Audio definitions - "Airy"

treitz3

What does that mean to you?

dragon1952

it means that the notes just seem to float in the air during the sustain rather than just sharply truncate. Also could be defined as 'space' between instruments, but to me it is more about sustaining of notes and how they seem to hang rather than quickly subside.

RuSsMaN

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98084

DK put it in pdf for me a while back. That's what I use for reviews.

It's post 5, there is a link for a pdf at the top.

dragon1952

Bad linkee

RuSsMaN

Try that.

gdb

http://www.essentialaudio.com/humor/cliche.htm
here's some defining terms for ya.:biggrin: Use too many, and people'll think you're a Nancy-Boy !:eek:

Tony M

Sound projected out into a room that seems to NOT come directly from the speakers locations.

Ohm Walshs did a GREAT job of that.


So does Polk audio's SDA speakers. But with older tweeters, sometimes that airy sound becomes shrill like fingernails on a chalk board. That's when the newer replacement tweeters are installed to bring that airy sound back. And they do bring it back. I've replaced some.

fishbones

To me it means that there is a sense of "air". :biggrin:


...No seriously though. For me it is what I describe a system's sound as the individual images outer perimeter. A sense of the "space" surrounding the image (mainly in the upper end frequencies). There is life, or an aura of air outside of the direct sound, which many restrict, making it lifeless. Maybe I could call it also spatial energy that exists between, and around the images.

xj4094dg

pffffffft....

BlueFox

Fluffy, not stuffy.

20hz

Full of hot air ? (LOL)
I always thought of it as a clean smooth midrange like the persons voice is so real its like they are standing somewhere close to the speaker , I have only heard it a few times .

polkfarmboy

Airy = martin logan speakers

When there is no cone there is only haunting airy 3d sounds coming from nowhere

pitdogg2

tony millard wrote: »

Sound projected out into a room that seems to NOT come directly from the speakers locations.

Ohm Walsh's did a GREAT job of that.

they sure did and like SDA's are still supported by their manufacture...or were as of a few years ago i seen where you could send your spaekers in the have upgrades and such.

Joe08867

Most Electrostatics are airy.

Ohm Walsh are Airy

I like Dragons definition but I will add that the sound seems dispersed over a very wide soundstage, one that is much wider than the speakers seem to be able to produce.

treitz3

Well, I'm surprised that not many of the heavy hitters of the forum have responded to this yet. "Airy" to me is when the presentation is nowhere near the speakers. When their is a sense of natural rolloff on the stroke of a cymbal, for example. Part of the aspect or definition of airy to me is when the sound stage is no longer a 2-D stage and the sound becomes 3-D, making the realism aspect of the reproduction that much more accurate.

Speakers I have heard that seem to do this effortlessly have been SDA's, Martin Logan's, Quad's, Focal's, Wilson's, Tyler Acoustics, ribbon and planar speakers. So, that said, do any of you have any other definitions or observations of what "Airy" may mean?

Come on, this is after all an audio forum. Why would you shy away from talking about just that? Audio?

george daniel

To me,, airy is open,, somewhat enveloping,, not compressed,it's an attribute of an unrestricted soundstage,, somewhat "free" ,, organic and airy are important to me..Just my .02.

20hz

treitz3 wrote: »

Well, I'm surprised that not many of the heavy hitters of the forum have responded to this yet. "Airy" to me is when the presentation is nowhere near the speakers. When their is a sense of natural rolloff on the stroke of a cymbal, for example. Part of the aspect or definition of airy to me is when the sound stage is no longer a 2-D stage and the sound becomes 3-D, making the realism aspect of the reproduction that much more accurate.
Come on, this is after all an audio forum. Why would you shy away from talking about just that? Audio?

Good definition , I think a lot of "audiofiles" are just people with big wallets, then there is the few true audiofiles that can define airy and tell things like if a speaker is placed wrong , if they heard a full system they can hear that one mid that is dead , or a tweeter that has a intermitant noise .
Most folks just cant tell .

polkfarmboy

20hz wrote: »

Good definition , I think a lot of "audiofiles" are just people with big wallets, then there is the few true audiofiles that can define airy and tell things like if a speaker is placed wrong , if they heard a full system they can hear that one mid that is dead , or a tweeter that has a intermitant noise .
Most folks just cant tell .

Well I have a very small wallet but it wont stop me going to buy a $3000 martin logan stage for my home theater . Most of us audiophiles here scrimp and cut back on other things so we can afford that airy sound

treitz3

Long time members.....where in the hell are you at?

Trust me, there is more to come. It will take a while but eventually, you will see what my goal is. Until then? Think about it. When you are ready? Post your thoughts.

20hz

polkfarmboy wrote: »

Well I have a very small wallet but it wont stop me going to buy a $3000 martin logan stage for my home theater . Most of us audiophiles here scrimp and cut back on other things so we can afford that airy sound

I heard another "he lives in a small apartment and has a $100,000 system"
You can see a true audiofile, cuts back on stuff to have true sound .
It took me 2 years to find my center ch speaker , I was looking around and some salesman asks if I need help , I told him " I wanted a accurate center speaker that allowed me to hear stuff other centers dont provide "
he looked at me like a deer stuck in the headlights .

mrbigbluelight

Here's another square wave but with a sawtooth on top :redface:

Good Airy

The mechanical ability of the cone to follow the input and any minor signal differences helps to give sound a distinctive signature, not just a single flat dull tone from a signal generator.

Good Airy.bmp

Not Airy

Poor design/materials and the cone's just somewhat along for the ride. The lag involved smoothes (and not a good smooth) the mechancial travel to almost a single dull flat tone. A trumpet sounds like it is muted, whether it is or not. Bad enough and it's a case of "Is that a trumpet or trombone ?".

Not Airy.bmp

megasat16

All his songs are very Airy. Lots of trebles and sibilance too.

gdb

^^^^^^kills digital-ready see-through-to-the-source-transparency^^^^^