AXPONA 2017: Audioengine speakers:
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AXPONA 2017: Audioengine
- Thread starter amirm
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OP
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For some reason, at some three prior shows (or was it four?) I had failed in listening to these speakers. I finally walked into an empty room with willing presenters and got to listen to them!
OP
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Mama Says by Ibeyi. https://shz.am/t151580295
Nice. Thought it was a bit tubby but now that I listen to it on my headphones, I see that it is in the music.
Nice. Thought it was a bit tubby but now that I listen to it on my headphones, I see that it is in the music.
OP
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- #5
Other Side Of The Game by Erykah Badu. https://shz.am/t5247112
Once turned up, the sound quite boomy and distorted. Then again listening to this track now, it makes for a pretty poor demo track.
Speakers are $749 a pair.
Once turned up, the sound quite boomy and distorted. Then again listening to this track now, it makes for a pretty poor demo track.
Speakers are $749 a pair.
OP
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Whatcha Gonna Make It by Rii Edit. https://shz.am/t103212532
Hmmm. Not sure this is the correct lookup. Anyway, whatever track it was, it was a bit harsh.
Hmmm. Not sure this is the correct lookup. Anyway, whatever track it was, it was a bit harsh.
OP
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Overall, these speakers don't want to play loud. Pushing them causes significant degradation in fidelity. At moderate volumes this problem is not so apparent.
50W doesn't necessarily go very far when you crank it up.
I could say something similar about my little JBLs when mis-used as a full-range room-filler.
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That's indeed a problem.
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Sounds like a George Carlin routine: "These speakers really suck and won't play loud, would like them?" Or maybe "That's the worst-sounding speaker I've ever heard but it'll sound great in your room."
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They definitely have strong following. A much better bet is a studio monitor. Those are usually active vs passive in these. And play pretty loud. I know my Genelec and NHT monitors do.
Old Listener
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My mileage varies.
I've been using Audioengine HD6s since the end of November for near field use in our home office. They deliver clean sound at my normal listening level (75-85 decibels average) and at somewhat higher levels on decently recorded and mastered music.
Short trials in the living room (TV) and library (main system) suggested that they sound good there too. I'll try the HD6s again in my main system soon.
At the HD6s' price level using a passive crossover and spending more money on drivers and cabinet may be a good design choice. Accoedng to a SoundonSound review, the NHT M-00 uses a passive crossover. The S-00 sub has a live level crossover to split the input the signal between the sub and the M-00. Overall, one line level crossover and one post-power amp crossover. If you used an Audioengine sub with the HD6s, you'd have the same arrangement.
Oh, and count me as a long time Audioengine owner. I used A5s for 8+ years before getting the HD6s.
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Look at the bright part Old Listener. At least after some 3 years of asking me, I finally did listen to them at a show.
Seriously, I turn up the volume more than many do so I tend to test that capability. As I mentioned at lower volumes it is fine.
Seriously, I turn up the volume more than many do so I tend to test that capability. As I mentioned at lower volumes it is fine.
Old Listener
Senior Member
Look at the bright part Old Listener. At least after some 3 years of asking me, I finally did listen to them at a show.
Seriously, I turn up the volume more than many do so I tend to test that capability. As I mentioned at lower volumes it is fine.
I got tired of waiting and bought mine without your approval.
Yesterday, after reading your comments and the others on the HD6, I listened to a variety of music including some meant to be loud. Some observations:
- The volume at which become less pleasant to me varies with the quality of the recording. The Solti/LSO Mahler 2 is a close up recording and quite involving but it gets harsh when I go above my normal listening level. My other recordings of the same work stay cleaner at those volumes. A Markevich recording of the Haydn Drumroll symphony is my favorite for performance but it doesn't sound good at high volumes. A Mackerras recording of that work on Telarc is much cleaner.
- I can't see the point of listening to vocals at a louder level than you expect from an unamplified human voice.
- My own volume threshold where sound becomes less pleasant is lower than it was decades ago.
I learned something from all the posts on this thread and from my round of listening yesterday. Thanks.
Remember sound level falls off fairly quickly with distance. On a desktop or sitting close they are probably fine. Expecting them to fill a larger space, meh. Wrong tool for he job. They are good at what they were designed to do, and that is better than some! I have several SONOS speakers around the house and have similar comments about them. They sound good to everybody (myself included) and do a good job in my office or for background music in the family room (near my wife's chair -- she lives there, I'm usually in my office or down in the media room) but I don't expect them to match my Maggies. I thought of getting some cheap speakers for one of my sons to use with his iPod and for streaming iTunes from his PC but the cheap speakers I tried I just couldn't force myself to buy (poor sound and when I picked them up they just screamed "cheap"). These Audioengines are expensive but not hideously so, seem to have a good reputation, and so are a contender for that duty. They would be in his apartment room and would probably be perfect for that application.
Old Listener
Senior Member
Don, I do understand that sound levels fall off with distance. As I said in my first post, I tried the HD6s in my living room and library to learn something about their performance in larger rooms. Based on an hour or two in each location, I felt that the HD6s did rather well.
My wife is in the loop on projects like cars, photography and audio. She observed that I spent more time in the home office listening as I worked at my PC than I did in the library listening to the main system with large 3-way active speakers. She suggested that perhaps the better speakers should be in the home office where we do most listening. Interesting idea.
I bought the HD6s when they were on sale at 20% off . I'm quite happy with them for near field listening but my wife's idea leads to an interesting possibility. All the candidates I've identified are active or powered but passive speakers suitable for near field listening. What if I put the new more expensive speakers in the office and move the HD6s to the main system?
Doing more extended testing of the HD6s in my main system seems worth doing to see whether this possibility makes sense.
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