If it's full range, and it's loud, and wonderfully coherent, and harmonizes with your room, the physical size doesn't matter. Listen for yourself and find out. The bass output of the bigger monitors from Genelec, Neumann and also ATC are significant, with 10 inch or larger woofers with lots of power behind them, big motors with tons of excursion and dsp behind everything. Amir characterized the bass of on kh420 as 'frightening' and excessive and my experience with modern sota woofers confirms that.Thanks, @Laserjock and @Kal Rubinson. I'll try to seek out some MCH experiences along the way. And thanks @McGillroy and @Ifrit for the tips. I'll check the ATC 150 and Strauss out.
Why, @617, do you think I might be happier with smaller solutions? I am a bit worried--maybe entirely unfairly--about if smaller solutions will reproduce the sense of immersive bigness I am after. My headphones are great for precision, but they leave a lot to be desired when it comes, say, to Wagner or Shostakovitch.
Better still would be large(ish) mains + subs, the OP certainly has the budget for this (whether his has an accommodating room plan or significant other, is another question). To put it bluntly, I just don't think you get the same size of sound or punch with smaller mains, subs or no. The presentation is just different. The argument has been had a lot elsewhere on this forum, so I don't think we should have it here, but I do think there is *something* to the relation that people notice between size of speaker and size of the sound produced.The one advantage of a smaller speaker and subs is that you get smoother in room bass response. This has been discussed and studied at length. You also get the advantage of a potentially more agreeable appearance if you find big speakers unsightly. Make no mistake, multi subs are the way to the best bass in room.
What is mean? "Boring" sound? I know, that for some people Kii Three sound sharp or rough in high or medium tones, I don't remember exactly.Kii Three BXT (to lifeless he said)
It's my thing and I have thousands of classical MCH recordings in my collection. The new rise of Atmos etc. may signal a renaissance of classical MCH.
https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/immersive@ClassicalSpeakers if you’ve never heard a good MCH mix, you’re missing out.
I wish SACD and DVD-A were still around and then there’s some BluRay Audio too.
That is a good point. It is probably also worth mentioning that if you are mainly into the older stuff, that may change your choice of speaker, just because the limited fidelity of those recordings might have you prefer a different (more forgiving?) speaker from the higher fidelity and differently mic'd up, more recent recordings.As for multi-channel classical, it could certainly be an option depending on your preference for performers. I personally prefer older recordings (think Bruno Walter, Carlos Kleiber, Otto Klemperer, Harnoncourt, etc) which are mostly 2 channel. If you like the newer stuff it might be worth the investment.
If so, you'd better be ready to have more than one subwoofer.It's room treatments that are the problem. I might eventually be able to get some, but for now, it is a no go, or at best, very minimal
I've known fans of calssics that needed to revive an experince of being in some concert hall.I am not quite sure what you are asking about concert hall vs simulation? is that what other people refer to as being immersed in the performance vs listening to it through a window? I'm not quite sure what either of those questions means--my sense is that I want the immersive/concert hall experience
It will depend on your speaker placement and required SPL.do you think I might be happier with smaller solutions? I am a bit worried--maybe entirely unfairly--about if smaller solutions will reproduce the sense of immersive bigness I am after
By finding out the suggested retail, then compare different dealers prices and then attempt to get about 15% or so off the retail price is usually a fair price the retailers shoot for at a minimum sell price. Sometimes you'll get a smoking deal and get like a 20% discount and that is probably ~25%-30% markup dependent on the deals the vendor got when buying the stuff. Not sooper high for good speakers but ~35% is the usual for a average salesperson to average on speakers. Top salespeople will maintain a average of 35% on all equipment sales at the years end and for speakers alone that will be ~40%'ish markup. Considering operating a audio store costs runs about 22% to 27%+ of that mark-up dependent on overhead the profits are not astronomical. I have ~9 years experience selling home audio and 15 years repairing the stuff for a total of ~24 years so I have some ideas that maybe can help.I have to say I find the whole process somewhat intimidating and mysterious. How does one find out if the dealer's price is a fair one?
Thanks, @Doodski. Just to clarify, you are saying shoot for 15% off of sticker price or 20% if you are really lucky? Does it matter if the seller is a big box store (Best Buy for B&W, say) vs a local hifi store? Do new speakers like Blades tend to go for closer to sticker?By finding out the suggested retail, then compare different dealers prices and then attempt to get about 15% or so off the retail price is usually a fair price the retailers shoot for at a minimum sell price. Sometimes you'll get a smoking deal and get like a 20% discount and that is probably ~25%-30% markup dependent on the deals the vendor got when buying the stuff. Not sooper high for good speakers but ~35% is the usual for a average salesperson to average on speakers. Top salespeople will maintain a average of 35% on all equipment sales at the years end and for speakers alone that will be ~40%'ish markup. Considering operating a audio store costs runs about 22% to 27%+ of that mark-up dependent on overhead the profits are not astronomical. I have ~9 years experience selling home audio and 15 years repairing the stuff for a total of ~24 years so I have some ideas that maybe can help.
15% to 20% is a reasonable discount for a cash type sale on speakers. (For electronics the profit margins are almost always less than speakers.) If the purchaser really grinds on price and the retailer is game and they dicker pretty seriously they can resent using plastic due to the service charges eating up the profit margin. Boutique HiFi stores are smaller and more flexible for some products. Best Buy is a brick and mortar mass merchandiser and there's no guessing what they will do. Sometimes they do crazy prices just to move it and beat out competitors and other times the price is the price. There is also the store policies. Often Best Buy can offer better terms but not always so check into those terms and weigh them for your needs. I've been reallly ground down by some buyers in the past and it's exciting and also can be very grueling if the grinder is too set on a low price. If you grind them down too much they might want to revoke some terms of sale that you like and the you loose return terms or such. The retailer is trying to pay the overhead, make a margin and satisfy the customer so they are under a fair amount of stress in the deal. I suggest approach the deal with a calm manner, set your terms and goals before you arrive in the store and feel them out. It's going to be a learning experience for sure making such a major purchase of speakers and I wish you the best.Thanks, @Doodski. Just to clarify, you are saying shoot for 15% off of sticker price or 20% if you are really lucky? Does it matter if the seller is a big box store (Best Buy for B&W, say) vs a local hifi store? Do new speakers like Blades tend to go for closer to sticker?
And what do you do if there is only one retailer of the speakers anywhere in the area?