AXPONA 2017: MBL Speakers and Electronics, United Home Audio (UHA) Reel to Reel, Kyomi Audio
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AXPONA 2017: MBL Speakers and Electronics, United Home Audio (UHA) Reel to Reel, Kyomi Audio
- Thread starter amirm
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OP
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I used Shazam to discover Bohemian Rhapsody by California Guitar Trio. https://shz.am/t10068549
Pretty detailed and relaxed.
Pretty detailed and relaxed.
OP
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OP
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I have learned to dislike speakers that homogenize everything to sound similar in character. And the MBLs do that. Everything sounded light and airy but not all music is that way. When matched with music that should sound that way, it is a good thing but not otherwise.
OP
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Ah, it is 20 minutes past midnight. I better go to sleep. More later everyone...
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Sounds like maybe the speakers wouldn't have been suited for the Bowie original of this. Or Freddie Mercury doing the other one.
Why do you think they made things sound light and airy, Amir? Do you think it's an omni thing, an MBL thing, or an "MBL in this particular room" thing? The MBLs don't have even dispersion on the vertical axis, and are actually not true omnis because of that, so maybe that makes the room response somewhat unnatural.
OP
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- #8
Forgot one track:
A Song For You by Herbie Hancock Feat. Christina Aguilera. https://shz.am/t41346072
Nice song. Light and somewhat airy.
A Song For You by Herbie Hancock Feat. Christina Aguilera. https://shz.am/t41346072
Nice song. Light and somewhat airy.
That's my impression too and well described.
The reason is the omni dispersion which creates a sound of their own and which isn't true to the source. While nothing is 100% true to the source, omnis distance themselves way too much IMO. Even dry recordings sound like they are recorded from a live revenue combined with the messy and chaotic response due to all the reflections they create. This footprint influences everything one is listening to. Some people say omnis sound more life like but I disagree very much with that. A much better approach to spacious sound is the use of diffusion.
Fixed that for you, Bjørn
Joking aside: The question with omnis is first and foremost whether one wants to be transported "there", or whether one wants the musicians on the record to be transported "here". If the goal is that the musicians should be transported "here", omnis do the best job IME. Can there be drawbacks? Of course. I do believe, however, that this depends to a large degree on both how the omni is constructed, and on the acoustics of the room. In a reasonably large room with good acoustics, and with omnis that actually have even dispersion (very few omnis have that), I can't see any a priori reason why the sound HAS to become airy and diffuse. If one listens fairly close to the loudspeakers, one will get a first arrival of the direct sound. If the following reflections have a certain delay and are sufficiently similar to the direct sound, and are similar from every direction (and that's the whole acoustic idea behind omnis), it seems fully possible to me that the result will not be "diffuse".
Having investigated the omni-thing quite a bit, my take-away is that the idea in itself can be very good, but that very few actual omni speakers actually manage to pull it off.
I'm afraid you will learn the hard way
Of course the sound will be become diffuse and messy. That's exactly what happens when you have multiple specular reflections. There's no way way to avoid that in a living room unless the room is made acoustically very dead. And you don't avoid early arriving reflections with an omni by sitting close up unless room is treated. The number of later arriving reflections are also simply too high with an omni. It creates a sound stage very far from what's correct and is coloring the sound far more than any tube amplifier would ever do. It's chaotic and this doesn't resemble real sound.
It makes sense to have a speaker with wide dispersion, creating a lateral contribution in order to enhance spaciousness and have the artists "playing in your room". But it makes no sense IMO to create a lot of reflections from front wall, ceiling and floor. These are basically detrimental and combined with the other reflections it becomes way too much.
Omnis are nice outdoor. Indoor they are mess IMO.
Of course the sound will be become diffuse and messy. That's exactly what happens when you have multiple specular reflections. There's no way way to avoid that in a living room unless the room is made acoustically very dead. And you don't avoid early arriving reflections with an omni by sitting close up unless room is treated. The number of later arriving reflections are also simply too high with an omni. It creates a sound stage very far from what's correct and is coloring the sound far more than any tube amplifier would ever do. It's chaotic and this doesn't resemble real sound.
It makes sense to have a speaker with wide dispersion, creating a lateral contribution in order to enhance spaciousness and have the artists "playing in your room". But it makes no sense IMO to create a lot of reflections from front wall, ceiling and floor. These are basically detrimental and combined with the other reflections it becomes way too much.
Omnis are nice outdoor. Indoor they are mess IMO.
I'm afraid you will learn the hard way
Of course the sound will be become diffuse and messy. That's exactly what happens when you have multiple specular reflections. There's no way way to avoid that in a living room unless the room is made acoustically very dead. And you don't avoid early arriving reflections with an omni by sitting close up unless room is treated. The number of later arriving reflections are also simply too high with an omni. It creates a sound stage very far from what's correct and is coloring the sound far more than any tube amplifier would ever do. It's chaotic and this doesn't resemble real sound.
It makes sense to have a speaker with wide dispersion, creating a lateral contribution in order to enhance spaciousness and have the artists "playing in your room". But it makes no sense IMO to create a lot of reflections from front wall, ceiling and floor. These are basically detrimental and combined with the other reflections it becomes way too much.
Omnis are nice outdoor. Indoor they are mess IMO.
We will see! Ill keep you updated in a few months
OP
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Careful. You are messing with a guy who has a bear in his avatar and you have a dog!We will see! Ill keep you updated in a few months
Careful. You are messing with a guy who has a bear in his avatar and you have a dog!
A dog will always win a fight like this, of course!
Why do you think they made things sound light and airy, Amir? Do you think it's an omni thing, an MBL thing, or an "MBL in this particular room" thing? The MBLs don't have even dispersion on the vertical axis, and are actually not true omnis because of that, so maybe that makes the room response somewhat unnatural.
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OP
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- #17
It is an omni thing.
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