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Wagner chores

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Posted on December 5, 2016 at 18:00:53
Wojciech
Audiophile

Posts: 4115
Joined: June 23, 2009
I was listening to Parsifal on my friend's stereo . He lives in sizable sheet (Shit..) rock midwest home with semi open floor plan (living room opening to kitchen on short er wall ). Acoustic Solid TT with FR64s /Koetsu onyx cart Audio Research PH7 phono Audio Note M6 with silver caps and Audio Research Classic 120 amps.
First went Audio Note AN-E Spe HE/Hemp speakers - blah , no bass, nope nothing below 100 hz and singers sounded like they were singing with rear ends ...Strange , I really like Audio Note speakers but room probably too big and wrong amp . Next vintage pair of Proac 3.5 , blah the woofers sounded like they were mounted in the speakers playing in the other room and tweeter was harsh and unpleasant , of course NO BASS , none .
Next Reference 3a Grand Veena , I had a headache and a toothache after a half of the record . Tipped up , distorted, compressed midrange, fatiguing
and of course NO BASS as well, probably too large of the room but its not a Mac Mansion by any means . Next , Audio Physic Libra , finally some civilized sound with scale , scene and balance also some reminiscence of BASS although also very compressed at realistic levels.
I'm so happy to have a small house...:)

 

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Subwoofers????, posted on December 5, 2016 at 19:13:22
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 23874
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since:
January 29, 2004
I wouldn't be without them.



 

RE: Subwoofers????, posted on December 5, 2016 at 19:32:30
Wojciech
Audiophile

Posts: 4115
Joined: June 23, 2009
Yes John , you're right but isn't it sad that most of the "audiophile" speakers hoovering at ~$10k sold in North America are not designed for the dominant wooden frame housing style? I'm getting depressed from looking on those pesky 8" woofers which are actually huge by nowadays standards .

 

Look elsewhere., posted on December 6, 2016 at 07:44:11
Kal Rubinson
Reviewer

Posts: 12430
Location: New York
Joined: June 5, 2002
It is a matter of choice and none of the listed options would be expected, despite their other capabilities, to be able to provide full and extended bass in a larger room.

So, mebbe, he needs a sub or other options. For example, the Revel f208 or the Aerial 7T.

 

RE: Wagner chores , posted on December 6, 2016 at 13:52:11
fstein
Audiophile

Posts: 2989
Location: fstein
Joined: May 18, 2006
?speaker placement?

 

RE: Wagner chores , posted on December 6, 2016 at 16:21:29
Wojciech
Audiophile

Posts: 4115
Joined: June 23, 2009
Audio Note E/Spe HE were placed properly in the corners and the rest of the pack well into the room ,the farthest ones being Audio Physic almost in the middle of the listening space which actually is not that big 14.5' x 19.5' kitchen adds another 17 feet so the total length is 36' with nominal 8' ceiling.
I would add that European audiophiles I talked to who, had a chance to visit USA and listen to the systems here were not really impressed with the sound quality in average audiophile houses.
"More money than a brain " or more direct "those stupid Americans..." were the private remarks. It may not be the entire fault of the system owners. Just most/all speaker systems sold here are not designed for typical American house and its acoustics . They all supposed to go into a bunker meaning concrete walls.

 

Huh?, posted on December 7, 2016 at 09:24:36
Right, the European audiophiles you talked to have such vast experience with systems in the homes of U.S. audiophiles that a general judgment about "average" U.S. audiophiles' systems/houses is warranted.

Jeez.

 

RE: Huh?, posted on December 7, 2016 at 20:56:13
Wojciech
Audiophile

Posts: 4115
Joined: June 23, 2009
Don't jump your gun. Something designed for a bunker is not going to work for the shed. It's a common sense. I'm not responsible for other people opinion. It is what it is however ridiculous it may sound. Lets think that those Europeans I talked to were simply jealous of the excess available here:) One thing is sure . I'm not buying anymore any Euro crap for my shed. Once I find myself in nice coastal state , in nice brick house with concrete floors than fine, give me those nice charming towers with nice micro drivers. Till that I'm focusing on 10 " 12" and 15"or just buy American made for American houses.
Warm Regards, W

 

RE: Wagner chores , posted on February 16, 2017 at 20:28:34
Harmonia
Audiophile

Posts: 1930
Location: Midwestern USA
Joined: November 3, 2000
Hmmm, well, I used to have a biggish, open room and it was interesting finding speakers that were happy playing Wagner and Mahler. One of the best systems for large scale classical music I heard once upon a time was Audio Physic Avanti IIIs powered by Herron preamp, phono stage and amps. I found happiness for big classical with Alon now (Nola) speakers and the Herron gear.

Interestingly, the spousal unit and I were auditioning speakers yesterday with (among other things) the BluRay of the Girard Parsifal with Kaufmann, Pape, Mattei et al. I think we frightened away some of the other patrons. This time around we are shopping for a much smaller space.

 

RE: Wagner chores , posted on February 16, 2017 at 20:38:46
SgreenP@MSN.com
Audiophile

Posts: 3536
Joined: April 23, 2007
Right - I went from a small house in New York to a large house in Arizona, and was sorely disappointed when I heard my wonderful system sound so anemic. It took me a couple of years of experimentation, but it sounds good again (though not quite as good as it sounded in NY)

 

RE: Wagner chores , posted on February 16, 2017 at 21:24:46
rstephen
Audiophile

Posts: 79
Location: Pensacola Beach Florida
Joined: April 11, 2009
Hi W!

When I lived in a McMansion, I listened to opera on a JBL Paragon with Atma-Sphere electronics. It sounded great on opera and choral works especially Wagner. It placed the singers out in the room! I have since moved to a small condo on the beach and have JBL 4430s. I no longer listen to opera as it just doesn't have the impact. I found the paragon to be very system dependent (eg. sounded blah with a NAD receiver).

Now if my barge would come in, I could get a bigger place and listen to opera again.

Stephen

 

RE: Wagner chores , posted on February 17, 2017 at 02:22:38
KanedaK
Audiophile

Posts: 2515
Location: Brussels
Joined: April 27, 2010
Exactly.
Big sound (and/or big space) calls for big speakers.
There's just no way around it if your room is big and your acoustics suck out the bass.

 

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