Just FYI, the low-cost JBL Studio 530 does have a "real" compression tweeter behind its horn (waveguide?), thus no silicone grease, ferrofluid damping or thermal protection issues), and a sturdy cast-basket 5 1/4" midbass driver. It's a very dynamic and engaging sound that's also airy and delicate at the same time. I encourage you to try to listen to a pair at home and eventually return them if you're not satisfied. The only trade-off is their singular looks and their size which is a bit large for a desktop though.Thanks everyone for your advice. This has been very interesting. I feel I've learned quite a bit.
Given a limited budget, in what ways can a small speaker beat a big speaker? From my experience: in midrange clarity, possibly because a smaller LF driver can be matched more easily to the HF driver, hopefully allowing for a better performing crossover at a given price point.
- I was reading a thread here about the allegedly 'useless' nature of the Harman Preference Score. My understanding is that the preference score is a formula that takes the preferences taken from double-blind testing a wide range of listeners and applies that data to come up with a 'likability' score for a particular loudspeaker product. It is not an 'ultimate reproduction accuracy' score. It may be that I should not take the preference score so seriously. It's really more of a yardstick for narrowing down choices to a relative few.
As an example, the JBL 705p (4.7) is simply murdered by the LSR 308p (5.6). Does that mean the 308p is a better speaker, and I will like it better? Or does the 308p go lower, and that generates a higher preference score?
The Genelec 8030C (6.3), KEF LS50 Meta (6.0) and Revel M105 (5.9) are all well above the LSR 308p. Does that mean I should just forget JBL entirely?
I think it means for an average listener, it's more likely that listener will prefer the sound from a Genelec 8030C over a JBL 705p, by a probability of 1.6 points. That looks like a rout; like a 'sure thing' on paper.
Dang... So exactly how does this help me?
- Through most of this thread, the emphasis has been on bass response. I get it. Ever since I was a teen (a long, long time ago, back in the days of Maxell cassettes and quadraphonic LPs), the emphasis has always been on bass. Tight, clean, low, loud bass. Well -- That has never been my priority. I'm a midrange clarity freak. I like all those silly audiophile tricks like 'clarity, liquidity, depth, air, soundstaging' and so on. I know there are people here at ASR who don't believe in them; believe they are artifacts of colorations, distortions, room modes, etc. OK. That's cool. I still like that stuff, and I know I'm hearing it when I hear it. That's what made my jaw drop when I heard the LSR 305p for the first time. It can do a lot of that stuff, at $300 a pair with the amplifiers included. Such a deal!
- I believe a really good small speaker can beat a large speaker in small spaces at limited dynamic levels. Of course here I have an application where I have a small space (24' L x 12' W x 8' H with a hall and a room opening out from the sides of the main room). I have an application where I do not need high SPLs -- especially at bass frequencies. I do not want to antagonize my neighbors. Yes, that means I'm looking for a 'glorified table radio' of sorts.
Another trend I've noticed is that machines made with very high headroom for their task run cooler, last longer, and perform better under a wider variety of loads. That's why I was thinking the JBL 705p might float my boat. The compression tweeter driver will be able to handle gobs higher SPLs than I will ever demand of it. I presume its 5" woofer is a little beast, made for much higher SPLs than I would ever demand of it. The LF driver is small, the HF driver is relatively large. The safe operating range of both should overlap by quite a bit (neither driver working at the outer reaches of their capabilities). Add the built in amplifiers, super-accurate (I presume) crossover, basic parametric EQ/DSP for correcting gross room modes, and I think it sounds like a compelling solution. The glaring limitations are the lack of low bass and high SPL capabilities. Fortunately, those are the two capabilities I can live without.
Can the same be said for the Genelec 8330? I think so. But perhaps not. Are its drivers as heavy-duty as the JBL's ?
And none of the above, as far as I can tell, has anything at all to do with low bass response (really, I could roll it off below 50Hz and be OK).
So my question boils down to:
What is the absolute lowest distortion/highest clarity but restricted bass/limited SPL loudspeaker for apartment dwellers?
30 years ago the accepted answer would have been "LS3/5A". Perhaps today that means LS50 Meta. Or does it?
So far, my check-it-out list is:
- Genelec 8030 or 8330
- Neumann KH 120
- JBL LSR 308P
- JBL 705P
- KEF LS50 Meta
- Revel M105
- Revel M16
- JBL Studio 530
I know I will not get to hear these side-by-side, let alone anything like a double-blind test. This may take a while.
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