Speakers - what and why

SEAS, Scan-Speak, Vifa, Dynaudio, Morel, Focal, Eton...99% have never heard of them. That's a shame. Starting any design with a high-quality driver (forgot Peerless), makes all the difference.

D'Appolito used SEAS for his THOR project. Linkwitz also uses them exclusively for his designs. That says a lot. I'm currently using a SEAS MTM (ODIN). Remarkable....
Yes Yes Yes on the drivers my current in room listening speakers they play with such detail and accuracy they will show every problem in your system or room.
Built By Salk Sound hand made by order outside Detroit MI.
Song3 Encore BE
270C3CCB-C4CD-4B11-9D63-B4DFA354BC7B.png
 
Last edited:
Take a look at Tekton speakers. I bought a pair of the Lore a few years back. They replaced a pair of Dynaudio based monitors with subs. The Dynaudio could be holographic but the Tektons sound more live. Tekton has some outstanding reviews.

I also have a pair of Madisound BK16, made from kits. They are sitting on the subs I used with the Dynaudio and are driven full range with a 9 watt tube amp. Horses for courses, so to speak.
 
purest sound for the dollar are Magnepan (Magnaplanar) speakers The 17.1 model is in the sweet spot. Mine are 8 years old and sounding better than new. They have been mated with a Polk Sub. They are broken in. Hardly a listening session goes by that goosebumps are not produced. Contrary to popular belief they do not require 300 watts per channel to perform. The first year I owned them they were driven by 80wpc H/K receiver while searching out a Carver M500t amp. YMMV
 
After using these KLH for many years, because i thought they sounded "good enough".. and they did at the time... - i think.
But after upgrading to Definitive Technology Pro Cinema 800 surround sound speakers i could not believe the detail i was missing out on. The highs, lows, mids, everything. The KLH are maybe a one tone speaker and do not excel in any one area. I'll never not say the KLH are acceptable because they were but that's all they were, and the price was right all those years ago.
I'd love to hear some of these speakers that are listed. I'm sure they sound phenomenal. :love:

IMG_2415.jpeg

IMG_2417.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2417.jpeg
    IMG_2417.jpeg
    180.2 KB · Views: 3
  • IMG_2415.jpeg
    IMG_2415.jpeg
    205.8 KB · Views: 3
  • IMG_2416.jpeg
    IMG_2416.jpeg
    107.3 KB · Views: 3
  • IMG_2416.jpeg
    IMG_2416.jpeg
    107.3 KB · Views: 3
System synergy is critical. Every component plays a part and must be carefully analyzed and assembled. Cost is not always a factor whether a system is "musical." This process could take some time and money. But, if one is satisfied enough....leave it be. Very hard for an audiophile to do but once you hit the "musical" stage, you'll know. I've been an audiophile is many yrs. (40+) Many things have come and gone but I try to look back. In my reference system I'm using small Dynaudio DM2/6's (w/Kef Cube 2 sub) driven by a glorious Arcam Alpha 10 int. amp which I've replaced the binding posts (Superior Electric) and recapped w/Kendeil capacitors. Just purchased some new KEF Q500 speakers which I'm enjoying very much....Bi-wired and driven by an Arcam Alpha 8 amp. Having read some of the comments about Salk speakers went to look @ their website. If I were to buy one of their products, I'd choose the Ellis 1801-TL. Small sender two-way design w/transmission line design. 34Hz to 20k Hz +/- 3 dB. Affordable and wife friendly. So much to choose from! Good Listening. Bill
 
Okay I've found the old speaker thread, not desperate yet but the old Sony's have a buzz and it's likely a tweeter but I haven't diagnosed that completely and I am still suffering sticker shock from looking at new prices, though I think I could budget ~$600 I'd also consider replacing the buzzing speaker and ~$300 max is where I'd be somewhat content but obviously to get some kind of quality is going to cost.

Best Buy seems like they might eventually have a sale that would persuade me, local Pawn shop is more likely going to get my money being I think I could wait it out until they have something of higher value that would be in budget. Woot, eBay and a few other options are out there but the frugal instinct says buying new isn't going to get the best deal.

My set-up is probably antique, a 200 watt JVC AX-350 amplifier and 2 Sony ss-u311-(link is YouTube example) speakers, or an optional Sony STR-865 Receiver-(link is YouTube example) new-old-stock option. I mostly want loud enough to compete with the vacuum cleaner or occasional post speaker to blast out deck door if desired. On second closer look the Sony's woofers surround foam edge is bad on all of them, I doubt I will fix these or anytime soon so the search for the replacement is nearer, though I have some other options in stock, book shelf and small PA speakers, so I can do some research and price shop.

Thanks for the past information and any future suggestions are welcome, though I think I am on the 'best pawn value' path being they can test them and have a 10 day return, but no current stock except for some Definitive Pro 400, which don't appeal being I think I will require at least a 8 to 10 inch woofer being I won't have a center/sub-woofer channel for the JVC (I think I prefer), though I have never used the Sony Receiver - just got it for a good price practically new in box and has a center channel.
 
Under budget and sounds great for my expectations, JBL Stage 190 $570 total for a pair, as I choose the scratch and dent option and got lucky as I can find little imperfection. These also have and option to separate the input for bass and mid/treble range so I can set up a different configuration. I kept in mind from buying my powered monitors 8 inch woofers is about the minimum for bass without a sub-woofer.
This speaker uses a "2.5-way" crossover design, which means both woofers cover the lower frequencies, but one goes higher into the midrange, for a smoother transition between drivers.
  • 1" aluminum tweeter with HDI (High Definition Imaging) waveguide technology for detailed sound across a wide listening area
  • dual 8" polycellulose woofers for punchy midrange and bass
  • recommended amplifier power: 20-225 watts
  • bass-reflex design with rear-firing tuned ports


Problem I had is impedance: 6 ohms, luck would have it the extra receiver Onkyo TX-820 has use over 4 ohms printed on the back otherwise my options were for 8 ohms or more. I still have to work on understanding that because the tutorial material I've found isn't to my satisfaction yet. What I am thinking is to hook up the two sets of input terminals in series and have 12 ohms to solve the 8 ohm minimum on my other amp or receiver.

I started listening to the motor trend channel and thought there's a big problem here - way too tinny and scratchy. After switching to the Youtube and figuring out I had to turn up all the volumes I got good sound but my current set-up, the plug at the computer isn't right and the right channel was dropping out, I'll have to diagnosis that better but likely need a quality plug that fits snug. Eventually I got great sound for what I listen to, Huapango Trios from Mexico, which usually consist of violin, jarana(like a half size guitar), and 8 string guitar. Some examples can be found on these YouTube channels Querreque Films and GAV Broadcast.

I think the merchant Crutchfield's did great, got a free 2nd day air shipment and both arrived with no damage though the boxes were tattered and these were ~50 pounds each. Also appreciate the buying options that allowed for acquiring within budget. Some of these prices can give the pawn shop a run for the money, and being I'm not as concerned with aesthetics when compared to budget and function. I'll be looking at adding a center channel for this current set-up.
 
Last edited:
Seem to have found an answer to the impedance of 6 ohms riddle, simplified in quote from the comments too
"Regardless of your speaker impedance... always keep the switch on the high setting."
meaning that the 8 ohm amp/receiver in my case 'might' be just fine, though I want to be more confident I just spent $...almost 600 bucks...
at 16m here;
 
Seem to have found an answer to the impedance of 6 ohms riddle, simplified in quote from the comments too

meaning that the 8 ohm amp/receiver in my case 'might' be just fine, though I want to be more confident I just spent $...almost 600 bucks...
at 16m here;

The lower the impedance, the higher the load on the amp. If your amp is rated to handle a 6 or 4ohm load, you'll be fine, but if it is only rated to handle an 8ohm load, you might damage it with the 6ohm speakers.

The speakers you mention are designed to have the terminals bridged if being run by a single amplifier. While possible to run them in series to increase impedance, I would suspect that might have an impact on the operation of the crossovers as usually going series/parallel applies to directly wiring woofers where you are working directly with the voice coils, with no crossovers in the mix.
 
Sonos play1 and Alexa 1st gen echo is the garage.

Used to have onkyo components 2 pairs of Bose 201 series v JBL 10inch sub. Very bad chronic lyme my ears and hearing bother me so I cant enjoy music like I used to.
 
After using these KLH for many years, because i thought they sounded "good enough".. and they did at the time... - i think.
But after upgrading to Definitive Technology Pro Cinema 800 surround sound speakers i could not believe the detail i was missing out on. The highs, lows, mids, everything. The KLH are maybe a one tone speaker and do not excel in any one area. I'll never not say the KLH are acceptable because they were but that's all they were, and the price was right all those years ago.
I'd love to hear some of these speakers that are listed. I'm sure they sound phenomenal. :love:

View attachment 82472
View attachment 82471
Paired with a good sub and receiver those are very impressive little speaks 👍🏻
 
I'm partially deaf now, but for BIG sound without the box ( I used to own a pair of D9 CV for "parties")
I would go with a USED pair of the larger maggies with a killer amp that will provide unlimited current at 3 ohms. Like a SUMO AB or a or Electron kinetics Eagle or a Musical Concepts modified Hafler. NO Carvers allowed! The maggies need a bit of room to breathe, but are not a picky as martin logan or Acoustat electrostatics.

I spent most all of my money on audio search for the holy grail from the late 70's thru the early 90s. over 20 grand LOST buying, trying and selling stuff.

http://img.canuckaudiomart.com/uploads/large/1147829-magnepan-17-with-mye-stands.jpg
Even the smallest Maggies sound awesome with a small powered sub. The only problem with Maggies is the WAF.
 
No wife these days, (RIP honey) so my Maggie 1.7's can sit 4 ft from the wall, or you can sit them in the middle of the room if you want. That is why the BlueJeans speaker cables made with 12 ga Belden wire are 20 ft long. When they are in the middle of the room they just disappear. A 350 wpc Carver M500t helps. :);) Along with a12 in Polk Sub
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: tomcat27
When I used to DJ, I ran Cerwin Vega D9's. Why? They were big and loud! I still have them but run Klipsch towers with the built in amplified subs


I remember back in the mid 80s,Cerwin Vega's had a reputation for being one of the best rock music speakers.


Yup, they were very loud, even my D3's were. Compared to the Paradigms though, the SQ difference is night and day.
What kind of amp was running those Paradigms you listened to? I see on here a lot of quality speakers being used but haven't seen a quality amp listed yet. Everyone's speakers on here would sound a lot better with better amps.
I have two systems. A SS Musical Fidelity (made in England) system running Maggie 12's with a small sub at low level. I have a tube buffered cd player and a Rega TT. My other system is a tube system, Prima Luna pre amp and amp running rebuilt Quad 63's. I was really into audiophile stuff for a number of years, rolling vintage tubes etc. Everything is plugged into PS Audio Ultimate outlets which filter and stabilize the power. I've even polished the prongs of the power plugs. (yes you can hear the difference). With these two systems, I have reached the point of diminishing returns. I can spend a lot more money and just get small improvements. Everything was bought used on Audiogon at about half the price new.
 
Stereophile's Test CD #3 is just $12 + S/H. I have #2. Also have one from Chesky, one called the Digital Domain, and several HT set-up discs that won't play in my old CD-only players.

I enjoy choral & classical pieces that are well recorded as I grew up singing them. You'll soon discover with your new LD's that recording quality makes all the difference.

It'll break your Heart though when you have to admit that a song your really love is recorded very poorly!! Makes you wonder what the h$ll the 'producer' was doing......
Yes recording and remastering quality are all over the place.
 
What kind of amp was running those Paradigms you listened to? I see on here a lot of quality speakers being used but haven't seen a quality amp listed yet. Everyone's speakers on here would sound a lot better with better amps.
I have two systems. A SS Musical Fidelity (made in England) system running Maggie 12's with a small sub at low level. I have a tube buffered cd player and a Rega TT. My other system is a tube system, Prima Luna pre amp and amp running rebuilt Quad 63's. I was really into audiophile stuff for a number of years, rolling vintage tubes etc. Everything is plugged into PS Audio Ultimate outlets which filter and stabilize the power. I've even polished the prongs of the power plugs. (yes you can hear the difference). With these two systems, I have reached the point of diminishing returns. I can spend a lot more money and just get small improvements. Everything was bought used on Audiogon at about half the price new.
Klaus hand built my amp and preamp
 
No wife these days, (RIP honey) so my Maggie 1.7's can sit 4 ft from the wall, or you can sit them in the middle of the room if you want. That is why the BlueJeans speaker cables made with 12 ga Belden wire are 20 ft long. When they are in the middle of the room they just disappear. A 350 wpc Carver MT-500 helps. :);) Along with a12 in Polk Sub
Nice set-up!
 
Interesting so far on impedance, I found one post #13 at this AVS forum link that sums up what could be expected using a higher ohm rated source, though it probably isn't the final word seems to correspond with others thoughts on subject;
The impedance switch is a safety thing. When the manufacturer submits their amp for safety certification (think UL, CSA or ETL Intertek) they submit which speakers it's to be used for. The safety test lab hooks up a special load that simulates a speaker then places the amp under worst case conditions that severely stress it. The amp has to survive without getting too hot, catching fire or being dangerous to the owner.

The manufacturer may request lower impedance speakers be tested with a lower impedance setting - these impedance setting limit the amount of power the amp has, which lowers the dissipation and heat produced by the amp.

The best setting is to leave it at the 8 ohm or higher setting, as this will make all the power the amp available. However, if it results in the amp going into protection mode then you will have to lower the setting as you're stressing the amp enough where it overheats. Also lower the setting if you feel uneasy since it is related to product safety. But realize that the test lab is putting the amp through very stressful conditions - conditions that will unlikely ever be reproduced during normal use.

Here is another explanation at 1:15m he explains amp were vacuum tube base and there was a transformer to match the impedance,
most solid state amplifiers are able to handle loads either 4 or 8 ohms without a problem
and then at 5:27m "rule of thumb" and 6:43m modern day amplifiers do not have that switch and you shouldn't have to worry about it.


For my use -
I might be at slight risk of overheating a receiver/amp of 8 ohms in combination with a 6 ohm speaker;
that risk would likely only occur at trying to output near the highest power setting;
the 8 ohm receiver/amp would need to output more power for a 6 ohm speaker;
a larger gap of 8 ohm to 4 ohm could be more of a concern;
with most modern solid state receiver/amp that has no transformer there would be less concern of mismatch impedance;

At ~3:10m this explains the switching to a lower 4 ohm setting is going to decrease and limit the power;


Which I think will be fine, I just want for the 6 ohm speakers to use my 8 ohm Sony STR-D865 receiver and to add a center channel to my set-up, though now I am using the 4 ohm Onkyo TX-820 receiver which limits me to only a left/right on A or B. My other option is to just add a b channel set of bookshelf speakers that I already own to the Onkyo.
 
Our family has shifted to headphones almost exclusively with the exception of movies. My favorites are a set of open Sennheiser 601 cans which are not exactly audiophile quality but have a pretty flat frequency response and nice sound strange. I don't have great high frequency hearing anymore so don't want the same Beats type sound younger people like.
 
Back
Top