We are bombarded with a lot of specs and measurements here with these amazing speaker reviews, but how do you objectively compare different speakers?
I'm thinking here something like the Dutch and Dutch 8Cs which Erin reviewed, and their performance in terms of dispersion is simply astonishing, and the cardioid design doubly so, and frequency response triply so. But distortion... simply insanely high compared to even my B&Ws which run at 1/4 of the price.
But my B&Ws have a very bright frequency response and crappy dispersion characteristics. The cabinet is very devoid of resonances though.
Now go to another speaker with good dispersion, reasonable frequency response but crappy cabinet resonances.
Is there any guide as to what matters? A pecking order of how to understand all the metrics to chose an objectively good speaker?
I should add that we're talking about a standard house listening environment here, I don't want to get into compensating dispersion characteristics with room treatment etc. And obviously the power handling and volume is an easy one for people who love loud.
I'm thinking here something like the Dutch and Dutch 8Cs which Erin reviewed, and their performance in terms of dispersion is simply astonishing, and the cardioid design doubly so, and frequency response triply so. But distortion... simply insanely high compared to even my B&Ws which run at 1/4 of the price.
But my B&Ws have a very bright frequency response and crappy dispersion characteristics. The cabinet is very devoid of resonances though.
Now go to another speaker with good dispersion, reasonable frequency response but crappy cabinet resonances.
Is there any guide as to what matters? A pecking order of how to understand all the metrics to chose an objectively good speaker?
I should add that we're talking about a standard house listening environment here, I don't want to get into compensating dispersion characteristics with room treatment etc. And obviously the power handling and volume is an easy one for people who love loud.