Best Speaker for 100k

[andromedaaudio]

If one listens listens to vocals a lot it might be more attractive , depends on the music that is played imo

 

[bonzo75]

If one listens listens to vocals a lot it might be more attractive , depends on the music that is played imo

You are referring to Martin Logans and Quads here (which, in a small room where one cannot go all out and has no choice but to compromise, are still one of the best buys). For full symphony orchestra, dynamics, and bass, with the right tone and soundstage, speed, and slam, you will not find a better speaker than Apogee grands.

 

[andromedaaudio]

No just dipole in general and dipole bass especially , apart from the bass it sounds pretty powerfull martin logan uses subs, either closed or ported but not dipolebass iirc .
Apart from the bass it sounds nice , just not really my cup of tea

 

[DaveC]

Try playing music with fast, square edge bass like Infected Mushroom "Never Mind" on the album Army of Mushrooms and see how panel bass sounds*....





*The answer is the speaker probably can't even play the music at reasonable SPLs whatsoever without the panel material whacking into the frame.

 

[Steve Williams]

I have one Infected Mushrooms album which when I play one track, my entire house begins to shake

 

[DaveC]

I have one Infected Mushrooms album which when I play one track, my entire house begins to shake

Lol, yeah... they have some tracks that are pretty good for testing systems out. I saw them a few years ago live at the Ogden Theater in Denver, who has a MASSIVE sound system... very very few home systems can play at those SPLs, the bass impact is also unreal... that was pretty cool but earplugs were definitely needed.

 

[pjwd]

Thanks Dave - are the elegance a modern version of the adire ( I use them )
Thanks andromeda - I will look into them
On dipole bass you need a travel ditsnce of 750mm to get first dipole peak above 200 Hz or so - and of course you need active filtering - distance best achieved by H or W baffle as per linkwitz papers


Cheers
Phil

 

[DaveC]

Thanks Dave - are the elegance a modern version of the adire ( I use them )

Cheers
Phil

I think the motor design is similar to the Adire XBL2... I actually have an Adire XBL2 10" sealed sub from long ago in storage. The AE TD15H+ model I'm using has a really big motor, low resonant frequency and super low distortion. Definitely one of the best woofers I've ever seen or heard. The only other model I've tested is the 15M, which is meant to be a replacement for JBL 2226 and similar, but it's a bit better. The H+ is in another league though, and I'd guess their OB woofers are pretty similar.

Another option is the setup GR Research uses with the 12" Rhythmik servo sub in an H baffle... I've heard it several times and it's really good.

 

[pjwd]

Thanks Dave - guess we should let the thread go back to its origins
Phil

 

[microstrip]

Try playing music with fast, square edge bass like Infected Mushroom "Never Mind" on the album Army of Mushrooms and see how panel bass sounds*....

*The answer is the speaker probably can't even play the music at reasonable SPLs whatsoever without the panel material whacking into the frame.

It seems a good alternative to canons, fireworks and trains . Perhaps we can think about an alternative definition of "extreme audiophile" - someone who spends a lot of resources to optimize a system for music that will fill less than .001% of his listening time!

We have different musical preferences and surely panels and dipoles have compromises in bass performance. It is physics. I do not expect the Soundlabs to perform "Killer bees" in my system like the Krell LAT1000 did. But sometimes we prefer quality over quantity. There is something in dipole bass that is addictive.

 

[DaveC]

It seems a good alternative to canons, fireworks and trains . Perhaps we can think about an alternative definition of "extreme audiophile" - someone who spends a lot of resources to optimize a system for music that will fill less than .001% of his listening time!

We have different musical preferences and surely panels and dipoles have compromises in bass performance. It is physics. I do not expect the Soundlabs to perform "Killer bees" in my system like the Krell LAT1000 did. But sometimes we prefer quality over quantity. There is something in dipole bass that is addictive.

My feeling is that difficult tests like that simply reveal deficiencies more readily, and systems that can play something difficult to handle can play easier to handle material better as well.

I also disagree very much that dipole bass is "quality over quantity", imo dipole bass lacks either, but I know some folks like dipoles and dipole bass, and that's fine, it's just not for me.

 

[Rodney Gold]

I do the geddes/tool/le jeune swarm of subs , I run mains full range and use DSP on the 4 subs , smoothes the rooms bass response but are not in any way "detectable"

Using them this way , I get an increased sense of scale , some serious deep bass at high spl , better bass articulation and a better sense of ambience.
I can AB the sound with subs and without ..its not night and day , and if i play the subs only , its pretty much low level
I have 4x 1kw 13.5" SVS sealed subs .. total overkill for this application..one could use much lesser subs for the same effect.
Anyway..on topic
Ay 100k , without hearing it , but on paper I would go for the Beolab90

 

[microstrip]

I do the geddes/toole/le jeune swarm of subs (...)

As far as I know these are three different ways of running the subs - how do you do it simultaneously?

 

[microstrip]

My feeling is that difficult tests like that simply reveal deficiencies more readily, and systems that can play something difficult to handle can play easier to handle material better as well. (...)

Ok, our feelings differ. Sorry, but I can not see why a system just because it is able to play such music with extreme bass content at loud levels must sound better with other types of music.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Cool never knew B en O made " high end speakers " , quick look ...the Beolab90 uses scanspeak illuminator mids/or at least the membrane firing +- 360 degrees, gonna try to hear them somewhere interesting design, its also wireless it seems like

I do the geddes/tool/le jeune swarm of subs , I run mains full range and use DSP on the 4 subs , smoothes the rooms bass response but are not in any way "detectable"

Using them this way , I get an increased sense of scale , some serious deep bass at high spl , better bass articulation and a better sense of ambience.
I can AB the sound with subs and without ..its not night and day , and if i play the subs only , its pretty much low level
I have 4x 1kw 13.5" SVS sealed subs .. total overkill for this application..one could use much lesser subs for the same effect.
Anyway..on topic
Ay 100k , without hearing it , but on paper I would go for the Beolab90

 

[Rodney Gold]

Micro..they all advocate multiple subs and distributed bass to smooth the room response. thats what I was referring to.

Beolab90 is a tech tour de force , read their white paper..
I have had meridians for yonks....loved the concept , loved the speakers and flexibility they offered to get the sound I liked. The beolabs seem to have a similar facility but on steroids... But who knows , they may sound like drek in real life

 

[microstrip]

Micro..they all advocate multiple subs and distributed bass to smooth the room response. thats what I was referring to. (...)

Yes, but can we know what is the configuration that results in better sound quality in your system? Their main priorities and crossover schemes are quite different.

 

[Lee]

Its a bit over the $100K mark but i loved the sound of the Alexx in Luke and Bea Manley's VTL/Wilson room

Agreed. It sounded amazing with Nick Doshi's amps at Axpona.