Kali LP-6 vs JBL LSR305 vs Monoprice 605500

[SimpleTheater]

Just watched a really good YouTube video by Harding Audio (it's 18 months old video, but new to me).

I'm in the process of recreating my desktop audio system and hoping to keep the cost down (under $500 for powered speakers). The Monoprice's sounded terrible, so they are easily removed from my short list, but the Kali and JBL both sound similar. Not identical, but similar.

My real issue with this video is the "Original Tracks" sound so much better than any of the speakers (I'm using headphones right now). He specifies that he mixed two of the tracks with the JBL LSR305's, so why does the original track on these two pieces of music sound so different from the JBL's as he cycles through them? Is this a problem with his Zoom H5 recorder he used to record the speakers?

 

[pozz]

Just to get the question clear, you're asking why the "original track" section is different from that track playing through his rig, speakers, room and into a handheld field recorder?

Ok so, the original track is the digital version. The recordings went through all of the speaker/room/microphone effects.

The speakers are all different sizes, have different directivity and sound power. This is coupled with room reflections which are then recorded by Zoom H5 microphones, with their own sensitivity and directivity.

So you're comparing a picture of an apple (the "original") with different pictures of that picture.

When you listen you're constantly moving your head. Your hearing "averages" and combines what happens in a room. This is not like a microphone, which even if in a static position, responds differently.

About the speakers: the recordings sound fairly similar between the Kali and JBL because they were engineered with similar intent. This can be seen from the measurements.

I hope I didn't misunderstand.

 

[SimpleTheater]

Just to get the question clear, you're asking why the "original track" section is different from that track playing through his rig, speakers, room and into a handheld field recorder?

You got the question right. Thanks. I figured if he put the mic in the same location he was mixing, the sound would be extremely similar, but I had zero problem hearing the difference between the original recording mixed on the JBL's and the JBL's recorded for the video.

 

[pozz]

You got the question right. Thanks. I figured if he put the mic in the same location he was mixing, the sound would be extremely similar, but I had zero problem hearing the difference between the original recording mixed on the JBL's and the JBL's recorded for the video.

Good demonstration of microphone effects, I guess. Highlights how good recording engineers have to be for music.

 

[ROOSKIE]

Just watched a really good YouTube video by Harding Audio (it's 18 months old video, but new to me).

I'm in the process of recreating my desktop audio system and hoping to keep the cost down (under $500 for powered speakers). The Monoprice's sounded terrible, so they are easily removed from my short list, but the Kali and JBL both sound similar. Not identical, but similar.

My real issue with this video is the "Original Tracks" sound so much better than any of the speakers (I'm using headphones right now). He specifies that he mixed two of the tracks with the JBL LSR305's, so why does the original track on these two pieces of music sound so different from the JBL's as he cycles through them? Is this a problem with his Zoom H5 recorder he used to record the speakers?

You simply can not listen to speakers unless you have them in your room.
While I can see some merits to these recorded youtube audio comparisons you must understand that under no circumstances are you actually hearing the speakers.
Again despite some merits to the recorded comparison that I actually think only more advanced users will be able to parcel (such as you are able to tell the JBL and Kali have a fairly similar sound signature), I wish these type of comparisons would just stop or at least in each one the poster would explain the limitations so newer users are not confused about what is actually valuable in them.