Applying the Objective/Measurement Approach to Reverse Engineer the Ultimate Listening Experience

[Blumlein 88]

In my experience, having made hundreds of commercial recordings (but admittedly a long time ago) and listened to them at work and at home:

Virtually none of it is the signal. Virtually all of it is the speakers and the room - and they must be considered together. Think of a headphone for a minute - there's a driver and a cup working together, and nothing else. Your speaker is the driver, and your room is the cup, working together, and there's nothing else.

What creates the "best stereo image" or "soundstage" is tight pair matching between the speakers, and the absence of local aberrations at the speaker positions, such as port chuffing, panel resonances, and so on. Position the speakers with an open mind, not a pre-planned scheme. Treat the room so that reflections are well under control.

Such measures will provide the best platform to examine the recording. As @Blumlein 88 notes above, some are spectacular - I made a few crossed-pair Blumlein recordings which are staggering - and some are pretty bad, but as long as there was some panning and potting going on, there will be some kind of image.

To answer the question, therefore, the metrics would be measuring the pair matching, and any non-musical rattling, buzzing, hooting or smearing from the cabinets. Sadly almost no one tests for either.

There is a Klippel setup for measuring just those non-musical things. I don't know if it would require different hardware than Amir has already, but it would be a good thing if someone tested and quantized such things.

 

[danielmiessler]

As many actives, I would say.

I assume these would be a better pick than any Genelec for high SPLs. As for farfield listening.

Considering his budget, @danielmiessler could also consider Kii Three (BXT?) or the cheaper Buchardt A700, which won't need any sub with 17Hz at 1.5dB.

But do they measure as flat and have as good of off-axis performance, combined with the DSP and room correction stuff?

 

[Purité Audio]

But do they measure as flat and have as good of off-axis performance, combined with the DSP and room correction stuff?

Yes.
Keith

 

[ahofer]

Yes.
Keith

Wow, those Buchardt measurements are extraordinary - and dynamic loudness! And fairly high 'WAF'.

Only a little tip upwards in frequency response and a small oddity in the vertical around 1200-1400Hz?:

drivers in the back affect placement optimization?

https://www.buchardtaudio.com/a700-detailed-description

 

[VintageFlanker]

Only a little tip upwards in frequency response and a small oddity in the vertical around 1200-1400Hz?

Vertical dispersion would be almost always worse (with several directive drivers) than Coaxial designs. KEF and Genelec One are virtually unbeatable in this field.

drivers in the back affect placement optimization?

A bit more than D&D 8C (which has side ports in intend to cancel rear reflections of higher frequencies), but Buchardt advertises it isn't a concern. These are all closed speakers with no rear port reflections.

I have my A500s 25-30cm from rear wall and this doesn't sound like an issue to me.

 

[ahofer]

Vertical dispersion would be almost always worse (with several directive drivers) than Coaxial designs. KEF and Genelec One are virtually unbeatable in this field.

A bit more than D&D 8C (which has side ports in intend to cancel rear reflections of higher frequencies), but Buchardt advertises it isn't a concern. These are all closed speakers with no rear port reflections.

I have my A500s 25-30cm from rear wall and this doesn't sound like an issue to me.

Thanks. 6150 euros for the pair (?) is pretty good. Do you use wireless to the speakers? or wired. Sorely tempted with the walnut finish.

 

[VintageFlanker]

Do you use wireless to the speakers? or wired.

Using them wired is pointless. Since the signal is digitalized at the end anyway, the DSP being the all point of their performance. These have to be paired with their Hub IMHO.

 

[ahofer]

Using them wired is pointless. Since the signal is digitalized at the end anyway, the DSP being the all point of their performance. These have to be paired with their Hub IMHO.

There's a digital wired input, I think. Just to avoid wireless gremlins (in my NYC apartment with 300 competing signals nearby)

 

[biglebowski]

There's a digital wired input, I think. Just to avoid wireless gremlins (in my NYC apartment with 300 competing signals nearby)

I don't think there is a digital wired input on the Buchardt. I think there is only an analog XLR in (which will be digitalised) or a digital (wireless) Wisa input.

 

[ahofer]

I don't think there is a digital wired input on the Buchardt. I think there is only an analog XLR in (which will be digitalised) or a digital (wireless) Wisa input.

No ethernet?

 

[VintageFlanker]

No ethernet?

Nope.
WISA and XLR (Analog) are the only options available.