Barrelhouse Solly
Addicted to Fun and Learning
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- Aug 13, 2020
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I received the speakers a few days ago. I'm using them in my bedroom system. I replaced a pair of Pioneer SP-BS22-LR speakers. I'm using the same Monoprice low end 12" subwoofer.
The speakers were on sale for $89 each, a 70% discount from the stated list price. They may be clearing them. I bought them on impulse encouraged by the offer of an interest free 4 payment deal.
I had been pretty happy with the Pioneer speakers. Amir, and many others have given them very positive reviews. I was curious if I'd like a tower setup any better. The speakers take up about the same amount of room that the Pioneers did because I had them sitting on shelf units to place them at ear level. I put the Monoprice speakers in the same place. My Elac EA-101EQ-G amp has a simple room correction feature that uses a phone app. I used a Parts Express calibration mic--the cheap one that plugs into a phone 1/8" jack--in place of the phone mic.
The only measuring equipment I have is the wetware devices on the sides of my head so my impressions of the speakers are completely subjective. Overall I prefer the Monoprice speakers. I hear some detail in the audio that I didn't hear with the Pioneers and violins that sounded distorted to me in classical recordings sound better. Because I can't comprehend the adjectives like "warm" and "silky" that I often see in subjective audio reviews I won't use them. Overall I find the sound a bit clearer. Some recordings that I didn't care for on the previous speakers sound better to me. As far as value, I bought the Pioneer speakers for $70 for the pair on sale at Fry's, back when there was a Fry's. For about 2.5 times the price I got what I see as a moderate sound improvement, no road to Damascus moment. Diminishing returns apply. The enclosures are black MDF and look unobtrusive, an important feature for use in a small room. The outrigger feet make them harder to knock over. Overall I'm pleased. I wouldn't buy them for the list price. At 70% off they're pretty good.
My favorite music is pre-WWII blues. Most of the reissue recordings available are dubbed from used 78s so they're not exactly high fidelity and a lot of what is called remastering consists mainly of filtering out the highs. Too bad John R. T. Davies couldn't get to anywhere near all the pre-WWII blues and jazz. I have a lot of classical and jazz recorded on modern equipment. These are the recordings I used for "testing."
BTW, on the Monoprice site there's a graph of on axis frequency response at about 90 dB. It's pretty flat above 100 Hz. I can't say whether or not it's of much value. I set the crossover point on the subwoofer at 100 Hz and that, to the naked ear, seems fine. The Pioneers are now my desktop speakers together with a 20 year old Cambridge Soundworks 10" subwoofer, replacing the nearly 30 year old Cambridge Soundworks New Ensemble I'd been using. I got to free up some floor space.
The speakers were on sale for $89 each, a 70% discount from the stated list price. They may be clearing them. I bought them on impulse encouraged by the offer of an interest free 4 payment deal.
I had been pretty happy with the Pioneer speakers. Amir, and many others have given them very positive reviews. I was curious if I'd like a tower setup any better. The speakers take up about the same amount of room that the Pioneers did because I had them sitting on shelf units to place them at ear level. I put the Monoprice speakers in the same place. My Elac EA-101EQ-G amp has a simple room correction feature that uses a phone app. I used a Parts Express calibration mic--the cheap one that plugs into a phone 1/8" jack--in place of the phone mic.
The only measuring equipment I have is the wetware devices on the sides of my head so my impressions of the speakers are completely subjective. Overall I prefer the Monoprice speakers. I hear some detail in the audio that I didn't hear with the Pioneers and violins that sounded distorted to me in classical recordings sound better. Because I can't comprehend the adjectives like "warm" and "silky" that I often see in subjective audio reviews I won't use them. Overall I find the sound a bit clearer. Some recordings that I didn't care for on the previous speakers sound better to me. As far as value, I bought the Pioneer speakers for $70 for the pair on sale at Fry's, back when there was a Fry's. For about 2.5 times the price I got what I see as a moderate sound improvement, no road to Damascus moment. Diminishing returns apply. The enclosures are black MDF and look unobtrusive, an important feature for use in a small room. The outrigger feet make them harder to knock over. Overall I'm pleased. I wouldn't buy them for the list price. At 70% off they're pretty good.
My favorite music is pre-WWII blues. Most of the reissue recordings available are dubbed from used 78s so they're not exactly high fidelity and a lot of what is called remastering consists mainly of filtering out the highs. Too bad John R. T. Davies couldn't get to anywhere near all the pre-WWII blues and jazz. I have a lot of classical and jazz recorded on modern equipment. These are the recordings I used for "testing."
BTW, on the Monoprice site there's a graph of on axis frequency response at about 90 dB. It's pretty flat above 100 Hz. I can't say whether or not it's of much value. I set the crossover point on the subwoofer at 100 Hz and that, to the naked ear, seems fine. The Pioneers are now my desktop speakers together with a 20 year old Cambridge Soundworks 10" subwoofer, replacing the nearly 30 year old Cambridge Soundworks New Ensemble I'd been using. I got to free up some floor space.
By my fallible ears, when I get past the 90 degree point, i. e. behind the front of the speaker, I hear level change.
