Speakers; When is good enough, enough

[palmharbor]

Reagan Quote

I agree: what reagan produced was higher unemployment than we have in October of 2009 during his second year of power. Sales of TOW rockets
to Iran, lower wages for most middle class and lower class people and
billions for a military that is unable to defeat a rag-tag army in Afganistan
who has no navy, no airforce, no drones, no sat. observation technology
and not even proper boots to wear. Based on results Reagan was good
only for the Palm Beach crowd

 

[Boerd]

Simple. When your wife says, "If you bring another set of speakers in this house I'm leaving!", it's time to be satisfied with what you have!

LOL - that is sooooo true.

 

[Boerd]

OK guys and gals we have been discussing amps a lot but not that much about speakers. I have some thoughts and questions that I hope spark some good advice for some and interesting dialog for us more seasoned audio nuts. Most of you have read my background on other posts so I won't repeat it here, but I have been in this hobby since the late 70's so I like to think I know a little. Maybe I am full of it but it is nice to think you know something What I have been thinking about is speakers and when to stop looking for something better and be content. I know that may seem like a radical concept to some, but let me finish. What I am trying to get at is some sanity in speakers.

For example I have Paridigm Monitor series all around. Monitor 7's up front, CC370 center and MiniMonitors rear. I am in the process of treating my room and so far the sound I have is nothing short of amazing. Back in the late 80's, at an audio snob shop in Tampa bay, I heard, what I thought at that time, was the best sounding setup I ever heard. It was a set of Quads on a Mark Levinson Pre-Amp and Amp; I have now surpassed that level of fidelity in my opinion. I know you can't compare what you heard 20 years ago to something today, but what I mean is that when I listen to music now I am not listening for flaws anymore but rather just sitting back and listening, enjoying and having fun.

What I am now wondering is what would I gain by going to another set of speakers say like Paradigms next level up? It would be a pretty big money investment to do so, would it be worth it? Is there that much difference in speakers today once you reach a certain level? I have my doubts. I have built at least 20 different speakers of my own and well over a thousand custom jobs when I worked for a shop in Florida, and I have never heard a better tweeter then the one Paradigm uses on their Monitor line, it is that good. If you have never heard a set go take a listen and bring some stuff with some delicate highs. Your Jaw will drop. Trust me on this one thing if nothing else, I have built stuff and heard stuff with ScanSpeak, Skanning, Vifa, Morel, Dynaudio, Peerless, Focal, and Audax tweeters and I am telling you these things are amazing.

Now I am not trying to say Pardigm has some sort of lock on tweeters, but damn they are good. I have listened and owned lots of other great speakers, one of my old pair, a pair of Mirage 1090i's were fantastic, amazing low end for a dual 6in two way, but still they did not satisfy in the high end like the Paradigms do.

Have we reached the limit to how good a conventional speaker can sound? Is there no point to looking for something else until a new technology comes along or would I be even happier getting something more? Is there really any difference in QUALITY speakers at this time or do they all sound good enough. What are some of your thoughts?

My take here is that the active speakers are "the end of it" provided your wife lets you go there. I own a pair of NHT XD 2.2 and for me this is it. It cured me of UPGRADATIS for good; also the fact that my wife had enough of me upgrading my gear helped a bit.
You should always remember it is about music; males starts losing their hearing bit by bit after 35 (and even more after they get married) ...

 

[audiohonic65]

Thanks, appreciated! Your views are informative and detailed. I some what agree with you.

 

[walter duque]

I think nothing in audio is ever good enough. It might be for a while but eventually you'll need another fix. That's why we are AH. Sick, is'nt it? I love it.

 

[highfigh]

My take here is that the active speakers are "the end of it" provided your wife lets you go there. I own a pair of NHT XD 2.2 and for me this is it. It cured me of UPGRADATIS for good; also the fact that my wife had enough of me upgrading my gear helped a bit.
You should always remember it is about music; males starts losing their hearing bit by bit after 35 (and even more after they get married) ...

Hearing loss starts a lot sooner than that. Look around at open-air festivals for people with little kids when a band plays. That's when hearing loss starts now, as well as people who crank their stereo at home when they have little kids. If someone is never exposed to loud sounds, it starts much later but with loud cars, fireworks, lawnmowers, iPods, stereos, movie theaters, etc, it's impossible for anyone to not be affected earlier than 35 years of age.

Kids using a big hammer to pound on a whole box of Caps (from a cap-gun) and laughing like idiots while their ears ring for hours doesn't help, either.

 

[lsiberian]

Hearing loss starts a lot sooner than that. Look around at open-air festivals for people with little kids when a band plays. That's when hearing loss starts now, as well as people who crank their stereo at home when they have little kids. If someone is never exposed to loud sounds, it starts much later but with loud cars, fireworks, lawnmowers, iPods, stereos, movie theaters, etc, it's impossible for anyone to not be affected earlier than 35 years of age.

Kids using a big hammer to pound on a whole box of Caps (from a cap-gun) and laughing like idiots while their ears ring for hours doesn't help, either.

Yeah but laughing like idiots is so fun who can blame them.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

WOW! I forgot I started this post back in 04. Holy dodo. I still have the monitor 7's but I upgraded the center channel to the Ref series, and of course my subs are in process.(delayed because of clinical and weather) The monitor 7's still sound good though. I will at some point change all the speakers out to a much higher level. After school though.

My wife and I will move after I graduate and buy a new home. We want to have a reading/relaxing room that I am going to setup with a nice 2 channel system. I have always been partial to the Maggies so I might get a pair of them for music.