End Game Speakers - The Quest Continues

[srrxr71]

It's nice to be free from obsession, no matter what that obsession is. The problem seems to haunt audiophiles, photographers, and guitar players among others. Being free from obsession does not necessarily mean you don't buy anything, but the thought process is different and the compulsion isn't there.

Photography is another one. Went down that rabbit hole last year too. IMHO progress in that field will mostly be computational.

But the line between computational photography and just plain AI driven mind foolery is so thin. It’s almost kind of scary.

 

[Ron Texas]

Photography is another one. Went down that rabbit hole last year too. IMHO progress in that field will mostly be computational.

But the line between computational photography and just plain AI driven mind foolery is so thin. It’s almost kind of scary.

In the US AI output may not be copyrighted. That raises the question, is an AI generated image art? I'm seeing a flood of AI generated images on Flickr every day. Some are extremely realistic. Pretty soon we will be talking to Lucy.

 

[srrxr71]

In the US AI output may not be copyrighted. That raises the question, is an AI generated image art? I'm seeing a flood of AI generated images on Flickr every day. Some are extremely realistic. Pretty soon we will be talking to Lucy.

Haha. I had to look that up. Insane that it will happen.

 

[Mart68]

Isn't that pretty much true of most upgrades to already-exceptional gear?

Maybe so, I don't often listen to the top end stuff with a view to actually buying it, but it does change your perspective a bit.

 

[srrxr71]

Siberg thumbs up!

Reminds me of when I get into the car and the perfect song comes on...magic...everyone confirms on how the experience outweighs the gear...or should at least.

Maybe topics such as this could be renamed to "why we choose or how" because usually I get to the purchase and realize all the fun was in the quest and not absorbing sound and music where maybe it couldve been.

end game is sitting in front a fire on a nice night with family and connecting through what we listen to

Some of my best moments were single HomePod in a hotel room. Or that sh**ty system in my first car. It’s been fun the whole way through.

Although I have to say that finding an end game desktop setup will have your rediscovering all your music.

It’s a different thing and it’s not for everyone to want that.

 

[Mart68]

Which Focal do you have?

Electra 926

 

[Pearljam5000]

After hearing Genelec /Neumann everything else sounds like crap to me
It ruined music listening for me
On the other hand listening to music on them is like hearing music for the first time
So it's a double edged sword

 

[srrxr71]

After hearing Genelec /Neumann everything else sounds like crap to me
It ruined music for listening for me
On the other hand listening to music on them is like hearing music for the first time
So it's a double edged sword

When you say “music listening” you mean sitting on a chair and just listening? If so then yes I can see that.

But sometimes a song comes on at work. Or at the bar. Or at the store. I have no issues enjoying that music from whatever crap source which provided it to me.


But also I think Dali plus MiniSHD can get you pretty much there. You just have to do the work.

Just so many ways to skin the cat these days. CamillaDSP, Accourate Dirac etc

 

[Pearljam5000]

When you say “music listening” you mean sitting on a chair and just listening? If so then yes I can see that.

But sometimes a song comes on at work. Or at the bar. Or at the store. I have no issues enjoying that music from whatever crap source which provided it to me.


But also I think Dali plus MiniSHD can get you pretty much there. You just have to do the work.

I enjoy the music but much less
Not because I'm a snob but because after you experience hearing that level of clarity and resolution it's less enjoyable listening to the same music on your phone for example .
It's like an 85 inch 4K vs 32 inch SD
You can enjoy both but it's not the same .

 

[srrxr71]

I enjoy the music but much less
Not because I'm a snob but because after you experience hearing that level of clarity and resolution it's less enjoyable listening to the same music on your phone for example .
It's like an 85 inch 4K vs 32 inch SD
You can enjoy both but it's not the same .

Why always compare? I just like to appreciate it when it comes on. But I’ll sometimes want to play that song at home. But it’s the element of surprise that sometimes gets you.

 

[srrxr71]

Funny thing is that I was at a lunch buffet. I noticed the music, which frankly was really bad, had a really high BPM. I totally understand why they play that.

Also classical music has been used to disperse crowds. You can’t make this stuff up. Haha

 

[MattHooper]

A fair point to be sure, thanks for the thoughtful contribution. A real phenomena (acoustic memory) and certainly I have considered. As this journey has been long, with many, many posts, I do not expect members here new to the quest to be fully aware of all the details. But, I have in fact “circled back” for this reason, auditioning the same speakers on multiple occasions and in different venues. As such I have very high confidence in the short list. Also important to note that Soundfield graciously sent me a pair of demo speakers and allowed me to keep them for several months. There is no better way to really understand what you want and what is important to you than having extensive time with speakers in your listening environment. This demo had all of the attributes that I have learned are critical to my ears and greatly contributed to the high confidence I have in my short list.

I did the same. I listened to a gazillion speakers, but the two main contenders were fortunately available to listen at some local dealers, so I could always double-check my impressions again to see if I still liked them best. I found it was always the case - that if I had gone somewhere to audition one loudspeakers and felt "this is missing some of the things I really liked in A or B," when I double checked that by listening to A or B, it was always right "yup, that's what I was missing."

 

[Jaxjax]

After hearing Genelec /Neumann everything else sounds like crap to me
It ruined music listening for me
On the other hand listening to music on them is like hearing music for the first time
So it's a double edged sword

I have been where you are at....
I now think it isn't a real thing for me anymore with my main. When I mentioned the $100 JBL charge 3-4 on a picnic table at night while camping in timber was equal to my 20k system or any other I have heard then I knew ....it happens every time I use that JBL & camp which is alot. I mean really what I am I trying to achieve with my main..? True to source.? Well thats meaningless in a way, as I go to many many live events, acoustical & serious SPL rock stuff with plugs.. & would never ever be able to replicate any of that. .It;s gotta be the connection thing without anything offensive being heard which probably isn't true to artist intent anyway.. Don't under estimate the $100 JBL man...lol
Joe

 

[srrxr71]

I have been where you are at....
I now think it isn't a real thing for me anymore with my main. When I mentioned the $100 JBL charge 3-4 on a picnic table at night while camping in timber was equal to my 20k system or any other I have heard then I knew ....it happens every time I use that JBL & camp which is alot. I mean really what I am I trying to achieve with my main..? True to source.? Well thats meaningless in a way, as I go to many many live events, acoustical & serious SPL rock stuff with plugs.. & would never ever be able to replicate any of that. .It;s gotta be the connection thing without anything offensive being heard which probably isn't true to artist intent anyway.. Don't under estimate the $100 JBL man...lol
Joe

Just reading that makes me want to go back and check out some music from those kinds of times.

 

[RobL]

Just reading that makes me want to go back and check out some music from those kinds of times.

Lol, I remember as a kid lying in bed listening to the radio (I literally only had a clock radio to listen to) and waiting for the DJ to finally play a song I was waiting for, and when it finally came on just being enraptured by the music…not sure where but I lost some of that along the way.

 

[benanders]

I have been where you are at....
I now think it isn't a real thing for me anymore with my main. When I mentioned the $100 JBL charge 3-4 on a picnic table at night while camping in timber was equal to my 20k system or any other I have heard then I knew ....it happens every time I use that JBL & camp which is alot. I mean really what I am I trying to achieve with my main..? True to source.? Well thats meaningless in a way, as I go to many many live events, acoustical & serious SPL rock stuff with plugs.. & would never ever be able to replicate any of that. .It;s gotta be the connection thing without anything offensive being heard which probably isn't true to artist intent anyway.. Don't under estimate the $100 JBL man...lol
Joe

I like that insight. In my mind the Achilles heel of traditional stereo setup: requirement to sit still and often isolated.
For some, that’s part of the highlight - totally fine. To me, it’s abysmally different from almost every real music event I’ve experienced. The discrepancy I perceive is not a dealbreaker, but it keeps traditional (seated, stationary) stereo playback a limited, niche pastime in my life.
That’s not, however, the same as me saying I skimped on my [less traditional] stereo setup or use it infrequently.

Letting a good traditional stereo setup spoil music playback via other avenues would be a shame. Depending on what life brings me at a given moment, a JBL tube or even a smartphone in a[n empty] cereal bowl can feel as satisfactory as any $2 million hifi system*.


*as long as the JBL/phone’s not inverting polarity

 

[muslhead]

I thought this post was about a member in search of his endgame speakers?
Not according to the last pages of ramblings.

 

[mhardy6647]

*as long as the JBL/phone’s not inverting polarity

JBL has a history...

https://jblpro.com/en/site_elements/tech-note-polarity-conventions

EDIT: In full disclosure, the link above will download the PDF tech note from JBL.
Here's a taste of it, in case one doesn't wish to download it.

Those of us who have spent some time with JBL (and Altec's) sometimes seemingly cavalier attitude towards polarity find that the purchase of a Galaxy Audio "Cricket" polarity tester is well worth the meager investment.

CPTS Cricket Speaker Polarity & Continuity Tester - Galaxy Audio

CRICKET POLARITY TEST SET

galaxyaudio.com

 

[jhaider]

Also classical music has been used to disperse crowds. You can’t make this stuff up. Haha

The Walgreens near our house may have pioneered using opera to keep loiterers away.

 

[srrxr71]

I like that insight. In my mind the Achilles heel of traditional stereo setup: requirement to sit still and often isolated.
For some, that’s part of the highlight - totally fine. To me, it’s abysmally different from almost every real music event I’ve experienced. The discrepancy I perceive is not a dealbreaker, but it keeps traditional (seated, stationary) stereo playback a limited, niche pastime in my life.
That’s not, however, the same as me saying I skimped on my [less traditional] stereo setup or use it infrequently.

Letting a good traditional stereo setup spoil music playback via other avenues would be a shame. Depending on what life brings me at a given moment, a JBL tube or even a smartphone in a[n empty] cereal bowl can feel as satisfactory as any $2 million hifi system*.


*as long as the JBL/phone’s not inverting polarity

Amazing. Yes. I think it was Westinghouse (correct me if i’m wrong) that wanted a 3 channel system. But the market didn’t have it.

All of audio would be different if not for that.