Hello!
Thank you for your very pertinent article. I just happened on it, and read it with interest, even though it is an 'old' one. Paraphrasing Arnold Schwarzenegger in one of his Terminators, the article may be old, but NOT obsolete.
I am looking for a pair of bookshelf speakers. After reading tons of reviews and tech material, frankly, i still have no idea what to buy. In general, reviews are narrowed down to pop and rock with their varieties, talking mostly about how better or lesser base is rendered. Some will talk about trebles as well, but vaguely. Very few touch upon classical music and that in generalities. For example, i'd much like to read about the tweeter as to how it will separate the oboe from the trumpet, two of the most difficult instruments to reproduce from an orchestral recording. Or, how would the melody carried by a violins group be heard over the full orchestra in a dense passage. Or, would these instruments not sound harsh, brittle and beset by myriad of harmonic distortions and resonances? How about reproducing instrument noises? When liistening to a solo piano, would the notes in a massive, or even modest chord be distinguishable? How about hammer noise and box reflections? When a violin concerto is played, will bow and box noise be audible? Or, when a jazz combo is playing, how about the riding cymbal's silvery clang? Unfortunately, I don't much hear about this. Of course, for all of the above to happen, very good recordings are needed, because there are many bad ones, but these are some of the parameters i'd like to find in a good speaker analysis. My lines don't mean to be critical, but the wish of someone who is valiantly looking to buy a pair of bookshelves at a reasonable price. Regretfully, I haven't yet the ideal article out there.
Thanks for reading, sincerely yours, john.