Do you think there is a perfect Speaker configuration for every musical era

[Phonautograph]

I don’t have any experience in music production nor do I have a well trained ear , but in my mild experience to casual music listening I have found out that the following are my best combination of music and speakers that produce the experience that the music developers intended for the end user. 

 

My stereo 5.5” monitors are what I enjoy the most when listening to classical and 70’s - 80’s or even 60’s music , and I guess this is because music was developed to what the consumer has , a stereo system 

Meanwhile my 2.1 system is most suited to most of the late 90’s and current gen pop , EDM and R&B music , as they are developed in way that is focused on low end exaggeration to be part of the overall intended design of the music , the stereo aspect is there but not as pronounced as it was in the previous era 

[botrytis]

Every speaker is a compromise in what can be produced and how it produces sound. Maybe - I don't know.

 

I just use what I think sounds best to me.

[crenca]

42, the answer is 42.

[Ralf11]

42 is only the answer for a very large speaker

 

 

[Phonautograph]

39 minutes ago, crenca said:

42, the answer is 42.

At least you didn’t make me wait for 7 million years 

[fas42]

No, there is no thing as an ideal speaker, arrangement for particular music. What's needed is an overall system which has been thoroughly optimised, all major weaknesses sorted; this then allows for the recordings to speak for themselves, and one then finds that each album has a completely distinct personality, and 'world', which takes over the listening environment - this is so strong that any extra, attempted manipulation of how to listen to it is quite pointless, unnecessary.

[esldude]

No.  Your idea doesn't have merit according to my opinion and experience.  

[Phonautograph]

I guess what I thought was more of a middle ground as I haven’t had the opportunity of hearing a high end system , as some of you have stated speakers have certain performance weak points, which has gave me the impression that certain speakers are more fitting to some genres as they don’t address it’s shortcomings I falsely related that to specific time periods which is an over generalization   , of course finding a quality source paired with a speaker/amp/dac setup  that are well engineered and compatible  to reproduce natural sound is what is ideal but is also very expensive 

[esldude]

56 minutes ago, Phonautograph said:

I guess what I thought was more of a middle ground as I haven’t had the opportunity of hearing a high end system , as some of you have stated speakers have certain performance weak points, which has gave me the impression that certain speakers are more fitting to some genres as they don’t address it’s shortcomings I falsely related that to specific time periods which is an over generalization   , of course finding a quality source paired with a speaker/amp/dac setup  that are well engineered and compatible  to reproduce natural sound is what is ideal but is also very expensive 

JBL LSR305 mkII, good sub,  good DAC.  Done.  Not ridiculously expensive.   

[Phonautograph]

1 hour ago, esldude said:

JBL LSR305 mkII, good sub,  good DAC.  Done.  Not ridiculously expensive.   

So a sub is essential for a good audio system , or is this just the case for monitors smaller than 8”

[AnotherSpin]

37 minutes ago, Phonautograph said:

So a sub is essential for a good audio system , or is this just the case for monitors smaller than 8”

 

Cheap system may sound *well* with any type of material.

[esldude]

38 minutes ago, Phonautograph said:

So a sub is essential for a good audio system , or is this just the case for monitors smaller than 8”

I think for monitors smaller than 8 inch on the woofer, and even some with 8 inchers.  The LSR has surprisingly good real response below 100 hz, but it won't do for dance or EDM.  So it is more sensible economically to add a sub to it rather than get an altogether larger speaker that wouldn't need a sub, but would add more to the cost than a sub does. 

[Phonautograph]

25 minutes ago, esldude said:

I think for monitors smaller than 8 inch on the woofer, and even some with 8 inchers.  The LSR has surprisingly good real response below 100 hz, but it won't do for dance or EDM.  So it is more sensible economically to add a sub to it rather than get an altogether larger speaker that wouldn't need a sub, but would add more to the cost than a sub does. 

That would also include the cost for audio receiver that has a suitable sub output , so it won’t matter if I get powered monitors 

[esldude]

52 minutes ago, Phonautograph said:

That would also include the cost for audio receiver that has a suitable sub output , so it won’t matter if I get powered monitors 

Depends upon how you do it.  The matching LSR sub for instance has the crossover built into it.  You feed the main signal to the sub, it handles the low end, and sends the rolled off top end to the 305 or 308 speakers.  So all you need is a DAC.  No receiver needed.    There are other ways to approach it, but you don't need an AVR.  

[Phonautograph]

On 8/20/2019 at 5:57 AM, esldude said:

JBL LSR305 mkII, good sub,  good DAC.  Done.  Not ridiculously expensive.   

I have just found a great deal on a brand new focal Xs 2.1 for 100$, so I had to buy them , 

they give a more fulfilling listening experience than my old 5.5’ monitors , although they do have their shortcomings in mids and highs due to the small satellites speakers but they do perform exceptionally well for their size 

which made me think that the minimum best setup is something like you said that combines a quality 5’ inch monitors with a quality sub 

[StephenJK]

I think the combinations and permutations of different speaker types and the electronics that drive them makes this far too complex a topic to be able to form any sort of conclusion.  

 

Case in point - a couple of years ago I fully restored a pair of Klipschorn speakers that were built in 1976 - Paul Klipsch's venerable corner horn design that dates back to the mid- 40's.  Restoration was with rebuilding the crossovers to the original design, replacing the tweeters and installing new diaphragms in the squawkers.  All other work was cosmetic with sanding, staining and replacing damaged edge banding.

 

I was absolutely astonished with the sound from those speakers!  The clarity, detail and precise imaging was something I've heard very few times.  The downside, of course, is they're big, heavy and difficult to place properly .  

 

I understand your reference, where over the years certain speakers were designed to appeal to the rock and roll crowd with a crossover that would boost certain frequencies to the drivers.  We always knew about that sort of thing being done but if you follow the original audiophile goal of a straight line with gain then you can avoid a lot of those sidesteps.  

 

Electronica or EDM being tailored for a specific speaker?  I think the problem would more likely be with someone mastering who either has a very poor digital recording from a budget ADC or lack of skill or knowledge on how to properly use a DAW - or both.  There are certain artists where I think their music is terrific but my goodness the sound is terrible.  Grimes, for example with her stellar effort on Visions - it's all high end with a shrill treble; terrific music where you have to ignore the lack of production values.

[Phonautograph]

2 hours ago, SJK said:

 

I understand your reference, where over the years certain speakers were designed to appeal to the rock and roll crowd with a crossover that would boost certain frequencies to the drivers.  We always knew about that sort of thing being done but if you follow the original audiophile goal of a straight line with gain then you can avoid a lot of those sidesteps.  .

I Agree and  to get what can be audiophile quality you need to spend at least what is near a 1000$ Which is not what your average consumer would pay for an audio system 
 

I think there must be a link between music production and the decision taken in deciding the mainstream audio equipment design

 

so for example if you play something like when the doves cry by prince  , beth by kiss ,  or any vocals/piano/guitar songs on an average sized and entry level bookshelf speakers the produced sound and overall experience would appeal very much to the average person 

 

but if you play EDM or R&B on those speakers, that  same listener wouldn’t enjoy the experience at all due to the lack of low end reproduction , and maybe prefer hearing it on one of those boomy portable speakers like a JBL Xtreme and wouldn’t care for stereo that much 

 

also in the 60’s - 70’s maybe 80’s mainstream consumer audio systems where mainly focused on stereo speakers with drivers larger than what is used for mainstream nowadays but not big enough to produce significant low end, and they had better handling and reproduction for highs and mids but not low end

 

but nowadays most popular audio devices bought by consumers are speakers with a dedicated woofer for low end and the satellite speakers drivers have became smaller and less significant 

 

 

 

 

 

[StephenJK]

I see your point, but will continue to disagree.  In my opinion, the fact that EDM is being made available at a time when budget speakers, as you say "have a dedicated woofer for low end and the satellite speakers drivers have become smaller" is coincidental, not cause and effect.

 

I remember reading about how some music was tailored for AM broadcast so as to fit within the limitations of the frequency range - and that loudness wars is specifically to make sounds seem more appealing on mobile devices or in vehicles.  

 

But, and a big but, I would need to hear from any EDM artist that they want their music to be played back on "tailored" or any specific hardware.

 

It's an interesting thought, and I'm not really qualified to take this any further.  Hopefully one of our production gurus will chime in with their insights.  

[gmgraves]

On 8/19/2019 at 12:06 PM, Phonautograph said:

I don’t have any experience in music production nor do I have a well trained ear , but in my mild experience to casual music listening I have found out that the following are my best combination of music and speakers that produce the experience that the music developers intended for the end user. 

 

My stereo 5.5” monitors are what I enjoy the most when listening to classical and 70’s - 80’s or even 60’s music , and I guess this is because music was developed to what the consumer has , a stereo system 

Meanwhile my 2.1 system is most suited to most of the late 90’s and current gen pop , EDM and R&B music , as they are developed in way that is focused on low end exaggeration to be part of the overall intended design of the music , the stereo aspect is there but not as pronounced as it was in the previous era 

Fact is, any speaker SHOULD be fine for all music. Such a speaker would sound EXACTLY like signal fed it, irrespective of the genre of music that signal represented. Such a speaker would be totally accurate across the entire musical spectrum. It would be squeaky clean of any artifacts, have perfectly flat frequency response - “from DC to Daylight”,  as the say. Said speaker would be massless, have an infinitely small “point source” have infinite impulse response and instantaneous transient response at all frequencies with zero distortion of any kind. All of these requirements are virtually impossible, either as a whole or individually because earth-bound physics won’t allow it. So, until all of these criteria are met. We’re going to have speakers that sound better on some musical genres than they do on others!

[fas42]

10 hours ago, SJK said:

Case in point - a couple of years ago I fully restored a pair of Klipschorn speakers that were built in 1976 - Paul Klipsch's venerable corner horn design that dates back to the mid- 40's.  Restoration was with rebuilding the crossovers to the original design, replacing the tweeters and installing new diaphragms in the squawkers.  All other work was cosmetic with sanding, staining and replacing damaged edge banding.

 

I was absolutely astonished with the sound from those speakers!  The clarity, detail and precise imaging was something I've heard very few times.  The downside, of course, is they're big, heavy and difficult to place properly . 

 

Yes, it's always, always the same story - the technology used is only a tiny part of the story; the most crucial factor is how well whatever has been used is implemented, and optimised in the particular instance ... the most ordinary, unassuming gear will always beat highly ambitious components in terms of delivering a satisfying experience, if the former have been carefully 'debugged' and the latter just dumped into place without thought.

 

The Klipschorns 'win' because of their efficiency, sturdiness and weight - it's one of a number of ways of achieving the higher levels of SQ.

[Ralf11]

5 hours ago, fas42 said:

 

Yes, it's always, always the same story

 

 

that much is true