Speakers you want/need to hear

[miniminim]

There is a massive gulf between home and pro speakers, often. This is particularly true in the case of certain brands where technical accuracy is the goal as opposed to euphony, which usually involves either a mid scoop or a bass/treble boost of some kind, or both.

The Klein und Hummel brand of pro speakers (out of Germany) beats any speaker intended for the home market at the same price by a large margin, in my experience - in fact I was able to sell my system comprised of components highly respected in these pages secondhand, buy the K&H 0300s brand new, realize a distinct improvement and pocket some change.

As if to prove the point as to quality of these speakers, just a year ago K&H became Neumann, since both are owned by Sennheiser, and the plan is that the name Neumann will come to represent more than just microphones. You can be assured that the people at Neumann, making one of the world's most respected microphones, and certainly the best known, know sound and have a lot to lose by letting their brand be put on something not worthy.

You should hear them, and I in turn would like to hear the top of their line - the 0500, one pair of which is currently tempting me at a mere $10,000 the pair, lightly used.
http://tinyurl.com/42tl92p

My 0300s:
http://tinyurl.com/y3turnu

click on "measurements".

The only speakers aimed at home use I would be interested in hearing and possibly owning would be any of Earl Geddes or Duke LeJeune's creations. Dynamics do count.

[mfsoa]

Evolution Acoustics MMMicroOne.
http://evolutionacoustics.com/images/micro-one20.jpg


(Thanks for the tip, Joe)

[JLM]

miniminim,

Very impressive specs/description for the O300, especially the frequency response and cumulative spectral decay plot.     $4400/pair for high quality active speakers certainly ain't bad.  And yes, the O500 looks even more impressive.

I'm a big fan of active designs (use commissioned single driver designs with monoblocks).  I could quibble that they only rated flat to 35 Hz (even my single driver speakers go lower) and would like the mid dome to crossover one or even two octaves lower (hey I'm spoiled in that regard).

What speakers might you compare these to?

[miniminim]

Yes, JLM, the crossover to the mid at 650Hz gave me pause, too, but I must say the crossover is completely inaudible and the response through the range sounds just like the published curve, implausible as that looks in flatness.

As to what I'd compare it to - I haven't heard any other speaker sound as colorless right through that most problematic range - the mids through bass. It truly is remarkable. The headroom in the mids is a pleasure, too. Most other speakers I've heard, especially two-ways, sound as if the drivers are straining to cover the upper and lower ends of their operating ranges, and that must be the payoff for the conservative operating range of the mid dome. There is no sense of strain through the mids. This plus the colorless bass is unique in my experience.

The last speakers I had were the SP Tech Timepieces and, sorry to say, on a piano recording I made and was very familiar with, they simply immediately sounded wrong by comparison. I know what a piano sounds like, too! Fabulous on voice from Elvis to Cecilia Bartoli, thanks to that mid range effortlessness and truth.
I mix and master on these and find EQ particularly easy with them as small adjustments are easily audible.

Most other monitors have some intrinsic color or personality which imposes itself on the sound. This makes mixing and mastering more difficult and the results less trustworthy in terms of translation to the real world. The colorlessness also makes recordings sound maximally different from each other which makes the process of listening more entertaining, since real differences display themselves as such.

It is a mistake to presume accuracy and flat response sounds bland - outstanding recordings do sound outstanding!

If you want a design where the mids cover a wider range (320-3.5k), the new not-quite-released Trident HG3 is one speaker I would like to hear. The designer has respect for the K&H 0300 and mentions it was a benchmark used in his design. Enthusiastic supporters of this design include some very big and experienced names in recording. See:http://www.trident-audio.com/hg3.html

and http://tinyurl.com/3tr9yhc

[JLM]

miniminim,

Thanks for the reply and additional links.

I introduced Bob (SPTech) to Audio Circle years ago, regretfully have never heard his speakers.  But I like his design approaches (except for the big amps his speakers need).

From what you supplied, the HG3 doesn't look nearly as impressive as the O300.  I prefer sealed bass to ported (all else being equal), the domed midrange, separate amplifers for each driver, and the waveguides to help extend driver bandwidth of the O300.  And for home use, I can simply turn the entire cabinet.

About 12 years ago I auditioned Paradigm Active 20 versus Studio 20 (both smallish 2-way standmounts of very otherwise similar design) and there was no comparison.  The dynamics, extended bass, and flat frequency response of the actives blew the passives away (and all bystanders).  It was an excellent demostration of the advantages of active design and one of my very top audio epiphanies. 

IME unless one has deep pockets, test equipment, and lots of time; its just plain foolish to try shop for amps to match to drivers or to think passive design can beat active.

[stringdriventhing]

My wife has suggested, in the strongest possible terms, that the Klipsch Chorus 2 speakers I'm just about to complete refurbishing wiil GO TO MY GRAVE with me. I love my sweetie, a bunch, so will refrain from informing her that my eye is already wandering to the Audiokinesis Jazz Module:


Specifications:

Type:   Two-way floorstanding bass reflex system
Woofer:   10" prosound alnico magnet, treated paper cone
Tweeter:   1" compression driver, neodymium magnet, polyester diaphragm
Waveguide:   Low-coloration 90 degree constant directivity
Crossover:   1.7 kHz, asymmetrical transfer function
Impedance:   Between 8 and 12 ohms, aside from bass impedance peaks
Efficiency:   92 dB/1 watt at 1 meter
Typical System Bandwidth:   32 Hz to 17.5 kHz
Power Compression:   Less than 1 dB of compression at up to 112 dB/1 meter SPL
Recommended Amplifier Power:   5-150 watts (unclipped peaks up to 300 watts acceptable)
Dimensions:   42" high by 14.5" wide by 17.5" deep
Weight:   120 pounds
Pricing:   $4500 a pair, direct sales only

Big, beefy, adequately "full-range" for my purposes, nicely efficient, and best of all designer / builder Duke LeJeune understands the issue of room acoustics / interaction and factors those concerns into his designs. All of his stuff is of interest to me and I'd love to be able to listen, and scratch this particular itch! - String

http://www.audiokinesis.com/index.html

[evan1]

me too.

[shep]

I would like to hear the new "box" speakers from Gallo (favorable review on 6moons today). Good price.

[opnly bafld]

stringdriventhing,

Save yourself $600 and get these instead:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=79325.0




If you don't want/have space for bipoles then save $2000 (minus the price of a sub system) with these:
http://www.audiokinesis.com/product_ak_rhythm-prism.html

[evan1]

I would like to hear the new "box" speakers from Gallo (favorable review on 6moons today). Good price.

And our own BarryNJ is mentioned on the first page

[JLM]

Yeah, I like much of what Duke has to say.

[stringdriventhing]

Bafld - have you had a chance to audition any of the Audiokinesis models? I'd be interested in hearing your impressions if you have. The lower pic you posted is the Rhythm Prism, and it was the speaker at the top of my list as I started research for the new system I'm just now assembling. I had exchanged emails with Duke about the Prism, as it was better suited to my working budget than the Jazz Modules, as well as being plenty of speaker for my 11.5' x 16' listening room. I wound up buying a pair of 22 year-old Klipsch Chorus 2's for a measly $400 and sunk some additional cash into refurbishing them, and I'm not disappointed. BUT, the Rhythm Prisms still are very appealing, both in their technical design and, for me, their freaky-deaky appearance. The design allows for outboard installation of different resistor values to adjust tweeter treble response, and the rear ports are adjustable in their length providing for bass tuning capability. I love the thought that has gone into making the speaker adaptable to a room's acoustic character. - String 

[Triode Pete]

I want to hear this system... the Jubilees was the last & supposedly "best" loudspeakers Paul Klipsch ever designed... Check out this guys room... I'm drooling... http://community.klipsch.com/forums/t/147715.aspx

[tmazz]

I want to hear this system... the Jubilees was the last & supposedly "best" loudspeakers Paul Klipsch ever designed... Check out this guys room... I'm drooling... http://community.klipsch.com/forums/t/147715.aspx

Holy cr@p Pete!  That is just amazing. When do we leave to go visit him (Hey, Nashville is only a 16 hour drive.)

That room is immense!. If I use the record racks as a size reference, the black section of the walls is about 4 ft high. That would make the ceiling peak somewhere in the area of 12 ft!

Check out the coils mounted on the wall. At first glance it appeared to be just a cool wall decoration. but upon further inspection, judging from the wires coming in and out of it, it looks like it could actually be the working crossovers for the system. How cool is that?

At first I thought this was an attic because of the sloped ceiling, but then I noticed that up have to go up 4 or 5 stairs to get out (Look at the door in the top right corner of pic #5.) This would mean to me that the ceiling was not something structural that was in place and had to be worked around, but rather a purposeful design. This whole room was carefully planned and put together for maximum sound performance. I an duly impressed and extremely jealous. 

[mgalusha]

Crikey that Klipsch system is amazing. According to the thread the crossover networks on the walls required two people to get them out of the car!

Would really like to hear that system.

Mike

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