How to pick a new speaker
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- Опубликовано: 15 июн 2018
- It's hard enough to know what loudspeaker to purchase but with the shrinking dealer base, how does one go about making any sort of intelligent decision these days? Have a question you'd like to ask Paul? Go to our website at www.psaudio.com/ask-paul/
I am getting close to publishing my memoir! It's called 99% True and it is chock full of adventures, debauchery, struggles, heartwarming stories, triumphs and failures, great belly laughs, and a peek inside the high-end audio industry you've never known before.
I plan a few surprises for early adopters, so go to www.paulmcgowan.com and add your name to the list of interested readers. There's an entire gallery of never before seen photos too. 
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I've refurbished several old speakers with new drivers. My first attempt was a pair of so called JBL two way speakers with an 8" two way design. I bought the speakers at an electronics show, where vendors tried to sell off the old stock they wanted to get rid of. I did find some great deals over the years, but I knew these speakers needed help. So I bought these 8" two ways for a song. At the time there wasn't a whole lot of choices when it came to rawdrivers, so Radio Shack was then,ace Togo, and I did. I bought a pair of their 8" woofers and a pair of their D Horn tweeters. I ported the cabinets according to a graph I found in Radio Shacks speaker building book T that time and the end product worked really well. In fact I was really suprised for a first attempt how well they turned out. After my success with those speakers I found a pair of 12" three ways at a yard sale. By then a do it yourself driver store had opened up in Phoenix, so I bought replacement drivers from them. I used Peerless drivers to replace the original absolute crap woofers, Peerless domed Mids and Tweeters to finish them off. After rep,axing the drivers and listening to them for the next year I determined that the bass was lacking. Then a buddy recommended lining the cabinet walls with 3" fiberglass insulation, so I did. After that the bass was so tight it was unbelievable that these were the same drivers! And the depth of the bass deepened as well. So give it a try! Buy a book on speaker building, find a decent pair of cabinets on Craig's List or Goodwill and try sourcing drivers from Parts Express or Madisound. It may take some experimentation, but you might just end up with and incredible speaker!
If you can't audition, watch as many reviews as you can. The reviewers will be your eyes and ears. Examine the comments sections to see what others may think. There are a whole bunch of audio reviews on RUclips to help you make better informed decisions on what to buy.
The best and the most helpful answer I have heard of so far, thank you Paul.
This one was more than the sum of it's parts. Here we have a guy who's in the business of selling merchandise putting a sincere hand out to someone to whom he doesn't even have anything to sell to him and wiling to walk through the process. Stellar. Solid.
Thanks for sharing and good luck to Collin trying to build a new system.
Colin, part of the fun is in the search. I do miss going to my favorite HiFi stores and checking out the cool stuff. I hope that if you do find someone who will help you out that you won’t stiff them and see if you can get it cheaper on Amazon or were ever. Support your local stores.
Great summary Paul. I am patiently waiting for your line of loudspeakers because I am looking to upgrade to a full range speaker with great dynamics and transparency. I bought a pair of Zu Audio, Dirty Omens and love the dynamics but not very transparent. They offer a trade up program like yourself but hope to audition PS Audio's before I take the plunge to a higher end model. Seems like the typical price point is about 5K but I like many others are flexible with the budget if it does what most other loudspeakers don't provide. Anxiously awaiting.
Colin, check out Space City Audio in Spring, TX. Shouldn’t be too far out of your way and Gabriel, the owner, has a nice listening area and tons of new and used gear. He sells records and also refurbishes vintage equipment. I highly recommend his shop! Good luck!!
Hi Paul. Love your videos and thank you for them. “ This is a hard thing to do “ I heard in this video, and that is exact reason why I prefer to buy a pair of bookshelf powered speakers like KEF LS50w and pair of REL t9i subs. But there is some connection limitations in that setup “only one subwoofer output. I can not do compromise in low range and that setup is not actual for me. In real, not ideal and in the same time practical world I would like to go pay money for pair PS audio powered wireless bookshelf speakers and a pair of Servo controlled subs bring it home play with their in room placement and start to enjoy my favorite music instead of trying different anps, interconnects, dac’s, preumps, speaker wires and so on. I wish you do some thing like that. In that case i will get “all in one” like you said in one of your videos Paul “we can perfectly match them” i’m about powered speakers. And guaranteed get the best sound in the market out of that kind of system. Ps Audio sound. May be that system will not be high end sounding but... I think that it will cover most sharply hearing people like me in reasonable price budget costs. Paul think about it and thank you very very much for sharing your huge experience with us. Best regards Moses Zviad Manasherov.
I'm looking forward to purchase a pair of Soundlab electrostatics A3 or majestic 👍
I'm pretty happy with my Tannoy Revolution speakers I already own ❤️
And a good pair of Cerwin Vega subwoofers!
There's a lot of choices out there for every taste
If speakers are the first thing that you are supposed to invest in. What are the options for the ones on the tightest of budgets? Lets say bookshelf speakers at the 300 U.S. dollar price point?
Zu has a good deal with allowing people to home trial their speakers. I am keeping the Zu Dirty Weekend MKiis that I trialed for my office. I was looking for a cheaper system, with 1k speakers. These were the best sounding speakers i heard for 1k price range. I have better speakers at home, but the Zus get the job done.
Right, defining the requirements is the first step on the path.
Brutal naturalness could be too bland for someone.
Is power necessary? Very good sounding bookshelf speakers vs loud floorstanding but not so good sounding.
etc...
You're doing good Paul just keep it coming
For Bell Canto mono blocks (very powerful amps, 700W4om./350W8om.) maybe to try (to listen preferably at home and with personal equipment, if it is any how possible) some excellent European (not so sensitive loudspeakers), in the mentioned price range ($ 10,000): floorstenders PMC '' 25 '' / 26; ProAc Response D48R (with ribbon twitter) and Focal Kanta No. 2, or a standmounter Harbeth Monitor 30.2 40th Anniversary Edition... without a sub-woofer at the first moment ... and in any other following... (maybe for Harbeth one day, it's not so big box... but, no, when you hear them, you gonna love them without a sub).
Hi Colin! you could consider Tekton's Double Impacts. I haven't personally bought a pair cuz there ain't no local dealers in my country but have heard some good reviews on em. They'd be on the neutral side of things.
Go for dealers with trade-in option for first 90 days (some secondhand shop with good deal and trade-in option in case it not match your explanation). Or find a dealer with 90 days non-satisfactory money back guarantee (sadly seems non exist for hi-fi industry)
I am attending Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in October just to see and hear systems and speakers before I buy. Also realize their rooms at shows less than ideal
A local business that once gave the audiophile the opportunity to take their familiar source material and listen in person are few and far between unless you are willing to travel to bigger cities and even make appointments. Even in the heyday, it was always a compromise between what you wanted today within your price point, and what became the newest trend the next, making your wonderful choice “past it” and very quickly obsolete to the reviewing magazines of the day. Today, it is even more difficult, because many rely on the opinions and the personal taste of others, when they haven't had the chance to hear them with familiar source materials for themselves; consequently, some may be fortunate to afford and to like their purchases, but how many used sets of speakers do you see on the market from those people, who were not satisfied with their purchases?
I liked the comment made that ALL speakers are a compromise. The aspect of perfection does not exist . . . and although the production of speakers seemingly become more and more complex -- that arrival at perfection has not, and if one thinks about it -- if that did occur, it would be the end of industry, which would be reduced to maintenance and the loss of jobs of those who now create and design newer an “better” designs -- always taking us near to, but not exactly to that live perfection. People would better be content in the understanding that part of the charm of the hobby is the tweaking and the finds that one comes upon along the way -- not so much the destination.
That is probably the hardest audio question ever... Everybody hears differently so you need to listen to them before buying. Firstly buy 2nd hand/used! save at least 40% new price and the speakers will be pristine. Iv'e seen perfect B&W 800D's for £6995 new price was £18,000.. B&O BeoLab 5's £7k.. You just can't go wrong with used speakers..
Ohhh you can you have no idea if they are real.
This is the exact video I was hoping for👍
Now that most dealership is done online, basically all companies have an in home trial between 30 days to a couple months.
Here in Canada we've got a couple Online only retailers. Axiom who also produces Brystons speakers are great, their partnership is awesome. Though be careful once you get into extreme revealing speakers you'll pick your system apart. Cables can become to bright as well as components. Last week someone for one of these Vids. said Bryston were known as a bright speaker I think it revealed more of their system than they realise.
Happy hunting.
Paul McGowan, i'm trying to find an answer for that on the internet for quiet a while with no lucky. I have a pair of active speakers (edifier r1700bt) but my PC has a very bad sound quality (old motherboard) so i'm looking for a DAC to plug-in the edifier. I've found the Fiio K1 amp/dac for headphones, it's powered through USB. Thing is, this little DAC has an Amp inside, if i plug the active speaker it will *cancel* the Edifier Amp and use the Fiio instead? Because if yes, probably won't be able to drive a 66W system with an USB amp/dac for headphones right? I appreciate any help thank you in advance Paul.
Man I really enjoy your videos!
Maybe look for a litely used pair of Wilson Sabrina may be able to find em or the persona towers look interesting.
Paul have you ever listened to anything by SVS? I have their Ultra line of speakers and they are fantastic in my opinion. What's nice about them is, you have a 30-day trial. With them. If you don't like them SVS will take them back and pay the shipping. It's almost risk-free. I gave them a shot and once I heard them, I had no desire to send them back.
Golden ear triton reference would likely fit Colin's budget. Or used Wilsons
Great video Paul. However I think you are missing what great speakers he already have. Sub + speaker for 10 000 usd will not top that. I would reinterpret you answer to complement the speakers with a sub or two.
I love my Vandersteen 2Cs.
Does anyone have any feedback on the Magico A3?
Love that this staff member has Schiit and Emotiva on the bench
Richard Watson Jr. yes I know who Paul is, but surely that’s not his workspace. He’s done a video from his office previously?
I assume they're testing/comparing/analyzing.
why i saw the burmester car audio speaker
？
Wow, that is a really nice vice.
I own full range electrostatics from around 1980 and the dynamics sometimes scare me and the bass is tight and fast and deep and a sub-woofer only makes it sound worse.
Customer: Emails a question...
Paul: email us for help
😂 jk
Hi Paul, As we all know you really like sub woofers. I have a problem with the idea of subs. Just because that sub goes-down to a certain frequency range does that guarantee it will reproduce the same "sound" as a person playing a electric bass guitar, stand-up acoustic bass or a kick drum? I always thought subs had a (for lack of a better description.) a "synthetic" sound, not "sounding" like the real musical instrument or coming close to. Yes, I know it's all reproduction and we can only hope to come as close as possible to the real thing. My JBL's with two 15" woofers in each speaker powered with 450 watts of class A/B seem to do a darn good job of reproducing those sounds.
Thanks for your time Paul and I'm enjoying your BHK pre-amp, DirectStream DAC, DirectStream Memory Player and P10. Mark
I have also found the key to perfect playback of any track.. Do you find listening to 1 track on your system it sounds awesome the next bad? Well you must do this... Have at least 3 EQ setting.. only adjust the higher frequencies 4kz 8kz . No need to touch bass or midrange if that sounds ok. The problem with many recordings is in the treble some are too bright! use EQ no.1 flat.. Some are very dull muffled use EQ no.3 +5dB 8kz.. It works perfectly.. You have to compensate for bad recordings it's a must! That is why i do not believe that a million dollar system will sound good set to 'Direct' that i mean no additional bass treble EQ engaged on every track.. Poor recordings will sound poor unless you compensate the treble...
Vienna Acoustics are very nice speakers - great timing, furniture grade looks but utmost musicality ... Consider an upgrade to the Liszts.
Hi Paul, are there certain type of speakers which are best for old school hard rock like scorpions, deep purple, ac/dc etc. ? Why audiophiles always demo their sound system with acoustic or voice based tracks, why don’t they try something fast like hard rocks or techno. Thanks Paul , it’s feel really good that we have someone like you to whom we can ask so many questions. ... Rana from Virginia
Yes! Paradigms for sure. Great old school Canadian company, well made. I would look at the used market, usaudio.mart.com. Should be able to get a pair of towers for around 500. Paul's right about adding a sub, a good used jbl can be found for a couple hundred. Btw most audiophile speakers are geared towards playing airy fairy jazz bs. If you got some real money look at Bryston model T . They are powerful non audiophile speakers that scream rock and roll.
"How do we make these speakers get to you?!"
"By making RUclips videos of course!"
I just picked up the q acoustics concept 500 as I am typing this
Colin, Have you been to Timber?
that is alot of moolah there, I was thinking about replacing woofers in some old 501's
Never understand why you always say not tryin yo pitch my products. Shit, you make nice gear,you should pitch it. Hahahahaha I cant afford it but I love the advice!
More on this plz.
Well, this was a red banner day. I’ve heard my first ever criticism of Revel speakers. It is possible that Paul was referring to everything other than the Ultima line. I own the Salon 2 and unless my ears and those of other listeners and reviewers have been duped, resolution is their very hallmark. But it’s probable that Paul was referring to the models that were within the assumed price range of the OP.
It may be to others ears, the Ultimas lack transparency and te ability to image well. I try not to be effected by confirmation bias. I don’t want to be drinking the cool aid supplied by those with vested interests. Perhaps others could chime in here. The answer can’t simply be that if I like them - that’s all that count.
dealers becoming cashiers rather than sales people...
The common problem is people can't afford the audio-system they want. I prefer a pair of floor-standing 4-way speakers, but i can't afford it, so i use 3-way speakers with subwoofers instead.
in that < $10k range, I own B&W 804d2. have loved them for years. of late, my taste may be changing...im becoming enamored with Focal 1028be & 1038be.
hi, so what do you think about Paul's comments that B&W 804 's are not musical with a shrill top end ?
@@DrBroncanuus , there are a boatload of qualifiers. equipment, room, furnishings, taste, experience. i disagree with Paul on this front. but i dont have his room or experiences. i still have them & still love them. some people put ketchup on their hotdogs. some put_mustard._
i am open to new ideas, but nothing has ripped these from my grip yet.
i am anxious to hear the AN3s (FR30)
i have prepaid for my casket. not sure which will come first.
@@googoo-gjoob if you stay away from the 'clot-shot'...you'll be fine
@@DrBroncanuus , i do not plan on any foray into the Fauci Fever 'Fix'
@@googoo-gjoob smart man....stay safe ..de-population begins
Does your store finance?
To add-on to Paul’s recommendation, I would suggest a pair of Harbeth 30.1 for about US$6,000 (depending on finish). Excellent synergy with Bel Canto amps. Very musical, full-sounding pair of loudspeakers.
Listen to the new 800 series B&W’s (D3’s), contrary to Paul’s opinion you might love them.
Well, he did kind of imply that with the right kind of electronics the highs aren't a problem.
You really don't find dealers of hi-fi in my town of San Antonio anymore, and I'll be damned if I have to go into a Best Buy.
kef R900 with a rel sub
I "solved" this question by first getting tired of my old Audiovector speakers that have to much focus on the top end. Then I did some reading, found that Verity seemed to be my cup of tea. Went to a store and had the poor guys running around setting up speaker after speaker, they where Magico, Focail, Wilson Audio and others. I found that a 2nd hand pair Verity Parsifal made in the year 2000 blew them all to pieces.
One and a half years later nothing has changed my opinion on Verity being "my" brand. They are not for everyone. Their strengths are that it sounds like a fullrange speaker despite being a tweeter, midrange and subwoofer/bass drivers (google them and you see their special construction with a speaker is actually made with two cabinets). Its "one" sound, no separation between the differents aspects, they are seamless sounding from the lowest hz to the highest. Also, the midrange is to die for, utterly involving.
Weaknesses are mostly that they sound a little bit too gentle, but that also not all bad. They are as non-fatiguing as almost anything else.
Furthermore they are very responsive to the electronics. Not demanding in either power or quality, they are said to be sounding great with quite simple electronics. But when I changed for example my dac the responded to that in a clear manner. Just yesterday I changed the usb-cable from Supra to Nordost and the difference was almost too much for my well being, if you know what I mean. :)
System synergy with my Veritys with in mind that they sound quite gentle is that Ive chosen a very quick sounding dac, a Aqua La Scala. That dac really made my Parsifals sing. Also unshielded anti-cables power cords or perhaps Nordost or Ansuz are a great match for Verity. That gives the electronics the possibility to play more dynamically and therefore giving needed speed to Verity.
Well they have their limitations in not being the most aggressive sounding speakers but PRaT is still very good, the bass can be really quick if your electronics and power components give them the chance to shine.
Interesting
my friend down the street from me builds speakers watkins speakers
Surely the source is the most important "Crap in Crap out"
I would never buy a pair of speakers without listening to them..
John Mitrano Most have risk free trials. I doing a set of Revel F208 right now.
So?
I would.
Houston is rather thin for shopping high end audio gear. I would love to hear some Magnepan .7s with a good system.
It doesn't help very much to listen to them in a shop. At least you might be disappointed when you hear them at home. Room acoustics are very important.
when faced with a dwindling selection of stores....tho it be sad to say....Best Buy stores with a MAGNOLIA store inside offer some nice stuff. Klipsch, Def Technologies, B&W, Martin Logan & ELAC. not the highest of the highs.....but if your picking are slim.
ATC Actives all day long
you don't buy speakers, you make them yourself. seriously, you can make them as good as you want.
Oh god. Paul. You immediately throw out book shelf speakers ? Why ? Because they wont have enough bass ? I completely disagree. Its not about how big and how much bass a speaker will provide, its about how well a speaker reproduces the tonality of instruments and vocals, how well it resolves detail, and how well it throws a good soundstage. I agree that it is a good idea to start with loudspeakers but i take a different perspective and the importance speakers play in a system. Speakers are important know doubt BUT in my opinion the electronics and the equipment in front of them are even more important. Also are you wanting to find speakers that work with the electronics that you have or are will you consider possibly changing the equipment you currently own ? It is very difficult to buy speakers sight unheard and get lucky enough to have picked the right speakers for your listening taste. Its nice that you have a dedicated room as this takes the room and any possible speaker placement limitations out of the scenario as you will be able to get the best sound with speaker placement and any fine tuning of the room to get the best sound from your speakers. To often people limit themselves all the many choices in speakers because they think the room is a limiting factor. You can get great sound from any speaker IF you have the time and patience to really fine tune speaker placement. The single most important aspect of getting good sound.
Why are electronics more important than speakers ? Let me give you two scenarios. System one is some very high priced speakers with modest electronics, verse system two with modest speakers with very high end electronics in front of them. Which system is going to give you the greatest amount of detail and detail. The detail and dynamics comes from the equipment, the speakers can only reproduce what they are given. The detail comes from the equipment and source. Imagine Pauls IRS V driven with cheap equipment your never going to hear what those speakers are capable of reproducing and will sound either very poor or just mediocre. Where as system two will have all the quality’s of a high end system great detail and dynamics ( if they complement the speakers properly ). Choosing speakers is a process in determining whats important to you both in its ability to reproduce the full range of sound of music and your budget. But don’t go into the process thinking if i spend a lot of money on speakers your going to get great sound. You should do a little research read some reviews of the better trade magazines like Stereophile and Absolute Sound and find a store across the country that might have several brands and models that your interested in and find a way to go there and do some auditioning of speakers. Understanding how all the different types of speakers present music to the listener and then choosing the right type of speaker for your listening tastes. Panel speakers like electrostatics and planar magnetic speakers, verses conventional cone speakers. Each of different designs present music to the listener in completely different ways. Neither better than the other just different and one the listener should determine is right for them. Take your time, be patient and you’ll know when you hear it which is the right speaker for you.
You choose speakers by listening, listening and listening some more. There is no other way. Reviews and specs are misguiding.
Loads of money & all questions ,
Oh. I see George Blisson isn't just a shit-stain over on Steve Guttenberg's page. He's a shit-stain here, as well. Aren't we all "lucky"...lol...?
Thanks. I'm glad more people don't like that idiot.
.....hahahahahah......I'm sorry. 10 Grand????? Who among us has that kind of scratch to spend on audio anymore?
Those of us that have lived through none phile and audio-phile know that there comes a time when cost =sound quality.
I myself have a great setup but not because of other factors.....I just happened to be in a financial position to be able to afford great speakers for the sound I was looking for.
PSB was the setup that fit my auditory preference for the type of music I chose to listen to.
Yea I choked when he said 10 grand. I have a ton of stuff for a few hundred and it sounds great IMO.
4:16 another check from REL...6:05 another cease and desist from Revel and B&W.
Yes get rid of Nancy Pelosi as House speaker and change her for real Heritage Speaker such as Trey Gowdy
Why cant companies create a crazy realistic Imaging like Magnepans do in cone speakers? does it have to do with the size of the panel? What a bout line arrays. I wonder what the science behind Magnepans incredible imaging is.
Petflora I've heard them all, emerald sounded generic to me .