Audiophile speakers

Charles Rose
Charles Rose Posts: 24
edited September 2003 in Speakers
When does a speaker become an audiophile speaker? Is it price, bi-wire/bi-ampability, frequency response, manufacturer, semantics? Just wondering.

Charles
Post edited by Charles Rose on

Comments

  • jkratzer
    jkratzer Posts: 148
    edited September 2003
    When the speaker is only sold at snobbish specialty stores in low quantity. LOL! :D

    Seriously, I believe that Polk RTi's are audiophile speakers and are just as good as some so-called "audiophile" speakers. With both Klipsch and Athena now sold at Best Buy (these brands are considered "audiophile"), that just reinforces my argument that speakers can be sold at big box retailers and still be audiophile.
    My 7.1 setup consists of:
    Denon 3803
    Panasonic DVD
    RTi70s front
    CSi40 front center
    RTi28s side surround
    FXi30s back surround
    PSW202 Subwoofer - Hey, it's my first sub!
    RCA 46" 4:3 RPTV
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited September 2003
    When does a speaker become an Audiophile speaker???

    Huh well I never really thought about it untill just now.I'm gonna say a speaker can be labeled as such when a certian or group of people consider it to be of high quality and true to the music so to speak.

    Higher end companies like Wilson,Dynaudio,Martin Logan,Sonus Faber are examples of high end Audiophile speakers.But that doesn't mean that they are the only ones.

    So really it comes down to the listener or listeners.

    I consider the Lsi15's to be a Audiophile grade speaker,entry level in my opnion.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • jrausch
    jrausch Posts: 510
    edited September 2003
    It's defined as a person or product that is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction. I believe it is when an audio product can faithfully reproduce the original event without adding its own color or flavor to that event. This of course omits 95% of most audio products out there. So the pursuit of perfection is more or less the goal of an audiophile speaker and not a specific standard that is set.
    "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it."
  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited September 2003
    I don't think that there is any one 'right' or 'wrong' answer.....if you dig it, go with it.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,749
    edited September 2003
    A Audiophile speaker is in a room that cost as much to build as the system.

    In this case, I heard a Wilson Audio X-1 setup, the setup itself, (HT), amps, sources, pres, projector, screen, etc etc everything cost 500,000. The room in there costs 500,000. It was free standing, floated more the less, it has zero vibrations, and was literally sound proof. It was acoustically perfect, and was by far the most audio accepting room I have EVER stepped into. Now that is when a speaker is beyond Audiophile. When the room costs as much as the system. Haha..anyways

    I believe my speakers are Audiophile quality for the Audio Enthusiast. Not some stuck up rich **** that could buy a mountain for his daily use if so be it...

    I also believe, when something can cost less, but sound siginifically better, Polk is a prime example. It seems Polk Audio sets the standards in low/mid line speakers. I have heard the Klipsch speakers, their TOTL. I must say, it didn't smash mine. Possibly more open in the midrange, but I could not justify the price of the Klipsch. Boston, they're another that I think is a load of trash, not even caliber of RT. Polk, Klipsch, Def Tech, Dynaudio, Sonus Fabor, Wilson, etc

    I will say this. The Polk Audio SRT is Audiophile quality. It made a 8,000 dollar Sonus Fabor look like a Car Speaker that was dumped in salt water for 9 months......
    The SRT is on the same levels of Wilson Audio, not quite there, but the Wilson could not have its way with it. I am sorry Wilson, just not gonna happen.....
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited September 2003
    This is a completely unanswerable question, its too subjective. It has sparked some good comments, but it only matters to the listener and/or buyer in the end.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited September 2003
    Originally posted by ATCVenom
    [B...stringent, often self proclaimed elitests....
    [/B]

    Like Dan? ;)

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,530
    edited September 2003
    The dictionary definition of audiophile is basically anyone who is enthusiastic about the reproduction of high fidelity sound. Since beauty is in the ear of the beholder, and what constitutes high fidelity sound varies from one person to the next, anyone who is enthusiastic about their sound system meets the definition of audiophile--even someone with Bose speakers.
  • DynamiteD
    DynamiteD Posts: 48
    edited September 2003
    An audiophile speaker is a speaker that is built with top shelf audiophile grade parts. I'm assuming that audiophile grade parts meet some kind of stringent requirement to be deemed as such. For instance, gold plated bindings would usually be considered audiophile grade bindings. Now, does this all make a difference. Who knows. It has been my experience that the law of deminishing returns exists in the audio world. Once you get to a certain level, say $1000 on speakers or a receiver you'll have to ante up a lot more to achieve a better sound. For instance msrp Rti70 would be $800 and for the LSi15 $1600. My take with the audiophile parts comes from reading many audio articles, it seems to be how they refer to a product as audiophile quility.
    Mains: Paradigm Studio 100's
    Center: Paradigm Studio CC570
    Rear: Paradigm Studio ADP 470's
    Subwoofer: Paradigm Servo 15 v.2
    Receiver: Pioneer VSX-59TXi
    Amplification: California Audio Labs
    CL-2500 5X500
    DVD: Integra DPS 10.5
    Hitachi 51S715 51" CRT Rear Projection
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,654
    edited September 2003
    Audiophile speakers are what you own and everything your friends own are not.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited September 2003
    Emlyn/F1 - :D True.

    The whole thought of "audiophile" grade parts even having weight is ridiculous. It is a generic term, and that gets dressed up by others. It the same with saying that cars used to be made better, and blah blah blah. Its all BS. Its all subjective, period.

    Speaker parts that have high quality replacements...are called high quality replacements. You don't hear me saying replacing the boost controller on my turbo with an autophile part, no, its an upgrade to a better one.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • paymontana
    paymontana Posts: 234
    edited September 2003
    If you find the sound you can't describe in words coming from a set of speakers.

    If you say those are the speakers i want beside my 60" mits and can afford them.

    If your buddy starts crying because he hears your sound compared to his over priced BOSO'S.

    If your dog barks at a cat he hears on your ht.

    If you can say yes to any or all of these you have found audiofile speakers.
    "It doesn't get any more serious than a Rhinocerus about to charge your ****."
  • Charles Rose
    Charles Rose Posts: 24
    edited September 2003
    When is a speaker an audiophile speaker? When the speaker talks about audiophiles.... :D

    But really, my feeling at the time I posted the question was that to call a speaker an audiophile speaker was in a sense incorrect use of the word audiophile. But many reviewers of speakers use the term. Just do a search of the term on-line and see what comes up.

    What Emlyn stated is correct. An audiophile is an enthusiast for things of the audio world. But, I have read many reviews referring to audiophile speakers where the implication was for really high grade (high cost-not necessarily higher quality) speakers. Just wondering what that line is...Personally, I feel that my little RT7s are audiophile quality. :cool:


    Charles
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited September 2003
    AMEN! :)
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.