The dream speaker thread

[Phelonious Ponk]

My dream speakers would be from the 1970s but rebuilt to sound like the latest DSP active models. I really like the look of 'monkey coffins', and there's nothing intrinsically wrong with them.

Many modern speakers still have the sharp corners, but in slim floor stander form they do nothing for me. Once they were the very definition of modernity compared to those old teak-veneered boxes from the 1970s. I could never quite believe how something so slender and fashionable could sound like proper hi fi. I was right - they don't!

Then you need a pair of M2s and a couple of Crowns. 70s mojo in a Darth Vader suit. Slap some oak veneer on them. Get someone to make you some tweedy beige covers that look like the belong in a 2017 salad.

Tim

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Oh, a straight answer: I live small and I like it that way, so I will never have a room for big speakers again. Give me a pair of small (5 - 6 inch mid bass), state of the art active monitors with a sub or two. Subs don't have to be big either, just very clean. I'm not much interested in anything deeper than a kick drum or a stand-up bass. Honestly, I don't know the brand/model at the moment. It probably will be whatever JBL comes up with to fill the midrange gap in their active series.

Tim

 

[oivavoi]

Oh, a straight answer: I live small and I like it that way, so I will never have a room for big speakers again. Give me a pair of small (5 - 6 inch mid bass), state of the art active monitors with a sub or two. Subs don't have to be big either, just very clean. I'm not much interested in anything deeper than a kick drum or a stand-up bass. Honestly, I don't know the brand/model at the moment. It probably will be whatever JBL comes up with to fill the midrange gap in their active series.

Tim

You're basically describing my current setup. Very happy with that. My monitors are the DM10s from the small English manufacturer AVI. Probably best monitors I've heard, subjectively speaking. But they are sold internet direct, so can prove difficult to find somewhere to audition them. JBL will probably provide better value for money though.

For subwoofers I can heartily recommend Ken Kreisel DXD 808. Perhaps the cleanest sub Ive heard (subjectively speaking again), and they do have a measured level of distortion that is exceptionally low.

 

[watchnerd]

Oh, a straight answer:Honestly, I don't know the brand/model at the moment. It probably will be whatever JBL comes up with to fill the midrange gap in their active series.

Tim

I keep waiting for JBL Pro to make an active version of the 7 series, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards.

 

[Sal1950]

I don't know. I have heard Wilson in the past, not even worth walking in the door these days, but have never been completely overwhelmed by them

I've heard Wilsons at shows but not for at least 20 years now, so it's unfair of me to review the new SOTA from them.
I will say that personally I'm opposed to designs that try to use a large number of different drivers and then attempt to make them sound as one musical source thru any variety of means.
The KISS principle tells the engineer in me that there ultimately is a better way.
YMMV

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

You're basically describing my current setup. Very happy with that. My monitors are the DM10s from the small English manufacturer AVI. Probably best monitors I've heard, subjectively speaking. But they are sold internet direct, so can prove difficult to find somewhere to audition them. JBL will probably provide better value for money though.

For subwoofers I can heartily recommend Ken Kreisel DXD 808. Perhaps the cleanest sub Ive heard (subjectively speaking again), and they do have a measured level of distortion that is exceptionally low.

What are the odds? My monitors are ADM 9.1s. A couple of generations out of date and they still sound pretty good. No sub, though. In fact, the whole system is a hard drive full of files, an Apple TV and the AVIs. Controllable from my phone, iPad, laptop, or the Apple TV itself. Functionally, ergonomically, it is almost perfect. The lack of visual feedback for the pre is a pain sometimes.

Tim

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

I've heard Wilsons at shows but not for at least 20 years now, so it's unfair of me to review the new SOTA from them.
I will say that personally I'm opposed to designs that try to use a large number of different drivers and then attempt to make them sound as one musical source thru any variety of means.
The KISS principle tells the engineer in me that there ultimately is a better way.
YMMV

There is. 2-ways and a sub.

Tim

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

I keep waiting for JBL Pro to make an active version of the 7 series, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards.

Seems like they'd put something in there. There is currently nothing active between the M2s and the LSR 308. It's a huge gap.

Tim

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Oops...Looks like they've finally filled that gap: http://www.jblpro.com/www/products/recording-broadcast/7-series/705p#.WIjhbrGZMU0

Tim

 

[Sal1950]

There is. 2-ways and a sub.

Tim

Yep, that's what I run here.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

I think I just lost 2 grand...

Tim

 

[watchnerd]

Oops...Looks like they've finally filled that gap: http://www.jblpro.com/www/products/recording-broadcast/7-series/705p#.WIjhbrGZMU0

Tim

Well damn! I've been waiting for that!

Until very recently, the 7-series had to be used with a special Crown amp to get the crossover DSP settings

They made an active version of the 8" model, too:

http://www.jblpro.com/www/products/recording-broadcast/7-series/708p#.WIjsTrYrKgQ

 

[watchnerd]

I think I just lost 2 grand...

Tim

Check out the sweet configuration menu + wheel on the back:

 

[Thomas savage]

Well damn! I've been waiting for that!

Until very recently, the 7-series had to be used with a special Crown amp to get the crossover DSP settings

They made an active version of the 8" model, too:

http://www.jblpro.com/www/products/recording-broadcast/7-series/708p#.WIjsTrYrKgQ

Great, that will do it..

 

[watchnerd]

Great, that will do it..

$4,000 for a pair of the 708P, but it's quite the feature set. Probably as much speaker as any home user would need unless into EDM, in which, add subs.

 

[Thomas savage]

$4,000 for a pair of the 708P, but it's quite the feature set. Probably as much speaker as any home user would need unless into EDM, in which, add subs.

Is there any objective logical argument a pair of fancy audiophile speakers ( like tad compact reference) combined with some fancy amps ( say dans momentum monoblocks) all linked up with Odin 2 cable achieve higher musical fidelity than these JBL 708P Studio Monitors?

 

[RayDunzl]

I think I just lost 2 grand...

No no no... This thread is just a dream...

 

[watchnerd]

Is there any objective logical argument a pair of fancy audiophile speakers ( like tad compact reference) combined with some fancy amps ( say dans momentum monoblocks) all linked up with Odin 2 cable achieve higher musical fidelity than these JBL 708P Studio Monitors?

It's objectively difficult for a passive crossover to beat a good, optimized DSP crossover, no matter how much money you throw at it.

And certainly really tough to argue you could do better for the same money (speakers + DSP + amps) using passive pieces.

 

[Vincent Kars]

A true dream speaker has no moving parts of course: http://www.electrostatics.org/images/esa_2008_a2.pdf

 

[RayDunzl]

A true dream speaker has no moving parts of course: http://www.electrostatics.org/images/esa_2008_a2.pdf

Is there an actual product using that design someplace?