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Why the need for expensive speakers when we got Equalizers?

chingon said:
so basically if one is able to correct the graph w/say a parametric eq at listening position which allows for amplitude/bandwidth correction wouldn't it in theory sound just as the buku bucks speakers out there?
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Two things:

1. As I described in my previous post, if you need to boost anything, you start losing sensitivity. For example say you need +6dB at 300Hz. Now you need four times more power to reach a given volume compared to before the EQ. The speaker does not handle any more power than it did before, so this is not good.

2. There is much more to "frequency response at listening position" than you think. You have to consider the frequency response at every angle, and you have to consider time domain issues... If you dig into it, you'll quickly find there are lots and lots and lots of ways to measure frequency response, and they tell you different things about what's happening.

chingon said:
can we not make a fairly decent speaker (which may need only marginal correction) sound like the best out there?
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Depends the specifics, I suppose, but not really.

Listen, you've received a big collective NO here, but what you're thinking about is worth thinking about if you're interested in understanding speakers better. You can learn a lot trying to EQ one speaker to sound as close as possible to another and then trying to figure out the reasons for the differences that remain. Just keep the volume down and beware of clipping amps and woofer overexcursion when you have significant boosted frequencies.
 
dumptruck said:
Two things:

1. As I described in my previous post, if you need to boost anything, you start losing sensitivity. For example say you need +6dB at 300Hz. Now you need four times more power to reach a given volume compared to before the EQ. The speaker does not handle any more power than it did before, so this is not good.

2. There is much more to "frequency response at listening position" than you think. You have to consider the frequency response at every angle, and you have to consider time domain issues... If you dig into it, you'll quickly find there are lots and lots and lots of ways to measure frequency response, and they tell you different things about what's happening.


Depends the specifics, I suppose, but not really.

Listen, you've received a big collective NO here, but what you're thinking about is worth thinking about if you're interested in understanding speakers better. You can learn a lot trying to EQ one speaker to sound as close as possible to another and then trying to figure out the reasons for the differences that remain. Just keep the volume down and beware of clipping amps and woofer overexcursion when you have significant boosted frequencies.
Click to expand...

haha, 1st thing that popped into my mind was to grab a cab that works w/drivers of different responses (one being marginal, one being excellent) and play w/an eq. All in the name of satisfying my curiosity; seem like I've always thought of eq's as despicable things from hear say but never really looked into it.

PS: i suppose if one were looking to do this, it'd be best to look for drivers that overshoot from the 'flat' response rather than those that undershoot and need 'boosting'?
 
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:thmbsp:What Brett said. I can add that room acoustics have a lot to do with it as well. While an expensive (or let's say really good set of speakers which doesn't have to be super expensive), won't change the characteristics of a room, they will be able to produce very good sound when properly set up. Any well built speaker can perform like a champ in the right environment properly set up and often without the need for tone controls or EQ.
Actually, with good speakers EQ should not be needed unless there are some acoustical room characteristics that can be compensated by EQ if acoustical treatment is not possible.
 
Chingon,

Please ignore all these pathetic nay-sayers that are really just a bunch of losers from yesteryear. I wouldn't be surprised if they used tube gear, that's how out of touch they are.

It's sad that there's only a few that dare live on the cutting edge, although I suspect that you're a kindered spirit.
:thmbsp:

This is what you need to leave all these old guys in the dust of the past:

http://www.rane.com/pi14.html

I couldn't listen to music without mine, it's that important.

Best Regards
Terry "Flash!" Olson
 
TerryO said:
Chingon,

Please ignore all these pathetic nay-sayers that are really just a bunch of losers from yesteryear. I wouldn't be surprised if they used tube gear, that's how out of touch they are.

It's sad that there's only a few that dare live on the cutting edge, although I suspect that you're a kindered spirit.
:thmbsp:

This is what you need to leave all these old guys in the dust of the past:

http://www.rane.com/pi14.html

I couldn't listen to music without mine, it's that important.

Best Regards
Terry "Flash!" Olson
Click to expand...

Doesn't Mapleshade have one of these bolted to 100 lbs of maple with spike feet for just $5000 more?
 
TerryO said:
Chingon,

Please ignore all these pathetic nay-sayers that are really just a bunch of losers from yesteryear. I wouldn't be surprised if they used tube gear, that's how out of touch they are.

It's sad that there's only a few that dare live on the cutting edge, although I suspect that you're a kindered spirit.
:thmbsp:

This is what you need to leave all these old guys in the dust of the past:

http://www.rane.com/pi14.html

I couldn't listen to music without mine, it's that important.

Best Regards
Terry "Flash!" Olson
Click to expand...

:D:D For a second there you had me going....until I clicked the link of course.
 
chingon;
The way to find out is buy a pair of cheap crappy speakers a pair of expensive ones and an equalizer. Try and make the crap speakers sound like the good ones. If you succeed the entire world will be at your door for the secret.:D

You can't make a silk purse out of a Sow's ear!
 
rnorton said:
Doesn't Mapleshade have one of these bolted to 100 lbs of maple with spike feet for just $5000 more?
Click to expand...

Mapleshade's is overpriced.
Here in the Northwest, for $5000 you can get the whole Maple tree to mount in on! That's assuming you limb it yourself.

Best Regards,
TerryO
 
JoeESP9 said:
chingon;
The way to find out is buy a pair of cheap crappy speakers a pair of expensive ones and an equalizer. Try and make the crap speakers sound like the good ones. If you succeed the entire world will be at your door for the secret.:D

You can't make a silk purse out of a Sow's ear!
Click to expand...

Evidently Joe hasn't tried the Rane yet.
Talk about a real game changer!
 
as dumptruck was saying, sensitivity drops a lot; but look at that change...

filtr-1.gif

filtr-3.gif


http://www.speakerbuilding.com/content/1020/print.php

although i have a feeling his 'passive eq' is something different then what we're discussing
 
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