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Best speaker's under $15k


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Guest Eggcup The Daft

If you can accommodate big speakers and want conventional boxes, audition Australian. Osborn, VAF, SGR. Legend as well. Of course you have to travel to audition some of these but I'd say it is worth it. That price range and slightly below is where Australian speakers excel.

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3 hours ago, nzlowie said:

 

Hi all

I'm thinking that my horn speaker's just aren't for me... They sound absolutely beautiful on vocals and acustic music but don't give me what I'm after when listen to rock music. The detail and imagery is wicked but they don't wow me on rock.

 

Might be time to forget diy and get conventional speaker's that will hopefully get me 90% across all genre's.

 

Can't really justify spending more than about $12-15k..

 

Dave,

 

There's three ingredients to speakers:

  1. They must suit the room
  2. They must suit your type of music
  3. YOU must match them with a suitable amplifier.

Sometimes you have to spend as much, if not more on a suitable amplifier(s) to drive the speakers.  This fact is MOST often overlooked.  

 

Pete

 

 

 

 

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Cheers Pete
I think I'm in the "doesn't suit my music" place at the moment, well part of the time. Acustic type music beautiful - rock no so.

I think my last diy move will be to try the mid bass horn, if that doesn't give me what I want , break out the cheque book!

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

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1 hour ago, nzlowie said:

Cheers Pete
I think I'm in the "doesn't suit my music" place at the moment, well part of the time. Acustic type music beautiful - rock no so.

I think my last diy move will be to try the mid bass horn, if that doesn't give me what I want , break out the cheque book!

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
 

 

Do you have a frequency response graph from your listening position to get a (somewhat) idea of potential problems? 

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Guest Eggcup The Daft
18 hours ago, Peter_F said:

Dave,

 

There's three ingredients to speakers:

  1. They must suit the room
  2. They must suit your type of music
  3. YOU must match them with a suitable amplifier.

Sometimes you have to spend as much, if not more on a suitable amplifier(s) to drive the speakers.  This fact is MOST often overlooked.  

 

Pete

 

 

 

 

I just wanted to stress point 3.

 

Less so recently, but when I first joined here (two years ago now!) we had several people rush into expensive new speakers and then find that their amps weren't suitable and they felt the need to rush that purchase.

 

Buy in haste, repent at leisure...

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Guest BobbyD
3 hours ago, nzlowie said:

Cheers Pete
I think I'm in the "doesn't suit my music" place at the moment, well part of the time. Acustic type music beautiful - rock no so.

I think my last diy move will be to try the mid bass horn, if that doesn't give me what I want , break out the cheque book!

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
 

Dave, what frequency range are you looking to enhance?

 

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I'll post a response tonight, there isn't really anything wrong with the response. It's got some lift in the lower octaves and it rolls off in the top octave.

It's just that it doesn't produce the kick, slam that rock music needs. The response is all there but I don't think they move enough air. This the reason I'm thinking of a mid bass horn, 8" driver moves more air.

 

The response curve looks a LOT better than my DTWQT'S which sound great with rock music. These horns sound a lot better than the DTWQT'S on acustic music.

 

As for matching speaker's and amps, horns and tubes are always believed to be a good match.

 

If I only listened to acustic music I'd keep the current configuration without a thought.

 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

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Another pair of DTQWT's? :)

Seriously - I don't think any of the speakers mentioned will be significantly better.  If they were from from a commercial manufacturer they'd be over $10K.

The other side of the coin is that any commercial speaker with similar midrange/treble horn , to get the sound you like, will be even more expensive.

Compromises, compromises!

Edited by RoHo
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Guest Eggcup The Daft
50 minutes ago, nzlowie said:

I'll post a response tonight, there isn't really anything wrong with the response. It's got some lift in the lower octaves and it rolls off in the top octave.

It's just that it doesn't produce the kick, slam that rock music needs. The response is all there but I don't think they move enough air. This the reason I'm thinking of a mid bass horn, 8" driver moves more air.

 

The response curve looks a LOT better than my DTWQT'S which sound great with rock music. These horns sound a lot better than the DTWQT'S on acustic music.

 

As for matching speaker's and amps, horns and tubes are always believed to be a good match.

 

If I only listened to acustic music I'd keep the current configuration without a thought.

 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

Maybe you really need a different amp for some reason?

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I've heard the Wyndham Audio BR3's and they are definitely worth an audition - as are the CH2's.  I haven't heard the Hulgich Astor's, but they sure look the part and if anyone in Sydney has a pair, shout out, I'd love to listen to them.

 

At this price point, I can also highly recommend the Fujitsu Eclipse TD-712Z Mk2 provided you don't want to play ridiculously loud in a large room.  My listening space is 4m x 8m and I'm sitting about 4m from the speakers.  I can play them to ear bleeding levels with no problem, but I reckon they would struggle in a larger room.  

 

Being a single driver design, they image with amazing precision and have a transparency that will make any electrostat owner sit up and take notice.  They also have more bass than you can believe is possible out of such a petite speaker.  Most people who hear them for the first time ask where the subs are - which was exactly my reaction the first time I heard a pair.

 

I suspect your biggest problem is going to be finding a pair to audition in Perth, but if you're ever in Sydney there's at least a couple of SNA'ers who can help you out.

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1 hour ago, nzlowie said:

I'll post a response tonight, there isn't really anything wrong with the response. It's got some lift in the lower octaves and it rolls off in the top octave.

It's just that it doesn't produce the kick, slam that rock music needs. The response is all there but I don't think they move enough air. This the reason I'm thinking of a mid bass horn, 8" driver moves more air.

 

The response curve looks a LOT better than my DTWQT'S which sound great with rock music. These horns sound a lot better than the DTWQT'S on acustic music.

 

As for matching speaker's and amps, horns and tubes are always believed to be a good match.

 

If I only listened to acustic music I'd keep the current configuration without a thought.

 

I think this is a good thread in that your observations are seemingly more typical than us audiophiles want to admit that our systems simply don't "rock" enough.

 

What are DTWQT's and are your measurements and observations based on them in the same room and position as your horns?

 

 

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What are DTWQT's and are your measurements and observations based on them in the same room and position as your horns?
 
 

troelsgravesen.dk/JA8008_DTQWT.htm

Funny things those in room response curves..... The DTWQT speaker's have a response curve that looks like crap yet sound beautiful. Might post both tonight.

Don't get me wrong, both setups do sound very good but I just want the best of both ... The bass of the DTWQT'S and the detail and imagery of the horn's.

As has been pointed out before, maybe I'm just being too critical. Should just sit back and enjoy.

But, if we just accept what we have how do we improve.....

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

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Have a good look at the best pair of JBL monitors you can muster. Thats my strong suggestion. Big originals, clones or Kenrick Audio can help if you need it and can stretch. There were some 4350's for sale recently (now sold) in Victoria. There may be some JBL guys here on SNA that you could track down and twist some arms :)

Alan

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In terms of conventional large box speakers there have been or still are some good used circa $3-13k speakers in Perth inlast few months like Spendor SP100, older Sonus Faber Amati, top line Whatmough 502 and some large Osborne speakers. You probably won't be happy with these not keeping up in the mid and top response vs horns.

 

Some possible to find used speakers that may suit as rock speakers around $3k while still keeping the horns are B&W 801 matrix and VAF i93 etc.

 

Also, have a listen to the new Yamaha NS5000 at WC hifi in Malaga although above budget $19-20k new and search posts in SNA for discussions.

Edited by Al.M
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Just pick yourself up a good pair of alternate speakers for when you feel the need to get your rock fix.  No need to spend more than 3 or 4 thousand (half that if you go second hand) and you'll get a great pair of speakers for occasional use.  No need to change direction and move away from something you obviously enjoy.

And then you can spend the rest on hats or scarves or something.

Edited by Cafad
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My experience is that a hybrid horn system with direct radiating bass drivers for the range 30 - 300Hz works best in the average domestic room. Horn loaded bass doesn't seem to work well in that relatively near-field environment and needs a greater distance to develop solid punch.

 

That's how JBL, TAD, Westlake and others generally configure the bass in their reference monitors.

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As promised, here are the response curves taken at my listening spot.

Top trace is the DTQWT pointing directly at the mic, distance approx 2mtrs

Middle trace is the DTQWT at 500mm. As these speakers have rear bass drivers which vent at the base of the speaker the bass measurement isn't 100% true.

Bottom trace is my horn system, looks good right? Should sound good?

 

As mentioned in an earlier post there isn't really anything missing from the response, just the slam I think bigger format drivers give.

DTQWT vs Horns.jpg

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