10 Loudspeakers Trends That Should End

[shadyJ]

There were a lot of good points in the article but I was surprised that there wasn’t a point made about designing center channels as three-way instead of MTM.

We have done that one to death. This article was more about hammering the points that usually get less attention.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Also, WRT paint gloss level- no, it's not a standard. Get sample cards from 10 paint companies and you'll see at least 8 varieties of 'semi-gloss' that don't look the same, some have 'eggshell' that looks like satin and most don't even use the same word to describe the gloss of interior and exterior paints. Now, if you want to compare automotive finishes, you'll find a more limited palette- more colors, fewer levels of gloss. Then, there are finishing materials that are called 'Custom' and they can be all over the map WRT gloss. What is your reference for the 'true satin' that you mentioned?

I think "satin finish" is somewhat like obscenity - difficult to define, but you know it when you see it.

Proper “satin” finishes are silky and very smooth and do have a reflective sheen although a lot more diffuse than a gloss finish. A true satin finish is smooth to the touch and has no texturing.

That's about as concise as one can be, I would suggest, as there is are subjective ranges of gloss. I think marketing people throw the word "satin" around liberally because it connotes luxury. He did (correctly) refer to "textured vinyl" as not qualifying.

 

[highfigh]

I think "satin finish" is somewhat like obscenity - difficult to define, but you know it when you see it.



That's about as concise as one can be, I would suggest, as there is are subjective ranges of gloss. I think marketing people throw the word "satin" around liberally because it connotes luxury. He did (correctly) refer to "textured vinyl" as not qualifying.

Got any examples? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink

Hardness of the dried/cured material makes a big difference- a harder material can feel very smooth, if it's high/medium gloss, satin or matte but a softer material feels like more friction.

One benefit of low gloss finishes is that they don't reflect as much light and if they're in view of light reflected from a large TV or projection screen, it can be distracting.

Aw, c'mon! You don't like a nice snakeskin or Alligator vinyl?

 

[jeffca]

I can't offer a single rebuttal to your article.

Don't you just love it when audio press people speak sense rather than nonsense (like that imbecile Michael Fremer)?

 

[davidscott]

Great article. Love reading things like this

Harmon is the worst on their packaging especially their Infinity speakers. They are messed up a LOT. Their JBL 590s are a little better as they come freight on a pallet

I end up biting the bulled and putting the SVS feed on all my subs. I know many think it's a waste but if it's a sub we will use for years it's not too big a deal

On FEDEX/UPS, my nightmare on that was related to a Outlaw AMP I bought used from someone. It's a heavy AMP. I looked out the window and saw the UPS driver literally rolling the box to the door. It did some damage but still worked. I really like when companies send heavy stuff via freight on a pallet but I know that adds cost.

Luckily, I purchased my Infinity speakers at a local establishment, so I didn't have to worry about shipping.

 

[JRT256]

Regarding: Mounting Tweeters Away from Midrange/Mid-bass Drivers

Why don't they make rectangular tweeters and square midrange drivers? Like the Germans used to do (see an ADS L1290).

My pet peeve. Why do they make 2.1 sound bars? I.E. NO center channel. What I need is a center channel because the dialog is hard to hear in movies. Would that be a 1.1 sound bar? It should also have plugins for LF and RF.

 

[everettT]

Regarding: Mounting Tweeters Away from Midrange/Mid-bass Drivers

Why don't they make rectangular tweeters and square midrange drivers? Like the Germans used to do (see an ADS L1290).View attachment 62465View attachment 62466

My pet peeve. Why do they make 2.1 sound bars? I.E. NO center channel. What I need is a center channel because the dialog is hard to hear in movies. Would that be a 1.1 sound bar? It should also have plugins for LF and RF.

Driver housings can make a difference on sound but usually when they are wave- guides. Many manufacturers have made different mounts for the same tweeters and small midranges.
As for the sound bar, when it's directly below the display, it essentially a center channel more then anything else.

 

[D Murphy]

Driver housings can make a difference on sound but usually when they are wave- guides. Many manufacturers have made different mounts for the same tweeters and small midranges.
As for the sound bar, when it's directly below the display, it essentially a center channel more then anything else.

I think Shady wanted square (or rectangular) tweets and mids so that the two drivers could be placed closer together, which makes an optimized response easier to achieve. Once the flange is mounted flush in the baffle, it wouldn't make any difference whether it was round or a pentagon. A baffle is a baffle.

 

[MrBoat]

As someone who is used to a bit more old fashioned audio, just about all of the practices listed often cause me to scratch my head as to why. Especially the overuse of bi-wiring. It's as if it's something more of a strange fashion trend, like buying an SUV and then sticking a wannabe "Salt Life" decal on the back window.

Shipping, is probably half of why I would rather build my own than having assembled speakers shipped. Didn't stop my neighbor from running over to try and 'help' me carry a sheet of MDF after I already had it handled. He almost threw my back out, wrongly grabbing the end of the sheet while I was already in stride, and now I am having to wrestle him, and the sheet. I hung drywall and framed houses for 20 years. Handling large panels is second nature. Try explaining that to someone with that helpful glimmer in their eye on the fly, though. More often than not, you will have to hurt their feelings so they don't hurt you. My boss tries to help and I am always having to tell him to GTF away from me!

Appliance delivery teams are the best to handle large speakers. The poor girl cub from UPS that delivered my Tempest kit couldn't have weighed more than 110# and it was a good thing I was there to accept and she was thankful for it.

 

[highfigh]

As someone who is used to a bit more old fashioned audio, just about all of the practices listed often cause me to scratch my head as to why. Especially the overuse of bi-wiring. It's as if it's something more of a strange fashion trend, like buying an SUV and then sticking a wannabe "Salt Life" decal on the back window.

Shipping, is probably half of why I would rather build my own than having assembled speakers shipped. Didn't stop my neighbor from running over to try and 'help' me carry a sheet of MDF after I already had it handled. He almost threw my back out, wrongly grabbing the end of the sheet while I was already in stride, and now I am having to wrestle him, and the sheet. I hung drywall and framed houses for 20 years. Handling large panels is second nature. Try explaining that to someone with that helpful glimmer in their eye on the fly, though. More often than not, you will have to hurt their feelings so they don't hurt you. My boss tries to help and I am always having to tell him to GTF away from me!

Appliance delivery teams are the best to handle large speakers. The poor girl cub from UPS that delivered my Tempest kit couldn't have weighed more than 110# and it was a good thing I was there to accept and she was thankful for it.

Unexpected 'assistance' is a very bad thing. Not only can it hurt the person who already has things under control, the item/material will often be damaged by their erroneous perception of what's happening. I was moving some materials and my boat in my garage over the last couple of days and if someone had grabbed anything when I wasn't expecting it, bad things would have happened including the possibility of the outdrive's skeg punching through the back wall and siding.

Full sheets of MDF are no fun as it is, but when someone unexpectedly moves it, it's time to just let it fall.