Speaker suggestions for those who enjoy listening to metal?

[f0rge]

Ok first of all don't get all judgy on me, I listen to all types of music (exceptions being country and R&B), but my favourite genre is metal. Some of my favourite bands include In Flames, Pantera, All that Remains, Lamb of God, Machinehead, BLS, etc.

Finding speakers, or a combination of speakers and an amp that really brings this type of music to life is not easy, so I'm wondering if you guys have some suggestions for speakers that might be worth looking at.

It's not that I'm unhappy with my current setup, I just wonder if I'm missing out.

Gear I've used/sampled in the past:

Dynaco A25 - I was too young to remember and had to give them back to my dad before I knew any better.

Deftech BP2002TL - found them overly bright and maybe even a little harsh

Paradigm Monitor 9 v4 - found them muddy, almost the opposite of the deftechs (might have been due to poor amplification)

B&W 603 S3 (current setup) - the mids seem thin, hard to explain, music is not as "full" as it should be.

Might be that i'm chasing a white rabbit here, this type of music isn't generally recorded or mastered with the care that you would find in the newest Lady Gaga song or other more mainstream rock.

I've heard Klipsch might be an avenue to explore, but I'm not sure how I feel about the quality of their current lineup.

Any thoughts? WAF is a factor and they should work in an HT setup.

[LeRoy]

http://www.cerwinvega.com/

Good luck with your research and selections.

LeRoy

[poppachubby]

Ok first of all don't get all judgy on me.

Judgy? I just finished listening to Madball's Inflitrate the System on my Sound Dynamics 1200 SMT. These are vintage but have an aluminum dome tweeter, 12 inch woofer and 12 inch passive radiator. The metal horns really drive the crunch and brightness of the guitars, while the woofer fills out the low end. I got my azz kicked...





I agree with Leroy. Try the Cerwin Vega CLS 12...

[f0rge]

Ok Cerwin Vegas are not going to fly, nor am I 17 again.

In my browsing I've come across some recommendations for Dynaudio Focus 220's, but they're really pushing it budget wise, ideally I'd like to keep it under $1.5k.

Those Sound Dynamics look pretty cool, I'll have to look into them more.

[Mr Peabody]

Dynaudio is a good suggestion if you have the power. I wouldn't recommend the Focus but the Excite series for your use. The Excite are designed more to be easier to drive and not as polite as the Focus.

Although Cerwin Vega has a certain rep the CLS series are creating quite a buzz for breaking the mold. I'd certainly give the 215's a listen.

The only Klipsch worth the money are the Heritage series. I hear the Palladium are very good but they require a nice bank roll. Klipsch sells direct with a 30 day return.

As much as speakers the amp plays a big part in your sound. Dynaco is not on my list of R&R amps. Not sure what your budget is but look at www.emotiva.com , look for a Krell integrated. Less money and great for the price Adcom separates. These are a bit out of order.

Krell and Dynaudio are a leathel combination. You could also use amps like Bryston.

The CV's or Klipsch really wouldn't need big power but the Klipsch does require a measure of quality because the horns are very revealing.

I actually just ordered a pair of Klipsch Heresy to play with. I may have a pair of Dynaudio Audience 60's for sale at some point if interested.

Depending on how picky you are on looks I personally wouldn't rule out Electro-Voice or maybe Yamaha pro speakers. i see them for sale a lot on Craigslist.

I personally listen to a wide variety of music including Metal. The Dyn's seem to do all genres very well in my opinion but they do require some juice. The Excite I haven't ran personally but the company says the series drivers were specifically designed not to be so demanding on amplifiers.

Expand your horizon and pick up some Tristania.

[f0rge]

should have been more specific, the Vegas are out almost automatically not because of their reputation, but rather their looks

whatever i decide on would be powered by my denon 3808, i used to run separates but the cost was killing me and the pre-amps tend to be more expensive and less state of the art than even low end receivers (gotta have TrueHD and DTS:MA for blurays)

that being said i'm not against a decent 2ch amp/integrated, but then the $$$ start to add up

[Mr Peabody]

Do you have the Within Temptation Blu ray yet?

With the 3808 you could try the Excite by Dynaudio. You could do two Cornwall with a Heresy III for center channel in the Klipsch Heritage line. I think that would come close to $4k. Did I mention Klipsch will ship for free, not sure if that holds for Canada. I've only heard the Klipschorns but will be posting some impressions after I get my Heresy's in this week. Another option could be to look for the now discontinued Audience series on Audiogon, you may find a good deal.

The Klipsch will give more of a raw live sound and not as accurate sound stage. HT would sound closer to what you hear in the theater. The Klipsch will play much louder with less power.

Dynaudio would provide a more refined sound with better imaging and dispersion. I would say more detail but that depends on how you look at it, or more accurately, what you call detail. I would also think it safe to say the Dyn's would play lower. In regards to power, if you have preamp outs you can always upgrade the power if you feel you need it.

The two brands are drastically different in presentation. If you could maybe give them a listen. I will be able to compare Audience 60's to Heresy III's but won't be able to do so until maybe this weekend. Maybe I can paint you a better picture afterward.

[blackraven]

What ever speaker you buy should have a warmer signiture as metal music tends to recorded on the bright side and can sound harsh. I might go for something with a warm, tight, detailed sound with good slam. Good luck and happy hunting!

By the way, www.saturdayaudio.com has some demo Monitor Audio S2 bookshelfs on sale for $399pr, they sold for $750. They use a 7" woofer. I have the smaller S1's and they have terrific bass with a powerful midrange and a very neutral sound. They are sharp looking with their real wood veneer cabinet.

They also have a pair of the Monitor Audio GR20's for $1399. These are a real steal, they list fot $3kpr.

[audio amateur]

I wouldn't buy a 'bright' speaker or one that is fatiguing (Klipsch horn tweeters come to mid as fatiguing). Dynaudios would be a good choice, but if you want to listen loud you might need the power to go with it.
I would look at Polk's flagship bookshelf, the LSi9

[Mr Peabody]

From B&W to Polk would be a step backward in my book.

[poppachubby]

I think with the OP's budget and H/T - WAF requirements...Paradigm or PSB would be a good choice. Assuming he is running a decent sub, the Paradigms can really sing without the burden of deep bass.

I would suggest some auditioning at a local shop. The last model i seriously listened to, of either brand, was the PSB Imagine floorstander with some NAD amplification. I would certainly describe it as rocking...

[JohnMichael]

I really like my Monitor Audio RS6's for all types of music. Godsmack and System of a Down sound great through them. Good bass and very clean sound.

[JohnMichael]

For a lower priced speaker that I think would be good for metal check the link.

http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/hb-1.html

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Within Temptation-Black Symphony. Now that is some good chite on Blu ray. I gave it an excellent review.

OP, These guys have mention to speakers that do metal some justice and some. The klipsch Heritage line is not all that bright if you pair it with the right amp. The CLS series by Cerwin Vega will rock your metal world. Personally, I think the other speakers mentioned here are very good speakers, but I would find them pretty polite for metal of any kind.

[harley .guy07]

If metal is your passion then you have to look for something dynamic but smooth for the simple fact that metal has a very in your face presentation. But at the same time the Yamaha club series v speakers are very loud and clean when fed by a good power amp. And they are killer for metal as long as you have the room for them to breathe, and you can live with the look of them.

[poppachubby]

I really like my Monitor Audio RS6's for all types of music. Godsmack and System of a Down sound great through them. Good bass and very clean sound.

Atomic Adam is the site administrator and is selling his Monitor's...

[audio amateur]

From B&W to Polk would be a step backward in my book.

In general, I suppose that would be true. I hear though, that the LSi9 are a different beast.

[f0rge]

thanks guys, great suggestions, i really need to get out to a Dynaudio dealer and have a serious listen, Monitor Audio would be next on my list.

I'm not against bookshelves either and i've seen some Dynaudio Audience 42 and 52 bookshelves for cheap enough on the used market that they might be worth checking out.

[harley .guy07]

you might be impressed by some of the higher end bookshelves out there. there are several brands and models out there that produce a killer amount of sound with a small footprint. And the stereotype is that bookshelves do not produce good bass but that is not always the case, I know of several brands out there that have bookshelf speakers that image as good or better than anything out there and can really produce some dynamics and bass that is right up there with some of the floor standing speakers out there if not bettering some of them. Driver and cabinet quality make a super huge difference and its not always the biggest that make the most impact. room size and placement plus the amount of power available would make the choice for me to which direction to go. I would suggest listening to the usher be-718 if you can get a chance because they are some awesome speakers for the size and money. And you can't count out Dynaudio which are one of the kings of monitor bookshelf sized speakers.

[Mr Peabody]

I got my Klipsch Heresy III in today. I'm not sure but it looks like the binding posts don't accept bananas. Before tampering with them I sent an email to check. So I didn't get to hook them up in the main system but did do some listening with them hooked to my Krell. They are definitely better than Klipsch lines in the mass market stores. The speaker seems tonally balanced but it depends on the recording. The Heresy is fast and hits like a prize fighter. As far as Metal I'd give them high marks, the double kick drum on Lamb of God was intense. They are horn mid and highs so they aren't "warm" but they aren't offensive either. In fact, on my Krell where there was plenty of good clean power I had to be careful the speakers are dynamic and SPL approached submission level quick. What I like about them is the woofer keeps up with the mids/highs so as the speaker gets loud bass just keeps punching. So if you want your Metal to sound live like at your favorite club venue, where the music is physical, you might want to give the Heresy a listen. If you don't like them Klipsch allows a 30 day return.

These haven't even begun to break in yet. They won't replace my main Dyn's but I think I might put them in place of my 60's in the second system. I think they are going to be a lot of fun for Rock.

[TheHills44060]

Yeah f0rge stay away from the current Klipsch garbage. How the mighty have fallen.

I love the Forte's, Cornwall's and LaScala's for metal or any type of music for that matter (sorry peabody i've never heard the heresy's before). Just dump them in the corner of the room and enjoy. Some of the first metal/hard rock i ever heard as a kid were out of Klipsch so i definitely have a spot in my heart for them.

[Mr Peabody]

The Heresy is the baby of the Heritage. They were small enough and cheap enough I could bring a pair in to play with. So far I really like them. It's one of those, there's so many things not right but it's so much fun, kind of things. I do wish they'd play a bit lower though. I also didn't realize that horn speakers took a bit of trial and error to get set up right. I brought them into the room to see how they sound with my CJ gear and now that I have the sound stage right I don't want to move them The combo was good.

While I'm on the topic, I don't think this deserves a new thread. I was checking out some discs for bass response and happened to drop Madonna, Immaculate Conception in. At least the last few songs on the album were cut or mixed using the Hughes 3D sound gizmo. I don't think it caught on. But I've never heard it quite as effective as with the Klipsch. It has to be something with the horns. There were parts of the song that sounded like it was coming from beside me and the sound was coming out into the room more. It was pretty cool.

[poppachubby]

The Heresy is the baby of the Heritage. They were small enough and cheap enough I could bring a pair in to play with. So far I really like them. It's one of those, there's so many things not right but it's so much fun, kind of things. I do wish they'd play a bit lower though. I also didn't realize that horn speakers took a bit of trial and error to get set up right. I brought them into the room to see how they sound with my CJ gear and now that I have the sound stage right I don't want to move them The combo was good.

While I'm on the topic, I don't think this deserves a new thread. I was checking out some discs for bass response and happened to drop Madonna, Immaculate Conception in. At least the last few songs on the album were cut or mixed using the Hughes 3D sound gizmo. I don't think it caught on. But I've never heard it quite as effective as with the Klipsch. It has to be something with the horns. There were parts of the song that sounded like it was coming from beside me and the sound was coming out into the room more. It was pretty cool.

Glad you're enjoying your Heresy's Peabody. Legendary speakers you have there. They share the same traits as my Sound Dynamics pictured in this thread. You are certainly correct regarding horns. This is the area my speakers do the best in.

The metal tweeters make it sound like the musician is blowing into the back of the speaker!! The realism with brass is breathtaking and should be noted, it would be hard for anything else out there to touch it IMO. Not only is the reproduction accurate and transparent, it's also fun and exciting!! The immediacy and attack grab your attention like nothing else.

The drawback I have found is with any really, and I mean REALLY, screetchy high end solos from an electric six string. I have tone controls for the tweeters and since I'm basically near field, have defeated a bit of the volume to compensate for this event.

I think the OP could do really well with a dynamic and efficient speaker like the Heresy.

BTW, this thread has prompted me to unearth some heavier tunes. This week:

Hatebreed - Perseverance
Darkness Dynamite - The Astonishing Fury of Mankind
Metallica - ...And Justice for All
Slayer - Divine Intervention

All were a delight but particular cudos to Darkness Dynamite for an amazing recording. It comes across really fun and engaging to listen to. It's my audiophile system pick for you metalheads who need the best reproduction...

[kexodusc]

For metal? I've never bought a speaker for just one type of music before, so I can't say for sure but the best commercial speakers I've heard for the money...Focus Audio. You could look at the FC-6, FC-7, or FC-8 depending on your budget and preference for bookshelf/towers.

http://www.focusaudio.com/index1.htm
A bit more money gets you into the FS line, which takes it up another level still.

Interestingly, I think the FC line use a derivative of the same Vifa XT25 ring radiator tweeter in the Lsi9's (the very same used in some $10k Krell LAT-2's etc), but the Peerless woofers are a step up IMO over the polypropylene jobbers in the Polk.

I'm hard on the entry level Polk stuff, but the Lsi line is a well implemented product that's been around for awhile. Polk doesn't cut corners in its construction, even if they aren't the prettiest.

[rabbit73au]

Me Myself i Have the jamo concert VIIs i find them awsome for all types of music although they are now 21 years old i have not found anything that comes close to the sound these produce so if you find a pair second hand go and have a listen and if they are reasonably priced buy them if you can here is some info on them and also these are for sale.


http://www.wired4sound.net.au/speake...o_concert.html