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Speaker listening tests

Marketron

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This is my first comment on this forum and I hope it is the sort of thing that is of interest.
As a retired Electronics Engineer spealising in Audio who has been in the industry in a variety of positions, most of my life, from my experience of listening tests for speakers, these are some of the conclusions I have reached:-
1.Listen to one speaker, in mono, at a time.
Even identical speakers placed as stereo pairs will sound different depending on even minor placement differences
2.Ensure the next to be listened to speaker is in exactly the same physical place as far as possible.
3.Make the change over from one speaker to the next as instantaneous as possible
4.Ensure sound levels are as identical as possible between speakers.
5.Use the same source material for every speaker under test before changing it.
 

DVDdoug

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I don't disagree with any of that. Except since I don't evaluate speakers everyday and I virtually never listen in mono, I'd personally stick to stereo. I agree that stereo introduces more variables but I assume it takes experience/practice to evaluate speakers in mono.
 
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Marketron

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Thank you for your reply and comments.
I fully accept that we normally listen to music in stereo but for evaluating the differences between speakers, the human ear will detect even the smallest differences of phase/tonal balance which are often present and could confuse when listening in stereo.
Listening and comparing speakers individually, blind and in single channel mono reduces these effects considerably and allows the ear to concentrate on, and appreciate, the true sonic differences between speakers.
Obviously, it would be wise with any speakers that one subsequently considered buying to ensure that there are no additional anomalies when connected in stereo although it should be remembered that stereo recordings often contain phase and non linear sound effects created deliberately during the mix down of the original performance to 'enhance' the stereo listening experience!
 

Chaconne

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This is my first comment on this forum and I hope it is the sort of thing that is of interest.
As a retired Electronics Engineer spealising in Audio who has been in the industry in a variety of positions, most of my life, from my experience of listening tests for speakers, these are some of the conclusions I have reached:-
1.Listen to one speaker, in mono, at a time.
Even identical speakers placed as stereo pairs will sound different depending on even minor placement differences
2.Ensure the next to be listened to speaker is in exactly the same physical place as far as possible.
3.Make the change over from one speaker to the next as instantaneous as possible
4.Ensure sound levels are as identical as possible between speakers.
5.Use the same source material for every speaker under test before changing it.
Reads like an ASR manifesto!
 

SIY

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Have to somewhat disagree with point 1. There's a school of engineering, represented most notably by Ken Kantor, that designs left and right speakers with mirror-imaged non-symmetric polar patterns. These speakers do NOT do well in mono, but are (to my ears and those of many others) magical when set up in stereo.

4c97b5fbe5d7bab2a1c84c40ccbaf68c.jpg
 

Chaconne

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Sorry.Just a few conclusions arrived at over many years of listening.
Oh no! I meant that as a kind-of "welcome to the club." I'm sure your findings resound with most of the members here.
 
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Marketron

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What an amazing looking pair of speakers.
What drive units are they using?
I fully understand your comments and I am so grateful to hear your
views.
However, in this case, I think you may have proved my point.
I don't think it matters that a particular pair of speakers sound at their best in a stereo pair as the sole objective when sonically comparing one speaker with another is to be able to hear the differences under identical conditions with the minimum of external influences.
In my experience any speaker, whatever their design and however good or bad they are, will always sound better as a stereo pair.
All I am suggesting is to make hearing differences as obvious as possible between speakers with the minimum of possibly confusing influences, the most effective set up is an identical single channel signal fed to both closely placed speakers with the signal switched from one to the other.
 

SIY

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I don't think it matters that a particular pair of speakers sound at their best in a stereo pair as the sole objective when sonically comparing one speaker with another is to be able to hear the differences under identical conditions with the minimum of external influences.
Problem is, they are specifically non-symmetric and mirrored. As well, you can see that the baffle is slanted at a particularly chosen angle which renders mono use pretty much moot. And the woofers are mounted on the sidewall that points toward the center, so the back of the speaker must be at the rear wall. So if you sit in front of the speaker, you're actually 20-30 degrees off axis. If you turn the speaker so that the flat front panel is normal to the listening axis, the bass loading (which depends on the rear wall) is wrong. The old AR Magic and LSTs were designed with the same philosophy.

Drivers are a SEAS aluminum tweeter and poly midrange, and a Tonegen mid woofer and woofer (the famous 1259), all custom made for NHT.
 
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