Speakers vs The Track That's Playing

[Witterings]

Try some small mats or experiment with a folded towel see what happens

This has got me thinking .... I've some old different coloured carpet somewhere. I could cut it to size and see if it makes a difference and if so go to a carpet store and find some offcuts of a similar colour.

 

[Friendly Ghost]

My only experience with a downward firing port was with B&W 802d's & they are very hard to tune to a room can you get the speakers on the carpet that might help

They actually fire into a bottom plate, so tuning should not be necessary (other than positioning)

 

[Sotosound]

I'm assuming that the tracks that you've highlighted as a bit lifeless / dull and muddy have previously sounded good through different speakers, in which case these speakers might not be right for you in your room.

 

[MVJ]

This has got me thinking .... I've some old different coloured carpet somewhere. I could cut it to size and see if it makes a difference and if so go to a carpet store and find some offcuts of a similar colour.

Sounds like a plan

 

[Witterings]

I'm assuming that the tracks that you've highlighted as a bit lifeless / dull and muddy have previously sounded good through different speakers, in which case these speakers might not be right for you in your room.

This is a good point, my music listening has gone through the roof over the last few months and I've trialed many different speakers before ending up with these but couldn't tell you IF I played those tracks on some of the other speakers.
If I did I'm guessing I didn't notice them as being the same or I would possibly of noticed it but overall I can't say the others seemed to generally have this trait.
They would have had other characteristics I wasn't so keen on in comparison and hence why I bought these.

I do have a setup in another room I can try them on to compare but am just about to go on holiday so may not be until after I'm back.

I do reiterate though, it's only on a small percentage of tracks and overall they're amazing speakers and was largely to see if others experienced anything similar.

 

[THOMO]

I have loads of very well recorded pop music that sounds really good

I would be happy to hear of some suggestions.I do listen to some pop music but very rarely on a good system.Nearly every time I try to listen to it I find it unbearable.
There are bound to be some exceptions but they seem to be few and far between.Most is very compressed ,has poor soundstage and imaging [especially depth]. A lot of modern stuff also has horrible emphasised/processed /computer generated bass .Whch seems to go hand in hand with processed auto tuned vocals.
Sting has made some good recordings but they were his jazz influenced albums using jazz musicians like The Dream of the Blue Turtles and Nothing Like the Sun.
Thankfully there is some more Indie Pop stuff that is pretty well recorded-Angus and Julia Stone,Ray LaMontagne,Jack Johnson,Tinpan Orange,Denison Witmer etc.Altough it seems some of those artists have some nice early recordings when they are relative unknowns and when they become more mainstream they fall victims to more processed and less natural sounding recording techniques.

 

[uzzy]

Probably bad production making the music lifeless and dull .. the only way to be certain is try it on some other speakers too.

It is annoying to have a badly produced album especially when you love the music that is on it (Boston first album springs to mind as it is so heavily compressed).

 

[bencat]

I would be happy to hear of some suggestions.I do listen to some pop music but very rarely on a good system.Nearly every time I try to listen to it I find it unbearable.
There are bound to be some exceptions but they seem to be few and far between.Most is very compressed ,has poor soundstage and imaging [especially depth]. A lot of modern stuff also has horrible emphasised/processed /computer generated bass .Whch seems to go hand in hand with processed auto tuned vocals.
Sting has made some good recordings but they were his jazz influenced albums using jazz musicians like The Dream of the Blue Turtles and Nothing Like the Sun.
Thankfully there is some more Indie Pop stuff that is pretty well recorded-Angus and Julia Stone,Ray LaMontagne,Jack Johnson,Tinpan Orange,Denison Witmer etc.Altough it seems some of those artists have some nice early recordings when they are relative unknowns and when they become more mainstream they fall victims to more processed and less natural sounding recording techniques.

Now you are dealing in semantics of what you describe as pop . All music other than classical is defined as popular music , Jazz , Folk , Pop , Rock etc . As to well recorded artists Richard Thompson , Colin Vearncombe , Yes , King Crimson , Madelaine Peyroux , Lyle Lovett , Yello , Malia , Fela Kuti , Sean Kuti , Salif Keita , Pointer Sisters , Steely Dan , Little Feat , The Beatles , Pink Floyd , Japan , Roxy Music , Grace Jones this is just a very small part there are really hundreds more . If you do not like electronic music then fine but that does not make it well recorded it just means it is not to your taste . Kraftwerk are a wonderful band and created a large body of well recorded and brilliant music . They did it using electronic instruments of an increasingly complex nature it is what they wanted to do . Your sweeping view all of this is rubbish is just not credible and even now you are listing people who make music recorded to your standards . I have no issue with individual artist moans and having a view that they are not recorded well but it needs to be that by artist . My Wife loves Sam Smith , I am not as keen but I do have to admit that his albums are very well recorded . I love Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart and my Wife does not , in both cases they have some very well recorded work and in others some not that well recorded but I still love the music .

If you are a mainly acoustic singer with a small backing then natural techniques may well be the way to go . Cassandra Wilson has quite a few albums which show this off Belly of The Sun being one of them . However if you are ZZ Top , Prodigy , Motorhead , or Philip Glass then natural techniques just will not work . The Blue Nile first and second album show what can be done . First album has all real instruments either acoustic or electric (I consider electric guitar and bass to be real) . The second album is almost all electric . The emotion and quality of the music is really high on both albums and the recordings while very different are each excellent with soundstage , and air . It is the music that is what matters I do not listen to any music just for the recording I listen to the music .

 

[Volley24]

Are your speakers front/rear ported or sealed?

I would try spending some time positioning your speakers and if the giai feet helped you may eradicate the issue combining the two things maybe a sock in a rear port too (if you have them)

That's quite insulting - I'm sure he has lots of socks!!

 

[bencat]

That's quite insulting - I'm sure he has lots of socks!!

Not always true , since I retired in 2019 I have not worn socks ever . All that I had have been slowly pinched by my visiting children or my wife . Last time I looked there are no socks in any of my drawers so I would guess that currently I do not own any socks . I would say that there may be a stray pair in the back of a wardrobe but you get what i am saying .

 

[Witterings]

That's quite insulting - I'm sure he has lots of socks!!

I keep running out of socks, I think that's because most of them are M & S which I'm convinced now fall into a very expensive disposable category .... their goods really are complete carp nowadays.

 

[Tarzan]

I've relatively recently bought a pair of ProAc D20R's and with a track that "suits" them they're mind blowingly good but with some songs that are quite bass heavy I find they can become a little bit lifeless / dull and muddy ... thankfully the majority are in the former rather than latter catagory.

I recently had a trial of some Giai Isolation feet and whilst they did make some diffference overall there wasn't a noticeable difference to the ones that weren't great so decided to save my money

A couple of the songs that aren't great is The Police - So Lonely which becomes very dull and Beyonce - If I Were A Boy which is pretty boomy.

I appreciate it's hard to get a speaker that's brilliant at everything but just interested to hear other people's experiences and if they find their speakers handle some music exceptionally well but fall short with other tracks.

The D20R is known known for having a 'large bottom end'- what is the rest of your kit and room size?

 

[tackleberry]

I keep running out of socks, I think that's because most of them are M & S which I'm convinced now fall into a very expensive disposable category .... their goods really are complete carp nowadays.

Do you have a pic of your room/position?

 

[MVJ]

That's quite insulting - I'm sure he has lots of socks!!

 

[MVJ]

I would be happy to hear of some suggestions.I do listen to some pop music but very rarely on a good system.Nearly every time I try to listen to it I find it unbearable.
There are bound to be some exceptions but they seem to be few and far between.Most is very compressed ,has poor soundstage and imaging [especially depth]. A lot of modern stuff also has horrible emphasised/processed /computer generated bass .Whch seems to go hand in hand with processed auto tuned vocals.
Sting has made some good recordings but they were his jazz influenced albums using jazz musicians like The Dream of the Blue Turtles and Nothing Like the Sun.
Thankfully there is some more Indie Pop stuff that is pretty well recorded-Angus and Julia Stone,Ray LaMontagne,Jack Johnson,Tinpan Orange,Denison Witmer etc.Altough it seems some of those artists have some nice early recordings when they are relative unknowns and when they become more mainstream they fall victims to more processed and less natural sounding recording techniques.

My reply to you is exactly the same as Bencats above probably word for word.

I would also say there is far more good quality than poor imo.

 

[MVJ]

Now you are dealing in semantics of what you describe as pop . All music other than classical is defined as popular music , Jazz , Folk , Pop , Rock etc . As to well recorded artists Richard Thompson , Colin Vearncombe , Yes , King Crimson , Madelaine Peyroux , Lyle Lovett , Yello , Malia , Fela Kuti , Sean Kuti , Salif Keita , Pointer Sisters , Steely Dan , Little Feat , The Beatles , Pink Floyd , Japan , Roxy Music , Grace Jones this is just a very small part there are really hundreds more . If you do not like electronic music then fine but that does not make it well recorded it just means it is not to your taste . Kraftwerk are a wonderful band and created a large body of well recorded and brilliant music . They did it using electronic instruments of an increasingly complex nature it is what they wanted to do . Your sweeping view all of this is rubbish is just not credible and even now you are listing people who make music recorded to your standards . I have no issue with individual artist moans and having a view that they are not recorded well but it needs to be that by artist . My Wife loves Sam Smith , I am not as keen but I do have to admit that his albums are very well recorded . I love Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart and my Wife does not , in both cases they have some very well recorded work and in others some not that well recorded but I still love the music .

If you are a mainly acoustic singer with a small backing then natural techniques may well be the way to go . Cassandra Wilson has quite a few albums which show this off Belly of The Sun being one of them . However if you are ZZ Top , Prodigy , Motorhead , or Philip Glass then natural techniques just will not work . The Blue Nile first and second album show what can be done . First album has all real instruments either acoustic or electric (I consider electric guitar and bass to be real) . The second album is almost all electric . The emotion and quality of the music is really high on both albums and the recordings while very different are each excellent with soundstage , and air . It is the music that is what matters I do not listen to any music just for the recording I listen to the music .

Wot he said

 

[MVJ]

I keep running out of socks, I think that's because most of them are M & S which I'm convinced now fall into a very expensive disposable category .... their goods really are complete carp nowadays.

Same here they just don't last like they used to

 

[THOMO]

Now you are dealing in semantics of what you describe as pop . All music other than classical is defined as popular music , Jazz , Folk , Pop , Rock etc . As to well recorded artists Richard Thompson , Colin Vearncombe , Yes , King Crimson , Madelaine Peyroux , Lyle Lovett , Yello , Malia , Fela Kuti , Sean Kuti , Salif Keita , Pointer Sisters , Steely Dan , Little Feat , The Beatles , Pink Floyd , Japan , Roxy Music , Grace Jones this is just a very small part there are really hundreds more . If you do not like electronic music then fine but that does not make it well recorded it just means it is not to your taste . Kraftwerk are a wonderful band and created a large body of well recorded and brilliant music . They did it using electronic instruments of an increasingly complex nature it is what they wanted to do . Your sweeping view all of this is rubbish is just not credible and even now you are listing people who make music recorded to your standards . I have no issue with individual artist moans and having a view that they are not recorded well but it needs to be that by artist . My Wife loves Sam Smith , I am not as keen but I do have to admit that his albums are very well recorded . I love Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart and my Wife does not , in both cases they have some very well recorded work and in others some not that well recorded but I still love the music .

If you are a mainly acoustic singer with a small backing then natural techniques may well be the way to go . Cassandra Wilson has quite a few albums which show this off Belly of The Sun being one of them . However if you are ZZ Top , Prodigy , Motorhead , or Philip Glass then natural techniques just will not work . The Blue Nile first and second album show what can be done . First album has all real instruments either acoustic or electric (I consider electric guitar and bass to be real) . The second album is almost all electric . The emotion and quality of the music is really high on both albums and the recordings while very different are each excellent with soundstage , and air . It is the music that is what matters I do not listen to any music just for the recording I listen to the music .

I listen to some of those artists too.I agree some of the Lyle Lovett and Medeleine Peyroux recordings are excellent.It is not pop though.The Beatles , Roxy music and Pointer Sisters yes.
When I said pop I am thinking more along the lines of Taylor Swift,Adele,Beyonce,Sia ,Robbie Williams ,Abba,The Cure etc.It is deliberately recorded to sound decent on car radios or small bluetooth speakers not decent Hi F systems.
The O.P. reference was Police and Beyonce.Now that IS pop.

 

[Witterings]

The D20R is known known for having a 'large bottom end'- what is the rest of your kit and room size?

Thae amp's an Arcam SA30 and room size is open plan to a dining area furthest from the speakers with a total of 36 sq m, the immediate listening area is 21 sq m.

Do you have a pic of your room/position?

Have attached and I realise positioning is far from ideal ... the speaker on the right has been moved to the right more and pulled further forward and when I'm critical listening, the armchair next to the speaker on the left gets moves 2 / 3 feet away from the speaker.

 

[StingRay]

Talk about modern pop music and someone lists a load 70s rock. I agree a lot modern pop music is over compressed to sound loud and more for cars than hifi. Beyonce that type of music tends to have a lot of bass. Solution is reduce the bass, room treatment or buy different speakers. Bass traps need to be thick and won't be suitable to many living rooms.