What do you look for in a speaker?

[Umberto]

Having had my new speakers for a couple of weeks now, was wondering what other people look for when they buy speakers?

I remember when i first started auditioning speakers about a year and a half ago. My rig at the timeincluded of an old pair of Ruark Templars. They were pleasant-enough sounding speakers but were lacking in treble extension. I went to audition some Dynaudio's, beginning with the 52se. Thought this sounded alright but not a huge improvement over my Ruarks. I then listened to the 62s and thought they sounded better, probably because of their added bass, so i ended up buying them.

When i got them home howerver, things were not quite right and their bass would "bloat" in my room, plus the treble was still slightly muted. I was reluctant to admit defeat as they were modern speakers so they must sound better, right? Big mistake.

After a change of amp and CD player, things were still not going well so i decided to sell them and thats when i bought my Skibos (after hearing them at a bakeoff). The Skibos were a big improvemnet in the midrange department and worked far better in my room. I had the Skibos for about 3 months and in this time i reckon was the "defining moment"that would influencemy speaker choice in the future.Ithen progressed on to the stiletto 6s.

With my purchase of the expression V6s, I reckon they have shown what a speaker can and should be capable of.

So what doyou look for ina speaker. Is it goodbass and treble extension, a nice clean midrange, do you want to be able to hear every small nuaunce or perhaps a tangible sense of having the performers in the room with you?

[nixon_fiend]

That's a good question.

I like dynamics, a dynamic speaker over any other.. I also dig a lighter 'airy' presentation. Not too bothered about big bass..

Dislike designs that curtailed HF to be more warm and musical (castle for example) I find this irritating and 'closed in'.. irks me no end.

My current pair of speakers is the best I've heard in my room. .presses all my buttons - had troubles getting them (bit bashed in) but getting a brand new pair soon... Reason I bought them was part of my fondness for the sound of my parent's old AR18s .. i love the effortless sound of the simple crossover - my speakers are crossoverless lowther-derivitives.. doubt i'll go back!

[hifiwigwam]

I like for the speaker manufacturer to not email me with a whinging complaint every time he gets a bad review for making speakers no one on this forum likes.

I like for a speaker manufacturer to put all of their efforts into improving the sound of the speaker, and then market it efficiently and withoput harrassing the press every five minutes.

hifiwigwam wrote:

I like for the speaker manufacturer to not email me with a whinging complaint every time he gets a bad review for making speakers no one on this forum likes.

I like for a speaker manufacturer to put all of their efforts into improving the sound of the speaker, and then market it efficiently and withoput harrassing the press every five minutes.

[Chumpy]

Either they are biggish-cheap-let your stuff sound fine or they are small-affordable-let your stuff sound fine even if LF is not going to give you the shits.

It is nice if they last for ever/do not burst/go as loud as you really really want with great not overpriced amp-system.

It is essential that they do not pose a risk to anyone/anything if e.g. leapt upon by children/pets etc.

Very few 'audio buffoons' have yet confessed to discovering that £39 nice-looking pair of Argos etc slim floorstanders (fat or solid floor has advantages)is as good as snotty hifi brand at 20-50 times price.

If loudspeaker-system is e.g. 1 metre-2 metres high I do prefer it if loudspeakers are more than '2cm 'wide (wide enought ot accommodate at least 1 12" woofer is a starting-point).

I can understand purchaser-user-listener choosing brown real wood-finish, although I tend to prefer any sort of black, like obelisk in '2001 A Space Odyssey' film.

[Biscuit]

Chumpy wrote:

Very few 'audio buffoons' have yet confessed to discovering that £39 nice-looking pair of Argos etc slim floorstanders (fat or solid floor has advantages)is as good as snotty hifi brand at 20-50 times price.

:lmao:

[kennyk]

what do I like ina speaker?



Holographic presentation.

[Papa Lazarou]

hifiwigwam wrote:

I like for the speaker manufacturer to not email me with a whinging complaint every time he gets a bad review for making speakers no one on this forum likes.

I like for a speaker manufacturer to put all of their efforts into improving the sound of the speaker, and then market it efficiently and withoput harrassing the press every five minutes.

If the speaker in question was half as good as he states we'd all be selling ours to buy them - so far i've not seen any takers - i wonder why? :lwink:

[jinjer]

What do you look for in a speaker?

Loose change and sweets that children have posted through the hole in the back ;)

[curtis]

I like a speaker that sounds natural (to me)

Has to be able to make a fair fist of all music types

One that reproduces voices and has good top to bottom cohesion

No over projection on the top end and certainly no detached sound

I like a fair amount of transparency but it also needs to have punchy bass

Main criteria though is that it works in your room with your electronics



Curt

[Sony6million]

I'm a groover so its a deep rhythmic bassline that gets my head nodding

[TIU]

Dave looks for lost children and small pets.

Duvet will look for sleeping vampires and bats!

[kennyk]

turnitup! wrote:

Dave looks for lost children and small pets.

I disagree. Dave looks for Narnia ;)

[TIU]

Of course.

[murray johnson]

Besides other attributes, a speaker should also be able to scare the bejaysus out of you!

[icehockeyboy]

What do i look for in a speaker?..........erm............................. .a tweeter a bass and mid unit....some wire.......................accoustic foam stuff............erm.............

murray johnson wrote:

Besides other attributes, a speaker should also be able to scare the bejaysus out of you!

true, depending on the music, it should also be able to bring you to tears, make you laugh out loud, dance and jump around, and sing along in a tuneless way (only way I know how to sing), but importantly for me, it must suspend my disbeleif, I shut my eyes and the band is in the room, job done!!!

remember one afternoon, snappy and myself "sindging along" to old Elton, we were so wrapped up in the music, that singing along felt just so natural, "saturday, saturday, saturday, satuday, saturday, saturday nights alright...."

[kennyk]

icehockeyboy wrote:

What do i look for in a speaker?..........erm............................. .a tweeter a bass and mid unit....some wire.......................accoustic foam stuff............erm.............

would you look for gyproc and bathroom tiles?

[Leonard Smalls]

Size is what I look for.

Size is everything. :bounce:

[Umberto]

Well a fair amount of decent views so far (and the usual sarcastic stuff ).

A few no-no's

Boxiness - Got this with my Dynaudios. I reckon there is no excuse for it nowadays. Theaudible sound of the speaker cabinet resonating. Completely destroys the sound.

Bass Bloat - The bain of the "British" voiced speaker. Can sound impressive at first butbecomes weary after a while. If your constantly fiddling with the position of your speakers trying to control the bass, it maybe the speakers that are at fault, not your room

Recessed Midband - Sometimes referred to as "chestiness" can make voices sound impressive and superficially reduces fatigue when listening but again becomes noticeable after a while

Muted treble - A ploy used to make the speaker "warmer" sounding but will become annoying when you look for that sparkle on the high notes.



I reckon a speaker has to provide toe-tapping realism. If yer not a tappin yer feet then there is somethin wrong.