Believer101
Well-Known Member
Drop your knowledge!
When your out looking at speakers what is the core things you look for in it??
When your out looking at speakers what is the core things you look for in it??
I always thought JBL was cheap crap speakers.. you saying they are good?
I always thought JBL was cheap crap speakers.. you saying they are good?
Things I look for in a speaker-
- at least three way
- active
- High Efficiency (HE), say >93dB but preferably >96dB
- minimum 8" bass drivers (but the fun only begins at 12")
I'll second @MikeH about the subwoofer. Most speakers that come with one have the crossover frequency set so high that you can totally hear where the sub is. Find speakers that don't need one, and then consider a sub as a possible, future upgrade.
I mostly don't like them because it's yet another piece/expense and I also live in an apartment without a ton of space and have neighbors that don't necessarily like me having a subwoofer haha. I've always been drawn to speakers without subs though. I currently have KEF R300s and I really like the bass on them as it feels natural to me. Just picked up a pair of KEF 101 reference speakers for a decent price as well for another TT setup I have, so I am curious to hear how those sound.Another common setup error is setting the gain too high. Properly integrated subwoofers should be "invisible"- that's to say one shouldn't even notice they are on. They should sound like an extension of the main speakers, not an "add on".
I'm going to jump in here:
- at least three way
The number of drivers in the cabinet have no correlation on sound quality. There are plenty of high performance 2 way speakers. In fact, they have the advantage of having a simpler crossover. The manufacturer can put more money into improving other aspects of the design as opposed to stuffing an extra driver into the cabinet because "you need one". More isn't necessarily better. Sometimes, less is more. Let your ears decide- not your eyes.
- active.
Not a fan, usually. If the amp inside the speaker cabinet goes out, you are out of luck. Also, there's no upgrading- you are stuck with the amp you get. The advantage is that the amp modules are designed for the speakers they are mated to.
- High Efficiency (HE), say >93dB but preferably >96dB
There are plenty of high quality lower efficiency speakers. Magnepan and BBC type monitors come immediately to mind. The trick is to make sure you've got a good amplifier/speaker pairing.
- minimum 8" bass drivers (but the fun only begins at 12")
No hard and fast rule here. A smaller driver can work brilliantly in a smaller room, and a large driver can overpower the same room. The room is going to make a big difference.
HE systems have a life and dynamics that low-efficiency speakers lack.
I own a pair of nice HE passives, so I understand your point. But I've heard lots that suck- I've not heard a pair of Fostex or Lowthers that sound remotely like music. Horrid things they are, IMHO.
We have different reference points. My response was answering the questions as laid out by the OP. The science dictates that 4 way is needed so that each driver operates in its linear envelope and avoids beaming, I only said 3 way initially because 4 ways are uncommon. Some of the speakers you mention are far from reference quality. Agreed on bass drivers to a degree hence why I mentioned room importance at the start. I dont see an 8" driver overpowering a room.
For anyone who wants to learn more about the science and is willing to invest the time reading this is a fantastic resource written by an electro-acoustics expert:
Introduction: Greetings and introduction
Welcome to Lenard Audio Educationeducation.lenardaudio.com
John Burnett has published his lifetime's knowledge and experience to assist music lovers to cut through the pseudo-science, marketing driven modern audio industry.
Cheers
Agree with you Hifi guy, this is a hobby and a bit of fun. However, John is talking physics and on that, there is no subjectivity, its either right or wrong. What you like though is your personal choice and is influenced by everything that has come before it, your biases, hearing etc etc. I am not hung up on measurements, they can get you on the right path but don't hold all the answers, our ears are still the absolute reference.
Sounds like your customers figured out they would be Better Off with Something Else, which, of course, you had!We discovered that one manufacturer supplied discs that were equalized to make their speakers sound better and the competition to sound worse. A retail CD would show the same manufacturer had the worst sounding speakers in the store.