Recommendations for speakers that ROCK

[mattjtaylor2809]

Hi All,

 

Thinking of swapping out my speakers if I can't improve sound with room treatments & positioning.....it maybe that I keep my Dyn's one the room is set up but I'm keeping an eye out for speakers that could better match my musical taste.

 

What I've worked out is that I'm a rock/metal head & whatever speakers/system I end up with, it needs to rock,slam, play loud BUT....not become too sharp, aggressive, forward, strident & ultimately fatiguing.

 

I currently have an Ayre VX-5 Twenty SS amp + KX-5 Pre, both of which I don't plan to swap out at this stage, my front end is PS Audio PW transport + Innous Mini MkIII Streamer (ROON) > DSJnr DAC + VPI Aries TT. My current speakers are Dynaudio Focus 380's...I do love them but I'm finding that my music is a little dry, safe & not really portraying emotion.

 

Recently I heard some speakers that whilst they didn't have the outright slam I'm looking for, they were really expressive, tight, clean & I really enjoyed them...albeit maybe not "emotional", if there is such a thing?

 

So, what I'm after is suggestions for speakers that excellent in low, tight, fast & detailed bass without being too bright, forward & ultimately fatiguing. The just need to play TOOL & similar bands really well.

 

I do like many other bands & styles of music but if what I end up doesn't give me the goosebumps when playing TOOL, they're not staying long.

 

Cheers all

Matt

[Batty]

Bring a Tool LP or CD over to mine and we'll see what my Castles can do.

 

Edit.

 

I only have a 25 watt amp, but it is 100% class A, valve pre, denafrips AresII DAC, Vincent PHO-8 phono and am in the process of swapping from a Shure V15 type III to a VdH MC cart.

Edited February 29, 2020 by Batty

[BATMAQN]

Maybe JBL if you can afford them @Darren69 has a set you'd probably like, his aren't for sale just an example.

 

Positioning is pretty important as is the acoustics of your room maybe a pic of your current setup will help?

 

Glad to see you've got a man cave too an essential for an audiophile.

[jimcan]

Hi Matt,

 

I am kind of in the same situation as you. 

 

I have been enjoying my Hawthorne Audio OB Trio's for close to 10 years, but want to know whether they are the best choice for my musical taste, which is similar to yours but about 20 years older.

I too have a dedicated listening room to do what I wish in

 

Normally I would perhaps have just taken a punt on something else, but that can get expensive if gotten wrong, so I have decided to engage an acoustic consultant (Paul Spencer-Mr Red Spade Audio) instead. Hopefully we can get some actual measurements of both my current speakers as well as the room itself, to ascertain whether there are underlying issues that need to be addressed before spending money on more speakers that may or may not be better suited.

 

I think that when this has been done, I will have a better road map for my upgrade path.

 

Cheers, Jim

[mattjtaylor2809]

I'll post a picture of my man cave soon.

 

In terms of size it's approx 5 mtrs by 7 mtrs, current speakers placed about 800 mm from the back wall, i.e.,

 

View from the doorway into the room

 

 

looking back towards the door

 

 

room treatments not installed

 

 

Room certainly not finished & will be de-cluttered at some stage.

 

Cheers

Matt

[Hydrology]

I would second the JBL recommendation. There isnt many speakers out there that do rock as well as the JBLs (im sure that comment will result in the floodgates being opened - and for the record, I myself dont like the JBLs but they do rock so well).

 

[Batty]

My Castles would not cope with a room that size, but you are still welcome to have a listen.

[Snoopy8]

Radical proposal which changes the entire setup: a pair of Devialet Phantom Golds.  Nothing beats them for the bass and slam and they can go really LOUD!

[Batty]

The Castles are 92dB for 1 w at 1m and can handle 120 watts rms.

[Irek]

2 hours ago, mattjtaylor2809 said:

tight, fast & detailed bass

Maybe try at home Primare i35. 

[STROP]

2 hours ago, mattjtaylor2809 said:

What I've worked out is that I'm a rock/metal head & whatever speakers/system I end up

I think @Hydrology had some Richter Wizard's for sale, maybe worth asking...

[mattjtaylor2809]

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks everyone for your contributions to my post, please keep them coming.

 

I purposely didn’t name any brands as I want to expand my though process but I have a connection to JBL’s (my 1st proper speakers in the early 90’s were TLX12’s & TLX18’s). I also rated their 4367’s as top of the show at the Hi Fi show in 2016 & recently I’ve heard their S4700’s which were fantastic but maybe a bit big for my room?

 

Ive been playing with speaker positioning today & things have tighten up but I still find them a tad bright. Interestingly, placing a cushion above my head does tame this a little so I think I need (& I’ve known this for a while) absorption on the ceiling at 1st reflection point.

 

Keep your suggestions coming

 

Cheers

Matt

 

 

 

 

[Ray H]

29 minutes ago, Irek said:

Maybe try at home Primare i35. 

I expect the Ayre combination he has would be significantly better than the Primare.

 

But......I’m going to go against the grain and say the Ayre amp combo is as much to blame for the lack of rock suitability as the speakers, perhaps more. I would bet if you heard your speakers with a Gryphon Diablo for example, you would love the sound with rock. In other words, there are amps that are better suited to rock than the Ayre’s. Dont get me wrong, the Ayre amps are superb, I would love to own them, in my experience they just aren’t that suited to rock.

 

Sticking to the original question though, you. could do worse than the Vienna Acoustics the  music. Or if you purchased an amp like the Gryphon, you could then upgrade to the Dyn C4’s that are going cheap at the moment. I do agree with the JBL speakers recommendation, say the 3900 or 4700 amongst others, would suit the genre well. In a completely different direction, Avantgarde sound fantastic with rock also, the dynamics are spectacular and you don’t need big amps either.

 

Another alternative is to go Active, which has definite advantages from an amp to speaker matching perspective, try the Dutch &Dutch or Kii 3’s, which you could easily purchase if you sold your amps, even the Dyn x600’s.

 

Sorry if my post branches away from what the OP asked, but I felt it would be remiss to not consider all options including amp change.

Edited February 29, 2020 by Ray H

[tubularbells]

Ive been known to enjoy a rock album or three and have also gone through a bunch of speakers so the best advice for the "rock" sound I can give is to buy as big as you can afford. I realize this is a very generalized Spinal Tap type comment but for me it wasn't until I got into the 12 inch + sized drivers that it all started to come together and make sense.

 

JBL for sure (ive owned and heard many) but for a lower "FI" but still fun sound would be  Cerwin Vega or Realistic "Mach" series.

 

 

 

 

[Hydrology]

I myself have just committed to a Hegel H390 after trialing a H190 at home (which in itself bettered my trusty Luxman based on my personal preference). One of the key reasons I loved the Hegel was its incredible ability to control the low frequency (these amps have a damping factor greater than 4,000). Almost like a rudimentary room correction. Agility and speed went to another level.

 

[Bronal]

Klipsch Forte IIIs are getting very good reviews and there are several on YouTube that go into their strengths and weaknesses.  You will lose some subtlety with a more high-energy speaker, but I've no doubt you already know that.

 

[agentorange2]

I'd give the Klipsch Forte III a go if you have the opportunity to try , the boffins have tamed the forward honky style previous models suffered while still being able to provide the " live " experience they are famous for.

 

 

[Satanica]

So many ways you can go here.

 

My thoughts on options on room acoustics.

Improve room acoustics overall like the ceiling.

That table behind the listening position looks less than ideal, table cloth?
I've always presumed a high back fabric seat is optimal.

Bring the speakers further into the room and/or sit closer.

Sitting closer will make your current speakers louder with more "impact".

Consider toeing your speakers inwards.

Floor rug. 

 

Subwoofer(s) for oomph and EQ to flatten and adjust bass response to taste.

Subwoofers(s) offer the advantage of taking work off your mains and can be placed in locations other than your mains.
Although I acknowledge that those with analogue sources are reluctant.

 

Superior speakers.

Don't get too caught up about speakers that "rock" and just concentrate on performance.

That should mean speakers with good on and off axis frequency response.
That might very well too mean speakers that actually do "rock" i.e. play louder with less distortion.

Edited February 29, 2020 by Satanica

[Wimbo]

Too many speakers these days sound boring as *** (To me). Klipsch, JBL, Old Advents etc can sound great with Classic and Hard Rock. Thats where I'd be looking although my Gales with the 300 watt Houston built amp sound **** hot to me and are end game. This little Duck aint spending any more. My musical prefs are 60's/70's Pop/Hard Rock, Jazz and Blues. Bit of early 80's stuff thrown in as well. Your room looks fine to me. Just be an Audiophile and clap your hands a few times in the room. If it sounds to dead, take some of the furnishings out.

It looks fairly neutral to me except for the TV.

[awayward]

I think stand mounts and subs are over looked for rock and metal. It’s a good match, the speed and accuracy of the mid range from stand mounts, and the  power and drive from the subs, although good stand mounts supply plenty of bass on their own, this combo is good if you are not playing at concert volume level.

[Darren69]

Matt, email me your address and I will send you my copy of ‘Get Better Sound’. You need to follow the speaker and listening position advice to the letter.

 

Once you have all of that done, I would strongly suggest you build a good quality valve based front end.

 

After that, revisit your speaker concerns. If they still exist, get twin subs and powerful mono blocks. 
 

If they still exist, get JBLs.

[TDX]

2 minutes ago, Darren69 said:

Matt, email me your address and I will send you my copy of ‘Get Better Sound’. You need to follow the speaker and listening position advice to the letter.

 

Once you have all of that done, I would strongly suggest you build a good quality valve based front end.

 

After that, revisit your speaker concerns. If they still exist, get twin subs and powerful mono blocks. 
 

If they still exist, get JBLs.

Send it to me Please 

[Tony M]

Matt, I know you've heard many or most of the suggestions so far.

 

Here's one totally from left field, too impracticable to be anything but academic interest.  But, let's set up the 4 pairs of stacked Wharfedale E50's and set them loose on some proper rock music.

 

From memory, this absolutely nails the sound you want to hear and I'm super keen to find out if my memory matches the reality.

[Hi-Fi Whipped]

10 hours ago, jimcan said:

Hi Matt,

 

I am kind of in the same situation as you. 

 

I have been enjoying my Hawthorne Audio OB Trio's for close to 10 years, but want to know whether they are the best choice for my musical taste, which is similar to yours but about 20 years older.

I too have a dedicated listening room to do what I wish in

 

Normally I would perhaps have just taken a punt on something else, but that can get expensive if gotten wrong, so I have decided to engage an acoustic consultant (Paul Spencer-Mr Red Spade Audio) instead. Hopefully we can get some actual measurements of both my current speakers as well as the room itself, to ascertain whether there are underlying issues that need to be addressed before spending money on more speakers that may or may not be better suited.

 

I think that when this has been done, I will have a better road map for my upgrade path.

 

Cheers, Jim

A great suggestion, if planning to stay in the room for the indefinite future, get an expert to come in, measure and suggest/ensure the best sound for your taste. 

 

Makes so much sense but few of us actually do it, must be a bloke thing!

Edited February 29, 2020 by Hi-Fi Whipped

[Tony M]

58 minutes ago, Tony M said:

Matt, I know you've heard many or most of the suggestions so far.

 

Here's one totally from left field, too impracticable to be anything but academic interest.  But, let's set up the 4 pairs of stacked Wharfedale E50's and set them loose on some proper rock music.

 

From memory, this absolutely nails the sound you want to hear and I'm super keen to find out if my memory matches the reality.

Here's a pic from almost 10 years ago - but that was the last time this set-up was heard!

 

 

It's about time it rocked again!