Best speakers for a vivid sound at low volume

[Plutox]

augmenting the bass on lossy boxy Harbeths would be a recipe for disaster.

At low listening levels, not so. It's overloading (i.e. too f'kin loud) that causes problems. If whatever wonky response you cook up remains within the capability of the speaker, there's no problem.

Just how low is "low" and how high is "high" in your book? dBA figures would be useful.

 

[Rodney gold]

You have a big problem with low level listening as your ear becomes a lot less sensitive to bass and treble as levels drop - you either have to buy a coloured speaker with bass and treble lift or get an amp with a loudness button or use a graphic equaliser

 

[Elephantears]

Sounds grim.

Perhaps I should adjust the demand. The Compact 7's are just a little bit hot in this room, although they work fine in my larger and carpeted living room upstairs.

I've currently got some Devore Nines in the room on loan from a very generous friend. They are wonderful speakers - better in every way than my own, and redress some of the issues I've had with the Harbeths (although I do like Harbeths in many ways). However they are a full range speaker and I think they also work best in slightly larger spaces. It is however very impressive that they cause no bass boom in such a moderate space, whilst going down very deep.

I am guessing that I should be looking for speakers with smaller drivers than the Harbeths, and somewhat less overrall ambition that the Devores. Or perhaps look to an alternative technology like stats.

So I'm not talking really low volume. I'm really just looking for something that suits the space comfortably. I heard this in the new Sonus Fabers; there is nothing exaggerated about their dynamics (unlike some older Sonus Fabers that I've heard), and they seemed perfectly integrated without strain. This was in another similar room though; not my own.

 

[Cereal Killer]

A room isn't just about proportions and dims though. The materiality and construction type play the biggest part. Can you do a RT60 measurement of your room to see where the issues maybe?

 

[Cereal Killer]

If you install Audiotools app on an iPad/tablet device. Close the doors and windows etc, put you device in the middle of the room and burst a balloon in the middle of the 3D space you'll get a result which looks something like this:

 

[Tony L]

I've currently got some Devore Nines in the room on loan from a very generous friend.

Yeah, but 'Nine' isn't a monkey - I'd want a pair named after a monkey for sure, a big hairy monkey too.

 

[Cereal Killer]

 

[molee]

I doubt they give a monkey's Tony but Gibbons and Orang-utans are apes. I don't actually have anything to add that happens to be on-topic, sorry.

 

[Cereal Killer]

He must be going bananas ....

 

[Tony L]

I doubt they give a monkey's Tony but Gibbons and Orang-utans are apes.

 

[Elephantears]

At the risk of going earnestly back on topic, the beautiful looking Devore Orangutans look a little bit like ANEs.

So where are the Audio Note mafia, then?

 

[Cereal Killer]

 

[Elephantears]

If you install Audiotools app on an iPad/tablet device. Close the doors and windows etc, put you device in the middle of the room and burst a balloon in the middle of the 3D space you'll get a result which looks something like this:

Sounds like I need to give this a go, although I don't have an iPad. (iphone 5 or Macbook pro any good?).

When I first moved in to this house, the listening room was live as hell. Furniture and rugs helped, but I think its still a bit hot. I'm putting shelves up in a couple of weeks so that should help further.

 

[Elephantears]

So did the ATC mafia chase the AN mafia to the desert then?

 

[Cereal Killer]

They didn't stand a chance, ATC rules. AN Mafia are weak and there's cones wear training bras in comparison.

Yes, you can do Audiotools on a phone too.

 

[Tony L]

So did the ATC mafia chase the AN mafia to the desert then?

I'm surprised there is so little mention of Audio Note speakers here, I've really liked them whenever I've heard them, though I've never tried any on home turf. I know DarrenW had a pair of pretty big and expensive ones before he went down the 15" Tannoy route, but he's the only pfm member I can bring to mind. I was very impressed with their circa £1k floor-stander at a show a couple of years back; a fine sounding thing and rather more speaker than one tends to get for that money these days.

 

[S-Man]

AN systems always seem to have dynamic compression to me, probably caused by their mW amp ratings though.
The chap with the huge Snells at the last Wig show was getting some very excellent noises out of them. Smaller Snells could be worth investigating. WAD used to use some mid sized ones for their demo room, and they were very good.

 

[Elephantears]

Yes I heard all the Wigwam Snells. It really was the Snell show this year and I enjoyed the m all.

Also the budget AN floorstanders that Tony refers to sounded very good in a trade room at Scalford (maybe last year - with Jolida I think).

However I do think a little of what Dave is saying about AN systems may be right. I wonder if that womb-like sense of richness is partly the result of compression.

 

[twotone]

Haven't read this thread entirely so apologies if someone else has mentioned these but I thought they were amazing speakers when I read about them earlier on this year.

There was someone AOS selling these at the start of the year, the reviews are amazing.

Mark & Daniels Sapphires

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/markdaniel4/topazsapphire_3.html

 

[mattgbell]

Like you, I thought the new SF Olympicas were excellent. Too much of an investment for me ATM though, as my wife has decided she wants to move house. How about a pair of ex-dem SF Cremona Auditor Ms? The SF dealers are letting their demo models go now that production is being wound up.