The best speakers available? [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

PDA

View Full Version : The best speakers available?



nightflier
05-30-2005, 04:16 PM
So I decided to choose the red pill...

I returned yesterday from our local Guitar Center store and came away with a pair of Event Electronics Studio Precision 8 monitors. Today I have been testing these speakers against every speaker I have, and honestly there is nothing as detailed, acurate, and transparent as these speakers. Maybe I'm missing something here, but considering what I paid for these speakers I am left wondering why anyone would spend 5 times as much for high-end home audio speakers. Even my long-time "reference" speakers, the Klipsch RB5-II's are not this good. I've asked a friend of mine to bring by his Dynaudio's next weekend so we can have a double-blind evaluation session, so I'll know more then, but for now, these speakers are amazing.

I suppose if I have just one complaint, it is that their accuracy can get too noticeable, although I haven't quite decided if that's a good thing. I almost feel like I should not be hearing what I'm hearing. I can pick out exactly which CD's are good recordings, and which came from the bargain bin at Tower Records. More than with any speaker, I can hear the breaths that a singer makes between sentences, I can hear the guitar pick against a guitar's strings, and I can hear people cough in the audience where before I completely missed it.

The stereo imaging is incredible too. My favorite track to test this is an older release of Dave Brubeck's Take Five where the drum starts on the far left, the bass in the far right and the sax just left of center. Only my Klipsch and MB Quarts are as accurate as the Event's, but the later seem more precise in the exact location of the players. Truly incredible speakers. I guess they aren't completely "pleasurable" to listen to because they are so acurate, but can I ever be satisfied with the blue pill again?

JoeE SP9
05-30-2005, 06:19 PM
Please let us all know what you think after you have compered the Dynaudios.

gonefishin
05-30-2005, 06:43 PM
what ever you do...stay away from the much over hyped over spec'd Audio-Note speakers ;)

Actually, their lower priced speakers are actually a good value for money Vs performance...and worth a look. But aside from that ;)


But really...why ruin things with a double blind test? I'd bring'em down and if you want to have a little fun...do a good single blind comparison. But to do a double blind test can become a little bit of a pain.

You'll probably settle in real nice with the speakers once you become accustomed to their sound. Please spend a good deal of time with the speaker (and listening area) positioning inside the room. Also, if your able...do some reading on room treatments.


most of all...enjoy!

dan

RGA
05-30-2005, 06:56 PM
there is no pill -- you like what you like and if it just so happens to be less expensive then more power to you. Like most things it's more about your perception and dare we say taste than the product itself. Once you have found something that you can listen to all day and not be bored with or antsy with that "gee I should get this or that because it might give me something more" then you have found a very good product for you.

The point is to listen to as many speakers as you can -- and avoid speakers that are hyped and rely on specs to sell you -- They all have techno-babble -- they all claim superiority to everyone else in the industry...though actually the person who designs my speakers admits there is a better speaker out there than his own -- lets see how many other makers are man enough or honest enough to say that.

Anywho - I'm happy you've found something that you find fantastic - it isn't easy -- keep em for a year - if you can still say this when the year is up (if it isn't already) then you know. You still may find something better - maybe the company will make a bigger better version - or possibly down the road something else will strike you.

kexodusc
05-31-2005, 04:54 AM
...though actually the person who designs my speakers admits there is a better speaker out there than his own -- lets see how many other makers are man enough or honest enough to say that.


I've read articles with several speaker designers/design teams that almost always have a favorite speaker in mind or a model that's better than the one they built...designer's are pretty humble folk for the most part. It's the marketing guru's usually that aren't in a big rush to say "buy our speaker, it's almost as good as speaker x".

Can you really blame them? :D

dean_martin
05-31-2005, 09:35 AM
I know the feelin'. Once I started checking out pro audio for live sound and recording I began noticing some things that don't sit too well with me. I have a 2 channel tube microphone preamp with phantom power, phase inversion, balanced and rca inputs and outputs, etc. for $99. Try getting a tube preamp for home audio for that kind of money. When you see a pro audio 200wpc power amp for $300 or less and a 150wpc powered mixer for $350 or less, something doesn't seem right in the land of home audio. Oh, and get this - I have THREE 20ft mic cables terminated with the best balanced connections. These cables are considered to be in the upper "high end" and I got them on sale for $19.99 each. Tell me something doesn't smell really bad in home audio!

I've been seriously tempted to try out a pro power amp or pro studio monitors in my home system, but I haven't knocked down that wall between these 2 realms yet.

Duds
05-31-2005, 09:46 AM
Bargain Bins are for cds that arent recorded well? I dont think thats the case with every cd in the bin, usually bargain bins are for overstocked cds or promotional bins that certain labels set up.


So I decided to choose the red pill...

I returned yesterday from our local Guitar Center store and came away with a pair of Event Electronics Studio Precision 8 monitors. Today I have been testing these speakers against every speaker I have, and honestly there is nothing as detailed, acurate, and transparent as these speakers. Maybe I'm missing something here, but considering what I paid for these speakers I am left wondering why anyone would spend 5 times as much for high-end home audio speakers. Even my long-time "reference" speakers, the Klipsch RB5-II's are not this good. I've asked a friend of mine to bring by his Dynaudio's next weekend so we can have a double-blind evaluation session, so I'll know more then, but for now, these speakers are amazing.

I suppose if I have just one complaint, it is that their accuracy can get too noticeable, although I haven't quite decided if that's a good thing. I almost feel like I should not be hearing what I'm hearing. I can pick out exactly which CD's are good recordings, and which came from the bargain bin at Tower Records. More than with any speaker, I can hear the breaths that a singer makes between sentences, I can hear the guitar pick against a guitar's strings, and I can hear people cough in the audience where before I completely missed it.

The stereo imaging is incredible too. My favorite track to test this is an older release of Dave Brubeck's Take Five where the drum starts on the far left, the bass in the far right and the sax just left of center. Only my Klipsch and MB Quarts are as accurate as the Event's, but the later seem more precise in the exact location of the players. Truly incredible speakers. I guess they aren't completely "pleasurable" to listen to because they are so acurate, but can I ever be satisfied with the blue pill again?

RGA
05-31-2005, 10:47 AM
I've read articles with several speaker designers/design teams that almost always have a favorite speaker in mind or a model that's better than the one they built...designer's are pretty humble folk for the most part. It's the marketing guru's usually that aren't in a big rush to say "buy our speaker, it's almost as good as speaker x".

Can you really blame them? :D

Actually you are very right -- but i was not thinking of major conglomorates. Some of these engineers are put to the task of designing speakers to fit a price range and of course they, if they are audiophiles and not just engineers, will like something else better. Peter of course didn;t design the speakers -- he bought all of the world's best speakers spent ten years working on them with engineers he HIRED to do all the actual designing and picked the best one to his ear -- The best ones to his ear he is not currently making!!

The marketing guys -- well they are learning well from Bose -- this is "THE" buisiness model to follow and msot are doing a very nifty job of it too.

nightflier
05-31-2005, 04:28 PM
I have a 2 channel tube microphone preamp with phantom power, phase inversion, balanced and rca inputs and outputs, etc. for $99.

While I was waiting for them to bring out the monitor speakers, I was fiddling around with all the equipment they had back there and they had a $100 tube preamp. It was just a tiny box so I figured this couldn't possibly be the same as a home audio tube amp and ignored it. But I was surprised nonetheless. The sales rep told me that the preamp sounded amazing for its size. Very odd indeed. So this is a whole new world then. If I want to save a bundle on audio gear, pro-audio is where it's at?

Regarding the speakers, I should have mentioned that they are active speakers (with two internal amps each - 80W and 200W), so they don't really require an external amp, but they do require their own power. I have them connected straight to the the preamp outs of my HK3480 receiver. I also had to buy a pair of RCA adapters, and I was worried that it would affect the sound, but I haven't noticed that. It's kind of weird running RCA cables to each speaker, though; I'm using some Acoustic Research low-fi cables because they were the only ones I had that were long enough, but I don't think the cable quality is that important.