Altair2

DaveyF

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Jul 31, 2010
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I read Robert Harley's review in the current TAS of these speakers today. Mr.Harley gave them a total rave and pretty much felt they were the best thing since mother's milk:confused:

However, I cannot help but wander how a speaker with a 15" driver is going to sound in the vast majority of rooms that it is likely going to be used in. A 15" driver is typically a driver that can push a huge amount of air. I would suspect that in the typical listening room constructed with drywall , that driver would be able to over-drive said room easily and quickly. :( A listen to these speakers in the room that they would be intended for, would seem to me to be a mandatory requirement before purchase. ( OTOH, that is probably a factor for all gear these days:confused:)
 
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garylkoh

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I wonder how many times he's stepped on that mega-buck speaker cable when playing a record?

Lee

I don't think that he would be playing records. The t/t and tube phono stage in a corner like that is sure to excite the system to feedback. The tube trap right next to the turntable might absorb frequencies from 200Hz up, but being the little one (from the picture 13" at the most), does very little below about 100Hz on down.
 

JackD201

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I feel for RH. I bet he really misses his old listening room. :(
 

FrantzM

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I am somewhat confused by the room too... It is however dangerous to speculate on a room by just looking at it.. It might well be good sounding .. Allow me however to have strong doubts...
One thing I always find strange : Why place the TT close to a corner where there is strong reinforcement in the low bass. Not sure the bass trap I see can take care of a peak at a frequency under 20 Hz... maybe there are other low bass absorbers inside the wall...:confused:
However from what I heard form the Anquila .. THis speaker has to be really, but really special..
 

JackD201

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That's why I feel for RH. SOmeone posted more room pics as he was setting up the Vandy 7s and the left side is open. You see a door to the right. It looks like he doesn't have too many choices. His old room looked symmetrical and properly treated. I don't know why he had to move. It is a gorgeous house and it probably beats his old place in all areas except the listening room. There's more to life than just audio though but again I bet he misses the old place. Acoustically, even by just looking at the pictures, there's no way this room can be even close.
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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New York City
I read Robert Harley's review in the current TAS of these speakers today. Mr.Harley gave them a total rave and pretty much felt they were the best thing since mother's milk:confused:

However, I cannot help but wander how a speaker with a 15" driver is going to sound in the vast majority of rooms that it is likely going to be used in. A 15" driver is typically a driver that can push a huge amount of air. I would suspect that in the typical listening room constructed with drywall , that driver would be able to over-drive said room easily and quickly. :( A listen to these speakers in the room that they would be intended for, would seem to me to be a mandatory requirement before purchase. ( OTOH, that is probably a factor for all gear these days:confused:)

Plenty of room between the window and the speaker to get to the table! :)
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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I am somewhat confused by the room too... It is however dangerous to speculate on a room by just looking at it.. It might well be good sounding .. Allow me however to have strong doubts...
One thing I always find strange : Why place the TT close to a corner where there is strong reinforcement in the low bass. Not sure the bass trap I see can take care of a peak at a frequency under 20 Hz... maybe there are other low bass absorbers inside the wall...:confused:
However from what I heard form the Anquila .. THis speaker has to be really, but really special..

Where would you have Robert place it in the room Frantz?
 

FrantzM

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ANywhere but in a corner behind a speaker. Let me return you the ball.. Do you think a corner behind a speaker is a good position for a TT?
 

DaveyF

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Jul 31, 2010
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La Jolla, Calif USA
I am loath to say this....especially since in years past, i have enjoyed Mr.Harley's writing...BUT his room pic shows a complete lack of understanding about how to maximize the potential of a system, IMHO.

The room looks to be a little tough to deal with, OTOH, he could easily have placed the equipment rack with the TT between the speakers and in front of the fireplace, moved the amps to a position on the center and in front of the speakers, and NOT have had to place the TT behind the right speaker.( Which, again IMHO, is NOT the place for it):eek:
Have to agree with GaryLkoh on this one.:)
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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ANywhere but in a corner behind a speaker. Let me return you the ball.. Do you think a corner behind a speaker is a good position for a TT?

Frantz:

I was more referring to a practical (rather than general) solution in Robert's room. Between the speakers wouldn't be any better either. And if you moved the table back out into the room against a side wall, then the cost of ICs would be prohibitive plus there's got to be some degradation from the extra long length of IC. I think it's probably the lesser of three evils in his room :)
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
11,236
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New York City
I am loath to say this....especially since in years past, i have enjoyed Mr.Harley's writing...BUT his room pic shows a complete lack of understanding about how to maximize the potential of a system, IMHO.

The room looks to be a little tough to deal with, OTOH, he could easily have placed the equipment rack with the TT between the speakers and in front of the fireplace, moved the amps to a position on the center and in front of the speakers, and NOT have had to place the TT behind the right speaker.( Which, again IMHO, is NOT the place for it):eek:
Have to agree with GaryLkoh on this one.:)

It's not any better between the speakers. A while back Charlie Hansen on Audioasylum talked about how putting crap between the speakers degrades imaging, among other qualities, in the system. There also doesn't seem to be a lot of depth to place a rack between the speakers. And yes, don't think there's any real solution to the tt placement other than not to play it :(
 

Phelonious Ponk

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Does Robert believe in such things as detrimental effects of vibrations on electronics/isolation plinths, etc? If so, an interesting placement of electronics a) in the corners behind the speakers and b) directly between two side-firing 15" woofers. :)

Tim
 

JackD201

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I'd spring for the cost of the longer ICs but again by looking at the pics the only place to put everything is behind the couch. I've never found 10 to 15m runs of ICs from pre to power to be problematic.
 

Phelonious Ponk

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Jun 30, 2010
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And if you moved the table back out into the room against a side wall, then the cost of ICs would be prohibitive plus there's got to be some degradation from the extra long length of IC. I think it's probably the lesser of three evils in his room

I seriously doubt that a turntable, in a corner, with the back port from a 15" woofer pointing at it from just a few feet away is the lesser evil here. I suspect that long ICs, even cheap ones to eliminate the prohibitive expense, would have a lot less detrimental effect.

Tim
 

FrantzM

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
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Hi

We are piling on RH room... Well ... He's a reviewer and as such should have a room worthy of his status ... I also don't think IC prices would be much of a problem for RH
 

garylkoh

WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Sep 6, 2010
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It's not any better between the speakers. A while back Charlie Hansen on Audioasylum talked about how putting crap between the speakers degrades imaging, among other qualities, in the system.

Absolutely! We are not talking about some audiophile's living room. We are talking about a reviewer who is going to be assessing loudspeakers and may make or break some small manufacturer with his comments. What is he going to do when he reviews a turntable or phonostage?

I always recommend never to place anything between the speakers. A power amplifier that is less than a foot tall is fine, but anything taller than that degrades the soundstage and imaging. What's worse might be the fireplace in the middle. It projects what looks like 2ft into the room. There's probably a chimney in the fireplace, and unless the chimney has been acoustically treated, it will act like a Helmholtz resonator. Add two side firing 15" woofers firing into it......

Look at Jeff Fritz's room, and his construction details. Now, that's a room I won't mind sending a pair of speakers to review..... wait... I already did.

What would be interesting would be to see the pictures of the rooms of ALL the reviewers on the website. Now, that would lend no end of credibility to the review. Then, it would be easy to take the review in the context of the room/equipment that the review was done in.
 

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