KeithR's "Dream Speaker" Search
- Thread starter KeithR
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I heard them in too small of a room as well. Basically what I heard was dry/hot/fatiguing treble, a recessed midrange and not much low end at all - on the anemic side (might have been some bass cancellation happening as per the dealer - who mentioned this after the listening session). Tonally unbalanced and speakers weren't allowed to breathe or create a soundstage of any kind. Not a situation where you could assign any blame to the speakers, but I did feel the electronics were very clinical & dry sounding. I've only heard Boulder a couple times but my impression was consistent. Of course with the right setup I might totally change my mind and I'm not suggesting that Boulder is sub-par by any means, just that I wasn't surprised by the use of the term 'dry'.
What about the CAT / Magico S3 combo at Axpona
Any good ??
I would have also liked to hear the Acora speakers / VAC combination and Scaena among others
Any good ??
I would have also liked to hear the Acora speakers / VAC combination and Scaena among others
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I have reason to believe that the dryness that Keith heard from the Aida system and the dryness that Ian heard from the XVX (conceptually a very similar sound to the Alexx V) system are not due to the loudspeakers in those systems.
I ll give the XVX s and smaller wilson models another try this year , although its hard to stay more then 2 songs in the room with todays wilsons in Munich
Its better i say something after i have visited munich again and after i have heard a set up at a dealer .
But based on what i heard last year , id say FR issues .
Weak bass due to the use of flexible paper pulp cones instead of the old fiberglass/ foam Focal membranes . used in the maxx / alexandria
If the foundation is not really there then the whole perceived balance changes .
Large speakers high price can only be justified if the speakers can scale up or down with the music
Coherence/ timing issues , a very thin sounding midrange may be due to complete new filter design / implementing a 4 inch and 2 7 inch mids instead of 2 7 inch mids .
The wilson subwoofer that was used was not very well integrated to my ears .
The speakers were also combined with amplifier brands im not very fond off, Nagra , D agostino
Ps Its not that i wanna bash wilson in some way ,their products are very well made and apparently appeal to a lot of people .
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Interesting, Andromeda. I also was concerned initially about bass from XVX and was wondering if they are designing it for more and more necessary use with the dual subs. In the room I was in, I had little ability to make that determination.
As for cones, I think:
- the XVX mids are driven by 2 x 7" cones plus 1 additional 4" cone? I thought it was 3 cones so MORE than the XLF?
- the XVX bass cones are 10" and 12" vs XLF at 13" and 15"...but the XVX cabinet is approximately 13cm deeper than XLF...as you are a speaker designer, would that added depth matter potentially help?
You are right .
I was mistaken with the Alex V which uses a 5 3/4 and a 7 inch which i also heard in munich .
Apparently the XVX still uses 2 7 inch drivers but now with a 4 inch integrated
Any way all the arrangements mentioned above require new X over filter design so in that sense the new series are a departure of the old designs
Off course woofer size and volume matters , but for both counts that if the membrane flexes the perceived impact is greatly reduced .
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Yes Ron I said as much (see post #3562), but you mentioned the electronics…not the speakers…thus my So?
You mentioned their use in a completely unrelated system as if that sai something important…thus my So?
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Bayz Audio- this was quite nice sounding, even from my off-axis position. I have to admit the speakers don't strike me visually (whereas Avantgarde does). They were on all Vac gear, but no turntable. The Taiko Extreme was a beast! It felt more in the musical camp, with presence. Say more mello than an MBL. Some didn't like the bass but in my position it wasn't something to focus on.
Overall, Axpona had good sound in most rooms - we liked to nit pick over drinks after each day, but I could listen to 20 of these systems all day.
Overall, Axpona had good sound in most rooms - we liked to nit pick over drinks after each day, but I could listen to 20 of these systems all day.
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Avantgarde Duo GT- this was the new active version and there are different opinions on this one floating about. I was sitting *behind* the couch another 3' as for me, blending of drivers is super important and being close to horns rarely works. Others may have had an issue on the sofa sweet spot. Lofty $85k price + active amp IIRC.
I found the sound quite enjoyable on the Esoteric TT pictured below. Linda Ronstadt (the common LP of the show) was excellent with no hint of brightness. I was surprised. I will say I would prefer a little more tonal presence, texture and still would use a passive tube amplifier with AG. But this sounded quite different than Duos on the old AG integrated amp years ago which was harsh. I listened for a half hour plus with Stewart from HifiPig, who owns Duo XDs. He and his colleague were a true delight!
I found the sound quite enjoyable on the Esoteric TT pictured below. Linda Ronstadt (the common LP of the show) was excellent with no hint of brightness. I was surprised. I will say I would prefer a little more tonal presence, texture and still would use a passive tube amplifier with AG. But this sounded quite different than Duos on the old AG integrated amp years ago which was harsh. I listened for a half hour plus with Stewart from HifiPig, who owns Duo XDs. He and his colleague were a true delight!
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Ktema Audio- I've never heard these speakers designed by the late Franco Serblin, but have to tell you this room was just "throw out all your analytical biases" and enjoy the music all day. Was it the most detailed, extended, neutral etc.? No, but several of us would have packed it up and taken the entire thing home. It was a pleasure talking to Jack Miura, I believe the son of the late Miura-san, who was playing dj! The Air Tight 211 SETs were being used, not the larger ones. The Reed TT, made of some kind of wood, was gorgeous. However that crazy tonearm is something I would never think of purchasing.
Sonically, there was just presence and tone and loads of PRAT. The speakers look super cool and are an unusual shape/design. Great sound for a far lower price than many rooms. And I'm not a SET fan (as you'll see soon
Sonically, there was just presence and tone and loads of PRAT. The speakers look super cool and are an unusual shape/design. Great sound for a far lower price than many rooms. And I'm not a SET fan (as you'll see soon
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Also heard this room both playing on Saturday the larger PP Air Tight amps. Sounded spectacular. Returned Sunday and they had the SET Air Tight playing. While the SETs did sound wonderful it was the PP amps that took the Ktema to another level IMO. I want these speakers, yes they moved me.
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