there is more...
Just a personal observation. I've been building speakers for something like 10 years and always adopted "hi-fi" component. not the super cheap stuff, not the most expensive one, except ...ehm...sometimes.
Now, I finally figured out what I really like in music. The vibrant, dynamic, fast, impactful sound of drums. and of any other instrument or voice, of course.
Damn, I hate to admit it, but it's the sound of PAPER CONES ! and big magnets and coils probably. Good professional speakers [ had my hands only on JBL and RCF ] sure don't have a flat response, but most of the times you don't need it.
You also don't need super-deep bass, but you may want to feel every little hit on a drum even when you listen at very low volume. try with your average plastic cones...good luck! The open midrange also is quite pleasant to me...but I can see how sometimes it can be too much. that's IHMO the only drawback of professional speakers. [besides the cost, damn it!]
So, yeah, unless you get truly addicted to FR, PA is the way to go, sooner or later!
Lorenzo
Just a personal observation. I've been building speakers for something like 10 years and always adopted "hi-fi" component. not the super cheap stuff, not the most expensive one, except ...ehm...sometimes.
Now, I finally figured out what I really like in music. The vibrant, dynamic, fast, impactful sound of drums. and of any other instrument or voice, of course.
Damn, I hate to admit it, but it's the sound of PAPER CONES ! and big magnets and coils probably. Good professional speakers [ had my hands only on JBL and RCF ] sure don't have a flat response, but most of the times you don't need it.
You also don't need super-deep bass, but you may want to feel every little hit on a drum even when you listen at very low volume. try with your average plastic cones...good luck! The open midrange also is quite pleasant to me...but I can see how sometimes it can be too much. that's IHMO the only drawback of professional speakers. [besides the cost, damn it!]
So, yeah, unless you get truly addicted to FR, PA is the way to go, sooner or later!
Lorenzo
One way of looking at it, that has worked for me, is that a large surface moving at lower excursions not only reduces the demands upon the motor and keeps it in its most linear area, but also that it more closely emulates the behavior of typical instruments. A cello is a very large surface moving very gently. Why expect a 6" driver to emulate that? Give me a 15"! This may be the same effect as used in horns. Different animal, but again a relatively large effective surface area. Large speakers have some major advantages, and PA are generally rather large, compared to "HiFi".
I will also vote for pro drivers, with a few reservations.
Having gone back and forth between pro sound and Hi-Fi for many years, it seems hard to beat the pro drivers. But pro gear often doesn't sound all that great for many reasons; cabinet design, crossovers, processing, amps, heavy driver cones, bad horns, etc. Not always the fault of the driver.
The best stuff I've ever heard is cinema sound drivers from the mid 20th century. Very hard to beat a good Altec driver or horn! More modern stuff like JBL and TAD (ouch! my wallet) can sound great, too.
In defense of home audio gear, it is designed to work well in a relatively small box in a small room, for a good price. Pro drivers are big, heavy, expensive and generally need big boxes. They do sound good, tho.
Having gone back and forth between pro sound and Hi-Fi for many years, it seems hard to beat the pro drivers. But pro gear often doesn't sound all that great for many reasons; cabinet design, crossovers, processing, amps, heavy driver cones, bad horns, etc. Not always the fault of the driver.
The best stuff I've ever heard is cinema sound drivers from the mid 20th century. Very hard to beat a good Altec driver or horn! More modern stuff like JBL and TAD (ouch! my wallet) can sound great, too.
In defense of home audio gear, it is designed to work well in a relatively small box in a small room, for a good price. Pro drivers are big, heavy, expensive and generally need big boxes. They do sound good, tho.
bob123 said:
As I use PHL3451's as midranges (<1.5KHz), I disagree with the "most PA speakers are very poor quality" statement. But if your speakers can reproduce the sound of a single guitar (well recorded) then you ARE doing very well with your home speakers (whether based on Pro driver or not).
"f good speakers make it sound like you were there at the concert or somthing then good speakers are PA systems as all concets have PA systems playing into the crowd."
The secret is to get as close as you can to front and center so the PA arrays are to the sides and above, so you get more direct sound right from the instrument.
Of course this doesn't work as well if there are loud stage monitors pointing at you.
The secret is to get as close as you can to front and center so the PA arrays are to the sides and above, so you get more direct sound right from the instrument.
Of course this doesn't work as well if there are loud stage monitors pointing at you.
Live vs. memorex (for those who remember)
I've reached a point in my system evolution wherein I'm now (and have been for a while now) hearing all of the anoyances of sub-par live performances in the recordings I listen to (you know, the occasional audience cough, the flutter of pages turning in the orchestra during quiet sections, the anoying squeak of fingers running up and down the guitar frets, the tympanist dropping his mallet, trucks rumbling outside the studio,etc. ad nauseum)
This stuff all used to be masked by vinyl noise and c^%p when I listened to direct cut high speed masters on multi thousand $$$ turntables in the '80's and '90's, but now is all too apparent when attempting to reproduce live symphonic music off of the best rmedia available, or many jazz and blues discs recorded in real time (Keith jarrett's guffaws and spurts forgiven)....
I guess the irrepressible pursuit of the ultimate fidelity has its downsides... (or maybe I've "arrived" at the true meaning of ultra-fidelity reproduction...
Anyone else suffering from this malady?
I often prefer the "Recording" to the "Live" event anyway.... not so many idiots making noise and interrupting the music... I'm not sure The Live Experience is truly the best reference for reproduction...
auplater
I've reached a point in my system evolution wherein I'm now (and have been for a while now) hearing all of the anoyances of sub-par live performances in the recordings I listen to (you know, the occasional audience cough, the flutter of pages turning in the orchestra during quiet sections, the anoying squeak of fingers running up and down the guitar frets, the tympanist dropping his mallet, trucks rumbling outside the studio,etc. ad nauseum)
This stuff all used to be masked by vinyl noise and c^%p when I listened to direct cut high speed masters on multi thousand $$$ turntables in the '80's and '90's, but now is all too apparent when attempting to reproduce live symphonic music off of the best rmedia available, or many jazz and blues discs recorded in real time (Keith jarrett's guffaws and spurts forgiven)....
I guess the irrepressible pursuit of the ultimate fidelity has its downsides... (or maybe I've "arrived" at the true meaning of ultra-fidelity reproduction...
Anyone else suffering from this malady?
I often prefer the "Recording" to the "Live" event anyway.... not so many idiots making noise and interrupting the music... I'm not sure The Live Experience is truly the best reference for reproduction...
auplater
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