Oh yeah, great clickbait title, right? I hope you will forgive me after reading the content …
Regardless of whether you want to spend 1000PLN or PLN 100,000 on loudspeakers, these will be new, used or vintage speakers – I am convinced that this article will help you to look at this hobby a bit more broadly.
The most important sentences to start with:The audiophile has completely different requirements than a music lover who is looking for a home stereo.
Nevertheless, it is worth using consciously from the benefits of the audiophile world – about which at the end.
1. Choose Columns A or B What are your experiences?
The worst question to ask. You do not know if the person who saw them only in the photo will answer you, a person who listened to them in a good combination or bad, or if he listens to the same music as the housing conditions.
Most people with more knowledge just don’t give up, and the content of the question suggests that you haven’t taken the trouble to find out something about them. So no one will take much trouble to advise you.
When did you choose a girl, did you also ask someone for your opinion? Maybe her ex?
For someone to help you, please include the following:
- what repertoire are they supposed to play with these columns
- in what room
- with what electronics
- Why did they interest you?
- What have you been listening to so far and what did you like, what do you expect after changing these speakers
And finally:
- what’s your budget
Then you have a chance that someone will give you a valuable answer – they will confirm their choice or indicate other ones that are more tailored to your needs.
If you don’t look at the topic, you might as well buy random speakers.
2. You choose columns based on a well-known brand.
Most well-known brands have long distribution chains. Producer, general distributor, shop – and you pay.
If you are tempted by a high discount, you can only imagine how much the production of such a product really cost, if so many people earn on the way, and you get such a low price.
The use of very cheap low-quality materials, often produced in China, does not increase the chance of good sound quality.
It’s good to give the manufactories a chance– Sometimes you will get a smaller discount, but you skip one of the distribution links and you just have a chance of a much higher quality.
Of course, hearing is decisive, but it is worth giving a chance to the less known products.
3. You choose columns too small for your room.
You can’t fool physics. A small stand mount column or a narrow bass reflex floor covering is usually a recipe for a very big problem at the beginning.
Why? Small drivers need a lot of electricity, a lot of power to create the right sound pressure in your room (give the energy to the music).
They often have a difficult to control bass (large swing of the suspension) and have to play loudly to give you a kick, a good base and a well-loaded sound.
To compensate for this, you need to buy a powerful amplifier. Watts are cheap today, but not quality cotton wool. Usually a powerful amplifier and narrow / small loudspeakers are poor playing at low volume and in diameter (and there is 90% of information).
With a louder listening, in an unadopted room, a great recipe for rumble, or a chaotic, tiring mountain.
How is it trying to improve? Usually, there is an even stronger and more expensive amplifier (because it is supposed to hold the bass), or expensive cables, an acoustic adaptation to which there is usually no place, and you will not jump over the problem.
A large converter (e.g. 8 inches and more) does not have to ‘force’ to make the sound pressure in your room, usually sounds much better at low volume and plays more freely.
For such loudspeakers, you do not need to use such strong electronics, and in the case of electronics, it is the hardest to combine high power and good color in the diameter. There are a lot of 15-50W amplifiers that sound really high – both transistor and tube – they only need to get relatively friendly speakers.
4. You underestimate where the columns will be standing
The big advantage of monitors and narrow columns is the scene / space they create. If you push one column into the corner of the room or push it against the wall, place it too close to you … then you lose 50% of their value – then they have no chance to play a good holography, which is actually the greatest asset of narrow and small speakers.
Due to the size, such columns do not have that much energy and quality on the bass.
If you listen to the speakers in the store and stand 1.5 m from the side walls and 3m from the back wall and you like them …
Be aware that you like them mainly because they are set up this way. Most of the monitors that take the space around them lose most of their greatest strengths.
The result is that you spend money, and a completely different speaker would work better in the setting you have at home – sometimes much cheaper.
If you are adding columns with a rear bass reflex to the wall – you take them the amount of bass. You take the holography. So what is there to play? Even an amp for 50,000 can’t save it. It will play – but completely out of line with the budget you spent.
5. You choose detail and dynamics
Don’t get me wrong. It’s normal that you want to have detailed and dynamic sound – everyone would like to. Most of the new devices are sold in detail and dynamics. Because it’s easiest to sell to a person who starts and wants to get this purchase out of their heads quickly.
Unfortunately, these retail devices find themselves terrible in unadopted rooms with reverberation (they tire quickly). What is very effective in the short term becomes unbearable in the long run.
Look for balance, listen longer.Listen first, then louder. Take care of a good midrange – this is 90% of the information, there are emotions from the vocals of your favorite artists. How? Class A amplifiers and lamps can be the answer to this question. They don’t have to, but it’s worth a try.
Unless you listen mainly to electronics / rap / club music. Then the energy from the bass will be the most important.
6. You don’t match the columns to your repertoire
If something is good for everything … it will not be good at all and you need to quickly understand where you want to compromise.
Equipment that will work well in outstandingly realized music will be terrible to poorly made pop and vice versa.
It is different in jazz and acoustics and with well-made albums.The vast majority of audiophile truths concern the sampler listening and perfectly made albums.
It is different in the case of music from the 1960s and 1970s. Another thing about rap, techno or rock.
Including the fact that you often listen to this music at different volume levels. You can assemble a fantastic set for intimate evening jazz listening, which, however, will not be suitable for rock and pop.
You can choose great rock columns, which, however, in jazz will be simply correct.
The more you want to combine, the more compromises or more expenses.
However, if you want to play rock on columns with jazz-favorable features, it will be hard for you to get out of it.
7. The system is playing, not the columns themselves
A system, i.e. a source (gramophone, CD or streamer), amplifier + gadgets, such as cables.
It is important to understand that the same loudspeakers can be spoiled (even deliberately at a presentation) with a poor combination … and give them wings with an expensive and well-chosen combination. In short, you can manipulate how the client is to receive the device data and how to perceive them.
Hence, some brands put together ‘good’ gain the so-called Social Proof – that is, they are liked and recommended. And others are gaining the name of ‘non-players’ I don’t have to add that they ‘do not play’ usually those on lower margins?
If we have a limited budget – it is always worth investing in, for example, used loudspeakers – good models from the 90-00s will play for a long time, they will allow us to catch the bug, and if we want to take a step higher – sell them without loss. In the case of recognized and sought-after models, often even profitable.
‘Deeper Vintage’, that is the 1980s, 70s or 60s requires more knowledge, and the older the better it will work … in music from those years, and not necessarily in a new repertoire.
If we are afraid of the electronics used – let it be a new or almost new amplifier. Having the speakers is easier to look for an amplifier than the other way around.
8. You set a budget and go to the store
This solution makes sense if you want to buy anything and you don’t really care about the money because you don’t have to 🙂
As in gastronomy, the best equipment is not the one in the most famous restaurants, nor in those in the old town in an expensive pub, just like a fish you do not go to the seaside to eat a frozen food for PLN 100.
You follow the crowd, you will eat like a crowd.
Look for enthusiasts where there is less and easier – there is usually an idea, knowledge and passion.
9. You start reading reviews
As long as you have licked something in the audio world, you probably know how to catch hidden messages. If not … A review of individual devices will give you such an idea of them as Mr. Waldek from the store.
If such information as microdynamics, color, texture, diameter, overtones, etc. They don’t tell you much … this review won’t tell you much either.
Just like the analysis of technical parameters. I don’t know anyone who, looking at power, impedance, or bandwidth, would make a good audio system – whether home or audiophile …
Audio is like a kitchen – you either know what to combine the ingredients with and how you season them or not … Metaphorically – you can buy the most expensive beef in the world and season it unconsciously with Vegeta. If you have eaten pork chops all your life, you will not appreciate the small Michellin star dishes and you do not need this setting.
Some things in audio come with time and it is worth considering this hobby a bit more, because it can repay you with amazing sensations in the long run.
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