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Master Preference Ratings for Loudspeakers

MZKM

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Google Sheets Based Publication

Each name in the List tab hyperlinks to "interactive" charts (Spinorama, horizontal/vertical directivity as well as normalized directivity, and a radar chart of the components that compose the score).
Using Google Sheets' publication features allows this list to auto-update, that way any changes can be easily implemented and I won't have to continually update this thread with new entires. Everything is not without it's cons though, none of the charts will display on Safari for iOS (Chrome for iOS will work, formatting is screwed up though), the List tab will be visible though. (Google has patched this)
@pozz, if you still wish to take over maintaining a thread for the data, I'll delete this and I can PM you to discuss.


This forum's security features don't allow embedding the live charts, so here's a static image of current (as of typing this) rankings:
Screen Shot 2020-01-26 at 10.25.20 AM.png

See here for explanation of the formula
  • Note: This rating is meant for listening room usage; as such, ratings for near-field monitors have a degree of leeway.
 
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pozz

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All yours man. I'll maintain a separate sheet which will have more than just the speakers Amir reviewed.

Excellent, excellent work.
 

Krunok

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Google Sheets Based Publication

Each name in the List tab hyperlinks to "interactive" charts (Spinorama, horizontal/vertical directivity as well as normalized directivity, and a radar chart of the components that compose the score).
Using Google Sheets' publication features allows this list to auto-update, that way any changes can be easily implemented and I won't have to continually update this thread with new entires. Everything is not without it's cons though, none of the charts will display on Safari for iOS (Chrome for iOS will work, formatting is screwed up though), the List tab will be visible though.
@pozz, if you still wish to take over maintaining a thread for the data, I'll delete this and I can PM you to discuss.


This forum's security features don't allow embedding the live charts, so here's a static image of current rankings:
View attachment 47423
See here for explanation of the formula
  • Note: This rating is meant for listening room usage; as such, ratings for near-field monitors have a degree of leeway.

What is maximum possible rating when LFX is ignored?
 

Krunok

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Using ~14.5Hz which gives a 10.
It is unknown if the scores should go above 10, Amir reached out to Sean but I don’t think he heard back.

I don't understand. Using 14.5Hz for what?
 
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MZKM

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I don't understand. Using 14.5Hz for what?
The score for LFX. I didn’t want to alter the formula by removing it, so it simply uses ~14.5Hz instead of what the speaker is actually capable of. This gives you the preference rating if you integrated it with an ideal subwoofer.
 

Krunok

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The score for LFX. I didn’t want to alter the formula by removing it, so it simply uses ~14.5Hz instead of what the speaker is actually capable of. This gives you the preference rating if you integrated it with an ideal subwoofer.

But I was asking what is the maximum possible rating when LFX is ignored. :)
 

Krunok

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Ok, I understand now - obviously I need one more coffee. :D

Btw, 7.75 looks a little bit low for KH80 when LF response has been pushed to 14.7Hz.
 

Krunok

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Btw, 7.75 looks a little bit low for KH80 when LF response has been pushed to 14.7Hz.

Let me rephrase this: this rating system seems a bit off to me when a super linear speaker like KH80 with simulated LF response downto 14.7Hz gets only 7.75 out of 10.

My question would be - for which kind of speakers is rating range 8-10 reserved?
 
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MZKM

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Let me rephrase this: this rating system seems a bit off to me when a super linear speaker like KH80 with simulated LF response downto 14.7Hz gets only 7.75 out of 10.

My question would be - for which kind of speakers is rating range 8-10 reserved?

KH80's Breakdown:
NBD_ON: 0.3277828571 (0=best)
NBD_PIR: 0.3130454286 (0=best)
SM_PIR: 0.7862520171 (1=best)

If Amir measures his Salon2 and it’s not a high score, then something is wrong.
 
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digicidal

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Wow... I'm thinking unless Amir starts bulking up seriously (or installs a hydraulic lift of some kind in his garage) we're not likely to see any speakers for which 14.7Hz has anything but a simulated response. I'm thinking based on both the values of the KH 80 and the Revel C52... even those Salon 2's might be hard pressed to break into the 9s.
 

digicidal

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I doubt Salon2 will be more linear than KH80.
I'm probably incorrect, but I thought the determination wasn't so much "perfectly linear" but based on Olive's algorithm was simply "most likely to be preferred" - which is definitely related to linearity of FR but not entirely. Is this correct? i.e. that a more linear speaker (on axis) with greater disparity between equal degrees off-center (v or h) might score lower than a less linear (on-axis) one that has near perfectly correlated polar responses?
 
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MZKM

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Wow... I'm thinking unless Amir starts bulking up seriously (or installs a hydraulic lift of some kind in his garage) we're not likely to see any speakers for which 14.7Hz has anything but a simulated response. I'm thinking based on both the values of the KH 80 and the Revel C52... even those Salon 2's might be hard pressed to break into the 9s.
And how would the spinorama graphs look for those scores?



I doubt Salon2 will be more linear than KH80.
Keep in mind a 10 is reserved for a “perfect” loudspeaker, absolutely no “wiggles” on/off axis, and perfectly controlled directivity both horizontally and vertically.
 

Krunok

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Keep in mind a 10 is reserved for a “perfect” loudspeaker, absolutely no “wiggles” on/off axis, and perfectly controlled directivity both horizontally and vertically.

I'm aware of that. But if we can't find a single speaker that will breach the 8 mark than we can start questioning Olive's rating system to be too "strict".
 

digicidal

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Keep in mind a 10 is reserved for a “perfect” loudspeaker, absolutely no “wiggles” on/off axis, and perfectly controlled directivity both horizontally and vertically.
So in other words... a loudspeaker which cannot possibly exist on planet earth. I'm fine with that actually... the question is whether or not a 9.00 can even exist - which I'm starting to doubt as well as @Krunok ;)
 
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MZKM

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I'm aware of that. But if we can't find a single speaker that will breach the 8 mark than we can start questioning Olive's rating system to be too "strict".
I think more speakers need to be measured before questioning why a $1000 speaker doesn’t top the charts.

I can’t alter the formula, but I could create a separate ranking; don’t know if it should be curved to add the score difference between the current best from a 10, or simply rank them numerically (just sort them by score and report their standings). both of these would of course be dynamic. I’m leaning the latter as it won’t give the impression of a pseudo-10 being the best out there, but instead the best measured so far.
 
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q3cpma

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That's an interesting remark. Maybe only coaxials like Genelec's 8351B can reach over this. Also, I wonder if cardioid response in the standing wave frequency range (ME Geithain) is considered in this compound score.
 

digicidal

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Technically as long as the scale doesn't change, it doesn't matter. I agree @MZKM, it will be very interesting to see once there's a few dozen samples.
 
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