamaha rx v900 akai cassette deck. I would light a doobie and my speakers would disappear and id be jammin to Allman Brothers live at the filmore E.C. at the same and just enjoy my system. So i enjoy listening to your show man thanks
I got what I always wanted: Klipsch RP280F, 5004C, 600M as rears connected to Denon X3500H. Love the way they perform theater and they are a satisfactory music speaker but not as enjoyable as my Elac UB5 connected to Yamaha Aventage 880 system with music IMO. I use exclusively Monoprice Monolith 12-gauge speaker cable, Nakamichi banana plugs and Amazon Basics HDMI cables to sync it all together through ARC. I also have Furman PL-8C power conditioners just in case that improves anything. The Furman took away some bass it seemed like but when I run Audyssey and YPAO I don't notice anything lacking. I wouldn't mind now getting an 11 channel receiver with some ceiling speakers and dolby atmos and a larger tv but I like my TCL 55S515 just fine, beautiful tv. I wouldn't mind throwing a couple svs sb-2000 subs in the mix as I have noticed that apparently the Klipsch towers have some muddy bass and I think it works best cutting them out around 40-60hz. I think the cabinet is ported at 34hz so you get a bass hum at that region best I can tell. I would like to soundproof/acoustic treatment my room. But I am plenty happy as is with what I have. It would take almost a whole new tech to make me really care to switch any of it out.
I have Rainbow Bridge on VHS I think it’s memorable for a few things The ashram in Hawaii, The surfing and not least Hendrix cameo. Was the lead actress Pam Greer?
Altec, Bozak, JBL, Klipsch, et al - large speakers - own dynamic range. The biggest difference between live performance and a recording is the dynamic range. The Laws of Physics remain unrepealed.
I just want a clear, unmuddled, articulate and well-defined sound at low to medium loudness. In the end though, I'm really a fan of the music, not just sounds. I like to be able to hear lyrics clearly, strings to have a sharp and distinctive thwang, and for pianos or anything with bass to be be felt but not to reverberate like aftershocks in an earthquake. That's what I would ideally hear.
I like bass that is deep and fast and that gives weight to music and is not boomy. Midrange that is transparent and is not boxy and harsh. For high end I like that it is airy and wide.
I just want my system to do justice to the recordings I've loved during my life, but I realize that the recordings themselves are going to be the #1 determiner of sound quality. So, I just want my system to not "get in the way", if that makes any sense. By the way, thanks Steve for your videos, which have helped me in assembling a system that works for me in this regard. Your advice has been very helpful.
Room full of mirrors is a brilliant track. Rainbow Bridge is one of my favourite jimi hendrix album's, Band of gypsies is my other favourite. If I was going to skip a track it definitely would be the American anthem that my least favourite track. As that's not my national anthem but I have never skipped it, it's a pritty short track anyway. Sound I enjoy from my hifi is having the band playing in the room with you or you are sitting in the recording studio with the band or at concert on the live albums. Fleet Wood mac Live in Boston actually like you are in a smoky club. Kit I have is cyrus, bowser and Wilkins. Naim, pmc, linn turntables is a very good combination.
Being someone who is classically trained, I know nothing in my home or any demonstration would come close to "live" music. I want something that just comes close with a full range. Chasing the "holy grail" of audio is endless and very costly. I settled on my current system and have had it for a very long time.
My system sounds good to me in the room I have it in. It's old. I've heard nothing new that will get me to spend more money for a marginal improvement in sound. Marsh P2000T pre amp, Parasound HCA 2200 MkII power amp, Von Schweikert VR 4 speakers, ART DI/O DAC, Pioneer transport. Cables? Lots to choose from. Audio Quest, MIT, Morrow, custom made with Belden coax..... I listen to a variety of music. Some sounds great and amazing. Some doesn't. I had to downsize moving to Europe from NY. Sold my VPI with Premiere MMT, Koestu Black Goldine and Grado Platinum cartrige. That hurt, but no place for it or the albums.
You want a dynamic system! One that can really portray the dynamic flow and energy of the music.
"Chasing the dragon", especially with cables. The process never ends with some neurotic types. They spend themselves into oblivion, often to learn that higher cost does not necessarily mean better sound, it means different sound. I jumped off that merry go round more than a decade ago. I read audio forums long enough to see one of thier senior members spend at least 1/4 million in 12 years just to come full circle to his original setup. The saddest part was with each new system change, he touted it, rationalizing it was money well spent and "The sound" until he changed it again in a few months.
@@scottlowell493 That sounds like me. I searched for the timbre I had in my mind memorized when I was in my 20ties - all time target was to gain bigger power and full stereo. I've won a lot of victories and pronouncing of results better than then, happy moments Lucky me. Last time I had a chance to buy exactly the same type of speaker sets. So I decided to play game - "how it was then" and purchased that vintage. Brought to order connections and phases which were mixed. It shown very promising from first tests . In 70ties I modified seriously original construction by doubling crossovers for doubled speakers so I followed to do the same modification today. Right. Then I tried to make the same modification as before to masking frames by changing textiles on low and tweeters separately. Amplifier (UHER CV140 from 1970) stands exactly in shoes of my tube mono from 1958 with 10x power and of course stereo, not mono . After testing I admitted (had to) that never even succeed to emulate that with any used modern or vintage speakers nor any combination. Got my target at last only with original speakers - circle turned . How it works - hard of course to say but I feel like every sound surprises me with timbre and location. Sometime first think when facing all modern progress seems not convincing but watch out.
The only way to do it is to record the music in a soundproof room and record each instrument as a separate channel. Four instruments means four channels and ten instruments requires ten channels. Then you need a speaker for each instrument and then set the speakers up in the same position as the instruments were. Use good speakers of course and it would be really close done that way. But just two speakers isn't going to do it even though stereo does help, but it's only an illusion and therefore only partially there. If you have a lot of money, you could do it I reckon, but if you don't do it that way it simply won't happen.
Sound that makes me say WOW without being fatigued after an hour - this sense of hyper musicality can serve double duty as part of my home theater system
Love the channel man, really great.
My journey started back in the early 70's, when as a single digit lad I would scavenge whatever speaker drivers I could and cobble together the best sound I could get from them with whatever source I could use, generally someone's discarded FM Clock radio. A good extension speaker was the objective, to get the most out of that little circuit and those cast-offs. One year I asked for a pair of Radio Shack 4" 10 watt full range drivers. I built boxes for them while away at the hunting cabin (I didn't hunt, I was too wrapped up in my hobbies) and used them into my mid teens with a hand me down stereo replete with built in turntable. What joy that was, and those little 4" speakers rocked. The drum hits would whack you in the chest. From there I worked my way up the chain via yard sales, etc., until I was working steadily enough to buy new, in my area you either went to a department store or Radio Shack. It so happens that I had a friend who worked there (RS) and he let me know when things were on their way out of the lineup and a lot of stuff I bought on "Spiff" -basically the lowest reduced price before it got thrown out. After going through a number of their lower end stuff, I ended up getting better names like, Sansui, Technics, JVC, and Pioneer. Those names are still with me today. The surprising part? The Radio Shack / Realistic bits that are still here 25-35+ years on. The EQ, the re-built Optimus 30's and the MC1800's and the turntable.
Would I love to have really expensive, super hi - end stuff? Yeah, if I could afford it and had a place to put it, but of all the places I've gone and auditioned other full systems, I couldn't justify spending all that money to have what I already have. Besides, my setup allows not only the oldies, the classic hits, the grunge, the adult contemporary, the prog, the other worldly celtic harp and even the spacey music fom Baltimore Aquarium to come through and transport you to another place. AND, I have 3 stereo sweet spots as you go between the 2 open rooms (L,R (open archway) L,R).
Is it perfect? Not by a long shot. Would I trade it in? Maybe the Sansui reciever. Something with a better FM front end and a little more grunt. Still, though, you'd be surprised how much you can get out of 20 watts when set up properly.
Every listening day is different and I try to enjoy music and sound everyday. It makes me feel good and I know it will be different tomorrow. I'm chasing that flow, just to have that musical moment every single day, if possible. I feels fresh, even though the music is old. Every day is a new day in life. Cheers!
It's so funny, I watch these videos about audiophile sound reproduction and then go strait over to guitar amp videos and all we talk about is the AWESOME distortion of this or that amp, lol.
ditto - the audiophiles get into it a little, though - they like perfectly level response but then go over and talk about the warmth of a driven stereo amp. The good audio amps are like a fender twin - the twin has a lot of moderate distortion on its clean side, but tons of headroom. People used to talk about how great the cleans are until analysis found out that marshall cleans are cleaner -nobody likes them.
If I were an audiophile (instead of someone just trying to find something that sounds good rather than perfectly transparent), I'd want one of each for systems - smooth even but sterile response in one, and another low wattage stereo tube amp.
As far as clear amps - I've got a buddy who is a very accomplished guitar builder and all he wants is a standel amp or a JC120, and he wants pickups that are thin and level distortion. Only person I ever met who likes P100s over P90s, but it's what he likes and he doesn't read the internet to find out what other people think he should like (he reads the internet, but he knows what he likes)
So I like my hi-fi gear to be able to miraculously reproduce the ragged distortion that the guitars you speak of produce, AND pleasantly reproduce a lovely singer and guitar, for example. That's a lot to ask of a home music system.
Speaker distortion is different from distortion already in a recording. The distortion in the recording becomes part of the stereo field whereas the distortion from a speaker clogs up the imaging and makes it mushy because it's not "mixed" properly with the sound like distortion in a produced recording (or guitar sound)
Natural tone and timbre, lifelike dynamics - attack, sustain, and decay..
Room full of mirrors is amazing!! As is Pali Gap! 👍❤️
I want my speakers to be fun and resolving. Accuracy is overrated. the most important thing about music is fun, emotions, the right bass. smoothness.
When i want to go further i use headphones.
Good points Steve I do the same with changing speakers,also swap cartridges,amps tube/SS great fun tuning the system to particular music.
I’m a relative noobie to this hobby - 4 months and counting. But I can tell you that you don’t know what you are chasing until you hear it! For example I have been listening to box speakers for 40 years and just recently I heard my first open baffle speaker and it blew my mind! Suddenly I can’t listen to another box speaker without hearing the box! The second mind blowing experience for me was getting an NAD amp and hearing OLED TV black levels - actual black spaces between instruments and notes. I have never heard that before and my brain almost exploded when I first heard it. Now would I have known before hand that this was possible? heck no! It was a total surprise, but that’s what made it such an incredible experience. If you know before hand exactly what you are missing, then you aren’t really missing it. :)
Thank you audiophiliac for answering my questions as to what constitutes good sound: It's so simple: Good is what feels good to you! In a roundabout way I felt you said something like that.
I already saw myself laying at the feet of the priests of audio as they purport to establish and define the high magic of sound.
You have saved me from countless years of search and saved me at least $500,000.00.
I have further understood, at least as deeply as I can right now, that there is a quality of audio that may superseed all other qualities: You have to like it!!
Going a little deeper, the audio I like REVERBERATES with me.
It makes me stronger.
It amplifies whatever I am.
It inspires me.
It leads me through doors I have not knocked on before.
The list goes on, you get the point.
As you said yourself, you could chase the impossible dream.
Therefore, as long as I can relate to it, sound itself becomes my amplifier, my comrade and my savior.
I sincerely apreciate your video. It DID help me,
Thanks,
Bernd Licht
4:00 I'm blown away every time I listen to my speakers, like it's the first time I have heard them. My speakers are amazing. I'm glad you made that point cos mine make me SMILE always.
I was always chasing crystal clear highs that sound real. Life like. Many years ago I visited a friend at his home. His brother was playing the B52s on LP on a Pioneer system. Didn’t think much of it until the music started playing. I have heard that recording so many times before but this time, I really heard it. The cymbals were relight there and directional. I was blown away. I thought it was the record but in my “el cheapo” system, it wasn’t the same. I searched for the answer and found out what tweeters are. I have heard and felt bass but the treble was what made the music come alive. Now I have a great system in my opinion. So I’m searching for great music. I already have collected the music I wanted.
If you want a great "live" cymbal sound try glueing a tiny stick to your tweeters. Use PVA that you can remove if you want and not fuck your speakers. The tiny sticks are only (2-3 mm tall) and then glue a tiny bit of tin foil to the end of the stick (like 6x4mm) and in a teardrop shape. It's really tedious and tricky to do but really cheap. Get the foil from a coffee can seal. And enjoy, you will be blown away by the amazing "live" and strong cymbal sound. I do it to the tiny 2" bluetooth full range drivers, and the bluetooth speakers also have that mad cymbal sound (instead of muffly). With any speaker or tweeter it transforms your system and the cymbals have that penetration over the strongest bass, just like real cymbals (and it does it when the cymbals aren't even loud). It's the sound quality of the upper treble that penetrates the bass, not necessarily the intensity. It's easier to just glue the foil directly to the driver but don't do it. It's NOT the same and you won't get that "live" effect. The stick is essential (although very tricky to do). lol
Best question you've asked (that I've heard/seen)!! For me: tonality and dynamics. I'v chased spatiousness, and airiness, and depth.. all HiFi parameters; give m impact and an accurate tonality and I'm happy! Having been in live (classical) music all my life, dynamics is what I miss in most HiFi.
I love my RF7 IIs and my LRS speakers. I can sit there and listen to music for hours and really enjoy it.
Love my late night system when the AC juice is super clean and the neighbours are deep asleep. Love your reviews!
Gotta agree, my favourite recording of Hendrix. Nobody else seems to know it though. I'm glad you bought it up.
Euphonious bliss, pure and simple.
I enjoy the tactile as well as the sonic experience. Feeling a smooth bass line with my feet on the floor or the tight punch of a snare drum on my torso. Getting the room to move around you is the nirvana for myself.
Nice topic , very good idea to actually get people to ask themselves what is making them tick in audio terms. 2 sets of speakers is also a great way to cover various bases like you mentioned. There are good amp/pre combinations that can deliver the goods with warmth , dynamic range ect , the speakers are the wild cards more so.
LOve your channel. Great comunicator. I would love to hear you talk about your records.
Still remember my first experience with imaging. Solo classical guitar album (can't recall who). Just bought my NAD and ran my technics linear tone-arm close-n-play turntable through it to my basic can't remember speakers and suddenly the guitarist was sitting RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! I swear I could see his fingers move on the fingerboard!
Been chasing that experience ever since.
Became a regular at Stereo Exchange on Broadway for used gear and believe I bought my new Rega Planar III from Sound by Singer, if you were there in the late 80s I probably bought it from you!
3:45 "Are you having fun listening to music?" This is my reason.
When I was a teenager in the early 90s I got a pair of Realistic Mach Ones off a friend of mine. The woofers had been replaced with some Radio Shack 15"s, I dont know the model. I had an old silver reciever, either a Technics or a Teac my Dad handed down when we got our first color TV. Man I loved that setup. I found a pair at a yard sale a couple years back with the original woofers still in them. I have them hooked up in my garage to a pioneer reciever I got for like 20 or 30 bucks at a thrift store and they still sound awesome. Nowadays I have a mancave/theater thing in my basement with Elac B5 surrounds, an Elac C5 center, and a Dayton Ultimax 18" sub and it sounds pretty damn incredible as far as my ear is concerned. I have to say I agree with what you brought up about different setups for different types of recordings. I never thought of it like that. Some stuff just sounds better on those old Radio Shack speakers. With certain types of songs the drums are just alive on those Mach Ones. Overall I like my more modern setup better but Its been really cool listening to music as an adult on the same set of speakers I had as a kid. Awesome video as always Steve.
I look for a rich, transparent, dense, dynamic sound field that reproduces the impact of drums and reproduces the proper timbre of each instrument. A speaker that sounds believable with all types of music. This quest is much easier when you know exactly what each instrument should sound like. Attending live shows and/or being a musician helps in that regard quite immensely.
@Akeno AkitaInu I pretty much agree although live music played through horns seem to sound more real to me - not necessarily better - just more real. Different speakers reproduce wildly different sound fields, especially in the area of density of the soundstage. I admit, I many time prefer the refined, dense reproduction of some speakers. Manufacturers such as Totem Acoustic for example. Their speakers, people say, are colored sounding. That said, I love the Totem sound. The Totem Acoustic Hawk is one superb speaker, even if only a small, two way design.
This is outstanding advice here that their is no perfect system and what sounds good with one genre of music won’t sound good with another. Horn speakers are outstanding choices, the Heresy and in particular the lescala and the lips corn for rock. I use to have two amps, one for summer, solid state and a tube amp for the fall and winter months. Different sounds and done mostly to preserve tube life and keep the heat down in the summer. I also had two different types of speakers for different types of sounds. I think that chase for the Absolute Sound is what keeps most Audiophiles going and the fact that deep down within they know they won’t get it.
Transparency over here too. Having worked in a studio mixing and performing, I love being able to pinpoint effects and where the compression is.
A speaker that does it all, of course. All genres, of course.
As always, good stuff Steve!!
A full, meaty,Technicolor midrange that's transparent with good depth, so much thread bare midrange around.
Great post and brings attention to a subject often skipped over. This is why you can prefer an Audio 80 rated speaker over an Audio 90 rated speaker, if the 80 suits your musical tastes more. As for myself, I tend to follow brand sounds. I like Marantz amps and I really like Dynaudio speakers.
I am a person with two sets of speakers in my room. The chair is in the middle of the room, and all I have to do is spin around depending on which system I want to hear. On one end is my pair of Sound Labs A2 electrostatics, which I bought used back in 1984. They have been sent back to the factory once for new mylar, and are now probably one of a kind. On the other end is a pair of home made speakers which are the culmination of the last tectonic shift in my understanding of audio, 20 years ago, when I built a single ended triode amplifier. This amp is only 2 watts, but it changed my understanding as to what audio should sound like. Before I go on, the speakers: Standing up in my unfinished basement listening room (I know, but trust me it works), and kept vertical by the joists in the ceiling, are a pair of 4X8 sheets of plywood into each of which I have installed an Altec 515b 15" alnico woofer, an Altec 755a 8" alnico midrange and a RAAL dipole ribbon tweeter. There is no back so, like my electrostatics, these are dipoles. There are three amps, all different but based on the same circuit fed from an active three way crossover.
So, what do they sound like? Fresh hot fudge oozing over homemade ice cream, waterfalls of silk, fields of butterflies. Sorry, I tend to "see" things when I listen, especially a new component. I couldn't get the visions of waterfalls of cream out of my mind when I first got my Musical Fidelity NuVista preamp.
I like to hear the body of the drum resonate when it is struck. I like to be able to close my eyes and easily imagine Caro Emerald is singing just to me. I like to be able to enjoy the music I want to hear and not just the music that sounds good on my system. I'm not sure how you would define what gives you that.
Both of my systems, the Sound Labs have a 300 watt hybrid amp and they share a source, can play from Led Zeppelin to John Williams (both of them) without any problem. While there are speakers that don't have the range and dynamics to play loud rock or classical music, just because a system can do that doesn't mean it can't play something soft. The Sound Labs (line source) have better imaging than the Altec/RAALs (standard three way), while the Altecs are more organic and have a fuller bottom end. I like them both, the Altecs get more playing time.
As an aside, I was on the list for the First Watt SIT 3 amplifier (it ,too, is single ended) but when it was my turn to buy, Mark at Reno HiFi convinced me it wouldn't be a good match with my Sound Labs. He is probably right since, while they are not badly insensitive at 89db, the impedance swings from over 20 to below 4 ohms and they need a lot of current. I will probably always wonder "what if...."
The most important thing to me is to achieve a wide and deep soundstage with precise and stable 3D imaging. IMO, when you achieve that goal, you know that everything else is right.
I've had my home for over 20 years now single family house four separate systems and a very understanding wife! I consider myself a lucky guy great video Steve!
I can say that I've tried various things... Designing systems with 140dB peak capability, extension to 8hz, trying all sorts of different speakers, rooms, amps, remastering my own tracks, etc.
I found that once you reach a certain point... Speakers are low distortion, flat power response, room is treated, etc... The same "next big obstacle" I run into over and over again is not a matter of degree, but a matter of kind: 2-channel speakers produce the exact same sound image with every single source. Phantom center vocals always come from the same spot. Out of phase information always presents itself the same way spatially depending on the specific speakers. That's the frontier Atmos is trying to cross.
The best results I've achieved have come from building a custom speaker system and remastering tracks to play well on my custom speakers.
I'm chasing 3D image. Depth in my soundstage. Yes, dynamics also so I get scared sometimes.
Realistic sound. From a violin solo to a mortar explosion. It took custom built speakers and 20 kilowatts, but I did it.
For me, music is about the artists evoking emotion (and I don't mean anger from spending too much on an unsatisfying system). Concepts like dynamics, imaging, transparency, coloration all serve that goal. Right now, I am really enjoying a used tube/SS integrated. For me, it provides a great balance -- a touch of sweetness, and really good power. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about the system unless something sounds wrong.
First heard Rainbow Bridge on 8-Track...when i was 5.lol. 1975 changed my life.
Good points Steve i agree 100 percent you need at least 2 systems to enjoy most music types i have a Soundlab AP1X electrostats with Joule Electra grand Marquis 160 watt OTL mono Bloc amps a Canadian made Tube pre amp with tube regulation and Tube rectification also use a old REL Britannia sub Bat tube high end cd player VPI turntable Koetsu rosewood cart this system is good for 80 percent of the music i like while i do need a system for high dynamic hard rock and metal which i listen to rarely.
I‘m chasing after the sound of my childhood. I went throu all the formats until I arived at Hi-Res. I like it. But now I went back to compact tapes and MD just for fun. I love to listen to tapes on the go. Lot‘s of 80s and 90s Pop and New Wave and classical Soudtracks. At home I have my monoblocks and NAD (Pre)Amp combined with big Fisher speakers. And a quite good turntable from Pro-Ject. I love the Sound but I‘m always switching it up a bit. When I get used to something I change it a bit. Sometimes the headphones and sometimes the Source or a Tapedeck. This way I hear different aspects of the music I listen to. I like that. So I guess there is no real goal for me;-) Just looking for the feels I got when my Dad turned up the volume. Sometimes I find it and sometimes I find something new. Both are fun.
I prefer listening at sound levels that that would be equal to what it was in the recording studio or a live at the club. Anything else is like a scotch and soda without the scotch.
I am right there with you on that.
I agree with you too. Sound has more data inside then linear or non linear distortion which we wish to be zero. There is also distance distortion with which deals Loudness Correction.
Bass and dynamics baby!
Great video! Interesting thing you mentioned on fantasy "if i were rich, I would have many systems for different types of music.." That is exactly how I feel on systems... You just can't have one system that does everything great, and I believe that forgetting that fact it is the main reason for misunderstandings when audiophiles get in warmed up debates on what is BEST :)
I'm a person who likes my clarity in the treble and high bass, but I also like my bass thump for the fun factor.
exactly, nobody really Knows what is in the recording. Great way to put it. Thank you! I have been trying to figure out how to word that. Great Video
Right on regarding the Heresy IIIs. I own a pair. You can't beat em for fun factor. They just boogie in ways that some $50,000 speakers can't match. Pair them with tubes and they'll also kick @$$ at late night volumes.
A this time I am not chasing after anything. Some are happy with what they have at a modest price. Since I got a good setup now just using the 'puter and focal alpha 50 on the desktop connected to a good external soundcard, I sit in the sweet stop and I am in heaven, it has been like that for a few years now having owned a fair number of HIFIs moons ago, I have never yearned for more ever since.
I also have more than a few headphones mind you I enjoy. What I have now is good enough for me to enjoy music, there comes a point where it is the music that counts, not the sound system anymore, but to each, their own.
I always have known that I cannot reproduce the LIVE "original" event. For any type of music, I want to be enveloped with a magical power that moves me out of the day to day stresses and requirements to live and be delivered to another place. I know now that it can be achieved with some effort and expense. It can be measured by me as a place from which I cannot mentally escape. If I can concentrate on something else, it ain't right.
Mine is dynamic range and good "untangling" of the recording. I have a 45RPM pressing of Nirvana and it is so interesting to hear it with such dynamic range and clarity vs the loud grungy mosh pit sound I grew up with. I think dynamic range and that "untangling" brings me closer to the artists talent and what they intended to convey in the music. Emotion and clarity might be a better description if that makes sense.
I want a holographic warm relaxing sound something I can really sink into relax close my eyes and imagine the space and can sound just as good at low volumes as it does at high volumes im on the spectrum so like reverberations and echos make me super anxious and sick and stuff
I spent so much money over the years on B&W 801s, Krell monoblocks and Audio Research CD player.... now all I have is a pair of Beoplay H9i. I download all the music on 24 bit files and the H9i are the only headphones I know that accept a digital signal via a type-c cable. And I am perfectly happy. I can recommend them to anyone who is looking for a nice simple setup.
P.S. I used to live in UK and now living in Hong Kong. #SmallFlat
The irony of having your music tastes change through time on top of it all...still like a good blend, but with more dynamic than flat for sure.
The fun system hopefully will win out most days Steve.
I'm chasing great music, well recorded. If I want accuracy and punch, I have studio monitors on my desk. If I want something a bit lush, I have Martin Logans in the other room. Easy!
My main goal is to feel engaged with the music. It doesn’t have to be the most detail or highly transparent, but I want to feel connected to the energy of the music - be that rocking out to Daft Punk or relaxing to acoustic. Instead of two sets of speakers (I have Zu Omens), I have two amps - a Rogue Pharaoh Class D/Tube hybrid with 185wpc, and a Decware SE34I.5 with 6wpc.
Great questions to ask Steve. My goal is to have the music sound transparent or real aka you believe that you're listening to real instruments or someone's real voice. I'm also a low to medium volume listener so getting the bass right is tricky. Because of room modes and no two recording have the same bass levels, dual adjustable subs seemed to be the best solution.
I'm chasing the dragon. :P
I hope it doesn't catch you.
Kids growing up today who want good audio are so lucky. Back in the day when I started into audio it was all about being loud. My parents bought me a Sony bookshelf system that had removable grills (a big deal to me at the time) to show off the 6" cardboard woofer and a 3/4" cardboard with plasticky bubbled tweeter that had 2 obvious screws on either side holding it in the box.
I loved that system but hearing it 20 years later I don't know how I ever listened to it. This was apparently back before they had bass below 90hz coming from anything less than a 12" woofer in a huge rectangle box or it seemed that way. I know rap had a little bit of thump coming from some nether-region the speaker mustered up, back then the bass seemed loud and big but by today's standards it was cringe-worthy. The bass in the 100hz range was extraordinarily bad. I had mounted my speakers up high on the side walls to get more bass because I noticed when I stood on my bed I could hear a lot of bass in the corners of the wall - wasn't that smart of me? I totally rearranged my bedroom to comply with my demands for these speakers to be my most prized possession.
I remember having my gigantic 2-foot-cubed head unit that gave the illusion of being 3 separate components underneath my homework table so I could easily adjust volume and change radio stations. I felt like a kingpin. What is interesting is how that system never bit the dust. I think the cd player stopped working but I ended up chunking it while it still played just fine. My mom had used it for about 10 years after I moved out. But then I gave her a much smaller boombox so she could clean out some space.
That system sold for like $300 back in 1994 (cd were a big new thing back then and my system had the much coveted cd player with it's multi-colored tampo cd emblem). Today, probably a $65 set of Edifier powered monitors would crush that system in every way. My how times change. I know for certain my $170 Fluance ai40 is crazy good relatively (they are good for youngsters first system) and a thousand times better sounding, 4 times more compact with 100 times more bass, bass clarity infinite more clear.
Today, I design and build all of my (analog) signal procesing audio equipment. Therefore, most audio salesmen "hate me". So I have an "eclectic" collection of home audio gear. I'm currently re-designing and re-building sections of a 30+ year old SONY TA-2000F pre-amp. I used to be be a hardcore audiophile when I was young (with a lot less theoretical knowledge of electronics) and felt I had to spend a ton of money to get "good sound". Once I was able to look inside some of my vintage gear and obtain schematics I came to two conclusions. (1) The internal circuit design did NOT live up to the marketing hype. (2) Many of the parts used used were of mediocre quality. (3) The replacement cost of all the electronics parts amounted to about 20% of the cost of the gear. (power amp cases excluded) So now, after many years of "tinkering" I have what I call my "HackIntosh" system. All solid state. (No tubes). Lots of op-amps and discrete transistors and high quality parts. The only components I purchase "turnkey" today are speakers. If I had had the room I would design and build those too. Today, just about every basic component (except custom chassis) can be purchased online. I love Rainbow Bridge...got it many years ago on LP.
You can't have too much fun just sitting there and listening idly - without having a couple of drinks. You won't believe how well your system will sound then.
I had to laugh, but agree that having several complete set ups in different rooms, each specializing in a certain musical genre would be cool. Next of kin to that would be a decent size room, with a wall long enough to accommodate 3 or 4 different stereo pairs of speakers that you could switch between. You could choose the speaker best suited for the type of music you want to hear. big horn loaded ones for that "live" loud rock concert, or say, your magnapans for gentle but complicated acoustic instruments to pull out their subtle timbre, transients and imaging . Something like that would be neat. Like a biker may have both a nice luxury road bike and a rough and tumble dirt bike.
The Grado sound. Its impact is as close as it gets to watching a rock band live. And I've seen a few. My favorite being Journey since they're my favorite international band. I'm yet to see U2 but I hope to, one day. The thing is, live rock performances are INHERENTLY loud, forward, and aggressive. It's alive, it's engaging, just like the Grado sound.
If I'm looking to relax and mellow out, then I put on my trusty $40- JVC HA-RX700. That constantly "melodic but not boring" sound that seems to be good with anything is something special about those cheap gems.
So there you go, the "sounds" that I'm chasing at opposite ends of the spectrum - from aggressive to melodic.
My chase is over! Just picked up some Sonus Faber Toy Towers and am currently in Audio Nirvana, why not. The depth and richness of each instrument is first rate and they're condo-friendly. Ahhhhhhhhh.............
Room Full of Mirrors?, excellent song in my humble opinion .It has great lyrics and Jimi infuses a melancholic bluesy feel to his guitar, perhaps giving us some insight into Jimi' s mood at the time . Cheers everyone!
Absolutely agree.
I find myself liking my sound to have the imaging and the space and pace of how I think the original recording may have sounded. It involves some dynamics but low level detail is also important for me. I’ve gravitated to more efficient speakers and lower powered amps because this combination seems to allow the music to flow rather than being pushed or forced. My two cents.
Pali Gap from Rainbow Bridge is uniquely Hendrix and a work of genius. Agree w/ your comments regarding The House of the New Rising Sun/Hey Baby. I really dig Roomful of Mirrors too, (no accounting for taste i guess).
Got it with mine. British mad Orell amp, b&w 603 s2 speakers Marantz cd 6006uk cd player. Home made silver copper interconnects.
If you ask yourself a question, "what you're chasing", you already know the answer. I don't need any "-phile" status to define who I am. I simply love to explore. I had been using Skullcandy mixmaster HPs for a long time until the headband split in two. I bought Bose QC 35 until I decided to try ATH M50x. But before that my girlfriend gifted me DT990s. My music taste had already gone immense transformation by that time, but till today, these are my best cans and my music never sounded so good to ears before. I also own DT770 as my on-the-go cans. I know the mids are recessed in Beyers, but that's OK with me because I'm expecting my cans to play every genre the same way they play my best music. This year, my girlfriend gifted me HD650s, but I'm yet to try them.
So, the bottom line is that no, I'm not chasing anything, but I DO love to explore different gears that make me happy and satisfied. That's it.
I'm searching for the amazing sound I experienced when I was around 17 years old (~1991) and listening to my father's ESS AMT-1 speakers with the Heil tweeters, while high on cannabis. I'm mildly synesthetic but the combination of cannabis and these amazing drivers had me seeing amazing structures and colors with my eyes closed. I'm 44 now and can't afford high-end audio and obviously cannot use cannabis, and the small AMT tweeters on my Emotiva Stealth 8 speakers don't really do the job.
Steve, what is your goto genre for your Maggie .7s? I've always been agnostic about planar magnetic speakers because I feel that physics dictates that they shouldn't be able to faithfully reproduce extreme lows nor highs. I know how big a fan of them you are and for their price point I might be willing to give them a whirl.
Modest goals: Transparency at low volumes, modest bass extension (don't care about organ music or sonic gut punches), and a sense of unflappability when confronted with a complex mix. So it will probably be small, high quality speakers on stands, paired with an amp with sufficient headroom to be unflappable as mentioned before, and the best DAC I can afford.
If a med or FR driver sounds harsh (maybe cos it's cheap) you can soften the cone by rubbing it with a stick and it improves the med a lot! Not as many wild peaks.
I’ve been chasing the clarity in mids & highs. I’ve finally achieved hearing what I’ve been missing with my purchase of my dream speakers. It’s now so much fun listening to my music.
Accurate sound. I love 70's rock. On the whole there was never any other time that merged classical, progressive, rock, acid rock, anything that requires a good flat response that's accurate, not colored like classical music demands. Not bass heavy like Metal or Rap or Hip Hop demands. I want something that sound like you're sitting there in the same room with the guys laying down the tracks we love! I want something that brings music alive. Heck, if Klipsch Heresys do that, bring them on. And so you don't think I'm a punk rock idiot, I love Bach, as does Tom Scholz, and man does that show!!! You just have to listen for it. I want something with great range, and flat response, so that I can EQ everything out to my tastes. I built a pair of those, but time took its toll on the paper con woofers that sat in the desert sun in Phoenix. Now I'm struggling to get back to that point when I could listen to Dark Side of The Moon and have people scratching their heads looking for all the alarm clocks. Then, they come sit next to me and ask me to play it again so they can figure out what just happened. (Rock Noobs!) and that has happened.
I watch too much documentaries and youtube. Back in the day I bought a kenwood that had big subwoofers. I am happy with my Kenwood ES speakers connected to a decent kenwood amp. Since the speakers are on my desk behind the monitor they are not in a ideal spot but they are good enough.
Several systems in the house, ya got something there Steve.
When I play a classical recording, I want it as musical and tight as possible and that, all in accordance with personal preferences. I play a Karayan or Heifetz CD, DVD or Tape, or a preferred radio Station on the Tuner, I position all settings that affect tones "flat" to start with. When I feel differently, I will correct the track with the parametric equalizer or I will insert an effect or two with the Sony TA-E1000ESD via the remote control. If I watch a Live performance, play a tape, a CD or a DVD, then I use the digital processing capability of the Sony preamplifier which is a Digital Processing Control Amplifier that can define the stage where the band plugs in and rocks the house and also set my seating position, from which row and which seat I am watching the artist or band play.
The classic music is reproduced with Celestion Ditton 66 Series II in front and Technics SP-L100 in the back. The effects can simulate a different environment, such as a resizable Room, a famous Concert Hall, a magnificent Cathedral or a Cold Stadium, I press a few buttons on the wireless remote control and close my eyes to enjoy the music permeating a different world on short notice.
When all that does not sound right, I press the "Speakers B" switch "on" and switch "off" "Speakers A" on the Kenwood Basic M2*, then a pair of Altec Lansing Model 14 takes over. Unfortunately using all four front speakers is not a good option because the Celestion speakers have an SPL (Sound Pressure Level) of 82 db measured at 1 meter and the Model 14 speakers hit 92 db of SPL so the Altec are way more efficient and they overpower the Celestion. All my gears were bought new in 1984-85 and they are still going except the CD player, a JVC XL-V2B that don't like the CDs made after 1990.
I like the album Rainbow Bridge but prefer Are you Experience and Electric Ladyland.
* The Kenwood Basic M2 is a solid state stereo power amplifier pushing 220W per channel at 8 Ohm and 400W per channel at 4 Ohm. The Technics SP-L100 are driven by a Kenwood Basic M1 that pushes 105W per channel at 8 Ohm. The speaker switches on the M1 are for independent (not simultaneous) operation of two sets of speakers.
I totally agree with this suggestion. I have 3 pair of speakers ( wife not happy) to cover my range of music and mood. Odyssey Lorelei's (wife happy), Magnepan MMG's (w/sub usually) and KEF Q100's (also w/sub sometimes). Different amps, preamps and cd players but hey, once around, yeah?
2:35 Use my speakers for all types of music. Great reggae sound, great voice sound, amazing strings sound amazing jazz sound and amazing house music sound. I don't know how I did it but I did. I reckon it's treble that makes the texture and it's the texture that affects the sound quality of different instruments. The tone is also important especially for a good voice sound. Voice is hardest I reckon cos that's what we are used to the most and we hear the difference much more (unlike a guitar sound, for instance). If you can get crazy good texture and tone your speakers should be able to handle all types.
Hi Steve. What studio monitors on a budget would you recommend? I’m recording on an ADAT on tape with an analog mixer. I’m looking for flat monitors (I mean, those that output exactly what’s on the recording without coloring the sound either on the bass or on the highs). Any recommendations are truly appreciated. By the way, I’m on a budget because I’m just getting started :-) Thank you in advance.
As someone who was in concert and marching band in high school for years, I've more or less memorized the way instruments should sound. I judge speakers by choosing a reference level soundtrack that I have cross checked the accuracy of on many ultra high end systems, and then us that same track to judge all other systems. The similarities that I hear between the 'best of the best' are the aspects I look for, not, of course, the variations between them. Frankly, one of my best sound checks are my Empire Cerberus 3 IEM's running on a FiiO Kunlun DAC. Very few systems under $20,000 can compare to that sound, and I cannot afford a $20,000 system, so it acts as a great reference. That aside, my most important requirement are 'precision/speed', bass response and tremble extension. If people think classic music does not need bass, you are wrong! My favorite classical instrument, the pipe organ, is known to reach down to 10hz. Hearing one in person, at places like the Los Angeles Disney Hall, will blow you away with the depth and clarity of the low frequencies. It will shake the very fiber of your being. It is like you BECOME a resonator in the pipe organ. For a sound system to do that, extremely well done woofers/sub woofers are required, reaching at least to an F3 of 20hz. This, unfortunately, is uncommon in tower speakers, even most very expensive ones I have heard. As for precision, most speakers, particularly ones with paper cones sound 'lazy' to me. Yes, the frequency response chart for the speaker may be flat, but it can still be flat while missing half of the information that was recorded! Very small details in the recording will simply be lost in lesser systems, particularly with heavy, high material damping, low force factor speakers. Light cones, with high rigidity, non-intrinic damping, and high GEOMETRIC damping of cone resonances with a high BL of near or above 10 Tm will have the 'speed' to reproduce those details before the cone changes direction and phase cancels them. I can hear a huge fraction of the recording simply missing on lesser audio systems. Certain instruments even are not even present on them! So, information, in my opinion, is key. Retaining information from the recording through the speakers and into your ears.
I like to close my eyes & be immersed in the performance with a holographic soundfield… I like to pinpoint individual instruments... I like to hear the feedback... and a smooth top end that isn't harsh or strident... mostly jazz. I'm less critical when it comes to classic rock. For techno/trance, I like it full-bodied, & typically bottom-heavy. I've assembled multiple systems in the living room, den, bedroom, and office. It all comes down to the room interactions in most cases... with equipment running a close second. Some of my speakers need more room to breathe (electrostatic dipoles). It's a hobby... I enjoy the chase of the "right" sound.
Linearity in the time and frequency domain across as wide a range as possible, and ultra low distortion including both harmonic and IM and any other kind. And cool new technology.
I was big on buying good speakers and amps. I've moved to headphones. I don't have to worry about placement, the room and annoying other people. I'm an introvert when it comes to my own time. I prefer my own company which is funny being a man with a wife and two kids. My sound system is a marantz 7.1 receiver and JBL HLS speakers. All the tweeters have been replaced for good ones. It is predominantly used for movies and it does it very well. I listen to music on headphones and I am spoiled for choice when it comes to sound signatures. I have many over ear headphones but I am now starting to discover cheap and fantastic Chinese IEM's. With a good portable DAC I can take my system anywhere I want which is a bonus. If I want to listen to a song with more sound stage, mids, bass etc it is only a headphone away not an entire sound system.
thanks steve i checked out on you tube found that it led 2 some educational experieces ,, didnt sound 2 bad with the after 8pm set up im sure if the jpw rubbies were plugged in it would be nice ,, alcmina 6,s with heybrook hb 2 ,, sub can get to much but hey ive all three in the set love changing speakers around and listening for changes, " its forever eternal , "
One can only know by listening to what is out there.
I came to realize I'd prefer a more open (warm tuby) sound over analytical (no or less colouring). Good stereo imaging is imho always desired.
Hello Steve, I am definitely a late night listener, so I need a speaker to play music at low an medium levels (It is important because I live in an apartment and I do not want to border my neighbors).
My preference is to hear very well with a great presence the signer voice (200 to 6000 hertz ). One way speaker can do it very well but all the quality speakers that I listen (tow and three way) have a crossover who cut the medium frequency at 2500 or 3000. The fervency above that go in the twitter, but for me for me the medium speaker is the best to have a good voice presence. I also like progressive rock.
Do you have a suggestion ?
Fm sounds better at night l think.
Listened to your if i had money id have many rooms with different gear, exactly what i would do. We are on the same wave length i think. I would have liked to party with you back in the day. Anyway my main goal would be sound staging. I had polk sda 2bs a yamaha rx v900 akai cassette deck. I would light a doobie and my speakers would disappear and id be jammin to Allman Brothers live at the filmore E.C. at the same and just enjoy my system. So i enjoy listening to your show man thanks
I got what I always wanted: Klipsch RP280F, 5004C, 600M as rears connected to Denon X3500H. Love the way they perform theater and they are a satisfactory music speaker but not as enjoyable as my Elac UB5 connected to Yamaha Aventage 880 system with music IMO.
I use exclusively Monoprice Monolith 12-gauge speaker cable, Nakamichi banana plugs and Amazon Basics HDMI cables to sync it all together through ARC. I also have Furman PL-8C power conditioners just in case that improves anything. The Furman took away some bass it seemed like but when I run Audyssey and YPAO I don't notice anything lacking.
I wouldn't mind now getting an 11 channel receiver with some ceiling speakers and dolby atmos and a larger tv but I like my TCL 55S515 just fine, beautiful tv.
I wouldn't mind throwing a couple svs sb-2000 subs in the mix as I have noticed that apparently the Klipsch towers have some muddy bass and I think it works best cutting them out around 40-60hz. I think the cabinet is ported at 34hz so you get a bass hum at that region best I can tell.
I would like to soundproof/acoustic treatment my room. But I am plenty happy as is with what I have. It would take almost a whole new tech to make me really care to switch any of it out.
I have Rainbow Bridge on VHS I think it’s memorable for a few things The ashram in Hawaii, The surfing and not least Hendrix cameo. Was the lead actress Pam Greer?
Altec, Bozak, JBL, Klipsch, et al - large speakers - own dynamic range. The biggest difference between live performance and a recording is the dynamic range. The Laws of Physics remain unrepealed.
I just want a clear, unmuddled, articulate and well-defined sound at low to medium loudness. In the end though, I'm really a fan of the music, not just sounds. I like to be able to hear lyrics clearly, strings to have a sharp and distinctive thwang, and for pianos or anything with bass to be be felt but not to reverberate like aftershocks in an earthquake.
That's what I would ideally hear.
I like bass that is deep and fast and that gives weight to music and is not boomy. Midrange that is transparent and is not boxy and harsh. For high end I like that it is airy and wide.
Some chase a sound that doesn’t exist and miss out on just enjoying the music.
I just want my system to do justice to the recordings I've loved during my life, but I realize that the recordings themselves are going to be the #1 determiner of sound quality. So, I just want my system to not "get in the way", if that makes any sense. By the way, thanks Steve for your videos, which have helped me in assembling a system that works for me in this regard. Your advice has been very helpful.
Room full of mirrors is a brilliant track. Rainbow Bridge is one of my favourite jimi hendrix album's, Band of gypsies is my other favourite. If I was going to skip a track it definitely would be the American anthem that my least favourite track. As that's not my national anthem but I have never skipped it, it's a pritty short track anyway. Sound I enjoy from my hifi is having the band playing in the room with you or you are sitting in the recording studio with the band or at concert on the live albums. Fleet Wood mac Live in Boston actually like you are in a smoky club. Kit I have is cyrus, bowser and Wilkins. Naim, pmc, linn turntables is a very good combination.
I'm a theater guy so I want a solid mid-range. My subs will take care of the bottom end.
What category do you place Tannoy at? People who chase what? Thank you Steve.