Do any of you enjoy speakers with bad measurements?

[goldark]

So I have a pair of Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grand that objectively, measure pretty bad; however, to use old subjective cliches, they sound very "musical" to me and I do enjoy listening to music on them. Being a frequent reader (and mostly a lurker) of this forum has led me to consider a floorstanding speaker with objectively better measurements, something like the Revel F206. I do wonder sometimes if I'm just chasing graphs and whether I would actually enjoy them more.

Do any of you with multiple systems have speakers you like that measure poorly? Going back to your more neutral speakers, do you find something that was missing before?

 

[LTig]

I had Magnepan 1.6 before I switched to neutral studio monitors (K&H O300D) and later added a sub. When I bought the Maggies I loved them for their grand (everything sounded BIG) and forgiving (falling FR counteracts bright sounding recordings) sound. When I listened the first time to the O300D in my room the first thought entering my mind was "I did not know the Maggies were sooo bad!" Much better bass, highs and dynamics and a very precise soundstage (bad soundstage with bad recordings, almost 3D with very good recordings).

Point is one adapts to the sound of one's own speakers and takes this as reference (audiophools call this break in of the speakers, but in reality it's break in of the listener). As long as you like your speakers just keep them, there's no need to get something different, even if it is better. The time will come when you are no longer satisfied with your speakers (or they break down) and this is the right time then to look for something better.

 

[scott wurcer]

I still have original 1970's Sequerra MET 7's. They still play fine and as small lab monitors sound fine to me.

 

[Absolute]

Yes, I do. Rarely do I particularly mind listening to bad measuring speakers - as long as they measure bad in the right places.
I can't stand elevated highs or overly aggressive mids, so that probably eliminates half the world's speakers... But listening to music in the right mood in the right place makes me forget all else.

Strangely enough that's most often in the car.

 

[oldsysop]

I can't stand elevated highs or overly aggressive mids, so that probably eliminates half the world's speakers.

+1

 

[ahofer]

Lots of Harbeth fans here, myself included. The new ones aren’t bad on frequency response, but I gather directivity is sub-standard.

 

[HemiRick]

When speakers do not reproduce the full freq. range or have holes in that response...one tends to not notice this until they hear something w/o these holes, and then realize what they're missing.

 

[carlosmante]

Enjoy Speakers? That is an "audiophile" vice, I enjoy Music.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Only if you count electrostatic panels. Soundlabs, Quads or Acoustats.

 

[RayDunzl]

Big Martin Logans here.

They are the worst.

I've been suffering with their crappy measurements since 1998.

I tried to tune them up.

 

[Ron Texas]

One should keep in mind that speakers with "good" measurements were preferred by about 2/3 of the listening panel in Toole's research. The other 1/3 have a different preference and they buy panels or whatever. There are some flaws that almost nobody will like such as the elevated mid range seen in one of the tests here.

 

[Certainkindoffool]

I'm not sure what the isolated measurements of my speakers are. But, I have a smaller floor standing 3 way that measures quite a bit better in room than my much larger transmission line floor stander with a 7" ribbon. I find that I almost always enjoy good recordings more on the ribbon tweeter. But, generic poorly mixed music almost universally sounds better on the other pair.

I find it quite frustrating to not prefer the measurements. Though, in my case I can only take into account the frequency response graph.

 

[Sancus]

Big Martin Logans here.

I tried to tune them up.

What does that look like at 1/12 smoothing?

 

[RayDunzl]

My speakers are terrible.

I'm doing the world a favor by keeping them here, isolated from all of you, and not contributing to the local landfill.

Although, here, it is a land mound.

It looks like another roof here, but that is a pile of dirt covered trash about 1/2 mile further away.

 

[RayDunzl]

What does that look like at 1/12 smoothing?

And vs @dallasjustice tuned-up JBL M2 for reference to a really good Harman Approved speaker.

Ok, so I could adjust my slope a bit, I suppose.

 

[kevinh]

I have enjoyed speakers that likely don'y measure well, Different Klipsch Heritage, Sound Labs, Braun Lv1020.
They had characteristics when playing music that I enjoy.

 

[Utley]

Lots of Harbeth fans here, myself included. The new ones aren’t bad on frequency response, but I gather directivity is sub-standard.

I wonder if the harbeth designer wanted too he could easily create speakers that measure how people here are wanting them to be, he puts a lot of time in development , is he not going for what Harman / Toole are going for ?

 

[Martin]

My speakers are terrible.

I'm doing the world a favor by keeping them here, isolated from all of you, and not contributing to the local landfill.

Although, here, it is a land mound.

It looks like another roof here, but that is a pile of dirt covered trash about 1/2 mile further away.

View attachment 48165

I could take those horrible speakers off your hands. I’m about 90 minutes south of you on I-75.

By the way - Do you have any plans to attend the Florida Audio Expo next weekend? I went last year and plan to drive up again this year.

Martin

 

[Sancus]

And vs @dallasjustice tuned-up JBL M2 for reference to a really good Harman Approved speaker.

That's interesting, pretty good other than the bass issues. Maybe I should try manual EQ on my MG1.7i. Audyssey XT32 helps a little but they're still rather a mess.

Just don't ever buy an actually good speaker and you might not notice, though...they were the first speakers I owned that cost more than $100. I'm definitely going to replace them sometime this year.

 

[RayDunzl]

By the way - Do you have any plans to attend the Florida Audio Expo next weekend?

Yes. Didn't realize it was next weekend.

Saturday for sure, with my Audio Buddy.

I'll be the one that doesn't look like my avatar.

Drop by afterwards for a White Russian or two.