General Speaker Advice and Recommendations

@PTS, I believe you can measure it with REW.

 

It's doable via REW. If the delay is in the millisecond range, then looking at the impulse response should do the trick. For smaller timing differences phase response might prove more useful.

Every loudspeaker design has compromises. Usually it's about low end sensitivity versus correct impulse response. Naturally the sealed design will offer the most correct impulse response and lowest group delay. You pay for that with early loss of sensitivity which means elevated THD due to extra excursion and lower maximum SPL, because the driver will run out of steam faster.

Generally - there is NO perfect design. Differences between well designed enclosures usually will be exaggerated. Passive radiators are NOT magic, they act the same way as ports, introduce the same amounts of smearing, cost friggin lot and have THD due to suspension and other moving parts. Passive radiators make sense when port dimensions prove too much to work with. Otherwise ports make more sense, if designed soundly.

 

Guys, do you happen to know some speakers (with 5,25", but preferably 6,5") with a remote? I see when some have Bluetooth they most likely have a remote too. I am just looking for some for my desk - I have had before Microlab Solo6C (cheapo 6,5", but with a remote, tone controls and a comfortable use), a few days ago I tried Fluid Audio FX8 (a drastic change), but they were probably just too much for a desk (not even in terms of sheer size, but stereo imaging was just too sensitive and even the slightest offset from the center was unnerving).

As the headphones are my weapon of choice for music, speakers are almost entirely for a video content (Youtube, shows, movies, series) and games, so at least partially I do not have such requirements as for headphones of an equal price - a few days ago I tried Fluid Audio FX8, but it is too much, too big, to sensitive for stereo imaging (anything but a perfect center position is unnerving) and too much of a pain - setting a balance of both amplifiers, then deciding if add more gain on amplifiers and less on pre-amp of my DAC/AMP or vice versa is....well, I can imagine spending time better; I miss the very simplicity of a remote and its mute, input switch (if there is a bluetooth chip too), tone controls and so on.

As a DAC will be used my A-GD R2R-11 - I can theoretically just use it as a pre-amp and go with studio monitors, but I like to just sit back or get away from desk and having a remote (mute, tone controls, maybe an input switch if there is a bluetooth connection).

I have tried to find something, I found Edifier, they seem quite like Microlab with probably better products (but more expensive as well), for an instance model R2730DB, but the fact almost all the reviews are Russian are never a good sign; or something like Audio Pro Addon T14, Klipsch R-15PM, but both are basically +- at the top of an original budget and I would just like to keep it around 200-300€ as a possible upgrade from those original 120€ Solo6C.

Hope it is possible to keep up with the blather of mine...

 

M24's?

 

As part of the renovation of my new apartment, been thinking of how to maximize my home theater/music setup in the living room. It will be used more for home theater, as my office is where I will likely listen to music most often. That said, I was thinking of either building a single sub using a Stereo Integrity 18" (of Marty Sub fame) in a 4cu flat pack from DIY Sound Group, or getting dual Dayton SUB1500s. Will be matched up with some Energy RC-10 bookshelf speakers and an RC-LCR for center channel, probably crossed over at 80hz. Listening area is pretty small, at roughly 11*10 ft, but one side is open all the way through the dining room to the kitchen. Any thoughts at what might get me the best overall bass?

 

Have you found a guide how to do the sub/mains alignment via REW?
I am looking for advice to measure the effects of damping materials (optimal QTS) and bracing affects for speakers.
Any pointers would be much appreciated.

 

Depends really on the problems you're looking to remedy. Levels should be trivial, crossover slopes should be pretty easy as well. Phase in crossover region is a bit more tricky. Larger timing differences can be spotted by looking at the impulse response. You should see the initial peak from (hopefully) the mains and then you might see subs firing some time later.

 

These M24s are really affordable. $299 is nothing these days in audio. But are these any good for the price?

 

Now, I have been thinking about it and I dropped a plan for the remote. I just somehow do not feel comfortable with the options I found.

I have decided to go back to the roots (well, not mine, I have never had one), what about +- LSR305-priced 5,25" speakers capable of reaching the lowest possible frequencies (even ignoring LSR305 as an example in my opinion could not reach 43Hz at 2,5dB measurement range, so they must use some wider range, must they not?).

However I have not mentioned one important condition - I have my desk near walls. If I make assumptions on my screen size (40") and approximate direction of speakers to face me, I am not sure it it is enough space for some rear-ported options (I reckon they would have 3" of a space behind ports, but the left one would have not far away on left a cabinet, which would make a placement of the left one almost like in a corner). Should I focus my attention to front-ported options then?

And lastly an availability of choices - Thomann is one of the best retailers in EU (https://www.thomannmusic.com/ - beware, prices there are w/o tax), but in general, if amazon.co.uk or amazon.de has it, it is absolutely OK. So speakers like ELAC and some others are not available at all or are with a huge additional "off-shore" margin.

 

Anyone know if the Overnight Sensations fed by an Adcom 5200 would be capable of making use of a Modi Multibit? Currently, I am using a Fulla 2 as my DAC.

 

I am trying to figure out the best way to integrate a sub into my system. I would like to follow the REL methodology of running the sub in parallel to the main speakers using a high level input (i.e. amp to speakers and amp to sub). I like the idea of avoiding a crossover and trying to match the speakers natural rolloff point, which is 80hz-90hz in my case.

I know REL has an input impedance around 100k ohms in order to avoid any potential issues when running the sub off the amp in parallel with the speakers. Is this wiring setup something that can be used with other subs and are there any specific impedance values I should be looking for to make sure it is safe? The last thing I want to do is blow up my EC 2A3 amp.

Before anyone asks the obvious question "why not just get a REL?", I am trying to explore options outside of a traditional sub. My goal is to fill in the 50hz-80hz region while being able to keep coherency with the baby 3" fostex driver in my main speakers. I am not sure that using a big 8"+ driver is the best way to do it.

 

The REL is powered. So while there might not be a passive crossover, there is a digital one in the class D amp.

Have you looked at Blumenstein's Baby Benthic? (Not necessarily to purchase, but to get ideas from if you want to do DIY.)

 

As a Blumenstein enthusiast I have looked at the Baby Benthic. I know it is only a 5" driver, but it seems like the design will integrate well with such a high crossover point. I could definitley mimic the design by using a Dayton plate amplifier and a smaller driver.

I would still want to run the sub and the speakers off the main amp to avoid running the speakers through a high pass filter. Dayton has the input impedence listed as 22k ohms. I am not sure if that is high enough to avoid overloading the amp.

 

@msommers here's my personal opinion about ATC SCM40 (passive) vs. ATC SCM19A. But first let me explain my preference in a speaker:

Dynamics and transparencies are the most important criterias for me. I used to own Harbeth SHL5 (not the + version, the + sounds more open to me) and sold it because I felt it's too warm and not dynamic enough (good for human voices and vocal heavy music though). I recently heard both Focal Sopra no. 2 and no. 3 in a show and quite impressed by their treble resolution. I think Focal Sopra's treble definition is better than ATC, however I need to demo in my own room, but I am definitely more treblehead than basshead.

So with that I say the major differences between the active and passive version are transparency and dynamics increase substantially by going active. IMO, those two are major strengths of ATC speakers, hence if you like ATC sounds it's better to go active.

However, by moving from SCM40 to SCM19A, I lost some low frequency extension, which I don't mind and find it better for my 4.6m * 5m listening room.

Both ATC are also fussy with the front end electronics. They will show any deficiencies in your source/DAC, preamps, etc. Going active will make it even fussier (drawback of transparency). Lastly, the active version has XLR input only, so balance preamp is more suitable.

 

Should be fine. If you parallel an 8 ohm load (your speakers) and a 22k ohm load, the 8 ohm will take 99.96% of the power.

 

Had the fortune of moving into my new home so I've decided to treat myself to my first home theater system.
Current listening is about 60-40 to 70-30 movies/tv/games to music. I can see that shifting if I start listening to music with actually decent gear. Music taste is usually in the rock, metal, edm, & electronic, but classical and pop can always show up.

Space I'm working with (tv left, couch right):


My quick quandaries:

1. How big should I go for a first time setup? With my naive speaker ears (hell ... even headphones to some degree), I'm sure I won't be able to notice some of the upgrades. That said, do I just grab something low end like a ELAC UniFi system and throw Black Friday SVS sub at it. I've been looking at other front options in the $1000-1500 range, but there is a massive amount of options that I've read here and elsewhere that it gets overwhelming pretty fast.

2. Bookshelves + sub vs floorstanders? The space is on the fringe of medium from my reading. Unsure if it would be worthwhile to up the fidelity on bookshelves and pair it with a sub . Much of my reading recommended getting a sub with floorstanders for HT purposes anyways, but I imagine that depends on the floorstander itself.
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I'm hoping to spend some more time demoing at some local shops once I'm back in town.
Any assistance to guide a blind and overwhelmed fool is awesome.

 

The Dayton amp used by Blumenstein has only a 2nd order crossover, and in customer feedback there are complaints that they can hear voices in their subwoofer. This may be okay if you're expecting to run it more like a woofer, but for a true subwoofer I think it is unacceptable.

 

I would be treating it more like a woofer. The 3" driver in the Orca falls off a cliff at 75hz based on my listening tests and the FR could be evened out up to 120hz. That is part of the reason why I am shying away from a traditional sub.

I am honestly not sure how easy it would be to integrate something like that while keeping it coherent. My understanding is that getting into the mid and upper bass regions you start to experience directionality in the sound. Due to the high crossover, I wonder if running a single woofer would impact imaging and soundstage in this region.

I also don't want to keep throwing money trying to improve the area of a design that is inherently compromised. At some point you are better off just enjoying it for what it is or upgrading the main speakers to a larger driver and larger volume cabinet that provides an even response into the mid bass region for a true sub to take over.