Speaker Selection Fun...

[JohnMichael]

...or I have no life.

I buy new speakers and listen to them and never directly compare them. So I brought out the Monitor Audio RS6's, Mobile Fidelity OML 1's and the JBL Studio 530's. I did not include the Ascend CBM 170SE's since they are single wire and I planned on using the Rocket 44's. The 44's having banana plugs are quick to switch out. I kept the speaker stands where they had been for the JBL's and switched the JBL's with the OML1's. When it was the RS6's turn I simply placed them in front of the speaker stands.

I listened to a song one time through each speaker. I only did this for 3 cycles. I did not worry about level matching since I was doing this for fun. The Krell S-300i has a numeric display for volume levels so level matching would have been fairly easy once levels were determined.

The Monitor Audio RS6's were the big losers in my room with my system. They have good bass but not much else to recommend. The tweeters are bright and there is no warmth in the music. Cold and sterile in quick comparison with the other speakers. I think someone with an overly warm tube amp would like these speakers.

The Mobile Fidelity OML 1's were placed on the stands and I did not change the toe-in. I had never used as much toe-in with the OML 1's as I do with the Studio 530's. That much toe-in was not a bad thing. The competition was now between the two stand mount models.

Imaging was better with the Studio 530's.
Soundstaging was deeper with the OML 1's.
Treble was more open with the OML 1's and a little sweeter.
Instrumental textures were best through the 530's.
Vocal's had more clarity with the 530's but more musical when played by the OML 1's.
Bass was a little deeper with the OML 1's but quicker with more texture to the instruments from the JBL's.
The OML 1's play louder. Not as loud as the RS6's.

We have a tie for first place. The OML 1's are just beautiful sounding speakers. The JBL's are very analytical speakers that entertain with information about the recording. The OML 1's trade some inner detail for a very musical overall presentation. Currently I am enjoying the beauty of the OML 1's.

The Monitor Audio RS6's hold no interest for me any longer. I need to figure a way to unload them. I am thinking of selling the speakers with the Onkyo A-9555 and the Marantz CD5001.

[Feanor]

Have you tried Magneplanar MG 1.7's? You room would accommodate these nicely judging by photos. Your speaker quest could be over!

[JohnMichael]

Have you tried Magneplanar MG 1.7's? You room would accommodate these nicely judging by photos. Your speaker quest could be over!

I have not heard Maggies in years. Last time I did hear them and this was before the use of the ribbon tweeters was that solo instruments sounded larger than life. I remember all of a sudden someone with a horn began a solo and the mouth of the horn seemed 5 feet wide.

[Feanor]

I have not heard Maggies in years. Last time I did hear them and this was before the use of the ribbon tweeters was that solo instruments sounded larger than life. I remember all of a sudden someone with a horn began a solo and the mouth of the horn seemed 5 feet wide.

Humm ... well Maggies can image very well indeed and I certainly don't have a bloated image problem at home. Maybe you own them another listen.

Have you heard before that Magneplanars create a too-large image? I have heard that -- but it isn't necessarily or even typically the case. Maybe other Maggie owners here could comment??

Maggies need to be about 3 feet from the wall behind; another foot or two won't do much harm but more could be a problem in given room. But the placement thing is because they are dipolar speakers, not because they have ribbon or quasi-ribbon tweeters for that matter. There is no inherent reason why ribbon or quasi-ribbon tweeters should enlarge the image any more than dome in the horizontal plain..

[JohnMichael]

Humm ... well Maggies can image very well indeed and I certainly don't have a bloated image problem at home. Maybe you own them another listen.

Have you heard before that Magneplanars create a too-large image? I have heard that -- but it isn't necessarily or even typically the case. Maybe other Maggie owners here could comment??

Maggies need to be about 3 feet from the wall behind; another foot or two won't do much harm but more could be a problem in given room. But the placement thing is because they are dipolar speakers, not because they have ribbon or quasi-ribbon tweeters for that matter. There is no inherent reason why ribbon or quasi-ribbon tweeters should enlarge the image any more than dome in the horizontal plain..

I am not willing to sacrifice the space needed for Maggies. As I wrote the Maggies I heard were many years ago before they started with the ribbon or quasi ribbon tweeters. I would think a line source would improve imaging and avoid image bloat.

[mlsstl]

Humm ... well Maggies can image very well indeed and I certainly don't have a bloated image problem at home. Maybe you own them another listen.

Have you heard before that Magneplanars create a too-large image? I have heard that -- but it isn't necessarily or even typically the case. Maybe other Maggie owners here could comment??...

I owned a pair of Maggie 1.6QRs for several years and never found the image they thew to be oversize or otherwise incorrect in any fashion. I really enjoyed them, but after I moved in 2006, the room at the new house was simply wrong for them. The asymmetrical wall behind the speakers screwed things up. That's how I ended up with my Spendor 1/2Es which weren't bothered by the issue.

[JohnMichael]

My comparing my speakers somewhat rapid fire was to exercise my hearing and help me think about what I am looking for in my next very good pair of speakers. Since I am currently living in an apartment I do have to keep in mind speakers that can play in different types of rooms if I were to move.

[thekid]

As far as Maggie's are concerned the MMG's might be a good fit for an apartment environment for several reasons. They have a relatively small footprint and don't look like conventional speakers so can blend into the surroundings a little easier than traditional box speakers. They image very very well and are accurate at even the low volumes which you are often forced to listen at in an apartment environment. Their weakness is on the low end though maybe not as much as you might think. Any speaker that produces low end bass can be problematic in an apartment environment. A good sub can handle the low end with MMG's and can IMO can give you greater control over the effects of the low end if/when that may be an issue in the apartment. I have heard some of the larger Maggies and for larger rooms or higher listening volumes they certainly outperform the MMG's in that type of environment but for a smaller room the MMG's can hang with a lot of other speakers out there that run 2 or 3 times the price.

[JohnMichael]

...until someone loses a vibraphone.

I was listening to Ella Fitgerald "Sings The Harold Arlen Songbook" when all of a sudden the vibraphone was lost in the mix. The OML 1's did not do well reproducing the sound of the vibes. Out came the Studio 530's and so did the vibraphone. I like the sound of the vibraphone and it sounds so natural through the Studio 530's.

The OML 1's are not as detailed or as defined as the JBL's. They are a little sweeter sounding but I want to hear all the music. The Studio 530's have moved into first place. I feel like I now have an understanding of what my speakers sound like. I will also add the Ella cd to my audition selection.

Now time to go shopping.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Hey John, If you can, you might want to audition the new Sonus Faber Venere 1.5 speakers. They reviewed them in Sound and Vision this month and the reviewer was using the Krell S300i to power them. At $1,298 a pair they could be your answer.

[JohnMichael]

Hey John, If you can, you might want to audition the new Sonus Faber Venere 1.5 speakers. They reviewed them in Sound and Vision this month and the reviewer was using the Krell S300i to power them. At $1,298 a pair they could be your answer.

Good suggestion! I think that line is available fairly close to home. I have always wanted to hear a pair of Sonus Fabers.

[Jack in Wilmington]

When I was at my dealer last week he had the matching floorstander (the 2.5) hooked up to my amp (Anthem 225) and they sounded sweet. The SF that I heard in the past were a little to polite for me, but these kicked it up a notch.

[Feanor]

I'm just going to say for what it's worth that modern digital equalization has the ability to salve speaker selection angst in many cases. Smallish frequency response differences can drive speaker choice, sometime seeming to forcing a person to more frequent & expensive speaker swapping than really necessary. Of course, frequency response isn't everything: design factors, (e.g. dipolar vs. monopolar), and distortion can be important, but frequency response is very big according Floyd Toole and others.

Hardware devices and, potentially much cheaper, software can correct frequency response. Software works great for me. Since I listen to almost all my music via computer, I use Foobar2000 with AIXcoustic Solutions' Electri-Q plug-in.

The difference correcting for response anomalies inherent in my speakers + room combination is certainly as great as swapping speakers of comparable design would be.

Of interest, maybe, is my description of my equalization written up HERE.

[JohnMichael]

I have been switching back and forth again. This time I have been paying attention to dynamics. The RS6's have the best bass and dynamics while the OML 1's have good dynamics with less bass. The JBL's have the least dynamics.

Even though the RS6's were the best with dynamics the overall sound was not superior to my OML 1's. The sound of the OML 1's is more to my liking. This time setting them up I have them no wider than my equipment stand. They are almost 6 ft apart so plenty of room from side wall reflections.

It dawned on me that I had not tightened the drivers in the OLM 1's in too long a time. I brought out my tools and torqued down the drivers. The right mid/woofer needed the most tightening followed by the left and even the tweeters needed snugged up. My previous complaints of additional sounds was extra vibrations from the drivers. Once tightened down everything was sounding
great. After the warranty period I will use a product to prevent vibrations from loosening the screws. I am surprised by the increased clarity. The RS6's drivers also needed to be tightened.

Still having fun switching speakers and deciding which characteristics are most important to me. Dynamics are important. Minimal vibrations from cabinets. Paper and silk drivers. Good midrange clarity. Bass tuneful but does not have to be deep. Highs that are silky and sweet but not in a colored way. Good imaging and soundstaging.