Good morning everyone. I've got a question about the "sound" a speaker may have. Along my travels of this site, I've seen speakers described as having a West coast sound, east coast sound, and British sound. Can you all elaborate on each? I think knowing what brands have what sound would help me in the future. Thanks!
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Speaker "sound"
- Thread starter Bill 208
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Here's a simplified answer:
West Coast was typified by the JBL 4311 with decided mid-bass and lower highs bumps. Boom sizzle.
East Coast typified by AR 3a with neutral response. Let it be.
British sound, aka the "BBC Dip" typified by the KEF LS3/5a involves a dip in the midrange to make them less forward sounding. Polite.
West Coast was typified by the JBL 4311 with decided mid-bass and lower highs bumps. Boom sizzle.
East Coast typified by AR 3a with neutral response. Let it be.
British sound, aka the "BBC Dip" typified by the KEF LS3/5a involves a dip in the midrange to make them less forward sounding. Polite.
The term polite would describe my Mordaunt-Shorts very accurately. And I love them. Seems my Spectrum 208's would be east coast. And I love them. Thank you for the response. This will make future hunting easier. Don't think im a fan of the West coast sound.
toxcrusadr
Omelette au Fromage
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/dahlquist-dqm-5s-vs-klh-6s.856384/#post-12427894
Some interesting reading in this thread. You can search for "east coast sound" (for example), including the quotes, and find some threads that include the whole phrase.
I generally think of East Coast as: on the low end, flat and deep due to acoustic suspension; on the top end, a bit rolled off, 'warm'.
West Coast: punchy bass from ported designs which tend to have a hump at the bottom end of the response, then a steep dropoff below that, as opposed to the gradual fade w/o humps that sealed speakers have. Upstairs, a more in-your-face treble.
There are exceptions within brands, one is mentioned in the thread I linked. When I listen to a set of speakers, I take them on their sonic merits, rather than pre-categorizing them, but there is a certain advantage to being able to understand overall trends, the typical sounds of brands, etc.
Some interesting reading in this thread. You can search for "east coast sound" (for example), including the quotes, and find some threads that include the whole phrase.
I generally think of East Coast as: on the low end, flat and deep due to acoustic suspension; on the top end, a bit rolled off, 'warm'.
West Coast: punchy bass from ported designs which tend to have a hump at the bottom end of the response, then a steep dropoff below that, as opposed to the gradual fade w/o humps that sealed speakers have. Upstairs, a more in-your-face treble.
There are exceptions within brands, one is mentioned in the thread I linked. When I listen to a set of speakers, I take them on their sonic merits, rather than pre-categorizing them, but there is a certain advantage to being able to understand overall trends, the typical sounds of brands, etc.
I've noticed a difference with ports in the rear opposed to the fronts. I feel the bass is tighter and punchier on front ported speakers and a little softer and warmer from rear ports. Front ported sound to be in the middle of the description of rear ported and sealed cabinets. And i will give any speaker a listen, i like to always use 2 sets, and like mixing them in different combinations every few months. Just nice to know what people are talking about when i see these phrases used. I remember figuring out what bright, forward, warm, etc. All meant. Helped me describe to myself what I like. I love this group.
