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Help choosing column speakers

Rzezniq said:
Apologies. I might have misunderstood. This topic has a lot what I could call "BS". It's not your amp, lack of bi-amping, your amplifier or the fact that Focal is not hifi. Objective data (again Audiocholics measured Vestia N3) shows a good and even response and no issues related to speaker's impedance.

It is either how you perceive sound or a room that is difficult acoustics wise. EQ should remove most if not all of your issues.
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No worries. I've been asking a ton of questions because I have a medical condition that prevents me from properly testing the speakers right now (I occasionally have negative pressure in my middle ear, which is a condition that comes and goes at random moments in time and is triggered by god knows what, even doctors are clueless, but basically it sometimes lasts days or weeks or months and makes any sound above/below certain thresholds in pitch and intensity painful, and feels like you're constantly on a plane that's about to land. Then slowly it goes back to normal.) Unfortunately I have had one such episode start on the day I received the speakers (correlation? coincidence? Who knows?).

Otherwise I would have run the tests and made up my mind myself without bombarding you all with questions. But thanks for taking the time to patiently answer each of my questions. I wish I knew more about acoustics and audio in general but educating oneself on the subject is not an easy thing to do.
 
Yes, and there's a lot of misinformation and snake oil around. But you definitely don't need a monster amp to drive these.
 
raindance said:
Learn how to use REW and measure. Share the measurements here and we'll help you.
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It's too late for that unfortunately. I have to decide today and I won't have time to buy a microphone in order to use REW. But thanks for the offer.

I've been running tests switching back and forth between my B&W 685 bookshelf speakers and the Focals (same room, same amp), using the same track and the problem is with the trebble, not so much with the bass. I find it shrill and piercing no matter how much I fiddle around with EQ (well I mean unless I cut the entire higher spectrum but then it all sounds "amputated"). I have a physical reaction every time the horns get in the higher register, like my reccurrent tinnitus wakes up and goes crazy loud, making the small B&W much more pleasant to listen to and the Focals very tiring.

I had a hearing test today and while my hearing is above average for my age, there's no denying that given my condition, it's probably a matter of the wrong speakers for the very specific problem that I have, I'm in no way saying the Focals are intrinsically problematic. But I'm returning them (even though shipping will probably cost an arm and a leg).
 
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If you are still wanting to try some different speakers out, you may want to check out a pair of Ascilab now that they're available from Audiophonics (or they'll be available after July, anyway). Those should definitely not be overly bright, although given you have a medical condition it's hard to say absolutely for sure of course.
 
Hello there,
I have a new Focal Vestia 2 with a Yamaha R-N800A since one week. They sounds wonderful and quite right with usual living-room contrainsts.

Except I discovered something strange I can't figure out, I hoped someone could help.
There is some kind of a noise that comes in addition to the audio, specially audible with films/series and videos for voices and ambiances. It's masked with music. It's always the same tone (something like 280hz), as if someone blows in a bottle. Very weird. The cables (2,5mm ofc) and amplifier seems fine.

Outside this, I like so much their look and they sound so good. But once I discovered this, I hear it so much with videos, it's as discreet as omnipresent.

I tried knocking the loudspeakers cabinets. I think the tone may match with what I hear, when I knock the bottom part (and near the vent port height).

Tried to block it with socks, nothing changed. Tried full balance at right then left, noise still there for both. Tried to completely cut all frequencies until I discovered it pops up arround 250 hz (with APO EQ), cutting only 250hz it pops out. I also tried to move the speakers forward and backward to the wall.

Could this be a defect ? Could it be a bad cabinet conception and resonance ? Or maybe something occuring with my room ?

I hope it's the right thread to ask. Thanks in advance.
 
Does noise come exactly from both speakers, only one speaker or somewhere else?

I had few spotlights like this and the one close to the corner was resonating at certain frequency starting from some high but pretty usable SPL.

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Yes both, as precised with my balance test. I even tried pulling off some furnishing because of the same guess, but it didn't change.
Also, it happens at very very low volumes as well.
 
Do you have another speaker you can substitute? If the sound continues that at least eliminates the Focals as a suspect. If not, you probably have your culprit.
 
I still have the previous ones, it's an old pair of tiny actives: Genius SP-HF2020. I don't know if that can match and I've never spot that sound with those. But yeah I'll test tomorrow the A-B direct comparison.
 
It seems it emphasizes this particular frequency with some kind of resonance or decay. Making it very present once you notice.
In most occurences it wasn't present with other speakers, and in some cases there may have signs it exists in a very subtle almost unnoticable way. So maybe this pair would reveal it.

I don't know if it's too much revealing due to its qualities, or a resonance defect/poor conception of cabinets. With your experience, what is your insight ?

Also, I have noticed I can hear it better at my right seat of the sofa and almost not from the middle seat. Which is weird. And of course I'm at the left for films (it's the chaise part of sofa, so relaxing)
 
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