Active Speakers

[RDSChicago]

Which fully active speakers sound and measure best to you? I have the Dutch 8Cs. I love the simplicity and efficiency of an all in one system and was wondering what is out there in terms of competition. My musical tastes have mellowed with age. Thanks.

 

[Grotti]

Best measuring active speakers: did you check the review index on ASR?

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Neumann and Genelec will cover most of it. (See reviews in this forum)

 

[sweetchaos]

Measure best?
Yes, I have such a list.

See my ‘active speaker recommendation’ thread.

 

[VintageFlanker]

Honestly: Keep your 8Cs.

Neumann and Genelec will cover most of it.

Sure, yet none of them is full-range (the KH420 somehow), nor designed for far-field listening.

 

[Purité Audio]

There could/might be a larger version of the 8C soon!
I haven’t heard a more complete/capable system/speaker than the 8C although I have high hopes for Sigberg’s new ‘Mantas’.
Keith

 

[VintageFlanker]

There could/might be a larger version of the 8C soon!

Oh yes ?

I have high hopes for Sigberg’s new ‘Mantas’.

Well,

Frequency response:
20-20,000hz (in-room response with sub)
90-20,000hz +/-2.5dB (anechoic response)

No offense to Sigberg Audio, but communicating the low-end extension with a sub for some 12k€ speakers is a joke. Claiming 90Hz at -2.5dB is another...
This aside, I'm sure they will sound great.

 

[Purité Audio]

I feel going 4-way is the way forward if cost of course is not prohibitive, we shall soon see or rather hear!
Keith

 

[sigbergaudio]

Oh yes ?


Well,

No offense to Sigberg Audio, but communicating the low-end extension with a sub for some 12k€ speakers is a joke. Claiming 90Hz at -2.5dB is another...
This aside, I'm sure they will sound great.

It's very far from a joke actually, and we've explained in detail both on this forum and on our website why this is a very good idea. Similar to many people you perceive the missing low end extension as a disadvantage - while in practice it is the contrary, it is a deliberate feature that enables it to do things hardly any speaker does.

Some details here that address what we do differently and why: https://www.sigbergaudio.no/pages/var-filosofi

 

[sergeauckland]

Honestly: Keep your 8Cs.


Sure, yet none of them is full-range (the KH420 somehow), nor designed for far-field listening.

I somehow feel that these would be fine for far-field listening, and pretty much full-range.

 

[Purité Audio]

They would be adequate.
Keith

 

[VintageFlanker]

I somehow feel that these would be fine for far-field listening, and pretty much full-range.

Sorry, I was thinking about Gen and Neumann measured around here (Amir or Erin) so far. But sure, this will do the job.

Similar to many people you perceive the missing low end extension as a disadvantage

I do, indeed.

it is a deliberate feature that enables it to do things hardly any speaker does.

Alright, I understand the philosophy, as you didn't design Mantas as standalone speakers, fine. Yet, I have serious issues with your first statement:

Did you know over 50% of stereo systems out there have one or multiple subwoofers?

No, I didn't know, not to mention I don't believe it. Like... at all. May I ask where these stats are coming from? Thanks.

 

[sigbergaudio]

No, I didn't know, not to mention I don't believe it. Like... at all. May I ask where these stats are coming from? Thanks.

We did a user study in Norway in interest groups totalling around 15,000 hifi enthusiasts - and got replies from about 1,000 people on whether people had 0, 1 or 2+ subwoofers in their 2-channel setup (so not counting home theatre setups). Not claiming this will then be representative world wide of course, I'm sure that there are variations. That being said, I don't think it's way off either.

 

[Adi777]

Listening session with B&O Beolab 90.
Good sound, very dynamic. Really big possibilities when it comes to low frequencies. List of songs:

Dominique Fils-Aimé - Birds
Death - Symbolic
Michael Nyman - The Scent of Love
Dave Holland - Conference of the Birds
Flight to LAPD - Blade Runner 2049 Soundtrack
Hans Zimmer - Flight
Ennio Morricone - C'era una volta il West - Titoli
Howard Shore - The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm
Wojciech Kilar - Vocalise from „The Ninth Gate''
Jesper Kyd - Night Time in New Orleans
Eberhard Weber - More Colours
Edward Shearmur - New Mexico
King Crimson - Easy Money
Gentle Giant - Peel the Paint
Jeremy Soule - Frostfall
Alexandre Desplat - Colours in the Sky
Eno, Moebius, Roedelius - Old Land
Rory Gallagher - I Fall Apart

Flight to LAPD - wow, first time I was really feeling low frequencies. Nice experience
We were listening on Deezer, then some time later there were problems with the Internet or Deezer, and the last few tracks were from Spotify. Rory Gallagher sounded awful. I have no idea if it's through Spotify - I doubt it. I guess the mastering is just bad. The vocal sounded terribly strange, unnatural, compressed, very dirty. Anyway, guitar parts too. Overall, a positive but not extraordinary experience. It seems to me that in a more refined acoustic environment it would be much better.

 

[prestigetone]

Listening session with B&O Beolab 90.

Wow those are much smaller than I thought they'd be

 

[RDSChicago]

Do they sound like 110,000 Euros?

 

[Curvature]

Sorry, I was thinking about Gen and Neumann measured around here (Amir or Erin) so far. But sure, this will do the job.

Genelec S360, my current fetish, is more than adequate for far field.

Genelec S360 Review (Studio Monitor)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Genelec S360 (S360A) studio monitor. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $3995 each. It comes in both white and black. As you can see, it is quite a departure from other Genelec speakers with rectangular shape and non-coaxial drivers...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Adi777]

Wow those are much smaller than I thought they'd be

They are not big, just normal loudspeakers, and for me looks good. Maybe not beautiful, but really nice, original, interesting.

 

[Adi777]

Do they sound like 110,000 Euros?

I don't have idea, but for me in 99,9% not