How much better are good speakers?

Naruto01

Hello everyone,,

I have some decent speakers — Audioengine A5+ with an SVS SB-2000 subwoofer — and I am curious about how much better really good speakers are.

I'm thinking about this because whenever I hear an organ or a piano in real life they sound so much more real than what I hear through my speakers. Conversely, classical music in particular, because I know what orchestras and such things sound like in real life, don't sound as though I'm at a live performance when listened to through my speakers.

I know that the gear I have can hit all the frequencies I care about, so it's not like I'm missing out on the bass or something. However, I haven't yet carefully positioned everything or acoustically treated my room, so it's possible that I could get much better sound if I put some more effort into it. When I play with a frequency generator I can find some quite noticeable peaks and troughs.

I think my question might be a bit vague, but I think there might be two related questions. Do you think my "this orchestral music doesn't sound real" problems have more to do with the acoustics of my room or the speakers themselves? And, how much better are really good speakers (like KEF LS50, or other speakers at a similar level) compared to my Audioengines?

I hope that makes sense. I can probably clarify anything as needed.

Gardenstater

Yeah it's a pretty tough question to answer without being informed about your room size, type of interior, other components in your system, etc..... but the way this usually works is that lots of small incremental improvements to all of the above adds up to a HUGE difference in sound but you always get there gradually so impossible to A/B except by remembering the journey. What type of stands are you using and are you using spikes or vibration isolation?

Emlyn

Those Audioengine speakers are excellent desktop speakers with bass good down to 50 Hz. You may have identified the problem and that's how they're set up. They're good for a small room. It's possible to get some desktop stands for them that could improve the bass output but ultimately they are small speakers and won't sound "big" in a room. Having the speakers on a solid surface without a stand or a way to prevent resonances from going into a desk or cabinet surface will deaden them.

It could also be that the subwoofer isn't blending well with the speakers and leaves an acoustic hole where the bass response between 50 Hz and 120 Hz is either too much or too little.

Larger speakers will provide a fuller sound but also only if the speakers are well set up for the room.

steveinaz

Recorded/reproduced music will NEVER approach the dynamic range and SCALE that gives live music the advantage.

Having said that, what I have noticed as I moved up the chain, was more realistic vocals and upper midrange in general. You'll also notice less bass boom, replaced by a more musical bass.

invalid

Note decay seems to be a lot better with well designed larger speakers. I just don't hear that with bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer.

F1nut

I am curious about how much better really good speakers are.

I suggest you visit a high end audio dealer or even better attend an audio show.

jdjohn

Speakers are the last component in the chain before the music hits your ears, so they arguably have the biggest impact on final sound.

Good speakers can speak to you in a conversational manner, and describe for you the rest of your system, until ultimately the system disappears, and you only hear the music. Lesser speakers can't tell you very much, but technically do have the ability to talk.

VR3

I recall years ago Brian Cheney (sp) from vmps (rip) at an audio show recorded a live band at the show, then played the same song back through his reference system in the same room, also at the show, don't remember anymore details than that and that the audience participating was happy with the results

VR3

http://pointillistic.com/vmps-audio/news.htm

Here it is! More info on it -

http://pointillistic.com/vmps-audio/news.htm

Clipdat

What is your source? You could be killing yourself there before the signal ever reaches the speakers.

tratliff

Do yourself a favor and stick to the Audioengine speakers.

BlueFox

Good speakers make a big difference to a stereo. Of course, the electronics have to keep pace with the speakers. My speaker journey was Polk SDA-2B, PSB Synchrony One, Aerial Acoustics 7T, Magico S5, and Magico S5 MK 2. While I enjoyed each pair, the improvement from each pair was a step up.

SIHAB

Good speakers are just good. Better speakers are gooder.

Joey_V

I suggest you visit someone with a really good set up, best way to understand

SIHAB

Joey_V wrote: »

I suggest you visit someone with a really good set up, best way to understand

Flash rave at @Joey_V 's house! Where are my Dads plaid shorts at...
Hi Joey. Did you ever land on a tube phono Pre?

Spkrdctr

You will never have a live performance sound from a home audio system unless you have HUGE amounts of money, then you might get close. You can get closer with speaker placement and room treatments. A middle of the road speaker will sound awesome properly set up compared to a high dollar speaker not set up. 60% of your sound is the room. 30% is speaker placement. The entire rest of the system is divided up in the last 10%.
So decent, but not real expensive speakers setup in a properly treated room will sound very good, but you will never have an orchestral concert sound as your brain can't be fooled. Your brain knows that a LOT of the sound (reflected sound etc) is not right for what it is hearing. So, don't get wrapped up in high dollar cords, connectors and wires. They at best nibble around the edges when a little room treatment will blow ALL of the amp/wires and other stuff away in performance improvement!

invalid

Spkrdctr wrote: »

You will never have a live performance sound from a home audio system unless you have HUGE amounts of money, then you might get close. You can get closer with speaker placement and room treatments. A middle of the road speaker will sound awesome properly set up compared to a high dollar speaker not set up. 60% of your sound is the room. 30% is speaker placement. The entire rest of the system is divided up in the last 10%.
So decent, but not real expensive speakers setup in a properly treated room will sound very good, but you will never have an orchestral concert sound as your brain can't be fooled. Your brain knows that a LOT of the sound (reflected sound etc) is not right for what it is hearing. So, don't get wrapped up in high dollar cords, connectors and wires. They at best nibble around the edges when a little room treatment will blow ALL of the amp/wires and other stuff away in performance improvement!

I do believe room treatments are important, but it also depends on the type of speakers you have. My apogee duetta 2 speakers do not need much room treatments, but they do need to be placed correctly.

delkal

I am wondering why the OP joined on March 10th. Posted this and never came back. He has zero visits. I guess he is busy........

Its also funny how he thinks a pair of desktop speakers with internal amps should match the sound of a live orchestra.

maxward

He got some very good advice, wherever he is...

Joey_V

SIHAB wrote: »

Joey_V wrote: »

I suggest you visit someone with a really good set up, best way to understand

Flash rave at @Joey_V 's house! Where are my Dads plaid shorts at...
Hi Joey. Did you ever land on a tube phono Pre?

I have the Zesto Andros 1.2 for phono

tonyb

Maybe the proper question is, how much crappier are bad speakers ? Answer that one, and you'll also have answered the original question.

MikeUp

I have family and friends with $5000/pair speakers to $100/pair speakers. I've been far impressed with some that are less than $400/pair than others that are $2000/pair.

While all are fairly accurate according to the frequency response deviation, some are more accurate according to the real sounds that they are reproducing. Some of the speakers re-create a live listening space but others like a dead room sound. Recordings are usually dead sounding as damping material throughout the studio limit reflections. If you have a dead sounding room yourself, and very accurate speakers, your sound should sound just like that studio where the recording was made, not the live venue you may hear that recording made by the same artist.

Then again the recording could be from a source that's lively. When playing back that music back in you home, it may sound like that lively source if your room doesn't add it's own sonics and your speakers are very accurate.

What I'm saying is that it may be very hard to re-create a live listening venue because of the recording itself, your speakers deviation from a flat frequency response, and your rooms acoustics.

I've heard some expensive speakers that are to dark sounding and laid back to be anything close to realistic IMO, and found the same with expensive speakers that are to bright sounding to sound realistic.

I just listening for a tonal quality that I like, then go from there with soundstage and imaging. More expensive speakers should have better soundstage and imaging and less distortion but it won't matter if it's tonal quality (dark or bright) sound un-natural to you and unpleasant.

BindingPoster

Others can answer that question for you, but those responses won't be anywhere near as accurate as it would be if you were to seek the answer yourself. All because only you have the combination of your system, your room, your ears and your expectations.
If the sound your speakers currently give is all you will ever want from an audio system, you may not care much about how a bouncy electrostatic speaker, a dynamic multi-cone speaker, or a sophisticated dual-concentric sound in your room.
On the other hand, being sat in front of a pair of head-turning speakers in a the right room with expert speaker positioning hasn't happened for you yet. If this is the case, it might change your world when it does, as it has done for so many audio enthusiasts.
Audio specialist dealers and audio shows are where many such experiences are had.

skrol

Don't waste your money on a new pair of speakers...

I rather be impressed by lowly speakers rather than disappointed by expensive ones. It is kind of like how you enjoy a bad movie. If you go in knowing its bad movie than you will enjoy it more than if you are expecting it to be good.

So did this guy just drop one bomb and run?

pitdogg2

It do'th seem'th that way'th...

audioluvr

pitdogg2 wrote: »

It do'th seem'th that way'th...

Nice Sylvester imitation!

pitdogg2

Suffering succotash