Which brand makes the best quality loudspeakers?

[gzubeck]

A youtube video of a speaker audition is a misleading demo, period. "90% accurate"? It is an extremely poor way to get a handle on a speaker's sound. You can not properly judge how a speaker sounds from a Youtube video. It is not even close. In my list of reasons why it can't suffice, I did not even get into the audiological problems ie how your ears register sound, which is not much like a microphone. A microphone is no substitute for your ears, and the list of reasons why that is so is also the list of reasons why a Youtube video can not be a proxy for a speaker audition. It would be a big list, and I don't have time to get into it at the moment.

Thats exactly what your getting with any recorded media whether its in a studio, concert, or movie soundtrack...so what your really saying is that youtube videography in general stinks...which is plausible...im cherry picking the best. sure we would like to have a live audition for the perfect scenario but I still say high quality recordings can get you in the Ballpark to go check it out in person. so if you guys have a hard time with this idea just please ignore me and move on.

 

[rojo]

Thats exactly what your getting with any recorded media whether its in a studio, concert, or movie soundtrack...so what your really saying is that youtube videography in general stinks...which is plausible...im cherry picking the best. sure we would like to have a live audition for the perfect scenario but I still say high quality recordings can get you in the Ballpark to go check it out in person. so if you guys have a hard time with this idea just please ignore me and move on.

Audiophoolery cannot be ignored on this forum. If it were, it could cause real harm to a rookie looking for advice and possibly accepting unfounded mysticism as fact. Look, I get that you have this belief that everyone is entitled to their opinion and that we should respect your right to have yours, but you are stating opinions that contradict fact. There's no such thing as alternative facts on this forum. Mic recordings of speakers on YouTube videos cannot convey anything like the original character of the speakers. It might give some clues about the room in which the recording was made, but not the speakers themselves. Even if somehow the mic could miraculously record the speakers exactly 1:1 with zero room interaction, they would still sound no better than the speakers through which you're listening.

For more information, please read this FAQ written by Gene on the subject.

 

[shadyJ]

Thats exactly what your getting with any recorded media whether its in a studio, concert, or movie soundtrack...

Incorrect. What you get with these things are mixes of recorded sounds. All of that content has been heavily processed to convey an acoustic image. I don't watch Saving Private Ryan and assume that is what the invasion of Normandy sounded like. Trying to hear what speakers sound like through a different set of speakers has a pretty open and obvious fallacy.

 

[gzubeck]

Audiophoolery cannot be ignored on this forum. If it were, it could cause real harm to a rookie looking for advice and possibly accepting unfounded mysticism as fact. Look, I get that you have this belief that everyone is entitled to their opinion and that we should respect your right to have yours, but you are stating opinions that contradict fact. There's no such thing as alternative facts on this forum. Mic recordings of speakers on YouTube videos cannot convey anything like the original character of the speakers. It might give some clues about the room in which the recording was made, but not the speakers themselves. Even if somehow the mic could miraculously record the speakers exactly 1:1 with zero room interaction, they would still sound no better than the speakers through which you're listening.

For more information, please read this FAQ written by Gene on the subject.

So once again...who said to watch the videos with $20 speakers? This is like arguing with a drunk in the parking lot...people are putting words in my mouth which I didn't say...Yes you are getting all the positives and negatives of the playback room situation. All I've said is that you get a general feel for the speakers and what they possibly can do. I've never said don't go get a live audition on anything...I've noticed that a lot of speakers without room correction (tile floors, wood floors) give you a sub-optimal video playback. So yes, you could even argue that poorly setup room with a live audition could give you just as bad of a demo experience as anything on you tube as well.

 

[gzubeck]

Incorrect. What you get with these things are mixes of recorded sounds. All of that content has been heavily processed to convey an acoustic image. I don't watch Saving Private Ryan and assume that is what the invasion of Normandy sounded like. Trying to hear what speakers sound like through a different set of speakers has a pretty open and obvious fallacy.

Not if you have a premium setup...I suggest you upgrade.

 

[shadyJ]

Not if you have a premium setup...I suggest you upgrade.

 

[gzubeck]

Face palm all you want. Try using high end headphones or such and youll start to get a closer experience to what Im talking about. The videos are not going to be perfect but they will take you from the parking lot into the stadium.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

And I know what it's like to fly to the moon by watching Apollo 13...


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[gzubeck]

And I know what it's like to fly to the moon by watching Apollo 13...


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So your comparing a radical situation that involves weightlessness, spinning, radiation, and rocket thrust to auditioning speakers. we might as well say all speakers are garbage compared to a live concert....

 

[TLS Guy]

This thread has degenerated into one of the daftest discussions we have ever had, and we have had some pointless ones lately.

Clearly if you record a speaker, with excellent microphones you will record that speakers plus the environmental contributions of the room. That can only be denied with alternative facts.

Now if you play it back on another set of speakers or headphones, it can't be better than the reproducing speakers or headphones. In fact it will have the additive effect of the errors of the playback system, phones or speaker. If speakers then you have two room acoustic errors to add.

As a means of speaker evaluation this does not go beyond the laugh test!

This sort of nonsense we have lately I fear is driving away a lot of good long term members.

If that gzubeck chap never makes another post here, it can do nothing but elevate the forum.

I actually think we must bring the hammer down quicker on people who can't indulge in logical discourse.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

So your comparing a radical situation that involves weightlessness, spinning, radiation, and rocket thrust to auditioning speakers. we might as well say all speakers are garbage compared to a live concert....

Directly? No. Only in the sense that they're equally relatable.


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[Defcon]

Evaluating speakers by watching speaker reviews on youtube is a bit like tasting and choosing a restaurant's cuisine by looking at its pictures.

With a really good recording in surround formats, you'd still have limitations of the playback, whether it was compressed due to your bandwidth etc. And if your playback supports the format.

Back to comparing speakers, I believe a speaker CAN be fully defined by its measurements + interaction with room, which can also be measured. Nothing else really matters, not looks, not fit & finish, not number of drivers or buzzwords or exotic materials.

But of course doing so would kill the whole industry. Its ironic that the pro-audio equipment, which is what is *actually* used to produce and master all media, works exactly like this - nothing except specs and measurements. In comparison, home audio is like a designer label made by child labor and sold at 100x markup.

 

[gzubeck]

This thread has degenerated into one of the daftest discussions we have ever had, and we have had some pointless ones lately.

Clearly if you record a speaker, with excellent microphones you will record that speakers plus the environmental contributions of the room. That can only be denied with alternative facts.

Now if you play it back on another set of speakers or headphones, it can't be better than the reproducing speakers or headphones. In fact it will have the additive effect of the errors of the playback system, phones or speaker. If speakers then you have two room acoustic errors to add.

As a means of speaker evaluation this does not go beyond the laugh test!

This sort of nonsense we have lately I fear is driving away a lot of good long term members.

If that gzubeck chap never makes another post here, it can do nothing but elevate the forum.

I actually think we must bring the hammer down quicker on people who can't indulge in logical discourse.

this was never a speaker evaluation test. The videos were not meant as a surrogate for real life demos. Im not looking for exactness but just a sense of what they might deliver. For instance some people like electrostats...ive watched some youtube videos on esls and im not impressed with them. Ive listened to them in real life and if you dont have a woofer mated to them there pointless to me. some may like them some may not...but I do get a general sense through the videos what they may deliver. some may like Magnesium cone drivers from seas and some may like paper and natural fibers in their cones. but in all cases you will get a basic sense of what they may deliver. somehow this has turned into a debate of exactitude by the videos. I never said they would be perfect in relation to being there in person. If your listening to the videos with $20 computer speakers I cant help you. Chiming into this and claiming Im driving people away is ridiculous. Put me on ignore then. This will be my last post on this topics,

 

[ArJuna]

Klipsch seem to carry a bad rap from past designs with shrill tweeters. IMO Klipsch have left that legacy behind them. The Reference II's and the more recent Reference Premiere lines are balanced, rich, well rounded designs with exceptional clarity at any volume and have none of the tiring harshness of previous designs. I absolutely love them. I built out two complete 7.1 Reference Premiere systems in my home driven by mid-high end Denon AVR's. These setups are capable of playing the most soft and subtle music, or the most thunderous home theater movies, and they always sound fantastic at any volume. The R-115SW and R-112SW subs really round out these setups. And with more 100 watts/ch the Denon Amps never have to work hard to drive these incredibly efficient speakers (96-98db). I'd blow an eardrum if I ever ran the receivers up to 0db. I don't see how anyone could knock Klipsch, except my neighbors who have to deal with the 800 watt and 600 watt subs, and even those never get turned up past 50% gain. The sound is always like the performance is actually in my room. Nothing I have heard before can deliver the nuances in the music like the Klipsch Reference Premiere. I can and do listen all day long with no fatigue. They absolutely get my vote.

 

[KenM10759]

....I don't see how anyone could knock Klipsch, except my neighbors who have to deal with the 800 watt and 600 watt subs, and even those never get turned up past 50% gain.

They sound fine. I can "knock" Klipsch Reference Premier because I don't care for:

a) Huge, wide soundstage that seems flat, not much depth.
b) I don't like the looks. Plenty of people love the copper color drivers, it does nothing for me. At all.

I have auditioned the RP280-F in a room with Paradigm Prestige 75F, KEF R700, and B&W CM9. Each had their pluses and minuses. The RP280-F were the largest, and cheapest. And they looked it, to me. They would be the best for full surround sound, any of the others would be my choice for 2 or 2.1 channel music.

 

[yepimonfire]

Klipsch seem to carry a bad rap from past designs with shrill tweeters. IMO Klipsch have left that legacy behind them. The Reference II's and the more recent Reference Premiere lines are balanced, rich, well rounded designs with exceptional clarity at any volume and have none of the tiring harshness of previous designs. I absolutely love them. I built out two complete 7.1 Reference Premiere systems in my home driven by mid-high end Denon AVR's. These setups are capable of playing the most soft and subtle music, or the most thunderous home theater movies, and they always sound fantastic at any volume. The R-115SW and R-112SW subs really round out these setups. And with more 100 watts/ch the Denon Amps never have to work hard to drive these incredibly efficient speakers (96-98db). I'd blow an eardrum if I ever ran the receivers up to 0db. I don't see how anyone could knock Klipsch, except my neighbors who have to deal with the 800 watt and 600 watt subs, and even those never get turned up past 50% gain. The sound is always like the performance is actually in my room. Nothing I have heard before can deliver the nuances in the music like the Klipsch Reference Premiere. I can and do listen all day long with no fatigue. They absolutely get my vote.

There cheaper reference series are incredibly balanced and accurate as well, I replaced my entire home theater with them during the black Friday sale because I liked then so much and you'd be hard pressed to find a speaker of that quality for $112. I'm currently in the process of writing an in depth review with measurements so keep an eye out for it.

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[Peggy A Heil]

I like Klipsch and until I heard the Legacy Audio Classics I was ok with the sound I was getting with them. Those Legacy Classics are awesome - I finally am experiencing soundstage with those speakers. I upgraded my amplifier to the Marantz 7055 and honestly have not had an opportunity to really put them through their paces yet. However, at first listen I am very satisfied. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to crank up the volume.

I've been an audiophile for sometime and more recently have added components to build a home theater system that is not too shabby. Like I'm sure many of us on this forum feel, I feel like my favorite theater is the one in my living room!.

I guess to get back on the thread topic I vote for Legacy Audio speakers, they really perform well.

 

[Bucknekked]

I can "knock" Klipsch Reference Premier because I

I can "knock" Klipsch speakers because I own a pair and I listen to them just about every day.

I think folks who have occasionally listened to speakers can knock them if they want, but, to truly be able to knock something who can do that better than someone who owns a pair and listens to them a lot?

I actually don't want to write a post to knock Klipsch, although if I was of a mind to I probably could.
I would rather make a comment about absolutes. I have read through a number of posts in this thread where absolutes get used and I think caution is in order. The words never, always, any, none and all are words that should occur sparingly in conversations because they simply aren't true. Absolutes are rarely true simply because there are few absolutes in real life, much less in audio.

As far as the daffy duck conversation about recording speakers and listening to them on Youtube videos, I am tempted to use an absolute term with a colorful adjective, but I think we need to get back to the topic on the thread.

(ANNOUNCER VOICE: The control of this thread is now restored. Continue on with sane conversation about speakers and what's best)

I am in agreement with Swerd: I plan on becoming a Salk fanboy when I take delivery later this month

 

[Verdinut]

I've listened to YG Acoustics loudspeakers at several audio shows, and I have always been impressed by their neutrality.
What's interesting about their products as well is that some of the units are modules and you can upgrade to a bigger unit with additional sections later as desired.

 

[MR.MAGOO]

If it were possible to audition those brands in-home I could make a more informed choice. I suppose the companies which have been around a long time might make the best but who knows? In my home they might sound like junk.