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Time to go speaker shopping!

Okra said:
True enough but there is value in hearing from others with experience in a particular speaker. Someone else may be able to point out a dip in frequency or particular flaw to keep an ear out for when they do go listen. Throw it out - decipher the bullshit.
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I agree with this. I bought my first Mac amp when I was a teen, about 45 years ago. I’ve had a few pieces come and go over the years, including speakers. I do believe there is value in hearing the thoughts and opinions of others as it gives me a starting point for auditioning speakers that will ultimately be pleasing for me to listen to, based on my individual situation.

I appreciate everyone’s comments here and look forward to reading more.
 
unga-unga said:
OP - that's a budget to be reckoned with. You could piece together altec a5's for that price...

It's been said but, listening is really the only way. People might put you down the right path depending on what you like, or they might send you down a ribbit hole... I like presence, staging, and 3-dimensionality. I want to feel like my face has become the microphone, and Van Morrison's very spittle is getting in my eyes. So I like large format horns covering mids. But I know that electrostats are beloved for the same reasons, the ultra clear top end and realistic feeling. And you'd make good use of the power capability of your amp...

For me, it would make a big difference in my shopping to look for complete systems. I almost never do this. Less playing around involved. Im going to want to modify, so better if it's not completely original...
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Complete systems, as in electronics?
 
I NEED to throw a grenade after all these years of experimenting, MANY speakers in-house, and building.

If a speaker measures +/-3dB from (for instance) 34Hz-20K+ Hz what is the difference who made it?

I understand the subjective component, but reproducing the spectrum THAT closely, in any speaker, is going to be so similar that any difference is moot.

Ya like what you like
 
I had Pioneer HPM 100s, Klipsch KG4, Cornwalls, and Khorns. We sold out home, and out new house just didn't have the proper room for the Khorns, and wifey wasn't a fan of the way the Cornwalls looked.

We took an afternoon and went speaker shopping at Magnolia. After listening to B&W, ML, Klipsch, and a few others, I heard nothing that impressed me enough to justify the cost. I don't mean to say that price was no object, but we didn't ask price when listening. Wifey agreed, and decided she could make the Cornwalls "fit" the room with a few decorations, so that's what we did.

I'm sure there are others out there that would open out eyes, but the laws of diminishing returns seems to overshadow them. The Cornwalls give us all we need.
 
botrytis said:
Not really. Flaws heard could be real or imaginary (when I mean this, I mean because one's brain fills in information we hear, based on our biases and experience and it is a known phenomenon).

It is kind of like people saying 'Vintage Uber Alles', not really, if they like it great but it not for everyone.

One needs to take recommendations with a grain of salt.
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If there wasn't value in others experiences would this forum even exist?
 
If I were in your shoes I’d look no further than Holt Hill Audio, owned by AK’s own @baco99. I have had a pair of their Cionnsailes for a couple years and LOVE them. They do everything well and make BIG sound considering their footprint. You should at give them a look
https://holthill.com/collections/holt-hill-originals/products/cionnsaile
They’re the one aspect of my system, which is mostly Mcintosh, that I haven’t considered changing since I got them.
 
turnitdown said:
I NEED to throw a grenade after all these years of experimenting, MANY speakers in-house, and building.

If a speaker measures +/-3dB from (for instance) 34Hz-20K+ Hz what is the difference who made it?

I understand the subjective component, but reproducing the spectrum THAT closely, in any speaker, is going to be so similar that any difference is moot.

Ya like what you like
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That's assuming that the transient response (see "waterfall plot") is also that close. And that the phasing is also the same, throughout the spectrum.

That's never the case. Always some sort of trade-off- frequency response, phase, transient response, size... you can't usually have all of those done well, without spending a LOT of money to do it.

And, actually, +/- 3dB is a lot of leeway. That means there could be as much as 6dB difference between parts of the spectrum. That's clearly audible, in most cases- depending on where those peaks and dips land, in one speaker system, relative to another.

Regards,
Gordon.
 
GordonW said:
That's assuming that the transient response (see "waterfall plot") is also that close. And that the phasing is also the same, throughout the spectrum.

That's never the case. Always some sort of trade-off- frequency response, phase, transient response, size... you can't usually have all of those done well, without spending a LOT of money to do it.

And, actually, +/- 3dB is a lot of leeway. That means there could be as much as 6dB difference between parts of the spectrum. That's clearly audible, in most cases- depending on where those peaks and dips land, in one speaker system, relative to another.
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I have always wondered about that. Thanks. Do you know of an example that got them all right?

Trying to help the OP.
 
BamaBilly said:
If I were in your shoes I’d look no further than Holt Hill Audio, owned by AK’s own @baco99. I have had a pair of their Cionnsailes for a couple years and LOVE them. They do everything well and make BIG sound considering their footprint. You should at give them a look
https://holthill.com/collections/holt-hill-originals/products/cionnsaile
They’re the one aspect of my system, which is mostly Mcintosh, that I haven’t considered changing since I got them.
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Thanks for the mention, @BamaBilly ! I would be more than happy to discuss the Cionnsaile Monitor as an option with the OP to see if they would be a good fit for his room and listening preferences. I'm very proud to say that we had a customer come into the shop and demo the Cionnsailes against a set of Revel Ultima Studios. He A/Bd them for a while and in his estimation, the Cionnsailes had a much more natural presentation with many different types of music. The Revels had greater bass output, naturally, but when pushed hard enough for that to make a difference, he liked our upper-range better. He took a pair of the Purple Flake Cionnsailes home that day.

(FYI. Our room is about 12x20 with 14' ceilings, and a brick-and-beam loft feel.)

51409638459_b95a59cc5c_b.jpg
 
JoeESP9 said:
There are no Walsh drivers in any of their speakers. Calling their designs Walsh speakers is misleading and totally wrong.
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Upon further research I noticed that Lincoln Walsh's patent is more about the principle of sound waves emanating from the outside of the cone as opposed to the inside with 360 degree dispersion. Not necessarily full range or cone material.

Based on that criteria the current (and past) Walsh series of speakers from OHM are indeed Walsh designs even though the rear of the driver is attenuated by 20 db; basically an evolutionary design of the Walsh principle
 
From what little I understand, the actual 'trick' of a walsh driver is that sound waves travel down the speaker, and also into the air. Since the wave travels faster in the cone, the hard part is to pick the angle that keeps the sound in the air in phase with the sound still traveling down the cone. So, whether you do it all frequencies or a subset really doesn't matter.
 
If you want good sound, along with decent bass, I'd earmark between $500, (RSL Speedwoofer), and $1k, (HSU, Rythmik, or SVS. Or 2X Speedwoofers), for a sub. Then go for a par of speakers that does everything, from 100hz and up, right. I feel like it's usually too much to ask for amazing sounding speakers, while also asking they do the job of a sub, or pair of subs.
 
turnitdown said:
I NEED to throw a grenade after all these years of experimenting, MANY speakers in-house, and building.

If a speaker measures +/-3dB from (for instance) 34Hz-20K+ Hz what is the difference who made it?

I understand the subjective component, but reproducing the spectrum THAT closely, in any speaker, is going to be so similar that any difference is moot.

Ya like what you like
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Are you saying you cannot distinguish a titanium tweeter from a silk one?
 
No Dynaudio fans here? Emit 50 is in the range. I heard a Mac/Dynaudio combo that I'm still "chasing" as the standard I'm trying to meet with my budget picks. Haven't gotten close yet! LOL
 
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