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Best speakers in the world?

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Pearljam5000

Pearljam5000

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Lol. You obviously agree then that, compared to $10k speakers, the Focals are more overpriced than the Beolab 90? :p
No, because they could be worth their price tag and then they'll probably be the best speakers in the world.
No ones saying they're as good as $10K speakers :)
 
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Pearljam5000

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The price is pretty insane, why are you choosing them over other speakers at that price?
Also I would never buy a refurbished product especially at that price so you chose wisely.
@Pearljam5000 - either that price was for a single speaker or they are offloading them...

I actually considered buying the advertised 42000 EUR pair back then, but decided not to because "refurb" on such an iconic and recent piece smelled a bit fish to me. The ad specifically stated they had been revised by B&O and, for me, that hinted reliability issues (other possible explanations could have been over enthusiastic dealer or unhappy customer).

View attachment 89713
 

TankTop

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I’m finding that so long as you can eat some humble pie asking a stupid question on the Internet is the fastest way to knowledge.

I am always impressed when I can listen to some speakers set up properly in a hi-fi store with other speakers nearby and I have to go check to see which ones are actually playing. room and set up are vastly more important than speaker quality once you get into spending a couple thousand dollars on a decent set of speakers.
 
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Pearljam5000

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Because you can listen to a speaker that is technically excellent and still not like the sound.
Some like brighter sound for example, some like more forward sound etc...
Not to mention that everyone's hearing is different...
 

krabapple

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Because you can listen to a speaker that is technically excellent and still not like the sound.
Some like brighter sound for example, some like more forward sound etc...
Not to mention that everyone's hearing is different...

Could it be it's not necessarily about *just* the sound?
Could it be that you have not taken the right measurements?
Have you done any research on how speaker sound can be objectively evaluated and compared?
Do you know how speaker preference has been studied and what factors into it?
Do you know what this site is about, really?
Have you asked yourself why you are here?
 

PierreV

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The price is pretty insane, why are you choosing them over other speakers at that price?
Also I would never buy a refurbished product especially at that price so you chose wisely.

I already own a couple of pairs of fairly expensive (at list price anyway) speakers, including the smaller brother of the blue thingy you initially posted. So you could say I am a sucker for speakers.

I am perfectly OK with cheap DACs and relatively cheap amplifiers now that I have rationally and audibly been convinced. As far as speakers go, I guess I remain somewhat subjectivist, even if blind tests with my own stuff have tempered my subjectivism.
 

krabapple

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Honestly, the question isn't that silly, as it properly says "speakers". The problem is that it should be a sticky, as there are lot of threads about "what to buy for $10k" popping all year round.

It is both silly and predictable that it would be mostly about meaningless subjective claims and the discredited belief that price predicts loudspeaker sound quality. But it is also regrettable, on a site called Audio Science Review, to witness such a lack of audio science review.
 

JohnBooty

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room and set up are vastly more important than speaker quality once you get into spending a couple thousand dollars on a decent set of speakers.

Agreed. There was a "$1.5mil" setup at Capital Audiofest last year. Giant Von Schweikert speakers, and kilowatts of power.

It didn't sound like anything special. Sounded like the world's okay-est PA system. I am certain the room was at fault. Giant glass wall right behind the seating area. Reflection city.

Later that night, a few of us had some beers in our hotel room. Listened to some tunes on a 50W Emotiva and some DIY speakers built from Parts Express flat packs and some other ~$500 speakers. I preferred the sound in the hotel room....
 
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Pearljam5000

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Could it be it's not necessarily about *just* the sound?
Could it be that you have not taken the right measurements?
Have you done any research on how speaker sound can be objectively evaluated and compared?
Do you know how speaker preference has been studied and what factors into it?
Do you know what this site is about, really?
Have you asked yourself why you are here?
Nothing is sacred to me, I follow my own logic instincts and thought process so nothing is a fact that can't be disputed to me.
Like I said, measurements don't necessarily translate to sound in the real world, there are many more factors.
Do measurements and specs help? Hell yes.
 

krabapple

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Yeah, right, you're a rebel. Your 'logic instincts and thought process' are infallible guides. All facts are disputable and thus equally suspect.

What factors determine the sound in the real world? And which of them are not measurable (as opposed to, typically not measured)?

And how about answering the other questions?
 
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Pearljam5000

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I'm too lazy to answer everything :)
Not a rebel at all
But this is my way, you can choose yours.
And even if someone tells me this speaker is perfect technically, and I don't like they way it sounds I won't buy it.
What other factors
Like I said, hearing is also critical, I like brighter sound like Genelec and Sennheiser HD800 others feel they're like nails pushed in their ear drums
I had the KH120, while excellent I did feel it was dark sounding, generally didn't like the sound of that tweeter, on the other hand the first second I hear Genelec I loved the sound (even the tiny 8010)
All the measurements in the world won't make me feel differently.
Also the materiel of the cabinet makes difference to the way it sounds would assume and a billion other factors other than just dry numbers, I like the sound of aluminum cabinets vs wood cabinets for example.
Do they all sound the same just because of the materiel? No, do they have some things in common? Yes.
 

q3cpma

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It is both silly and predictable that it would be mostly about meaningless subjective claims and the discredited belief that price predicts loudspeaker sound quality. But it is also regrettable, on a site called Audio Science Review, to witness such a lack of audio science review.
It seems to me that most posts here except the OP's used objective measurements as criterion.
 
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Pearljam5000

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Anyways I'm in this forum because I appreciate people's knowledge here, and all the measurements and efforts going into it, I've learned on this forum more than I've learned on Gearslutz and Head-fi in 10 years.
I'm not saying numbers are irrelevant, I'm saying they don't directly translate to sound and you liking the sound in the real world, that's it.
 
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q3cpma

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Anyways I'm in this forum because I appreciate people's knowledge here, and all the measurements and efforts going into it, I've learned on this forum more than I've learned on Gearslutz and Head-fi in 10 years.
I'm not saying numbers are irrelevant, I'm saying they don't directly translate to sound and you liking the sound in the real world, that's it.
And we're saying you're wrong but you don't know enough to realize it. Don't go on a mathematics forum saying "my intuition is that Pythagorea's theorem isn't completely right; just my common sense speaking, guys, nothing more" and expect everything to be fine.
 

MakeMineVinyl

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I'm not saying numbers are irrelevant, I'm saying they don't directly translate to sound and you liking the sound in the real world, that's it.
Speaker preference is one thing which is and always will be subjective. Electrostats just sound different from horns, which sound different from cones, which sound different from.....no matter what measurements may say. This is not the case so much with electronics as objective measurements can characterize a component much more accurately (I don't think measurements are perfect yet however as there is a ways to go with fully characterizing dynamic performance with actual music; we mostly measure statically).
 
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