Antoniop wrote: > Hi Dave, > I see that you're an expert regarding hifi and you're quite hard to > please, but what do you do about "gear fitting", I mean, I'm not an > expert myself but it seems to me that for example some speakers give a > better sound with some amplifiers than some others, regardless if the > amplifier is better or not, just because they fit better, or do you > think that the better gear together always give a better sound ? > Usually, I try to listen the new equipment I want to buy with the one > that I already have, or at least with equipments from the same brand, to > know what I'll have when back home. > That's not possible when you buy second hand. > I hope you understand what I mean (my english is a bit weak). > > Antonio
Hi Antonio! I absolutely agree with the previous answer to your question, i.e. it is the transducers which have the final job of imparting the sound waves into your listening room that are now the weakest (arguably the only weak) link in the audio chain as far as modern music reproduction equipment goes. Indeed, at least in theory, any earlier components *-should-* work together without any significant problems, since the voltage levels & impedances of both unbalanced (RCA phono) & balanced (XLR) interconnections at the line level are now standardised & most equipment adheres to these specifications. The problems with loudspeakers (or headphones for that matter) derive from the physical construction of the drivers (cone stiffness, mass, linearity when displaced from their static position & off-axis response) & in the case of loudspeakers the choice of loading (infinite baffle, reflex, transmission-line or even occasionally free-air or even isobaric) combined with the quality of construction & precise internal volume of the cabinet. There are other schools of thought (e.g. Harbeth's deliberately flexible cabinets), but most designers now aim to make their enclosures as rigid as possible. There is also the critical choice between a stand-mount cabinet (often referred to as "bookshelf" loudspeakers, although actually placing them on a crowded wall-shelf will usually result in a poor sound compared to using rigid & adequately damped speaker stands & having some free space around the enclosures... ) or having larger floor-standing enclosures (which usually have more drivers than stand-mounts). Finally, the crossover design & positioning of the various drivers relative to each other are critical to achieving a coherent musical performance. Active speakers may be preferable to passive ones if you have deep pockets! Whilst the fidelity of modern transducers has improved markedly compared to designs from say 40 years ago with the current availability of lightweight rigid materials such as carbon fibre, graphite or Kevlar for LF drivers & exotic ones like beryllium or even diamond for HF drivers, it remains the case that almost all of the non-linearity (aka distortion) of your system will derive from the transducers - even the very best & astronomically expensive ones are still not perfect! The specific impact of these issues for you will depend in part upon the size, shape & even construction materials of your listening room. So loudspeaker design still involves considerable compromise, & different speakers will usually sound much more distinct from each other than different amplifiers or earlier components in the audio chain. So whilst there are some general guidelines that will point you in the right direction in terms of selecting the right type of loudspeaker for your room, ultimately the acid test is whether you are happy with the musical reproduction that you achieve which is inevitably a subjective matter. I do not believe that any published numerical specifications pertaining to loudspeakers have any useful bearing on their sound quality (this is not the case with amplifiers, for example, where generally accepted measurements can give a reasonable basis for the unit's suitability(. Arnyk recently send me a link for a 2017 research paper by 3 eminent Danish academics who were seeking to quantify loudspeaker performance. It was a tough read, but ultimately I did not feel that they had actually made much headway! A particular problem is that some loudspeakers may sound very initially impressive & it is over the course of several months of regular listening that their sound begins to grate upon you - the trial period typically offered by even "top-dollar" dealers is usually NOT long enough for this effect to manifest itself, which is another reason that I would serious recommend buying "as new" s/hand loudspeakers, since it leaves you the option of selling them on later *-without-* losing a significant amount of money if you change your mind 6 months down the line... What is your listening room like (i.e. approximate shape, size, ceiling height, solid or plasterboard walls, solid or suspended floor & ceiling)? Dave :cool: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Golden Earring's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=66646 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=107946 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
