Best speakers in the world?

[paddycrow]

I have an Eumig super-8 movie camera and projector dating from the late 1960ies. I got them from my grandmother for my 15th birthday, I fear they no longer work, I last used them aged 20 when I made a movie of archeological digs I was participating in.

Sorry to continue on this off topic sidebar, but...

This still works!

 

[richard12511]

Does anyone have measurements of the Beolab 90? The only ones I can find are from stereophile, and unfortunately, in room. Honestly, they don't look outstanding, but it's hard to tell with in room. I do remember seeing some on/off axis measurements somewhere, along with polar maps, though again, I wasn't overly impressed. I remember it not looking as good as D&D or Genelec/Neumann.

 

[Frank Dernie]

B&O is not on the same level as Focal, also there's no way they're worth that much.

If I ever bought any more speakers the Beolab 90 would be top of the list.
State of the art drivers in a clever DSP controlled directivity array. Probably the most thorough, well thought through and executed loudspeaker ever produced.

 

[paddycrow]

I spent a fair amount of time listening to these at the 2020 Florida Audio Expo:

They blew me away but at $295,000 a pair they should. The system driving them was well north of $1,000,000.

Martin

Looks similar to what they had at AXPONA. Another ridiculously large space.

 

[andreasmaaan]

Does anyone have measurements of the Beolab 90? The only ones I can find are from stereophile, and unfortunately, in room. Honestly, they don't look outstanding, but it's hard to tell with in room. I do remember seeing some on/off axis measurements somewhere, along with polar maps, though again, I wasn't overly impressed. I remember it not looking as good as D&D or Genelec/Neumann.

The measurements here are very limited, but it does appear to meet its performance objectives.

 

[richard12511]

The measurements here are very limited, but it does appear to meet its performance objectives.

Aha, that top "Beam Width Control: off" was the graph I saw for which I wasn't very impressed. The narrow and wide beamwidth graphs look much better, and definitely comparable to the top tier.

I wonder how "the competitor" is ?

 

[q3cpma]

The measurements here are very limited, but it does appear to meet its performance objectives.

Wonder about vertical and power response, though.

 

[richard12511]

Wonder about vertical and power response, though.

I'd definitely want to see a more complete set of measurements before making a purchase like that.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Do you buy speakers based only on measurements? Is it possible theoretically to like a speaker's sound with worst measurements vs one that is almost perfect technically?

 

[q3cpma]

Do you buy speakers based only on measurements?

Yes, the reason being the answer to your question.

Is it possible theoretically to like a speaker's sound with worst measurements vs one that is almost perfect technically?

Maybe if:
1) You have defective ears whose defects compensate the speaker's problems.
2) You listen almost exclusively to music that was mixed by bad/trusting engineers on similar speakers (cf NS10).
3) You have shit taste.

In the end, the real question isn't "can a bad speaker sound good", it's "can a good speaker sound bad". The answer is no: if a good speaker sounds bad, it's the music played through it that actually sounds bad.

 

[StefaanE]

If I ever bought any more speakers the Beolab 90 would be top of the list.
State of the art drivers in a clever DSP controlled directivity array. Probably the most thorough, well thought through and executed loudspeaker ever produced.

But they still look like Daleks .

 

[Frank Dernie]

But they still look like Daleks .

Yes, I am not so sure I like the look, I prefer it in the dark wood finish which i haven't seen for sale used.
Anway I am old and very satisfied with what I have, so I won't ever buy more speakers, though I am considering a better centre channel for the rare occasions I need better intelligibility. Neumann KH420 probably.

 

[andreasmaaan]

Wonder about vertical and power response, though.

I'd definitely want to see a more complete set of measurements before making a purchase like that.

Nobody happens to have a link to either a technical document/white paper or patent(s) for these speakers do they? I'm sure these questions could be approximately answered without needing to see measurements.

 

[Pearljam5000]

Yes, the reason being the answer to your question.

Maybe if:
1) You have defective ears whose defects compensate the speaker's problems.
2) You listen almost exclusively to music that was mixed by bad/trusting engineers on similar speakers (cf NS10).
3) You have shit taste.

In the end, the real question isn't "can a bad speaker sound good", it's "can a good speaker sound bad". The answer is no: if a good speaker sounds bad, it's the music played through it that actually sounds bad.

What about "house sound"?
How is it possible that i like Genelec's sound more than Neumann's even though they're both technically flat and and accurate.

 

[andreasmaaan]

Aha, that top "Beam Width Control: off" was the graph I saw for which I wasn't very impressed.

FYI, that's not actually a setting that's available in the commercial product. It's just a demonstration from B&O of what the speaker's polar response would be if beamwidth control were (could be) switched off

 

[Killingbeans]

Beolab 90, Genelec 8351B/8361A (+W371A, but they're incredible even without), D&D 8c, ME Geithain RL901k2 (maybe with some DSP to correct a bit), GGNTKT's M1 and probably M2. Neumann KH420A or K+H O500C if you don't care about next-gen features like "perfect" coaxial drivers or LF directivity control other than the box.

At least from an objective point of view.

Forgot Kii Three?

3) You have shit taste.

*Raises hand* That's me

 

[thewas]

Loudspeakers reproduce sound. That's pretty much all they do.

I feel the same about supercars. The thought of going out on the highway in a half million dollar car and getting peppered by gravel makes me cringe.

At least supercars have some objective performance data like acceleration and top speed that beat all normal cars, something you will almost never find in todays degenerated "highend" audio (unlike for example 70s-80s Japanese audio electronics flagships which fought for 0,0000xx % less distortion).
Objective audio highend is found now mainly in relatively affordable studio and even some new "Chifi" stuff as we see at the measurements here and other at sources.

 

[PierreV]

3) You have shit taste.

Maybe our community should show a bit more empathy and tolerance?
Not having a preference that matches what most users seemed to prefer statistically does not mean one has "shit taste".

It's one thing to say you can't ignore Nyquist sampling theorem, it's another thing altogether to say you must nicely fall in the middle of the data set of a relatively limited observational study.

 

[Pearljam5000]

@andreasmaaan
Beolab 90 costs 36,000 euros and are compared to $10K speakers, so even if they're good they're overpriced.

 

[StefaanE]

Maybe our community should show a bit more empathy and tolerance?
Not having a preference that matches what most users seemed to prefer statistically does not mean one has "shit taste".

Frankly, it was a humorous response to a humorous question and it's not the community but a single poster. IMVHO, of course, and YMMV.