Relaxed, forgiving, rolled off, dark sound speakers, where are you nowadays?

[tvrgeek]

Spendor is another brand with this type of sound signature. Since you are looking for bookshelves you could consider trying out their A1 model.

Still around? Have not heard of them in years.
The first "HI-FI" I heard were DM2's and 104b. Wound up with Ditton 44's before I took up building my own.

 

[litemotiv]

Still around? Have not heard of them in years.
The first "HI-FI" I heard were DM2's and 104b. Wound up with Ditton 44's before I took up building my own.

They are! Their recent models (A-line and D-line) are well received, i own the A4 floorstanders and am very happy with them.

 

[raindance]

I might also suggest that a subwoofer will change the tonal balance and will likely reduce listener fatigue by relieving the 5 inch woofer of the need to reproduce the low bass, in this case below 100 hz.

This would only be true if there is a crossover to filter those frequencies out for the main speakers. Simply adding a sub does not accomplish this.

 

[groovybassist]

I was going to add the Harbeth P3ESR, not because they're rolled off (they're not) but because the highs are very sweet toned and they do brushed cymbals for example delightfully which so many other speakers just don't... Forget any of the LS3/5A's, as most shriek and fizzle - deliberately I may add, as was their task in OB vans...

The Spendor designer who was there for decades has moved to Harbeth for the last year or so, so no idea where that leaves the granddaddy brand of all of these 'BeeBeeCee' types now...

Taking a spitty box and eq'ing the hf down doesn't remove the spit, it just makes it less annoying - same with boomy bass if it ain't fixed at source..

I agree on the LS3/5a’s, which is why I specified the Graham Audio LS3/5 - this is based on the original version of the LS3/5 and is much mellower to my ear. I owned both the P3ESR and Graham LS3/5 - the Graham is my favorite of these small boxes and sounds killer near field.

 

[groovybassist]

Spendor is another brand with this type of sound signature. Since you are looking for bookshelves you could consider trying out their A1 model.

The Spendor Classic 4/5 is another potential in the Spendor line.

 

[tvrgeek]

I wonder how far I will have to travel to hear them. Darn COVID, makes my British car, audio and micro-brew trips curtailed for a while. We went from 2000 cases a day to 26,000 last week. More testing finding mild symptoms as it is not free and no appointment, so we probably were no where near as low as 2000/day. Still, we are old. Only speakers under 5K I have been impressed with at all were some Revel. I think I'll take my JDS tone control with me next time. Some may be fine if the top was knocked down.

This would only be true if there is a crossover to filter those frequencies out for the main speakers. Simply adding a sub does not accomplish this.

EXACTLLY. We need a good 2nd order HP box. I have suggested this to several manufactures.
I believe ALL speakers should have a HP on them to limit cone excursion below tuning. I also believe in the speaker having a LP on the tweeter. It must be in the crossover. In the mean time, I am going to put my X-Kitz back in with a couple mods. LR4 @ 70. The only redeeming point of the PArasound I had was a 20-40 HP on it.

I do not remember which brand, but one did have a selectable top end roll- with a 3 position switch. About time. Back in the 50's and 60's tweeters had L-Pads on them. Ironic AR did on the 2 and it had almost no top end.

 

[litemotiv]

I do not remember which brand, but one did have a selectable top end roll- with a 3 position switch.

Weren't there some JBL 3-ways that had this switch? I can't say for sure...

 

[Chaconne]

But yes, look into the Peter Walker Curve to get an understanding of response you want at the listening position.

What is the Peter Walker Curve? I tried googling it but came up with nothing. THANKS!

 

[RobL]

^^Saw this somewhere, ymmv
“Peter Walker of Quad fame once said a speaker should have a 3 db per decade slope. 20-200 hz -3db, 200-2000 another -3db, and 2k-20k another -3db for a total of -9db at 20 khz.”

 

[Chaconne]

^^Saw this somewhere, ymmv
“Peter Walker of Quad fame once said a speaker should have a 3 db per decade slope. 20-200 hz -3db, 200-2000 another -3db, and 2k-20k another -3db for a total of -9db at 20 khz.”

Thanks a lot, Rob. Now that I see it, it does seem to ring a bell (though dimly). I never would have recalled the specifics, though.

 

[thewas]

^^Saw this somewhere, ymmv
“Peter Walker of Quad fame once said a speaker should have a 3 db per decade slope. 20-200 hz -3db, 200-2000 another -3db, and 2k-20k another -3db for a total of -9db at 20 khz.”

Just 0.1 dB/octave away from the target I prefer for many of my loudspeakers, namely 0.8 dB/octave, so I can understand that it sounds quite smooth.

 

[jools]

I have Wharfedale Dentons in my front room installed in suboptimal positions. Very heavily rolled off and they also look great.

I was also thinking Dentons plus, in the UK at least, the 80s are only £350. The catch for me was it turned out that I was compensating for the treble boost in the Aiyima amp and when I upgraded that the Dentons were more rolled off than I wanted.

 

[sdiver68]

Dynaudio at least some of their older lines.