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Announcement: ASR Will Be Measuring Speakers!

AudioJester

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Hi guys, another noob here - stumbled across this site after seeing references on another audio forums.
Wow, what a source of real information/data!
Then super excited to see you will be measuring speakers as well.

I truly appreciate the effort and commitment of everyone involved in this endevour.
 

Milt

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Something I've wondered about for a bit.
Amir, have you ever measured gear that you sell or own?
 
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amirm

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Something I've wondered about for a bit.
Amir, have you ever measured gear that you sell or own?
I don't sell anything. I should given so much gear I have bought that I have tested for the forum, or received as samples. Definitely could use the money. :)

I do want to measure some of the things that I owned prior to this site, but just have not had time. Dug up my vintage Optonica amplifier for example and there has been requests for my Mark Levinson DAC. Per earlier discussion, there is a shot at measuring my Revel Salon 2 speakers. I also have a Mark Levinson amp I could measure but the thing is so heavy. And has potential to blow up my dummy load. I also want to measure my Otari Reel to Reel tape deck.

Is this what you were asking?
 

AudioJester

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A while ago someone suggested to me that dsp, room treatment etc. would make more of a difference than changing dacs or amps.

While searching around I came across an isolation product from IsoAcoustics - called Gaia. There are several videos on youtube from shows comparing speakers using and not using the Gaia feet. I ended up buying some and think they do make a difference - not practical to do a blinded test. More so than dac changes.

I wonder if your measurement system could explain why they make a sonic improvement?
 
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amirm

amirm

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I wonder if your measurement system could explain why they make a sonic improvement?
They work on a dynamic basis so testing them with this system is not straightforward. For now, when I have heard it at shows, the "improvement" is due to changing the height of the speaker, something the measurements definitely show.
 

Thomas_A

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A while ago someone suggested to me that dsp, room treatment etc. would make more of a difference than changing dacs or amps.

While searching around I came across an isolation product from IsoAcoustics - called Gaia. There are several videos on youtube from shows comparing speakers using and not using the Gaia feet. I ended up buying some and think they do make a difference - not practical to do a blinded test. More so than dac changes.

I wonder if your measurement system could explain why they make a sonic improvement?

Besides height differences: Isolation products under speakers may cause two effects:

1. The provide less movement of the speaker due to action-reaction forces from the drivers which show up somewhere in the bass region. Most likely very seldom, if ever, audible.
2. The transfer less energy between speaker-support. Depending on what the speaker sits on, this may or may not be audible as distortion. Hard coupling may give distortion.

You can find similar devices from Genelec and the "originals" from Sonic Design. Or use home-made soft feet like computer mouse pads.

I provided one audible example here:

#158
 
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Digital Mastering System

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I hope someone sends in their JBL M2 system. I'd like to see that measured. Seems like a used M2 system can be had for $10k or so. Not bad IMHO considering.
I also hope Amir will test woofer 2nd harmonic distortion vs SPL at say 50Hz? Anyway, some measure of LF distortion vs power.
 

jtwrace

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I hope someone sends in their JBL M2 system. I'd like to see that measured. Seems like a used M2 system can be had for $10k or so. Not bad IMHO considering.
I'll sell you my M2 system for less than that.
 
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amirm

amirm

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I also hope Amir will test woofer 2nd harmonic distortion vs SPL at say 50Hz? Anyway, some measure of LF distortion vs power.
I can get distortion graphs vs frequency at one SPL level. There is no sweep functionality like there is in Audio Precision in Klippel system.
 

Digital Mastering System

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I can get distortion graphs vs frequency at one SPL level. There is no sweep functionality like there is in Audio Precision in Klippel system.

Well, I guess if you had to pick a sweep at one SPL the best level would be 'kinda loud'. What do you think that would be, 95db SPL? I suppose this is something like your 5W test. So a speaker with sensitivity of 86db/W would be tested at 8W rms? Did I calculate that right?
 
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amirm

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Well, I guess if you had to pick a sweep at one SPL the best level would be 'kinda loud'. What do you think that would be, 95db SPL? I suppose this is something like your 5W test. So a speaker with sensitivity of 86db/W would be tested at 8W rms? Did I calculate that right?
I have not yet calibrated the microphone so all levels are relative.
 

North_Sky

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This is going to attract few billion speakerfiles.
 
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