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John Atkinson - Studio Monitors vs Audiophile Speakers

Posted by Jeff Starr (A) on June 15, 2016 at 12:39:07

Hi John, I'm providing a link to a newsletter post where he speaks of the need for accuracy rather than speakers that "designers stray from the ideal of accurate reproduction of the source dynamics, phase, and frequency response and inject their own personal "tweaks" to bend the sound"

I'm asking for your opinion on this subject as you record and produce music. And as a reviewer who has tested many speakers. I also recall that you have used a variety of speakers over the years for your recordings. Is there any one constant for you, a set of headphones perhaps?

I think we can all agree we want a speaker that does not have an obvious sound signature, but beyond that, would we get the sound of the studio by using those JBLs which come with Crown amps?

I'm going to ask everyone to let this be a discussion of the merits of Waldrep's point of view, and not a chance to attack or insult John. I read the linked post, and it got me thinking, most high end speakers that I have read reviews of, usually measure reasonably flat, no obvious tweaking. The drivers used, the type of crossover, cabinet construction all have an effect on sound. It would seem to duplicate the sound of the studio, you would need an identical rack of gear and speakers, used for that recording.

I also have come to the conclusion that there is no absolute sound, that we can acquire in our homes, as the room is different, the gear is carefully chosen to get what is a pleasing sound to us. Other than having the actual musicians playing in our rooms, or building a dozen or so listening rooms each duplicating that recording studio. In reality no two rooms or systems will sound the same. Maybe with dsp, offering all corrections needed for each room, and a pro listening room designer, we could get close. But would that really be satisfying? It certainly isn't affordable, or practical for all but a few with unlimited resources.

Personally, I just want a nice transparent full range system that sounds good to me, that brings me joy, one without distracting faults.

I'll say it again, please don't use this topic to insult John or Stereophile. I think this is a topic that could generate a good, educational discussion.

• Studio vs. Home Systems: Which Provides the Artist's Intent   (Open in New Window)

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