Got new speakers, what would you play first? [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

PDA

View Full Version : Got new speakers, what would you play first?



Ex Lion Tamer
01-09-2004, 08:29 AM
Plunked down a new pair of speakers in my listening room yesterday. Gonna spend the better part of the weekend getting the positioning something close to optimum, once that's down, what should I play for my first purely pleasurable listening session? I'm thinking something jazzy....Miles Davis, Cookin' perhaps, or for something a little more danceable, maybe XTC, English Settlement . Suggestions are encouraged.

Mark

Jim Clark
01-09-2004, 08:44 AM
So what did you get? We need details!

Having grabbed some different speakers myself, nothing as dramatic as yours, just some AR DIYs for the bedroom, I found much pleasure in listening to the Sounds Great vol.1 RR comp. Once set up this was the first disc I played although the first CD played was Rhythm Of the Saints and it wasn't very impressive mainly due to some poor set up choices on my part.

Have Fun,
jc

-Jar-
01-09-2004, 08:47 AM
Plunked down a new pair of speakers in my listening room yesterday. Gonna spend the better part of the weekend getting the positioning something close to optimum, once that's down, what should I play for my first purely pleasurable listening session? I'm thinking something jazzy....Miles Davis, Cookin' perhaps, or for something a little more danceable, maybe XTC, English Settlement . Suggestions are encouraged.

Mark

SOMETHIN' HOT!!

:D

Since you made it, I know it contains music you like, and I just recall this has having some really great-sounding recordings on it.

As for me? It's been several years since I brought home a new component.. I have no clue what I'd put on first. Probaby something on vinyl.. perhaps Donald ***an's NIGHTFLY followed by something more accoustic, like the Bad Liver's DELUSIONS OF BANJER. One cd I always grab is a recording of Mahler's 5th by Guiseppe Sinopoli on DG.. I know that recording inside and out.

-jar

JDaniel
01-09-2004, 08:59 AM
I'm thinking something jazzy....Suggestions are encouraged.

Mark


The Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out.

JD

Ex Lion Tamer
01-09-2004, 09:18 AM
So what did you get? We need details!

Here's a crappy picture of the left speaker. Wanted to post a system picture but the file is too large. They are a late '90's pair of Thiel 3.6s. My first pair of full range speakers, and let me tell you they are BIG and HEAVY. I did play an "audition" disc last night without any placement experimentation, just put them down following the guidelines of the manufacturer, and the sounded really good. Maybe a bit thick in the lower mids/upper bass, (hopefully that will disappear once the final placement is established), but had me more involved in the music then I've been in a long time. Hopefully this weekend goes well.

Mark

Ex Lion Tamer
01-09-2004, 09:20 AM
SOMETHIN' HOT!!

That might work. Thanks Jar.

Ex Lion Tamer
01-09-2004, 09:28 AM
The Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out.

JD

Excellent suggestion. Take 5 is on the "audition" disc I played last night and it sounded FANTASTIC.

nobody
01-09-2004, 09:56 AM
Since you just went full range, you may wanna hear some BASS. I don't know what you've got, but the new Massive Attack: 100th Window has great bass lines. Or, for jazz bass, you could always pull out some Mingus, maybe Ah Um or Blues and Roots.

If you're looking for just some fine sounding stuff, I really think a great combination of excellent recording and excellent music can be found on the 2 David Johansen and the Harry Smiths CDs on Chesky, acoustic blues.

trauski
01-09-2004, 01:11 PM
anything recorded well. you might get a copy of diane schuur latest midnight. its done fairly well butnot a digital master like her others. nothing like a singer who can hit 3 1/2 octaves on a nice system. dire strates brothers in arms is always a good tweeter tester.
maybe some gary burton on vibes, very nice
diana krall
stanyly jordon over the rainbow
for #$%# and giggles how about new order bizarre love triangle.

Javier
01-09-2004, 06:29 PM
Roger waters amused to death my fav great recording.
Al di meola infinite desire or orange and blue.
Diana Krall when i look into your eyes.
Stravinsky The firebird suite performed by Gergiev on Phillips.
Dead can dance into the labyrinth.
Great speakers by the way hope they give you a lot of musical enjoyment.

Jefferson
01-10-2004, 06:32 AM
....once I had completed my folded horns I put them through their paces with the following. :cool:

The Who - Quadrophenia

Television - Marquee Moon

Echo & the Bunnymen - Porcupine

Moby - 18

Radiohead - The Bends

Obviously most of this is just stuff I've loved for years but there are a few tunes on the Moby disc that will allow you to show off your new speakers.

Speaking of Moby's 18 , I think my personal favorite track from it would have to be Harbour sang by Sinead O'Connor . It's funny, when I hear that song on my vehicle equipment or the boombox in the shop it doesn't do much for me, but at night with the lights out listening on my two channel set up it gives me chills, theres a good argument for equipment. ;)

Geoffcin
01-10-2004, 11:10 AM
Here's a crappy picture of the left speaker. Wanted to post a system picture but the file is too large. They are a late '90's pair of Thiel 3.6s. My first pair of full range speakers, and let me tell you they are BIG and HEAVY. I did play an "audition" disc last night without any placement experimentation, just put them down following the guidelines of the manufacturer, and the sounded really good. Maybe a bit thick in the lower mids/upper bass, (hopefully that will disappear once the final placement is established), but had me more involved in the music then I've been in a long time. Hopefully this weekend goes well.

Mark

Congrats on the new speaks! Those Thiels are truly full range speakers. Try a recording of Strauss - Thus Spake Zarathusrta. That should give you some idea of what your in for with those puppies!

Slosh
01-10-2004, 11:59 AM
Standmounts can be wonderful of course but there's something to be said for well designed floorstanders teamed up with an amp with a high damping factor. Even stuff with little bass sounds bigger and lusher. Take NMH's "Oh, Comely" for example. While not particularly well recorded, the acoustic guitar and Mangum's voice sounds more "there" when played on my big speaks :)

I believe your speakers have the woofers mounted high enough up so floor bounce shouldn't be a concern (or am I thinking of Snells?). That's a transmission-line design, no? Can work very well indeed but placement is even more critical with such designs (speaking of placement... get them further away from the side walls already! :p )

Musical selections for me would include:

!!!'s debut - this is what vinyl is all about and the excellent Clash-like bass lines don't hurt either :)

Grandaddy's Sumday is just superb (sonically and musically)

Lucinda's Car Wheels is a nice HDCD only flawed by a bit of tape hiss

Andrew Bird's Bowl Of Fire - The Swimming Hour is another nice HDCD with just a touch of grain which in this case isn't a bad thing but rather gives it some bite.

The Grateful Dead - American Beauty DVD-A (stereo track) sounds fantastic

Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism SACD proves dense and layered productions can still have plenty of separation and air

Guess that's enough for now

NP: Jar's 2003 (rawk!)

audiobill
01-10-2004, 02:49 PM
Hey, Ex-Lion Tamer.

Your Thiel's should provide a fully ranged listening experience.

In the 90's I, too, had my main speaker selection narrowed to i) floor standing DCM Timeframe 1000s or ii) floor standing Thiels. I went for the DCM's and have never regretted a penny. I'm sure the Thiels would have given me the same non-regrets.

Enjoy!!

Any of the Japanese CD remasters of XTC or any of the other fine RR suggestions in this thread will do you just nicely.

audiobill

Ex Lion Tamer
01-12-2004, 08:41 AM
I believe your speakers have the woofers mounted high enough up so floor bounce shouldn't be a concern (or am I thinking of Snells?).


Center of the woofer is about a foot off of the floor, but it's a moot point in my room because the floor is a carpet over poured concrete basement, so floor flex is not an issue.


That's a transmission-line design, no?
No!


(speaking of placement... get them further away from the side walls already! :p )

This brings me to my great speaker placement dilemma. I have a very good room, 20' X 15', my desk is at one end of the long dimension, my speakers at the other, (chair in the middle). The problem for me is room narrows to just under 12' at the speaker end. 5' out from the front (speaker) wall, the room widens to the 15'. To get the speakers away from the side walls, and wide enough apart as manufacturer recommends, I'd have to pull them out to at least 6.5' into the room, which I think is too much. I have optimized their position at the narrower end of the room, to about 5' from front wall, and 2' (measured from center of woofer), from the sides...sound is pretty good, once first sidewall reflections are damped. In the next few days I will try pulling them way into the room to get them away from those side walls.

Ultimately, may have to go to a long-wall set up, which is not ideal because then my desk is outside of the right spekaer so any stereo imaging is basically gone when I'm listening while working, (or surfing the net).

Oh, how we audiophhiles suffer....

Thanks for the reminder on the DCforC album, been meaning to pick that up.

jbangelfish
01-12-2004, 09:43 AM
I doubt that you'll ever want to go back to subs. If these speakers are biamp ready, do it if you can. I did for my AR9's and brought them to life. Your speakers look very similar to an old AR9. I thought they were good with one amp but with two identical amps, they just get better and the bass really firmed up.
For music, I don't know if you care for any pipe organ but it has as much bass as anything. Lot's of bass with Limp Bizkit and the new CD is very good, depending on tastes of course.
Sounds like you'll be moving them around a while til you get them figured out. Good luck, I had to do the same and at 135 lbs, moving them is not so easy. The rewards are worth the effort.
Bill